For an extended period, Joreen Kinyua and her family have been consistent consumers of honey.
However, over time, they experienced financial losses due to investments in low-quality or adulterated honey.
Frustrated by these purchases, Joreen recognized a market opportunity that required attention.
To address this, she enrolled in a beekeeping and honey processing course at the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI).
In 2019, following her training at KIRDI, she established Joreen Honey.
She invested Ksh 150,000 into the venture, a sum she had saved from her personal expenses during her college years.
As reported by Nation, Joreen can earn up to Ksh 400,000 in a successful month and employs ten individuals.
This team assists with aggregation, sourcing, production, packaging, labeling, and distribution of the honey.
Joreen procures her raw materials from regions such as Baringo, West Pokot, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Meru, Embu, and even extends her sourcing to Tanzania and Uganda, where honey production is exceptional.
Through her enterprise, Joreen aggregates, produces, and markets organic honey.
Additionally, she provides training for farmers and individuals interested in beekeeping for a fee of Ksh 1,000.
“We test our honey during aggregation to ensure that it is pure. The chemical tested on pure honey retains its brown colour, but if adulterated, the chemical turns orange. We test every honey that we buy to ensure that we sell quality,” she explained.
Following the testing phase, the honey is transported to KIRDI, where it undergoes pressing, filtering, and refining processes prior to being packaged and labeled for sale.
“The distributor and our sales agents later on take the product to the market and sell to retail stores, mini markets and individuals,” Joreen mentioned.
Notably, the business commenced its operations in 2020, right before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which subsequently heightened the demand for honey.
Throughout the pandemic, numerous individuals turned to a mixture of ginger, garlic, and lemon known as ‘dawa’, often sweetening it with honey.
“For bulk orders, a kilo costs Ksh 350 with a minimum quantity order of 1 ton, while for retail, 500g costs Ksh 350,” Joreen said.
Her products are available for purchase on her website, joreenbrands.com, as well as on various online platforms including Jumia, Sendy, Pessafy, and Kilimall.
Joreen identified the receipt of contaminated honey from farmers as a significant challenge facing her business.
“The demand for honey surpasses the supply, so many try to increase capacity by adulteration, there is also the fact that honey is seasonal, besides, aggregation is expensive – logistically, you tend to use a lot of resources to aggregate a small amount of honey, leading to inconsistent pricing and sometimes very small profit margins,” she said.
The entrepreneur has received multiple accolades, including the Youth of the Year award as part of the Top 35 Under 35 Youths in Kenya, as well as the FOYA Global award in the manufacturing category.
Additionally, Joreen was nominated for the Zuri Awards 2021 in both the entrepreneurship and agriculture categories.
