Top 5 Most Successful Dragon Fruit Farmers in Kenya

Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, has continued to gain popularity as a lucrative crop in Kenya, mainly because of its high market value and adaptability to different climates, particularly the ability to grow in semi-arid regions. This exotic fruit, known for its attractive appearance and nutritional benefits, has turned small-scale and innovative farmers into renowned profit-making agripreneurs. Today, we explore the top 5 most successful dragon fruit farmers in Kenya.

Successful Dragon Fruit Farmers in Kenya

1. Walter Muange – The Machakos Dragon Fruit Pioneer

Walter Muange stands out as one of Kenya’s most prominent dragon fruit farmers in Kenya, mainly because of his innovative approach to the cultivation of this fruit. His orchard is in Masii, Machakos County, where he has over 2,000 dragon fruit plants. Muange has turned his farm into a model of success with his innovative use of extra lighting — low-energy bulbs — to stimulate year-round production and allow him to harvest beyond the typical two seasons.

Muange’s low-cost techniques, such as using motorbike tires as trellises and regular pruning to encourage branching, have helped him to maximize yield and profitability. His story, widely shared through platforms like Red Fox TV, inspires farmers in Kenya and beyond.

2. Priscilla Nyairia and Husband – The Nyeri Trailblazers

Along the Nyeri-Nyahururu road, Priscilla Nyairia and her husband have built a thriving dragon Fruit Empire. They began with cuttings imported from the Philippines. In the beginning, they consulted an agronomist about the fruit’s suitability to grow in Kenyan soil. The agronomist was skeptical, saying that dragon fruits cannot grow in Kenya, but the couple overcame the negativity, and their persistence paid off. They started small, but have expanded significantly and are now eyeing a 10-acre dragon farm with 10,000 – 20,000 trees.

They shared their secret to high dragon fruit yield: the meticulous use of 10 kg of organic manure per pole during planting and top-dressing at least twice a year. They also have a mulberry barrier around the farm that keeps pests at bay. Since coming to the limelight as one of the major dragon fruit producers in Kenya, they have been struggling to meet soaring demand. Their success speaks of dragon fruit’s exclusivity and market potential in the East African region and beyond.

3. Anthony Mugambi – The Meru Visionary

We all know him as the "King of Dragon Fruit”. Anthony Mugambi, based in Nkubu, Meru County, transformed a personal experiment into a 20-acre dragon fruit plantation. He says he was inspired by Vietnam’s success with the crop, imported cuttings from South Africa in 2015, encouraged other farmers to join in, and now leads the Kenya Dragon Fruit Farmers Network.

His main market is the juice spots in Lavington in Nairobi, and a few export orders. Even with 20 acres, Mugambi admits that he struggles to meet the demand for export quality fruits – like a client from Italy requesting 5 tons weekly. His efforts in training new dragon fruit farmers in Kenya and his focus on value addition, including jams and wines, seek to bridge the gap between supply and demand.

4. Waweru Murimi – The Malaa Innovator

Waweru Murimi is another successful farmer in the semi-arid Machakos County’s Malaa area. He started dragon fruit farming in 2016 with imported cuttings after failing to get quality seedlings from within the country. He now prides in a farm with over 2,500 mature dragon fruit vines, so vibrant that it is a model of success in dragon fruit farming in Kenya.

Waweru’s dragon fruit farm takes an organic approach such as using neem oil instead of chemical fungicides. He has also curved an income stream for himself by tapping the power of social media to offer trainings on dragon fruit farming. He also sells vines at Ksh 500 each sells his fruits in the upscale markets of Nairobi, where his organic fruits fetch between Ksh 1,000 and Ksh 2,000 a kilo.

5. Evanson Nthiga – Embu County’s Agricultural Revolution Leader

This guy is tucked away in Gikiiro village, Kiritiri, Mbeere South Constituency, Embu County – the home of muguka farming. Recognizing the challenges associated with the area’s cash crops, Nthiga ventured into dragon fruit farming in 2022. His aim is to provide his community with a sustainable alternative amidst the rising restrictions and social backlash against muguka.

His enterprise, Richfarm Kenya, specializes in dragon fruit cultivation and seedling propagation. The farm in Embu County with 3,000 dragon fruit plants has a unique set-up in which he uses live Senna Siamea trees for trellising the dragon fruit vines. Nthiga says he did this in order to show the community that the initial cost of setting up a dragon fruit farm need not be too high. The tree, which is also a fodder crop, has several other advantages including nitrogen fixation, windbreaking, soil conservation, and water conservation. The farm now acts as a model farm and offers training and quality seedlings to aspiring farmers.

Quality dragon fruit seedlings for sale at Richfarm Kenya

The Dragon Fruit Revolution in Kenya

These five farmers clearly bring out the transformative power of dragon fruit in Kenya’s agricultural landscape. From Walter Muange’s lighting innovations to Evans Nthiga’s innovative farming techniques, their stories highlight resilience, creativity, a keen eye for opportunity, and a passion for helping their communities. 

As demand surges—both locally and internationally, with prices holding strong at Ksh 400 to Ksh 1,000 per kilogram—these pioneers are not just reaping profits but sowing the seeds for a broader agricultural shift. With Kenya’s favorable climate and growing awareness, dragon fruit farming is poised to become a cornerstone of the nation’s agribusiness, led by these remarkable trailblazers.