The 2021 Avocado Harvesting Season In Kenya Starts

The harvesting season for Kenyan avocado has started in February 2021. The season starts with the Fuerte variety in February and the hass variety in March. The harvesting, processing and transportation of the Kenyan avocados, especially the hass and Fuerte varieties, had been halted by a government restriction. This is usually done to prevent greedy traders from exporting immature fruits to the international market, something that has been hurting the country’s reputation in the world avocado market.

Kenyan Hass avocado for export

Kenya Fresh, one of the exporting companies in Kenya says that the key markets remain in the European Union, especially the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain. Russia has also grown into an important market for the Kenyan avocados especially because it prefers Fuerte. Most of the avocado farmers in Kenya concentrate on hass avocado production but as such markets open up for Fuerte, more Fuerte plantations are likely to come up.

The Middle East countries of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt also form part of the market we shall be exporting our avocados to this year. In the Far East, we target Malaysia and Singapore.  

Kenya is also trying to renegotiate trade protocols with China in regards to avocado. Currently, China only accepts frozen avocados from Kenya. If they agree to import fresh avocados from us, then Kenya will have a breakthrough in the avocado industry. This is because China has a very high population of people who also have high purchasing power.

If you would like to go into avocado farming for export, then be sure to read our article How To Grow Avocados In Kenya For Export

Why Pixie Orange Farming In Kenya Is Booming Now

Pixie orange farming in Kenya is one form of agribusiness that has picked up pace faster than any other. The reasons for this are obvious; it is highly profitable. And that is not the only attractive bit about it. Perhaps the fact that pixie oranges can be grown even in arid and semi arid areas like Machakos, Kitui, Baringo and the coastal regions of Kwale and Kilifi, is what has led to its boom in the country.

Pixie orange farming in Kenya

The market factors are also in favour of pixie farming. Currently the demand for these juicy fruits is so high because of their higher quality and sweetness compared to other varieties of oranges. On the other hand, supply is still very low as most farmers discovered this variety just the other day. That explains why the prices of pixie are still so high even in our local supermarkets. We are yet to satisfy the local market while the export market still yarns for the same product.

Also Read: How To Grow Sweet Fruits And Keep Your Customers Coming Back For More

Where can pixie oranges be grown in Kenya?

Pixie grows in a wide range of soil type but performs the best in areas with fertile and well drained soils. Hence, areas with deep sandy loam soils are best. So farmers in Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu should be making millions from pixie farming already.

The reason why most of the pixie we consume in Kenya comes from Ukambani is the fact that this variety, just like all the other orange varieties, grows best in warm or hot areas with low to moderate rainfall. Temperatures should range from 10 to 30℃ with 6 to 8 hours of sunshine. Now areas with such climate like Murang’a, Nyeri, Bungoma, Siaya and Migori that were not know to produce any oranges have also taken up the farming of pixie and are doing well.

Read Also: Tangerine Farming: How To Grow The Best Tangerine For The Market In Kenya

Pixie Orange Farming in Kenya: How to Plant

Pixie orange trees grow fast and their branches spread wide. For this reason, it is best to plant the trees with a spacing of 4x5m. 4m should be the space from one tree to the next while 5m is the spacing between lines. The lines should run in an East-West direction. This allows for the penetration of maximum amount of sunshine especially during flowering and fruiting.

The planting holes should be well prepared by digging them 2 by 2 feet wide and having a depth of 2 feet as well. In many areas, the first foot is the top soil while the other half is the bottom soil and is different. We use the top soil in planting. Mix the top soil well with decomposed manure and fill the mixture back into the hole leaving a depth of only about 10 cm. This space is to be used to hold irrigation water and additional manure.

If you are in areas whose soil is clay or black cotton, do not be discouraged. All you need to do during this preparation is add a bit of fine sand to the mixture of soil and manure. This will improve the internal soil drainage and your trees will thrive.

Where to get Pixie orange seedlings

Richfarm Kenya always has ready to plant pixie seedlings. You can buy them from their nurseries in Embu, Ruiru or Naivasha. You can also call them on 0724698357 to make an order and they will deliver the seedlings to your farm.

Pests and diseases

The pests and diseases that challenge pixie orange farmers in Kenya are not new and are rather easy to prevent and control. The common pests include leaf miners, aphids and thrips while the diseases are sooty mould, collar rot and powdery mildew. The good news is that there is a wide variety of safe products that you can use to deal with these challenges.

Pests and diseases are more serious if the soils are deficient of some minerals. Therefore, it is important to test your soil before planting so you can do the necessary amendments. It is also advisable to repeat the tests after sometime, say about 1 year.

Where to sell pixie fruit in Kenya

Supermarkets and grocery shops currently form the largest market for pixie oranges in Kenya. This is already a huge market that has not had enough of these tasty fruits. A kilo of pixie retails for as high as Ksh 200 making them look like fruits for the rich. The larger Wakulima Markets are yet to get a good share of pixie oranges. At this point, we cannot even talk about the exporting companies that are constantly hunting for the fruits and offering prices as high as Ksh150 at the farm gate.

How do I start pixie farming in Kenya?

The first step is to call in Richfarm Kenya experts to your farm. They will assess it and give you a comprehensive report on your soil, water and other requirements. They will draw up a plan for you that covers the entire journey from planting, through the taking care of the trees to the marketing of your produce.

The company can do the actual planting for you. They have a complete package in which you only need to pay Ksh80,000 and they will do the rest for you: soil test, preparation of the planting holes, provision of 200 high quality grafted pixie seedlings, the actual planting and then give you technical support for a lifetime. See how to contact them from the Contact Us page.

How To Grow Avocados In Kenya For Export

International Market Prices of Kenyan Avocado

The profitability of avocado farming in Kenya continues to remain high as export prices of the country’s hass and Fuerte avocados continue soaring internationally. To understand how the international avocado market is in terms of demand and supply, you can read this article: Demand For Kenyan Avocado Continues to Climb: The Issue Right Now Is Providing Continuous Supply

According to a Bloomberg report published on 9th June 2022, this year's avocado prices reached the highest ever recorded price with a 9Kg box going for $51 (approximately Ksh6,000). 

Kenya, which is now the 8th largest avocado producer in the world, has continued to experience an increase in avocado production but the increasing demand for avocado fresh fruit and other products is much higher than the increasing production. 

Hass avocado farming in Kenya: A farm in Kajiado

Why buyers prefer the Kenyan avocado

Avocados from Kenya are grown naturally, right on the equator, in the most ideal conditions. They are organically grown, with most farmers using compost and animal manure to fertilize their orchard hence requiring little crop protection. The equatorial climate allows avocado production to last throughout the year, with the peak seasons starting in February and extending to October. This grants the Kenyan avocados a competitive advantage over the other exporting countries in the global market.

In fact, the hass avocados from Kenya sell in the European markets at approximately three times the domestic price, thus making the exporting options very attractive. This is because the avocados from Kenya actually taste better than other avocados from other countries, including Peru and Mexico. If avocado farming would be professionally done in Kenya, it would definitely be the country’s success story.

Protecting the avocado market in Kenya

However, this rampant rise in the export prices has sometimes resulted in farmers picking young and immature fruits so as to take advantage of the current high prices. Unfortunately, some farmers fail to stick to the necessary quality standards required, which risks the whole Kenyan avocado export being rejected in the global market. As such, the horticulture regulator puts on hold the export of hass and the Fuertes avocados from around October to March every year, so as to give the fruits ample time to reach full term maturity. In the article The 2021 Avocado Harvesting Season In Kenya Starts, we indicate the start of the avocado harvesting season in Kenya and give an outlook of the export market for our avocado, 

Things to Consider when Farming avocados for export

1. Uniformity in the shape and fruit size is one of the requirements needed for the fruit to be successfully considered for export. The only way to achieve this specific shapes and sizes is solely achieved through consistent irrigation of the crops. This often requires an all-year-round irrigation system, where drip irrigation is recommended. Contact Richfarm Kenya on 0724698357 for the installation of automated drip irrigation systems.
2. Another key requirement to observe if you want to export your hass or Fuerte avocados from Kenya is the maximum amount of chemical residue in the fruits. Organic fruits have always fetched a high price in the market. Consequently, the fruits that fail to meet the stringent conditions in line with chemical use are blocked from the market. It has always been the belief and practice of Richfarm Kenya that organic farming is the way forward in achieving consistent and sustainable food security. As discussed earlier, the equatorial climate in Kenya makes it possible for the fruits to be grown without excessive use of chemicals for the pests and diseases management.
3. In order for the fruits to be acceptable in the global market, a farmer needs to be certified. That sounds a little complicated but it actually isn’t. The exporting company that you choose should be able to help you get the certification. While having the best quality fruits gets you at the door of the export business, having the right kind of partnerships and links is the utmost game changer.
4. Fruit Maturity: Only harvest your hass avocados when they are mature. It is sad that there are some farmers and buyers who have been harvesting immature hass avocado and taking them to the world market. This has the potential to ruin Kenya's reputation in the global avocado market. We explained this issue in detail in this article: Avocado Farming Business in Kenya Under Threat.
   

Please also read:

1. Avocado Farming: How To Get the Highest Yield Per Acre in Kenya

2. How to Prune and Train Avocado Trees for Maximum Production

Avocado exporters in Kenya

When one intends to get rid of the brokers and export directly to the international markets, a solid financial partner, experienced body of staff which helps in ensuring the fruits comply with the set standards and a committed logistics company will help you export successfully. Getting in a partnership with Richfarm Kenya will help you outsource all the necessary partnerships, so as to make sure the transition from post harvesting to linking up with the right market is successful.

For most of the farmers, choosing to directly export their produce on their own may prove a bit elusive. Signing into contract farming with a certified export company will help the farmer maneuver more easily. It is also easier since the export company will provide all the necessary production skills, all the way into sorting and grading of the fruits. While looking for the perfect export partner, the farmer should be careful not to fall prey of the booming mushrooming briefcase exporters, who trap the small scale farmers by cashing in on the rush from the avocado farming.

Below is a list of avocado exporters that you can work with in Kenya

1. Direne Packaging
2. Kenya Fresh Produce Exporters Limited
3. Kakuzi Limited
4. Keit Exporters limited
5. Mofarm Fresh Fruits Exporters Limited
6. Kenyan Exports
7. Bio Farm
8. Interveg Exports Limited

Be sure to also read the article, The Global Avocado Prices and What Kenyan Farmers Stand To Earn, to have an idea of pricing. 

Mushroom Farming in Kenya: How Profitable is it? Cost and Market Analysis

Not so many Kenyans have realized how lucrative mushroom farming is yet. It is a pretty impressive investment only a handful of the informed farmers in Kenya are getting into. The demand for the delicious and healthy fungi is soaring, which means that the current supply does not come close to being at par with the demand. This is actually the strongest factor causing the high prices of mushrooms in Kenya. 

As at June 2021, Zucchini Supermarket was selling a Kilo of button mushroom for almost KSh1,000.

Mushrooms for sale at Zucchini Supermarket

We actually gave the facts and figures about the mushroom demand in Kenya and the supply quantities that our farmers currently have in the article How To Make Money With Mushroom Farming In Kenya Throughout the Year 2021. The current prices are at an all-time high, simply because the mushroom market in Kenya is seriously undersupplied. So if you are looking for a side hustle that is probably going to pay more than your day job, mushroom farming is the way to go.

Mushroom farming in Kiambu: Richfarm Kenya

Most people ask why mushrooms are expensive, being a fungus. One of the reasons is that mushrooms, also known as the “fruit” of the fungi family, are rich in antioxidants, lean proteins and essential vitamins. The other reason is that mushroom farming is quite technical. The challenging manner of its growth, being that they don’t grow in soil, inhibits people from taking it on as a viable investment. This could be easily solved by a farmer getting the technical knowhow from the experts at Richfarm Kenya.

Investment and returns of mushroom farming in Kenya

The initial investment is on a basic minimum. Let us take oyster mushroom farming as an example, for this is the easiest variety to produce in Kenya. With 1 square foot of space, they could easily produce 10kgs in a year’s time. With the current wholesale price of ksh 400 per kilo, one is expected to make ksh 400,000 in turnover from a 10’ by 10’ space. A small space is needed for the mushroom growth. A garage will do just fine, and for those without one, a grass thatched mud house will do. Remember to register for our weekly mushroom training sessions so you can learn how to make a simple mushroom house.

All this talk may give you a notion that mushroom farming is a walk in the park that you would start now and boom! Reap the benefits tomorrow. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, since the investment could be quite bumpy. For example, the substrate needed ought to have been sterilized in the right conditions, failure to which, the seeds wither.

After harvesting, mushrooms become highly perishable, one therefore needs a ready market post-harvest. The fresh mushrooms usually contain around 90% water content. Drying them has proven to preserve their nutrients and flavor hence one could invest in some drying equipment so as to extend their shelf-life.

Mushroom Market in Kenya

There are many individual buyers of mushrooms in Nairobi and other big town. Most of them buy in wholesale prices and resell the products to hotels or supermarkets. So we suggest that you carry out a market survey as you start your mushroom production. Visit the local vegetable market and talk to a few wholesalers whether they would be willing to buy the mushrooms from you, once they are harvested. Inquire on the price they would be willing to buy for.

Invest in good packages, since the packaging system, goes a long way in maintaining the mushrooms’ freshness. One should indicate the contact details, as well as the farm’s location, so as to attract future customers. Make sure to only package the good quality produce.

Place placards in the local vegetable shops and around your neighborhood. Ask your customers to spread a good word about your mushroom business to their family and friends. Make sure to always emphasize all the nutritional benefits of the mushrooms.

Farmers’ market provides a great way for the farmers since they get to sell a large part of the harvest all at once. This is because market days attract large crowds, who are looking to buy from the locals. You only need to set up a booth and you’re ready to go.

On large scale farming, farmers should look for companies that are producing dietary supplements from plant extracts. As discussed earlier, mushrooms are great immune boosters. Email them on their respective websites with your information.

Now days, whatsapp groups offer a reliable platform for marketing your produce. Create a whatsapp group with your neighbors and update them when the produce is ready for sale. Share delicious mushroom recipes so as to entice people into cooking the mushrooms.

Mushroom farming training

In order to get the details and professional help on how to grow oyster and button mushrooms, it is advisable to visit some successful mushroom farmers in Kenya and learn from their experience. Richfarm Kenya also conducts a mushroom farming training every weekday and Saturday at their farm in Kamwangi, Kiambu. You can call them on 0724698357 to book a space for training.

How to Construct Multi-Storey Gardens, Increase Your Production and Support Food Security in Kenya

Multi-storey gardening is a farming technology that aims at producing more vegetables and fruits, so as to meet the rising food need in Kenya, while utilizing spaces such as home backyards.  The most suitable plants to grow in this system are kales, spinach, capsicum, eggplants, coriander and amaranths, strawberries just to mention a few. The use of multi-storey gardening is a step up from the sack gardening that was previously used by a majority of Kenyans.

Multi-storey gardens by Richfarm Kenya

One multi-storey garden has six layers, although some can go up to eight layers. Each terrace layer is filled with soil that is mixed with the less acidic goat manure with a 1:1 ratio. The top ring of the storey garden contains the top soil. The materials used in constructing the structure have a lifespan of up to 10 years, since they are ultra-heated prior to installation.

In a case where a farmer planted some vegetables that ended up failing, they should just uproot the plants and plant a fresh batch, without having to deconstruct the whole set-up. Inter-cropping a variety of vegetables is advised, as a way of pest control. Coriander and onions are a good pest repellents.

Each structure, occupies a one metre squared space. It then accommodates up-to 120 plants, depending on the type of fruit or vegetable planted. This proves to be more economical, when compared to the 10 plants that would be planted on the same space in the conventional way. The question is, will you grow only one type of vegetable per garden, or will you mix it up?

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

In addition to maximizing the available space, layering helps in minimizing evaporation, thus conserving irrigation water. The farmer will then need to water the crops for at most three days a week. Depending on the weather, one such structure will need a maximum of 20 litres of the irrigation water. Richfarm Kenya, a company that installs multi-storey gardens for people in Kenya, has an automated irrigation system for this gardening technology. This irrigation system does the irrigation for you at the specific time you set it to.

The best part of this setup is that the structures are not labour intensive, since there is no major weed control required. The structures can either be set up in the rural area, or in the urban setting, at the comfort of your balcony.

How to construct your own multi-storey garden

1. Identify your site. In the case of an urban set up, your own backyard or balcony will be ideal for the structure.
2. Collect the soil needed. Since the soil needed must be well-drained and free from pests and diseases, one does not need to necessarily use the soil that is readily available at the site you have identified. You can get the soil needed from a different place, then import it to your site. Note that getting you soil from a busy farm increases the risk of contamination.
3. Collect manure. As discussed earlier, the best manure to use is goat manure, since it is less acidic. It should be well decomposed.
4. Call Richfarm Kenya on 0724698357 to come and construct the multi-storey gardens and the automated irrigation system for you. They will bring all the materials and labour needed to complete your project and leave it running.

Depending on the crops that you want to grow, a farmer can plant the seeds directly or plant the seedlings from a nursery. In the case of strawberries, runners can be used as planting materials. You can still get strawberry runners of different varieties from Richfarm Kenya. If you fail to have the necessary knowledge on what and how to plant, make sure you contact an expert, so as to reduce the risks involved.

See also: StrawberryFarm Set Up Plan for ¼ Acre in Kenya 2020