FARMING FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND HERBS FOR THE EXPORT MARKET FOR PROFIT

Can fruits and vegetable farming be very profitable?

The demand for Kenya avocado, macadamia, passion fruits and a range of other fruits and vegetables in the international market is high and on a promising rise. As such, fruit and vegetable farming presents a good opportunity not only for farmers but also for exporters and other people in the value chain to make good profits from agribusiness.

Horticultural Export Produce

For the Kenyan farmers, both domestic and export markets have their own unique advantages but the common thing is that they are undersupplied. In fact, the main limiting factor to farmers accessing these markets is their inability to produce sufficient quantities.

What challenges are farmers in Kenya experiencing?

There are a number of challenges that face farmers in the horticulture sub-sector which include:

1. Low incentives in terms of local market prices.
2. High costs of inputs that include seeds, fertilizer, pesticides.
3. Stringent international standards and market requirements, which are a barrier to accessing the export market. Good examples are the conditions put forth by China for Kenyan avocado.
4. Post-harvest losses and lack of quality to improve consumer acceptance.
5. Low availability of capital and limited access to affordable credit for horticultural farmers.
6. Climate change, mainly unpredictable weather, and presence of pests and diseases. Kenya currently cannot export avocados to South Africa and some European destinations until we demonstrate that we can properly manage the fruit fly and false codling moth. Until we find ways of managing the citrus greening disease in oranges and the woodiness disease in purple passion fruits, the markets for these fruits will remain unexploited.
7. Low adoption of modern farming and processing technologies by Kenyan farmers.
8. Poor infrastructure: Inadequate storage, lack of pack house facilities and refrigerated trucks constrain marketability of horticultural products.

Ready Carrot Harvest for Export

How to address these challenges

Firstly, you should do is get training on production of fruits and vegetables as well as compliance to market requirements. The stakeholders in the avocado and macadamia production value chains are doing a good job in this. Farmers should ensure they attend their trainings and implement what they learn. Richfarm Kenya always updates these events in their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Richfarmkenya/. You can follow the page to receive regular updates. 

As a farmer, you should also ensure that you plant the varieties that suit your farm. New fruit and vegetable varieties are also being introduced in the market; these varieties are more productive, resistant or less susceptible to pests and diseases. Richfarm Kenya is always posting information about these varieties on our social media pages and website. Farmers have a responsibility to investigate which varieties of the crops are better for their environment. The officers from our company work very closely to farmers to help them in this. We actually have some information up on our website about this. See the articles below:

1. How To Choose The Best Pawpaw Variety For Farming In Kenya in 2020

2. Farmers Make More Money With The New Muranga 20 Macadamia Variety

3. Why Solo Sunrise Is the Most Popular Pawpaw Variety in Kenya and the World

Are Kenyan farmers exporting more fresh produce abroad?

Domestic consumption of fresh produce is still high and currently stands at about 90 per cent of total production.

However, export market is currently growing and the major markets are in the Euro-zone.

To improve margins and make it a very profitable activity, Kenya has focused on diversifying to other non-traditional export markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Middle East, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

The main products to the European Union are French beans, snow peas and sugar snaps, broccoli, herbs, and spices and avocados, among others. Kenya exports vegetables, herbs and spices, avocados and mangoes to the Middle East market.

How Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK) is helping the small farmer to export fresh produce

Small-scale farmers in Kenya have previously been hit by the European Union’s stringent food safety regulations. The tough measures, combined with rising cost of production, knocked-out some farmers from growing the vegetables for export, leading to drop in the amount of vegetable exports.

On the other hand, fruit farming is not as challenging as vegetable farming when it comes to controlling pests and diseases. As a result, small scale farmers in Kenya can easily produce fruits that meet the set standards for international market. 

FPEAK links smallholder farmers to its members who buy from them, pack and export to various destinations. They also advice the farmers on the kind of crops that they can grow for the export market and are also very profitable.

How Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) works and how farmers can satisfy what Kenya-GAP requires?

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is a set of practices that a farmer should follow in order to produce fruits and vegetables that meet export market requirements. In our country, we have Kenya-GAP which explains to farmers the internationally accepted practices in growing fresh produce. These are measures that ensure the food we present to our buyers is safe to eat. It also takes into consideration aspects of environmental conservation as well as the health and safety of our workers at the farms.

In other words, Kenya-GAP teaches us the farmers the best practices with regard to the use of farm products such as pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers while also taking care of employee welfare and farm management, among others.

If you would like to know more about this, you can check out the national standard KS 1758 part II on fruits and vegetables. It explains very well the compliance criteria that farmers in Kenya for both local and export market should observe.

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS FARMERS CAN GROW TO ACCESS THE EXPORT MARKET

1. VEGETABLES

French beans, snow peas, broccoli, courgettes, carrots, garden peas, salad onions, leeks and cucumber.

2. FRUITS

Avocadoes, passion fruits, mangoes, pawpaw, oranges, strawberry and dragon fruits.

3. HERBS AND SPICES

On herbs and spices, I want to look at the benefits too in terms of nutrition, the reason why it’s a good venture, lucrative you can say.

1. Basil – There are two types; large leaf Italian basil and large purple sweet basil, this plant is popular in many cuisines but also in foods like pizzas, salads, sauces et cetera. Basil has health benefits of antioxidants and is a defense against low blood sugar. 

Basil Herb

2. Cilantro/Coriander – Cilantro is also known as coriander leaf or Chinese parsley. Cilantro is perfect for adding to spicy foods and cuisines. The seeds of cilantro are known as coriander. The plant doesn’t like it when the ground becomes too warm.

Coriander

3. Oregano – Oregano is also part of the mint family. Oregano is a perennial plant but in colder climates can be grown as annually. Oregano is used for flavoring and is a staple herb of Italian American cuisine. Though typically used in small amounts, oregano packs in some important nutrients. Just one teaspoon of dried oregano can fulfill about 8% of your daily vitamin K needs.

4. Parsley – Parsley is a mild bitter herb that can enhance the flavor of your foods. Many consider parsley just to be a curly green garnish for food, but it actually helps things like stews achieve a more balanced flavor. As an added benefit, parsley can aid indigestion. Parsley plants will grow to be large and bushy and is a good source of Vitamins A and C.

5. Bay Leaves – The smell of bay’s noble leaves reminds you of balsam, clove, mint, and some say even honey! Well known for its use in hearty stews and other long-simmering dishes with a slightly sharp, peppery, almost bitter taste. Add the whole leaves at the beginning of the cooking process and remember to remove them before serving. 

6. Mint - There are several varieties of mint. Mint freshens the breath and will help to calm your stomach. But if you grow mint, remember that it’s considered an invasive plant. Mint will spread and take over your garden. It’s best grown in containers. Mint leaves trigger the release of extra bile from the gallbladder, which is important because it helps the body digest fat.

Mint Herb

7. Sage – Sage is an aromatic herb that is great for seasoning meats, sauces, and vegetables. But be careful because sage will have a tendency to overpower other flavors. Sage also helps to relieve cut pains, inflammation and helps with memory issues. It was once thought to be a medicinal cure-all. Sage is an easy herb to grow and is relatively easy to care for. It’s great in your garden for attracting bees.

8. Lavender – Grown for use in salads and dressings, lavender will give most dishes a slightly sweet flavor. Lavender syrup and dried lavender buds are used for making lavender scones and marshmallows. Health benefits include the soothing of insect bites and headaches when used with herbs and aromatherapy. Lavender plants will survive in many growing conditions but do best in full sun in warm, well-drained soil.

9. Rosemary – Rosemary is one of the most flavorful herbs and is great for adding to food like meats, and vegetables. The fragrant plant is a delightful scent and is sometimes used in floral arrangements. Rosemary likes its soil a bit on the dry side, so be careful not to overwater. Allowed to flourish, a rosemary plant will grow into a full-sized bush. A good source of iron, calcium and vitamins A, C, and B-6, rosemary has been used for its medicinal purposes for centuries.

Rosemary Herb

10. Thyme – Thyme is a Mediterranean herb with dietary, medicinal, and ornamental uses. The flowers, leaves, and oil of thyme have been used to treat a range of symptoms and complaints, these include diarrhea, stomach ache, arthritis, and sore throat.  

I’d say it’s a healthy profitable venture. 

We are always happy to provide you with more details about most profitable fruit and vegetable farming in Kenya and how you can access both the local and international markets. You can always reach us on phone or WhatsApp on 0724698357 or 0723213602.