A growing number of Kenyans are making a living out of commercially producing trees in agroforestry systems.

An article in The Standard tells the story of Benson Kanyi, who swears by agroforestry as a profitable and sustainable business. He says around 18,000 local farmers who have about 2 acres of land each are making a good living growing and selling trees, especially fast-maturing eucalyptus trees.

The trees are filling a national need to supply electricity poles (most of which are currently imported) as well as providing timber for construction and biomass energy. Trees grown in agroforestry systems provide a sustainable source of timber

Kanyi is an official of the Tree Biotechnology Programme Trust (TBPT), a public and private sector partnership that provides knowledge transfer to farmers and entrepreneurs who want to venture into commercial tree planting.

Habil Onyango, a Nairobi-based businessman is also benefiting from growing trees. In 2009 he replaced 2 acres of maize on his land with 4,000 eucalyptus seedlings. Each seedling cost him KSh 15 (about US $0.17) and 2 years later he sold the trees for KSh 2,000 each ($22).

The article points out that eucalypts have been claimed to be responsible for problems in the past – particularly related to competition for water – but growing the right species can be effective and profitable

Read the full story: Money grows on trees: Turn Sh15,000 in seedlings into Sh1.8m in profit in two years