The Covid-19 pandemic may be wreaking havoc globally on both social and economic spheres, but for Nuthia Ngigi it is a blessing in disguise.

The African nightshade (managu) farmer says the demand for his leafy vegetables has suddenly gone through the roof.

This is after dieticians, pharmacologists and virologists made a strong case for managu as one of the natural immunity boosters ideal to battle diseases.

According to nutritionist Anne Murigi of Doctors Without Borders, the indigenous vegetable contains iron, protein, calories, carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, ascorbic acid, carotene, phosphorus and riboflavin.

Boost immunity

Murigi says this combination is ideal to boost immunity, giving the body an edge in fighting ailments.

Those with suppressed immunity have been said to be at a higher risk of death if they are infected with Covid-19.

Murigi says the leaves of African nightshade also contain high levels of vitamins A, B, C and phenolics and alkaloids, including cocaine, quinine, nicotine and morphine which are highly recommended for convalescing patients.

It is from these health benefits of managu that Ngigi has been reaping large as customers flock to his farms in Karinga village of Kigumo Sub-county, Murang’a County.

“Most of my customers are from nearby households and they say they have heard from the media that managu is good and is an immunity booster.

Ngigi has subdivided his farm into ten 40 by 100 feet portions.

“I earn Sh36,000 from each portions per harvest. This totals to Sh360,000. Minus the cost of production, I remain with at least Sh250,000 net profit,” he says.

He says he harvests twice a week and the plant has a life cycle of three months.

His calculations for now are that the 10 portions give him a steady income of Sh30,000 per week as opposed to earlier days when he would make between Sh10,000 and Sh15,000.

After completing his secondary education in 2003, Ngigi enrolled for an electrical engineering course, and he says he graduated with so much hope of getting a job.

“By 2011, it was apparent that I was doomed to getting only casual jobs. No one was willing to commit me into a permanent job.

“It was a low moment for me when out of frustrations, I got myself into Marikiti market in Nairobi where I worked as a cargo hauler carrying sacks of potatoes from lorries,” he says.

On a good day, he says he would offload about 20 sacks and get paid Sh400. He says each sack weighed about 120 kilogrammes.

Hot cake

“In a week, I could make Sh2,000 or Sh8,000 per month. My monthly upkeep expenditure in Nairobi was Sh12,000. I lived from hand to mouth and depended heavily on borrowing,” he says.

In 2012, Ngigi decided to retreat to the village where he started small-scale farming.

“My experience in Marikiti had made me aware that managu was selling like hot cakes. I ventured into farming and I have never looked back,” he says.

Now he is planning to expand the acreage under the crop to four.

Ngigi projects that by 2022 he will be able to make Sh1.73 million in a single cycle of the crop.

“If you want me to stop farming and go into formal employment, you have to be ready to pay me not less than Sh300,000 per month. In my current occupation, I do not pay rent or transport and I get my food from the shamba,” he says.

He says the operation costs in his venture are low “because managu is easy to tend and requires little care.”

He says an acre requires Sh2,000 worth of fertiliser and matures within three weeks, and is ready for the market. Irrigation is done once a week.

Ngigi says during rainy seasons the prices for the vegetable go down to Sh10 per kilo as opposed to Sh30 during other seasons, but productivity goes up to 600 kilogramme per week, and that evens up his income.

His advice to the youth: “Your wealth creation potential is in your ability to make crucial decisions.

“You either choose to hang on living an income lie, or you break the chains of servitude and work hard in areas that give returns,” he says.

The father of four says his daily hustle thrills him when he sees his children are well taken care of, “and that gives my enterprise a purpose.”


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