Jane Maina inspires us and you
Since 2006, Jane Maina has been the Managing Director of Vert Ltd, a Kenyan company specialising in the production and export of fresh and processed produce (mainly to the EU and the USA). The company sells its vegetables (green beans, snow peas, baby corn, baby carrots, etc.) and dried mangoes on the international market. In 2019, Jane has decided to diversify and expand into the production of mango and passion fruit pulp for the national and regional markets. Vert Ltd sources 100% of its fresh produce from smallholder farmers across Kenya who are grouped in community-based organisations. Vert Ltd is a social enterprise that helps smallholder farmers become more professional producers, reducing their vulnerability. Jane has a particular focus on supporting women smallholder farmers. She also wants Vert to become an international brand, providing fresh horticultural products to a wide and diverse customer base.
Vert Ltd is a member of COLEAD and has benefited from several COLEAD support programmes including Fit For Market (FFM), FFM + and NeXT Kenya. These programmes aim to maintain and enhance the capacity of smallholder farmers, farmer groups and horticultural MSMEs to access national, regional and international markets through progressive and sustainable intensification of the horticultural sector, while adapting to changes in their operating environment, particularly due to climate change.
Along the way, Vert has managed to raise the funds necessary for its development from organisations such as Grameen Credit Agricole, Kampani and Fefsol/Alterfin.
Vert Ltd now employs 85 people and 300 seasonal workers. The company started in 2006 with 10 producers. It now works with more than 5,000 people across the country.
Jane regularly shares her experiences as a social entrepreneur in webinars, inspiring the agripreneur community.
For more information, please visit https://vertltd.com/