How does a trusted and timeless brand scale up without losing the quality and beloved taste that made it a household name?
CPA Daniel Musiu, General Manager of Finance at Farmer’s Choice, provides the answer. In this interview, he outlines the financial strategy behind the company’s growth, detailing how intelligent automation and a clear sustainability roadmap, including a goal for net-zero emissions by 2030, are securing its future. This is a direct look at the business discipline behind the taste Kenyans love and how it’s being built to compete across East Africa, the Middle East, and future global markets.
Over the past forty years, and more recently, what would you highlight as Farmer’s Choice Limited’s (FCL) most significant financial and operational achievements?
From humble beginnings as a small butchery, Farmer’s Choice has grown into the region’s leading producer of fresh and value-added meat products. Our unwavering commitment to quality and taste has earned us market leadership and a special place in the hearts of consumers. It’s no surprise that many Kenyans and even global citizens pack a few Farmer’s Choice sausages in their bags when travelling abroad, a true testament to the trust and love our brand continues to inspire. This has been enabled through innovation, mechanization and automation of our processes, making our products affordable to consumers.
Farmer’s Choice takes pride in being a trusted partner to livestock farmers, including pigs, cattle, lambs, goats, and poultry farmers. This unwavering commitment empowers farmers with financial stability and sustains livestock farming in Kenya by providing a predictable and assured market. A partnership drives confidence, growth, and prosperity across the agricultural value chain.Lastly, the company’s greatest strength lies in its people. The Farmer’s Choice family has a remarkable work ethic that results in efficiency in tasks performed, and the dedication to work ensures objectives are met. This sets the company apart as a global meat player with products consumed worldwide.
Shifting focus slightly to your own path, your background spans finance leadership roles. What motivated your transition into the agriculture
I started my career within the FMCG space, from a junior Trainee Accountant to a Management Accountant at Unilever’s Foods Division, and detoured to Oil marketing. I served four years in Kenya and three in Rwanda, rising to the Head of Finance. Most recently, before joining the company, I was the CFO at NAS Airport Services Limited, a leading catering service provider to airlines and blue-chip companies. My move to Farmer’s Choice did not feel different; it was an extension of what I have been doing over the years. However, it is quite a unique challenge due to the complexity of the company’s operations.
