KENYA · GUIDE 0009 · EDITION 4.2
Cucumber growing - Customers and market demand
The buyer and the buying decision
Produce traders and salad-oriented kitchens. The offer to test is: Grow cucumbers graded for a buyer's size range.
Separate cucumbers intended for sliced salads from those sold whole to households, because visual uniformity and usable length influence these purchases in different ways.
Separate interest from an accepted order
Trial a limited planting and record the proportion meeting the agreed grade.
The purpose of this test is to establish whether the buyer accepts the specified result, delivery arrangement and payment terms. An encouraging interview does not establish repeat demand. Ask what the buyer currently uses, what would make them change supplier and who has authority to approve the first order. Record a refusal as carefully as an enquiry so that unsuccessful offers do not disappear from the evidence.
Collect evidence specific to this offer
Keep a grade sheet linking harvested fruit count, buyer-selected grade, preparation feedback and actual selling channel so planting decisions reflect the accepted product mix.
| Question to resolve | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|
| What exactly will the buyer accept? | Let the buyer grade a mixed sample themselves and explain which curved, marked or uneven fruits remain useful in their normal preparation rather than guessing. |
| What is included in the first trial? | Separate cucumbers intended for sliced salads from those sold whole to households, because visual uniformity and usable length influence these purchases in different ways. |
| How will a prospect see the offer? | Take photographs with actual measured sizes to a trader before negotiating supply. |
| What must happen before repeating the trial? | Uniform, firm fruit with transparent grading prevents disputes. |
Decide whether to continue
Review the specification with the buyer before committing to tools or stock. A trial is commercially useful only if actual costs, rejected work, time spent and cash collected can be reconciled. Average harvest weight can disguise weak returns if premium fruit and low-price seconds are combined in records and assumed to receive the same selling price.
If a buyer changes the required output, record a new scope and re-cost the test. Do not count a request for a different product as proof of demand for the original one. Keep personal contact details in your private records and use customer statements publicly only with permission.