German manufacturer Stihl has injected Sh500milion into its new Nairobi hub in a bid to support small-scale farmers acquire farming equipment in Kenya and East Africa at large.
The manufacturer of various agro equipment and forest equipment noted that with a majority of Africans engaging in agriculture as their source of livelihood, the affordability of equipment has hindered them from harnessing their full potential.
Speaking during the opening of their hub, Stihl East Africa Managing Director (MD) Francois Marais said they have invested in affordable equipment for farmers to enable them to unlock the potential that agriculture has. “At Stihl, we believe that the mechanization threshold than a farmer just buying a tractor and plough. And therefore, we have developed a range of products that bring mechanization to farmers for less than Sh. 100,000. This will help East Africa’s agricultural potential,” he stated.
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Among the equipment the firm is offering, specifically tailored for smallholder farmers include tillers, mist blowers, sprayers and water pumps. The firm has also affirmed that it will not only just be selling its products only but it will also offer both theoretical and practical education to its customers on how the various equipment works at their now opened Nairobi hub.
“We also have theoretical training facilities onsite which can handle groups of up to 30 people to train them on the various products features and benefits that Stihl products offer our customers,” said Maeais.
The firm has also assured its customers of high-quality products in addition to an expedited repair process in case of a malfunction of a product purchased.
The company which has been in existence since 1926 has been in East Africa since 2017 and is in plans to expand to Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “This is really a start, and what we have now started in Kenya will also be done in the coming years in the neighbouring countries in East Africa,” said Marais.
SOURCE: Capital business
