Passion fruit farming in Kenya: Pick Money Weekly by Selling To An Export Company

The compound that hosts a public library building in Simoti location, Bomet County is normally a beehive of activity every Friday. Koech is one of the farmers in this region who have taken up passion fruit farming and sell through export companies. 

Well, it is not students who meet here but a group of passion fruit farmers. They congregate in the compound every Friday afternoon with their harvest for sale.

Majority use motorbikes to ferry up to three 90kg bags of their produce to the collection centre, others carry the fruits on their backs.

“The harvest varies from farm to farm and some of our members bring over 100kg every week while others as little as 5kg,” says Joseph Koech, Simoti location chief and the chair of Chepkikon Self-Help Group.

The area has experienced a boom in passion fruit farming that has seen farmers shift from maize and tea.

The members of this visionary self-help group came together in recently after being trained by TechnoServe, an NGO.

Initially, the group had 75 members but currently, only 50 are active, others having fallen off before their efforts could come to fruition. Their chairman notes that passion fruit farming calls for patience since a farmer has to wait for at least 6 months to the first harvest. During this time, the farmer must invest in crop care without tire. 

After the training, each member of the group bought 80 grafted passion fruit seedlings for planting at Sh60 per piece. This was enough to cover a tenth of an acre.

Koech planted 160 seedlings in his farm in Chongenwo village. The grafted seedlings are planted in 0.6 by 0.6m holes in a spacing of 2m between rows and 3m from plant to plant. When preparing the holes, the top soil is dug out and mixed with well-composted manure. The bottom soil is discarded since it contains low organic content. 

One then should erect strong posts along the rows at 6m intervals to support the plants. This should be done soon after transplanting even though production of fruits peaks at one year. The farmers sell their fruits to D-Fresh Limited for export.

At the collection centre, the fruits are sorted and graded then packed in 30kg crates for transportation to Nairobi where the maximum residue level is checked before being cleaned and packed in 2kg packets for Europe.

Is Passion Fruit Farming Profitable?

A tree should give at least a kilo of fruit every week but in ideal situations, the yield goes to over 2kg per tree, per week. Harvesting is mainly done every week but this can be affected by routine field practices like pruning and chemical application.

In his farm with 160 vines, Koech’s biggest harvest in a week has been 156kg and the lowest 50kg. During our visit, we witnessed Koech recording 108kg. The price at this time was Ksh70 hence he earned a cool Ksh7,560 that day. 

“Sometimes we are paid up to Sh80 per kilo, which is why a farmer who harvests even 5kg every week earns a good amount of money in a month,” he says.

Florence Kurgat of Kaptebengwet village, who also grows passion fruit, says the crop has helped her pay school for her children after tea prices dropped.

“I planted 140 seedlings in last year and I don’t regret the decision to venture into passion fruit farming. If it were not for passion fruits, I would have no source of income because the price of tea, which I also grow, has gone down.”

During our visit, she had just brought 110kg of the fruits which will fetch her more than Sh7,000.

The farmers are paid every Monday and this makes the venture quite beneficial unlike tea whose pay is monthly and annually for bonuses.

Ruth Koech has less than 30 plants in her farm and she gets between 10-25kg every week earning her enough money to supplement her family’s budget.

Passion Fruit Farming Challenges

However, all is not rosy for the passion fruit farmers because they have to contend with destructive pests and diseases that attack this precious fruit. The biggest challenge is the viral die back disease, which makes the branches wilt and die especially from the tip backwards. Once affected, the branch has to be cut off otherwise the entire plant will die.

James Saina, an agronomist at Kaimosi Agriculture Training Centre, says that to curb Die back, farmers should avoid planting their passion fruits in shaded areas and in case of attack, the disease can be treated using Ridomil.

Passion fruits are also attacked by the fungal Fusarium wilt and the viral Woodiness disease that Saina says though serious, can be controlled if a farmer observes proper handling of seedlings and keeps the field free from vectors.

“The seedlings should be grafted in a clean environment and the grafted section should be sterilised to avoid entry of the diseases. Disinfect pruning instruments too to avoid viral attacks.”

However, the best way to start your passion fruit farm is by buying already grafted seedlings from a certified nursery like Richfarm Kenya.

Saina advises farmers to spray the fruits immediately after harvesting, then ensure that no harvest is done until the stipulated 7-21 days are over, depending on the chemical used.

Passion fruit farming guide for kenya

A farmer should not sell fruits during this period, she should burry them. Margaret Mosbei of D-Fresh Ltd says produce for export should not be too small and should have an even, smooth and shiny skin. The fruit should also be packed fresh from the farm and should be at least 85 per cent purple.

“During sorting, the green and the overripe ones are rejected just as those that show signs of disease attacks.”

The fruits are tested for maximum residual level to ensure that traces of chemicals used in their production do not exceed the set standards.

If you would like to invest in passion fruit farming, you can get all the guidance and help from Richfarm Kenya. You can call them on 0724698357. This comprehensive guide for growing passion fruits in Kenya is also written by our experts and is available. You can now get it for free from our Resources Page. 

Passion Fruit Farmer Who Grew From ¼ Acre To Producing 6 Tons Earning Sh.420,000 Monthly

It is a warm Thursday afternoon when Seeds of Gold arrives at Grace Cheptoo’s farm at Ng’oina Road area in Bureti Constituency. We find the mother of two humming to some music while harvesting passion fruits. We visited the farm to find the root of her love for passion fruit farming, her story having travelled far and reached us.

Grace, 60, established the fruit farm on her 0.2 acre land on the advice of a friend in March 2010, investing Sh64,000 into the venture. She says that it was without doubt one of the best decisions she ever took as it has earned her good returns through export to Uganda, Guatemala and Belgium.

By 2011, on a good month, Grace was harvesting 480 kilos of passion fruit, making Sh33,600.

THE BEST PRACTICES FOR PASSION FRUIT FARMING

Grace says best practices in passion fruit farming can ensure an optimum yield of between 15 and 20 tonnes per hectare. These practices include trellising, weeding, irrigation, application of fertilisers and pruning. See the guide below for details.

Grace noted that passion fruits can be grown from seeds, grafting and tissue culture. The seed is germinated after removal of the pulp and drying and germination requires up to four weeks.

Production of seedlings in plastic bags is the most frequent method of producing seedlings. Up to three seeds are planted in each bag and then thinned to one after emergence.

Seedlings will require up to four months to reach a suitable transplanting growth stage. After about seven weeks of growth following transplanting, each plant should have up to four healthy lateral stems.

 ENOUGH PASSION FRUIT MARKET

“When I started this project, it was meant to give me something to do part time but it has becoming more profitable than any other farming activity I have done including tea and pineapple growing,” says Grace.

Although she can claim success today, it has not always been a walk in the park. She recalls that when she harvested her first crop in August 2011, she had to hawk it in person and sell the fruits at the local market as she did not have a stable market.

Things turned for the better in March 2012 when a business colleague informed her that there was a huge demand for passion fruits in Uganda and within no time, she was selling her fruit at Sh40 per kilo to an exporter who would transport the produce to Uganda.

As she went about her business, word about the success of her venture spread and several aspiring passion fruit farmers went to her farm for lessons.

As the numbers grew, she registered a company – Cool Breeze Horticulture – through which she has been enlisting the services of experts in the agricultural sector to train individuals willing to join the passion fruit growing and export business. So far, 375 farmers from Kericho and Bomet counties have been trained.

Last year, Grace and her group found a new buyer who has been exporting fruits to Guatemala and Belgium at Sh70 per kilo. The farmers deliver 6,000 kilos every month, making a combined monthly income of Sh420,000.

Passion fruit farming guide for Kenya

Grace is now convinced there is enough market for passion fruits. “Our current production cannot meet the demand for the fruit in the foreign market.” She also grows passion fruit seedlings which she sells to farmers at Sh30 each.

While the success of passion fruit farming is sweet, it is difficult to attain it without proper knowledge of the best farming practices. To help you in that, we have compiled this full guide for passion fruit farming in Kenya. You can now request for it from our Resources Page. 

In Agribusiness, If You Know This You Make Millions, If You Don’t You Lose Millions

The millionaire farmers in Kenya are by no means rocket scientists; they simply know and do some things that the average farmer doesn't or considers to be irrelevant. There are many articles in which I have some of these things individually. Allow me to quickly highlight all of them here. I just hope I will be able to draw your keen attention to these do or die things in agribusiness.

I deliberately start with something few people getting into agribusiness ever do: drawing up a business plan. Sit down and draw a business plan! Should I say that again? After you have identified your focus entity (which crop or animal you intend to keep or cultivate) you must sit down and draft the costs, budget, projected income and approximate timings.

You will also need a farm layout so you know what goes (or will go) where in long and/or short term. This is can be influenced by a soil test of your land. It's like going to the bank to obtain your bank statement. If you are going to grow anything, you want to know the soil content; its nutrients and pH. Then you will know what crops the soil will support in its current state or what you need to add to suit your interested crop. The old fashion way of using cow/chicken manure blindly is not smart. Richfarm Kenya will help you a great deal with immediate and continuous consultations. They may run or help you do the soil testing. 

Patience, passion and consistency are virtues well known and practiced by millionaire farmers not only in Kenya but the world over. Cultivate them in you before you cultivate anything in your farm. Don't plant or raise livestock just because someone said that it's profitable or you saw them make money from such ventures. From experience, success comes from within those who are patient enough to follow a given path with undying consistency. Consider the other factors as well such as your own capabilities. Profits may be illusionary and are subjective.

Third, consider these factors in production: Capital, Land, Labour and Entrepreneurship.

Labour and Entrepreneurship: I don't know your profession so I will be general. Are you going to hire labour or do you have time to do it yourself? This will determine the success of your chosen enterprise. You may have a trustworthy worker who knows more about farming; but you still need to supervise and manage your business. You could also visit farms practicing the same and learn from them.

Capital: this is not just the cash in the bank but also the farm structures, equipment, tools and materials to use in your operation as well as access to water, electricity and other infrastructure necessary for your farm operations. Surprisingly, most farmers do not account for the cost of these things, then they make profits and keep wonderings “but where did my money go?!?”

Land: Here you have a great advantage since in Kenya land is not scarce as such. If you do not have your own and cannot buy, never be discouraged; lease it. There are so many people who are willing to lease land but you may have to involve a friend who is a local in your place of interest. Never seek to start big; 1 acre is okay and you could also use the profits from it as capital to expand the business with time. This one is enough to get you a footing and then expand with time.

Lastly, whatever you do, seek to learn as much as you can about it. The internet is a good source of information but be conscious while using it since some information may have been posted a long time ago and could be outdated. Follow blogs that are constantly updated, sign up for tutorial programs, attend farming exhibitions and be in constant touch with practicing farmers.

There is a wealth of information in form of farming guides that are in pdf on our Resources Page. 

This Is What Every Farmer’s Dream Is Made Of

Driving through a dusty road that occasionally branched off to expensive mansions, one could hardly believe that a green haven lay right ahead. For the area, being in the outskirts of Thika town and just a few meters from the Thika super highway, the most obvious investment that would cross any entrepreneur’s mind is definitely real estate.

However, this is where RealIPM, probably the largest farm in the region practicing pure organic farming is established. The farm occupies quite a sizable piece of land but it has all been put under intensive agriculture.

About 230 workers employed at the farm are pacing up and down in various sections of the farm, every one of them in a green apron and their tools of work. A lot is taking place here and I wish I could satisfactorily summarize everything in one article but that would be very selfish of me. So over the next few days, I will tell you about each of the extraordinary farming methods I saw at the farm.

The gunny bags farming method

As soon as I entered the gate, I couldn’t help but walk straight to a section of the farm on which were 20 large gunny bags with spinach and sukuma wiki growing on them. The plants growing on the sides of the bags and on top were so healthy and green that they formed a forest of vegetables.

But what really attracted me the most is the little space on which the forest of vegetables was growing on. On each of the bags, 100 plants were planted on the sides and a few more on the top. The 20 bags occupied a space of about 15 by 3 meters. Under the traditional farming method, this space would have been enough for at most 250 plants at a spacing of 30 by 60 cm. Now that same space was being used to grow over 2000 healthy plants!

Thinking along the lines of making money from agribusiness, I realized what an amazing solution this is to the people who have small plots of land and spaces in their backyards. There’s no reason why space should now limit you from making money from farming.

With this technology, you only need an eighth of an acre to produce more than what a farmer with an acre under traditional farming does.

And what’s more, you cut costs by a great margin. First, the cost of installing the drip irrigation system is drastically reduced; from that which is enough for an acre to that that is enough for just an eighth.

This system of farming also ensures that weeds are eradicated hence the cost of weeding is eliminated. The soil in the vertical bags is also prepared well before planting and mixed with animal manure. This produces very strong plants that are tolerant to diseases.

For all I know, this is no doubt the best farming system. Imagine being able to earn as much as a farmer with a whole acre from just an eighth!

Let’s make money: ukulima sasa.

Strawberry Farming in Kenya: Why Just A Few Farmers Are Swimming In The Berry Millions

High value crops are taking off across East Africa. While they might not be as popular as traditional crops yet, they’re gaining popularity really fast.

Strawberry farming is currently trending at the top of this list, particularly in Kenya. Farmers are sowing the seeds and expecting to reap rich rewards. And with good reason: The mature berries have a ready market in the country, and the demand is nowhere near being met.

Simple economics dictates that when demand is high and supply is low, the prices will naturally be high. That is the current situation in Kenya; strawberry farmers are getting a good return for their mature crop. However, specialty crops require a great deal of care, expertise, and knowledge to grow successfully.

So can you really come out ahead by following the strawberry farming trend?

Are strawberries a get-rich crop?

I pose the question to William Njoroge, the proprietor of The Strawberry Farm in Kenya. “Yes, they are!” he answers. Njoroge believes every agriculture entrepreneur seeks to make money through their farming ventures. However, if potatoes are a get-rich crop (sweet potatoes soared in popularity several years ago), strawberries provide an even more assured way of making money through agriculture.

There is a caveat, however: The riches do not come to the clueless farmer. To overcome inexperience and misinformation, Njoroge recommends that farmers invest in four main areas: research and training to get information, the right cultivars (cultivated plant varieties), soil testing, and farm management.

There is a caveat, however: The riches do not come to the clueless farmer.

Research and training

This provides information that equips the farmer with knowledge about strawberry cultivars, their nutritional needs, and how to manage the crop. Interestingly, there is good enough information available online, even in well compiled booklets, but most people overlook this in a rush to make the quick money then they sink along the way.

Start-up capital and cultivars

Here’s the big catch: The start-up capital can be substantial depending on the size of your strawberry farm. The price of good cultivar ranges from Ksh30-60 per seedling depending on the variety. Strawberry experts recommend planting strawberry plants with a 30cm by 45cm spacing. With this, an acre will accommodate about 25,000 plants. If you were to acquire the seedlings at the lowest price of Ksh30 each, the cost would amount to Ksh750,000.

Some farmers plant as many as 30,000 plants in an acre, hence driving the start-up costs even higher. Those costs also don’t include fertilizer and equipment to prepare the land for planting.

Stawberries’ staying power

Asked whether strawberry farming is the latest fad in Kenya, Njoroge’s answer is an emphatic “No!” His reasons: Strawberry farming has staying power because farmers are not only interested in it, but there is also a vast untouched market in Kenya alone. If we were to consider the appetite for organic strawberries in the export market, the demand would go much higher.

Moreover, strawberry farming is possible in many parts of Kenya, except in areas with sandy soil. Strawberry cultivation can also be adapted to most of the farming infrastructure in the country. For example, while hydroponic strawberry farming (growing plants with water and nutrients but no soil) is ideal in some areas, new strawberry growers can start with the traditional route, where they plant the seeds on well-prepared soils, and later move to hydroponics.

A “fruitless” venture?

It is easy to assume that Kenyans are embracing strawberry farming in large numbers. But that is not the case. The uptake of strawberry farming is slow, and it’s delayed by obstacles. Njoroge notes that a significant number of first-time strawberry farmers have been duped into purchasing the wrong types of strawberry cultivars.

Some strawberry varieties, for instance, produce lots of leaves and offshoots but just a few fruit berries each season. When a first-time farmer plants such a variety and experiences the setbacks that come with it, many are inclined to give up and label strawberry farming as a “fruitless” venture.

Njoroge, who offers organic strawberry training on his farm in Uthiru, on the outskirts of Nairobi, emphasizes that farmers need to get the right variety of cultivars. They should also get some basic training on how to manage their strawberry farms, he says. He further advises testing the soil. Elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese are vital for healthy plants, while boron (in small quantities) is essential for producing fruit.

The upshot

Strawberry farming can be a lucrative opportunity for people willing to invest their money, time, and sweat. Like most worthwhile endeavours, it requires patience and perseverance to reap rewards.

Read Also:

It’s A Sweet Weekly Or Daily Income From Strawberry Farming In Kenya

The first step towards making money with strawberry farming starts with information. 

This comprehensive strawberry farming guide consists of simple but comprehensive information that you need to get started. 

It even contains contacts that will help you get seedlings, agronomic support and market linkages. You can now request for it from our Resources Page. 

It’s A Sweet Weekly Or Daily Income From Strawberry Farming In Kenya

Lately, strawberry farming in kenya has become much more popular than the former days when all the fresh berries we go on our supermarket shelves were imported. But so has the demand for not only the fresh fruits but also for various strawberry products. Most of us walk into a supermarket and ask for strawberry jam, yoghurt, juices, cookies or even lotions and perfumes.

However, companies like trufood, zesta, Brookside, KCC among others are still importing these strawberries to use in their daily production needs with outlets such as supermarkets and hotels requesting for more of them day in day out. It is crystal clear that there is demand for this sweet soft red fruit of Fragaria genus here in Kenya.

Why are these companies importing? This is simply because the Kenyan farmers are not producing enough. Very few farmers in the country have taken up strawberry production and they have been smiling all the way to the bank on weekly basis; others talk of daily basis. 

Alexander Mwengi is one of the farmers who are struggling to satisfy the demand for strawberries in Kenya. He has a farm in Machakos which is almost 1/8 of an acre and he has been doing strawberry farming for almost a year now. He is happy! 

According to Alex, strawberry farming can make you a tidy income if you give it the attention in requires. He is selling more than 15 kilos every week via MFarm at a price of Ksh 320 per kg (Ksh 200 more than he gets if he sells to brokers) making over Ksh 4800 weekly. Remember, this is from his less-than-1/8 of an acre. Imagine if he was doing ¾ acre or so! We would be talking of over Ksh 28,000 per week. 

Let’s go to central Kenya, Nyeri. Robert is one of the farmers who are enjoying the strawberry-flavoured cash. He has a ¾ acre strawberry farm which is giving him 150 kg of strawberries per week (his crop density is much higher than for Alex). He sells to brokers at a price of Ksh 150 per kg pocketing over Ksh 22,000 a week. And this he does every week during the harvesting season, which happens to be on the warm months of the year. 

From all the farmers I interviewed, strawberry farming is good business for serious farmers. The demand is available, a high one for that matter. Alex and Robert among other farmers can attest to that.

“You can’t fail to sell the strawberries; they are in high demand as we speak now. All you need is plant and take care of them” Robert commented. 

The good news! 

Once you plant them, 70 days down the line you will get your first harvest. And guess what!! This will continue for up to 3 years with 2 to 3 harvesting seasons every year. It will depend on the variety planted with chandler one being the most favoured in Kenya. For 3 years you will be milking your ‘cash cow’ 3-4 times a week during harvesting period as long as you constantly keep your plants healthy(just like any other business venture, they will need your attention).

With the berries going out of season during rainy season, you can crop-rotate them with other rainy season crops from different family for continued revenue stream. Another good thing is that you can propagate the seedling from your plantation as long as the propagules are disease free. Just like grass, you can expand your plantation size without necessarily going to the seedling supplier again. The information on how to do that is in the Strawberry Production Guide below. 

But, relax! 

This is not like quail farming with all the hype of good money and very little cost of production. This is for serious farmers only. Capital requirement for this business venture is rather high. And this is why very few farmers have started it. A seedling goes for an average of Ksh 20 depending on your location with a 1/8 of an acre requiring over 3,000 seedlings. Can you handle that? 

Strawberry farming guide for Kenya

However, you can beat this challenge by not rushing into the business. For a start, buy only a few seedlings, as many as you can afford. 

Grow and take care of them and from their runners, propagate more seedlings and keep expanding your farm. If you remain focused and put in your effort, soon you will be dancing in rich harvests and a tidy weekly income.

You must also have sufficient information to ensure a smooth start. Luckily, all you need to start and grow in well explained in the Strawberry Production Guide below. You can now request for it from our Resources Page. 

The Government Officer Who Retired Early To Establish A Booming Pawpaw Farming Business

Neatly arranged pawpaw trees with almost ripe fruits line the farm in Mbeu, Tigania West, Meru County.

Festus Mutiga’s is an epic example of how pawpaw farming should be done. His farm stands out since it is clean and the trees are heavy with fruits.

Pawpaw Farming in Kenya

“I am yet to harvest this week,” Mutiga says as he walks from one tree to another looking at how the fruits are doing.

The trees are two metres apart and they have grown about five metres tall. Each of them has produced over 30 fruits, a clear indication that Mutiga is set for a bumper harvest.

“I am excited. All the trees have produced several fruits, which is a sign that they are doing well.”

Mutiga abandoned watermelon, tomato and butternut farming in October last year to venture into pawpaw after being introduced to the fruit by agricultural extension officers from Meru Greens Horticulture (MGH).

The company has partnered with the USAid-funded Kenya Horticultural Competitiveness Programme to promote the pawpaw and others fruits.

RETIRED EARLY

To me the company was a godsend. About that time, watermelons were giving me Sh25,000 after three months, thus, I wanted to try something else,” says the farmer, who retired early as a policeman in 1981 to try business. He later embraced farming, growing melons and butternuts.

“I used the money that I got from selling melons to buy pawpaw seedlings, which I planted on one-acre,” recounts Mutiga, who bought the seedlings of the Mountain and SP varieties from MGH and signed a contract with the company to buy his produce.

The farmer planted the seedlings, watered them using water from a stream that crosses his farm and harvested for the first time in August this year.

“My first harvest was 384kg. It fetched me about Sh20,000.” Since then, he has been harvesting an average of 300kg of fruits weekly.

He sells the fruits to MGH, a high-end market supplier, earning over Sh15,000 every week.

The company buys a kilo of grade one fruits at Sh50 and Sh45 for grade two. Each tree produces a kilo of the fruits.

“In the next few months, I will be fetching more than Sh20,000 a month. I want to increase the stems to 3,000 by cultivating the remaining two acres.” His day involves watering the trees, pruning the old and diseased leaves as well as checking out fruits that are ready for harvesting.

Scars that develop on fruits lower the quality, thus Mutiga scouts for diseases regularly on his farm. “Mites and blight are the biggest enemies of pawpaw. I apply pesticides to kill mites and I prune the trees constantly to prevent blight,” says the member of Kiburine Fruit Growers Association, through which he learned of MGH.

He receives fertiliser and other inputs from MGH, which he pays from his earnings.

His other challenge is the high cost of pumping water from the stream to his farm during the dry season. Ayub Mutangili, an agronomist with MGH, says a farmer like Mutiga can make up to Sh50,000 a week from one acre when the trees reach peak production in three years, whereby each tree can produce over a kilo a week.

SEEDING SELECTION

The agronomist notes that with good agricultural practices, a farmer can harvest continuously with yields increasing for three years when the tree reaches optimum production.

“We buy from farmers on a weekly basis to supply the local market. Most of our farmers are in Tharaka Nithi, Meru and Machakos counties. We are currently supplying six tonnes of fruits a week against a demand of 10 tonnes,” Mutangili says.

He adds that farmers have not been able to meet the demand due to challenges relating to husbandry.

Pawpaw does well in warm climate as it provides the best environment for flowering and fruit setting. The farmer should plant at a spacing of 2 by 2 metres apart for optimum production and apply potassium fertiliser for improved sweetness and rich colour.

MGH supplies most of the fruits it buys from farmers to major retail outlets in the country, including Uchumi and Nakumatt. Mutiga says the fruit has the potential to replace miraa in Meru due to its high returns.

IMPROVED VARIETY

Pawpaw farming guide

Other than mountain pawpaw, the Solo Sunrise seems to be liked by most upcoming farmers. This variety is shorter growing up to about 2 metres but with a high productivity. The fruits of Solo Sunrise are also sweeter and firm hence giving it a long shelf-life and an edge in the export market. For more information, seeds and seedlings of solo sunrise you can call Richfarm Kenya on 0724698357.

There is also this simple but comprehensive guide on pawpaw farming that will help you with the necessary basics of growing the crop successfully. You can now request for it from our Resources Page.