I make Sh1,200 daily selling sugarcane : The Standard

After waking up at the crack of dawn, the first thing I do is check the sharpness of my machete in readiness for my job of selling sugarcane. This is something I’ve done religiously for the past 30 years that I’ve been in this business. I operate from Karurumo market in Embu County. The heat spikes demand for my sugarcane. My shop is a simple wooden structure near the Karurumo-Ishiara road. A sharp machete ensures I can peel a sugarcane fast, thus making more money while also satisfying the impatient customer who’s in a hurry. I started my working life as a casual labourer, but the job was energy draining and the pay meagre.

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I consider selling sugarcane a good job as I employ myself. I can earn up to Sh1,200 on a good day, an amount I’d never be paid working on people’s farms. The job entails buying sugarcane from farmers in the morning. I buy each cane at Sh10 and sell it for at least Sh30. The sugarcane from Gichera and Muregwa areas is best.

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In a day, I sell about 40 sugarcanes, but I can sell more if demand is high. In the past, I’d sell indigenous sugarcane varieties, but I’ve since switched to the Mumias variety, which customers prefer because of its tenderness.

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The job comes with its own challenges; such as muscle strain after a hard day’s work. The ban on polythene bags also affects operations as I can’t store the tiny pieces of peeled sugarcane that customers prefer to take away. However, I now have more environmentally-friendly bags. The job has enabled me to educate my children up to college and even bought me a motorcycle, which I use to transport sugarcane. 

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