Miyonga Fresh Greens is a processor and exporter of fresh, dried and powdered fruits and vegetables, working closely with smallholder farmers who are certified, trained and contracted to supply their farm produce.
Innovation
∙ This particular project (Wheeling Fruits): distributed processing concept. Development of a mobile fruit processing factory in order to reduce food waste, reduce transport costs, create jobs in rural areas and improve digital traceability (through incorporation of GPS elements) of food from different regions.
∙ The solution entails a dried fruit and fruit powder processing unit for: pulping, pasteurizing, drying and milling of seasonal fruits (e.g., mangoes, bananas, pineapples, baobab and coconuts). The processing unit is loaded into a 40ft container that moves to the different aggregation centers across regions, based on fruit seasonality.
∙ Mobility of processing means surplus fruits are processed all year, as well as processing capability utilization is maximized (v typical brick and mortar which is often shut down for 6 months)
∙ Addresses the structural issue of 40% of farm produce is wasted at the farm gate level. This waste arises due to fruit being considered “ugly” (but still useful for dried and powdered usage), as well as lack of appropriate cold storage, limited institutional support and inadequate facilities for handling, packing, processing.
∙ Concept grounded on 3 feasibility studies on food waste volumes and supply chain dynamics.
Key Milestones under KCJF
∙ Plan is to work with 1000 to 1200 farmers over one year and increase this based on the successes of the pilot project in subsequent years. Farmer income significantly increased, through selling 90% of their harvest instead of 60%. Additionally, Miyonga intends to train and certify these farmers for organic farming.
∙ Job creation: will provide job opportunities for the staff that will be engaged on a casual basis at the site. Miyonga anticipates 10 jobs in all the seven hubs (total 70 direct jobs) initially but this is projected to increase during peak seasons of fruit harvesting and processing when 50 workers will be needed. Thus 120 new jobs.
∙ Clear positive externalities: 90% of labour and farmers in are women (harvesters) and women reinvest 90% of their income on health, education and life of their family. The trickle effect is improved standards of living – access to education, nutrition health and better quality of life. Mobile hubs will be certified as organic production sites, meaning workers no longer being exposed to pesticides.
∙ Intent is to franchise the mobile factory concept design, creating opportunity for this concept to be replicated and scaled by others to make a structural change in the ag sector. Miyonga will also scale following the pilot
About The Founder
Yvonne Otieno is the CEO is a multiple award winning entrepreneur and has over 17 years’ experience working in international development and now works full time on business development and strategic growth. She is a first class honors in Development Communication and a Masters in Project Management. She is a prolific agribusiness champion who has been invited to speak in national and global platform by organizations including International Trade Centre, COMESA, UN Women, African Development Bank, Korea Women entrepreneurship Program, AGRA , USIU, Tangaza and UON.
Dorothy Otieno, co-founder, has over 20 years’ experience in logistics, and heads operations and food safety compliance. Her training is in environmental and human resource management. Both founders are Certified in Food Safety Preventive Control Alliance giving access to the US Market.
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