Recently things have changed and pawpaw farming is not just for subsistence; it is now an income generating venture in Kenya. Gone are the days we did agriculture blindly: we are now in the days of AGRIBUSINESS in which you must carefully consider the amount of capital you invest in the farming venture and the expected profit.
Pawpaw (papaya) is in this light one
of the most profitable fruit farming ventures you would engage in today. While
we have enjoyed this sweet fruit from the days of our childhood, its commercial
production in Kenya only took root about 3 years ago and the rate at
which investors are taking this venture is impressive.
Pawpaw farmers in the country have moved from supplying their
fruits only to the local fresh fruit markets to processing – like Kenya Papaya
Products Ltd – and exporting. This growth creates and impressive investment
opportunity.
Capital requirement
So how much do you invest and what are the expected
returns? Allow us to give you figure from our experience:
these are figures (in Ksh) for one acre done with the recommended spacing of
2x2 meters in which an acre accommodates 1100 plants. They are estimates for
one farming period which runs for about 2 years.
Land clearing (by ploughing) 4,500
Holes Preparation (Digging and application of manure) 33,000
Manure 20,000
Seedlings 66,000
Crop protection (pesticides and fungicides) 10,000
Irrigation 20,000
Labour (for general orchard maintenance) 20,000
Total 173,500
Returns:
The average yield per acre of various
varieties of pawpaw is about 40 tons per year. Farm gate prices for a kilo of pawpaw go
as high as Ksh.60 but let us take a more conservative price of Ksh.30 per kg
and a yield of 30 tons per acre. The total income for the first year then comes to Ksh.900,000 giving a
profit of Ksh.726,500.
Read Also:
1. Pawpaws Make You Money While Asking For Very Little Input From You
The same crop should also produce about the same tonnage in the second year. After the second year, production starts going down but with proper farm management, the same trees could give you good quantities in the third and fourth year.
However, the lifespan of the trees depend mainly on the variety. The varieties commonly cultivated in Kenya are solo sunrise and mountain pawpaw have a lifespan of up to 4 years. New dwarf varieties such as calina papaya IPB9, the Malaysian Red Lady and the Red Royal have gained much popularity in Kenya.
The new dwarf varieties have numerous advantages:
Read Also:
1. Pawpaws Make You Money While Asking For Very Little Input From You
The same crop should also produce about the same tonnage in the second year. After the second year, production starts going down but with proper farm management, the same trees could give you good quantities in the third and fourth year.
However, the lifespan of the trees depend mainly on the variety. The varieties commonly cultivated in Kenya are solo sunrise and mountain pawpaw have a lifespan of up to 4 years. New dwarf varieties such as calina papaya IPB9, the Malaysian Red Lady and the Red Royal have gained much popularity in Kenya.
The new dwarf varieties have numerous advantages:
- The trees are easy to manage due to their size
- They produce big fruits of about 1kg each but still with a good keeping quality
- They are self pollinating hence no male trees that only take up space without producing fruits.
- The fruits have an attractive red color and are very sweet.
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| Pawpaw farming guide for Kenya |
You can also get this papaya farming guide that will guide you right from planting of the seeds through the growth period to harvesting and marketing.
Request for your copy through the Farmer's Resources Page.
Ready to plant seedlings are also available at our nurseries in Embu and Naivasha. We also do deliveries countrywide and help you set up the farm, guide you through the growth period and later connect you to consistent buyers. For more enquiries about this and to get our help in setting up your farm, kindly call or whatsapp us on +254724698357.
