Avocado Farming in Kenya PDF

The Avocado Farming in Kenya PDF on the Farmers' Resources Page of Richfarm Kenya website is a guidebook that provides comprehensive step by step guide that steers the farmer from planting to marketing. The ebook, available for free download, can also be used by a farmer who already has an existing orchard to improve on the fruit production. Having immense fieldwork experience, the Richfarm Kenya proprietor meticulously provides information into modern intensive farming while emphasizing on organic farming for its restoration properties on the soil.

Avocado farming in Kenya PDF

There are a lot of native avocado tree varieties in Kenya. However, only two of them are considered in the commercial farming; the Hass and the Fuertes. The environmental and soil requirements of avocado farming of these two varieties has been covered in the PDF.

The guide also covers the following key aspects of avocado farming in Kenya:

Seedling Propagation

It is the belief of the author that the success or failure of any orchard greatly depends on the propagating process. Propagating the avocado seedling for oneself should be done from seeds obtained from fruits harvested from the selected tree, and not picked from the ground. The seedlings should be kept under a shade, to prevent excessive evaporation. Reading the pdf will help you create a simple shade, as well as how to achieve the perfect environment for the seedlings.

Grafting

This is a technique where high quality seedlings are obtained by joining two parts of two different avocado varieties. Local avocado varieties are used as the stock, for easier adaptation.

Grafting advantages

1.    Combines pest and disease resistances from the stock with yield quantity and quality from the scion. 

2.      It’s the ultimate way of obtaining a plant with the characteristics of the mother plant.

3.      When successful, the quality from the scion is enhanced by the strength from the rootstock

4.      Grafting makes it possible to shorten the maturity period, since one could get the scion from a mature plant. The trees would then fruit in a year.

5.      Grafting can be done to induce dwarfing, which increases the yield per unit of land, produces high quality fruits, and reduces accidents caused by harvesting on ladders.

The cleft grafting technique, which is widely discussed in our aforementioned guide, is the most effective technique for avocado grafting.

 

Orchard Establishment and care

Unlike other small crops, making of the holes is the most important part in preparing an avocado field. The hole measuring 60cm (width) by 60cm (length) and 60cm (depth) should be dug, while placing the subsoil on a different pile with the top soil. The spacing should be 5m by 5m apart. Fill the soil with 50% decomposed manure and 50% top soil. For best results, let the hole settle for two to three weeks.

Transplanting

Remove the plastic bag so that the roots develops faster into the soil, unless one is using the biodegradable bags. To prevent collar rot, cover the seedling to the same level they were at the plastic bag. Tilling when the trees are young could damage the shallow roots, hence affecting growth and production.

Fertilization

 For best results, apply the fertilizers during the rainy season and again before flowering and fruiting. There is no need of applying the fertilizers if one uses the decomposed manure properly while digging the holes.

Irrigation

Water the young trees immediately after transplanting. Examine the soil humidity regularly to prevent over-or under-irrigation.

Pests and Disease Management

For the various pests and diseases that attack both the avocado trees and the fruits, download the avocado farming in Kenya pdf and see how to treat and prevent them.

Maturity, Harvesting and Postharvest Handling.

 Clippers are used to harvest fruits that are low hanging, while for those higher ups, a long handled picking pole with a sharp “V” is used.  One can also choose to prune the canopy so as to maintain the trees at low heights for handpicking. When gently squeezed, a ripe avocado will yield to the light pressure. The fruits are exported under refrigeration.

Marketing

By November 2020, a 4kg bag of hass avocados retailed at Ksh 800, a 33% rise from the prices in November 2019. According to Mwangi wa Iria, Murang’a county governor, the word market prices for hass avocados is bigger than that of coffee, having an insatiable market in Europe. This could only mean that the prices will continue rising in future.

In mid-2019, a deal allowing frozen avocados to be exported in China was signed. With China’s vast population, the demand will only rise overtime. The first shipment of the frozen avocados will be sent by March 2020 by Diren Packaging, a Kenyan avocado exporter. New connections have also been established in Netherlands, by the packaging company.