The Basics of Kiwi Fruit Farming in Kenya

While Kenya has an ideal tropical climate for kiwi fruit farming, many people do not have the information necessary for the successful growing of this fruit. Even up to the year 2021, the ones that we buy today here in Kenya are mostly imported from Italy, India and China.  

Fruiting Kiwi plant

Wouldn’t it be great to produce our own kiwi fruits? Well we are glad that a good number of farmers are interested and have put efforts towards growing them. These interested farmers have sent us some common questions; you probably have the same questions too, so we have compiled them here and given you the answers. We would like to see you grow your own kiwi fruits too so here is what you need to know:

1. In which climate does kiwi fruit grow?

Kiwis will thrive in cool or cold climates of the Kenyan highlands where temperatures sometime fall below 10℃. So if you are in the central highlands of Kiambu, Nyandarua, Meru and Nyeri, the Rift Valley highlands around Eldoret, Kericho, Bomet and Nandi hills or the western highlands of Kisii and areas near Kakamega forest you are in the ideal zone. The plants also need a lot of water to thrive so the high amount of rainfall in these regions is a blessing.

One of the Successful Kiwi fruit farmers we have served has a home garden at Karen, Nairobi. He got his first fruit in 2020. The photo below was taken then.

Kiwi fruit farming in Karen, Nairobi

2. Which type of soil is good for growing Kiwis?

Loam soils that are well drained and containing a high amount of organic matter are the best. Like most fruit trees, kiwi plants do not tolerate too much water in the soils. If your soils are a bit compact and water takes a bit of time to drain off, you must plant the vines on raised beds to direct excess water away from the roots of the plants. Soil drainage can also be improved by digging a large hole (about 3 by 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep), mixing the top soil with a bit of sand and well composted farmyard manure then fill the hole with the mixture and plant you vine in it.

3. Where do I get Kiwi fruit seedlings for planting?

The best source of these seedlings is a well established fruit tree nursery like Richfarm Kenya. You can reach them on 0724698357 to make your order for seedlings. A seedling will averagely cost about Ksh 300 each.

Kiwi Fruit seedling by Richfarm Kenya

However, if you have a friend with an established kiwi orchard, you can produce your own seedlings through cuttings. Just cut off a soft wood shoot of a vine with about 3 leaf nodes. Remove the leaves, dip the bottom end of the cutting in a rooting hormone and plant it in moist but well drained soil. The cutting will develop new roots and shoots and you can transplant it when it grows enough leaves.

You can also grow seedlings from seeds but we discourage this method because the resultant seedlings usually have inferior characteristics compared to the mother plant and take too long to mature – about 3 to 5 years.

4. Is the kiwi plant a vine: do I need to support it?

Yes, it is a climbing vine and for that reason, you must provide a support for it. The support is nothing complicated; in fact, they are supported the same way we support passion fruit vines using poles and a wire at the top. To allow the vines enough space to creep, plant them with a distance of at least 3 meters between the plants and train the top 2 branches to creep in opposite directions.

Alternatively, you can use the overhead trellis system like the one pictured below. 

Kiwi farming in Kenya: Overhead trellis system

5. How long does it take for a kiwi plant to produce fruits?

It should take you at most 2 years from the date of planting to harvest your first fruit if you develop your seedlings from cuttings. However, seedlings developed from seeds take very long as mentioned above; up to 5 years.

6. How can I tell if a kiwi plant is male of female?

Some varieties have separate male and female plants and you can distinguish them by looking at the flowers. If all the parts at the center of the flower are yellow and covered with tiny grains of pollen, then that is a male plant. If the center of the flower has a white part called stigma, then that is a female plant. The stigma at the center of the flower is sometimes surrounded by parts that look like the anthers of a male flower but without pollen. Remember, if the variety you have has separate male and female plants, you will need at least 1 male for every 6 to 9 female plants in order to have a good fruit setting.

However, some varieties such as the Actinidia Deliciosa 'Solo' and Actinidia Arguta 'Issai' are self fertile. That means the trees have flowers with both the male parts (Anthers) and the female part (Stigma). For such varieties, all the trees self-pollinate themselves and bear fruits.

7. Why is my kiwi plant drying up?

Often farmers panic when they see the leaves on their plants drying up and falling off. They think that the plant is dying but that is not usually the case. Kiwi plants are deciduous by nature: that means they lose their leaves during the dry season. Ordinarily, the vines will regenerate new leaves at the onset of the next wet season.

8. How many vines can I plant in an acre?

You can plant 340 vines in one acre. The spacing required to achieve that is 2 meters between the lines and 6 meters from plant to plant. Remember to make your lines run from east to west to ensure all the vines get sufficient sunlight throughout the day.

9. What is the price of kiwi fruit?

Some retailers sell at Ksh 100 per fruit which is obviously very high. During the high supply season, the fruits are sold at 30 bob a piece in the wholesale market and retail at 50 bob a piece.

What makes kiwi fruit farming in kenya such a potential high income business opportunity is because this fruit is a high value crop. With the necessary structures, you do not need a lot of space to grow kiwi fruits.

Since you are here, you are probably looking for the best agribusiness idea to invest in. You can head to our Farmers Resources Page to download our free farming guides (pdf). We would also suggest you consider mushroom farming. We have written this article, How to make money with mushroom farming throughout the year 2021, to give insights into the mushroom farming business. 

Pawpaw farming in Kenya: A Guide From Planting To Selling

When I was growing up, no one from our land could ever think of investing in pawpaw farming. The fruit was so readily available that it was thought to be a poor man's fruit. Fast forward to 2024 and the fruit is now a sort-after commodity akin to a precious mineral, especially among the well-informed urban population.  Surprisingly, my fellow village-mates are now diligently seeking the fruit, just a few years after abandoning pawpaw farming.   

The soaring demand for pawpaw in Kenya presents an opportunity that is increasingly becoming attractive to farmers in Kenya who are keen to tap into new ways of making money.  Well, it is not an entirely new crop but there are two main reasons why its farming has recently become more profitable: one, the increasing awareness of its nutritional and medicinal values among local consumers, and two, the opening up of an attractive export market especially in Dubai and the larger Middle East.

Since papaya (as it is commonly known worldwide) is our main crop at Rich Farm Kenya, we have been getting a lot of questions regarding investing in its commercial farming. We thought it would benefit you to share the most frequently asked question about this venture.

1. How long does pawpaw seed take to germinate?

The seeds will take about two to five weeks to germinate. To achieve faster and higher rate of germination, you should soak the seeds in an optimizer or a potassium nitrate fertilizer for at least 24 hours before sowing. These products can be bought at an agro-vet shop. Sow the seeds in a media that is not too compact. If you are using soil, ensure to mix it with 1 unit of sand for every 3 units of soil.

2. At what age do I transplant the seedlings?

Transplant the seedlings at two to three months after sowing the seeds. At this age, the plants will be about 15 cm tall and with at least 2 sets of leaves. If planted later than this, the seedlings are likely to suffer transplanting shock.

3. How long does it take for the tree to produce fruits?

It takes between 6 and 11 months from the date of sowing seeds to harvesting your first fruit. The climate is the major determinant of how long the tree takes to mature. In hot areas, you can get your first fruit as early as the 6th month while in cooler areas it can take as long as 11 months.

4. For how long will the tree be producing fruits?

Generally, papaya trees will keep producing fruits for 4 to 5 years. Some varieties such as the solo sunrise will live even longer than that but the yield will significantly reduce after the 5 year.

5. Do the trees need a lot of water?

Pawpaw trees do not need a lot of water to grow. In fact, they are drought tolerant. However, they will need to be irrigated during the dry seasons in order to grow faster and produce tasty fruits of a good size. While irrigating, though, you should keep in mind that the trees cannot tolerate waterlogged soils. If the soils are too wet even for 24 hours, the trees develop root rot and eventually die.

6. Are there male and female papaya trees?

There are actually 3 types of trees: male, female and hermaphrodite. The male trees produce many flowers whose sole purpose is to produce pollen for pollinating female flowers. The female trees produce flowers that are pollinated by the male flowers and develop fruits. The hermaphrodite trees are self pollinating and they all bear fruits.

Female pawpaw tree

Male pawpaw tree

The major determinant of whether you will get male trees is variety. Varieties that are dioecious have separated male and female trees and you must have both in order to have good fruit setting. Varieties that are hermaphroditic are self pollinating and they all bear fruits successfully.

7. In which soils do they grow best?

Well drained sandy loam soils with high humus content are the best. As mentioned earlier, the trees are easily killed by excess water in the soil. That is why it is very important that the soils be well drained. For this reason, heavy black cotton and red clay soils are not ideal for Pawpaw farming. Where the soils are not too heavy, drainage can be improved by planting the trees on raised beds.

8. What is the best fertilizer?

The best fertilizer is one that will provide well balanced nutrients especially nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K). Well composed farm yard or animal manure will often give enough of these. However, if you must use chemical based fertilizers, ensure that you do the first top dressing on the 3rd month after transplanting and then once every month thereafter. 100g of NPK 17:17:17 or 14:14:14 per tree will suffice. The application should be done around the tree at least 30cm from the base: all trees must be watered if it is not raining after fertilizer application.

9. How many trees fit in an acre?

One acre will accommodate 1100 trees with the common spacing of 2x2 meters. Dwarf varieties like Calina papaya IPB9, Red Lady and Red Royale can be spaced 1.5 meters from plant to plant and 2 meters between the lines giving a plant population of about 1345 trees per acre.

10. Which is the best pawpaw variety in Kenya?

IPB9 and Solo sunrise are the best varieties in the country. However the best will actually be determined by what your target market is. There's also Malkia, the big, red and sweet variety that many blenders and juice makers prefer. I wrote a simple guide to help you choose the best variety for you: you can read it here: How To Choose The Best Pawpaw Variety For Farming In Kenya.

Well, we cannot say all that we need to about pawpaw farming in Kenya. So we have written a few more detailed articles for you. Here are some reads we recommend for you: 

Pawpaws Make You Money While Asking For Very Little Input From You

Pawpaw Farming In Kenya: How Much Do I Invest and What’s The Profit

50% discount on all pawpaw seedlings

Above all, we are so happy to announce that you can get yourself solo sunrise and calina IPB9 seedlings at half their usual price. But don’t be late; this offer ends with this year’s month of love... Call us now on 0724698357 / 0723213602 / 0798919007 to claim your offer now!

Demand For Kenyan Avocado Continues to Climb: The Issue Right Now Is Providing a Continuous Supply

The avocado market has been thriving over the past few years as the fruit’s popularity soared worldwide, and the Kenyan avocado has a special niche in the global market. According to Juan Escorcia, from Avocados Aguirre the demand is almost impossible to satiate. 

“Right now the issue with avocados is not selling them – they sell themselves. The issue we have right now is providing a continuous supply because the demand is so high. The demand has been climbing exponentially this past decade which has brought a lot of new production around the world. 

Ten years ago, Mexico produced around 90% of the world’s avocados, but today new markets are arising in other Latin American countries, in Africa - Kenya topping the list, New Zealand and Australia. There has even been production in China. From our experience, however, there is still not enough production to meet the demand.” Juan says.

Kenyan Avocado

Retail sales of avocados increasing by 72% each year in China

In the next three years, China could pass the United States and become the number one avocado consumer country in the world, according to major retail company Pagoda. This expanding market is great news to hass avocado farmers in Kenya as the country has started exporting frozen avocado to China. 

General Manager Peter Zhu told the World Avocado Congress in Columbia that for a young avocado country, demand in China is increasing so fast, retail sales of the fruit are increasing by 72 per cent each year. He recalled that back in 2016, the company formed a joint partnership with Lantao International and Mission Produce to form the Mr Avocado brand. Since then the product being offered to consumers has transformed dramatically.

"In 2016, the only avocados selling in Pagoda were green and hard," Mr Zhu said. "In early April 2017, we started to sell ready to eat avocados in all our stores, and by 2018, 89 per cent of the stock in Pagoda stores were ready to eat. Now in 2019, all 4,000 Pagoda stores only sell ready to eat avocados. No more green fruits."

With high quality fruits, you have an unlimited market

In 2018, the largest avocado distributor in the world, Pagoda, had 4,000 fresh fruit retail stores, and in five years that is expected to grow to 10,000 stores in China – in 20 provinces and 80 cities across China. Mr Zhu explained that quality and taste are the main focus areas for his company, and admitted avocados are a new experience for many Chinese consumers.

"For fresh fruit, there are two different types; one is the 'sweet-tasting' fruit, and the other is avocados," Mr Zhu said. "There are so many sweet fruits, but the only unsweet fruit (sold at Pagoda) is avocado. It is a healthy fruit that we want to promote big time in our Chinese stores. We want to do a lot of promotions with all our members and general customers to let them know what an avocado is and how to eat it. We want to give them the best experience with an avocado, but we need the education."

Mr Wang estimates that by 2021, China will be importing 70 container loads per week, and believes there is potential to grow that number to 700 loads per week in 15 years’ time, making the country the largest importer in the world. He says it has been a main objective for Mr Avocado to promote the ready to eat avocados, by using professional chefs to form local recipes, and create new interest.

"We have even hired people from Mexico to do tours of China," he said. "We have done some on-site supermarket promotions, and we have created a very popular video for Everything Fresh, which is the best home fresh delivery in China. So, Mr Avocado ready to eat will be sold in about 80 per cent of the top retailers across China."

Pagoda also has a number of value-added products, including Mr Avocado soy sauce, and soy sauce with wasabi, which is under a registered trademark.

The Kenyan avocado farmer is set to benefit a great deal from this expanding global market. Invest in avocado farming: it is a sure way to earn stress-free income over many years. 

We have compiled this comprehensive Hass avocado farming guide for Kenya with step by step information from planting through to harvesting and marketing. It also contains budget estimates. It is now available on PDF so you can even read it from your phone while at the farm. You can request for your copy through our Resources Page. 

The Global Avocado Prices and What Kenyan Farmers Stand To Earn

Holy guacamole! Why avocados are so expensive?!

If you have been wondering why avocado farming in Kenya has all of a sudden become the song of every investor, then this sneak peek into the global avocado prices will open your eyes. 

Avocados have been expensive for a while now. Typically, most Canadians would expect to pay $1 per unit. Many have noticed that avocado prices have been high in most parts of the country. In the last few months, it’s almost impossible to find them below $2. And if you do buy an avocado, it will likely be smaller, darker and much less appetizing.

However, if you’re expecting avocados to be cheaper, you’ll need to wait a while longer. The same high price is happening in the United States due to rising trade and border tensions between the U.S. and Mexico.

Hass Avocado Variety: the most prefered in the export market

The production of California avocados was down this past year as a result of dry weather. Yields were much lower and forced the United States and Canada to go elsewhere to purchase avocados. And since July is a low point for Mexico’s production cycle for avocados, prices are not going to be dropping any time soon. In Canada, 95 per cent of all avocados come from Mexico, which produces 34 per cent of the world supplies of avocados.

What’s adding pressure on avocado prices is its popularity. Canadians spend almost $300 million on avocados a year. In an era where you see many new diets become mainstream, avocados are fairing quite well compared to other commodities. Vegans and vegetarians stay away from meat products. Ketogenic loyal fans stay away from bread, potatoes and many other products. Avocados are appealing because they are immune to many of the dietary trends.

Consumers’ greater interest and awareness of healthy eating is certainly a driving force, headed by guacamole’s increasing popularity. Also, improvements have been made in the supply chain in areas such as ripening and grading. Avocados on toast is more fashionable than ever. Over the last few years, the quality of avocados we find in Canada has improved vastly.

The food service industry is trying to cope with these prices by using less avocados for guacamole and salads. Some opt to either serve something else or to serve a substitute. Some are using edamame, broccoli, green peas or even asparagus instead of avocados to make guacamole. These are cheaper ingredients and restaurateurs save by reducing the number of avocados they are using. Whether or not restaurants are telling the consumer about these subtle changes is another matter. Nevertheless, many restaurants are changing recipes.

It is easy to see how the market for avocados will only continue to expand, and no doubt, Mexico will have more competition from emerging producers, such as China, Australia and elsewhere, which could supply Canada with a more socially acceptable product. With more segmentation, innovation, expansion and new styles of merchandising, growth can easily be obtained for avocados. If someone can bring a seedless avocado to Canada, consumers will likely return the favour by buying more of the green stuff.

Read also:

- How To Farm Fruits And Vegetables For Export Market For Extra Profit

As for retail prices in Canada, the good news for avocado lovers is that prices are expected to lower by October as Mexico ramps its production back up again. Yet until then, hold on to your guacamole!

By: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University, Canada.

A wise investor can tell an opportunity of a lifetime from the market trends. It is easy to see that Avocado farming in Kenya is one such opportunity. We would love to help and guide you as you invest in avocado farming. 

That is why avocado we have compiled this hass avocado farming guide for kenya to help you with information on the go. It is now available in pdf so you can even carry it in your phone and refer any time. You can now request for it from our Resources Page. 

Why Macadamia Farming in Kenya is the Most Profitable Long-Term Investment Avenue

By the end of the macadamia harvesting season in April this year, farmers were enjoying prices as high as Ksh.220 per kg. This is an encouraging price hike but that’s not even the real deal. The potential of the prices doubling or even tripling is a heartwarming possibility considering that in other countries producing macadamia such as South Africa and Australia, farmers get paid between Ksh 400 to Ksh 600 per kg.

Production is increasing, but so is demand and price

By the way, you may think that an increase in the number of people taking up macadamia farming in Kenya would have a negative impact on the price. Surprisingly, the price improvement we are seeing is happening while the production of macadamia in Kenya increases. In 2009, Kenya was producing approximately 11,000 metric tons of unprocessed macadamia. This year, we produced more than 40,000 metric tons.

So why are macadamia farmers in Kenya getting better income even with rising volume of production? The answer is in global demand! Demand for macadamia nuts in the world is increasing while the entire world is producing only 200,000 tons of macadamia per year. In the past, most of the produce from Kenya was being exported to the US and Europe. Recently, China has come in providing a greater market for our nuts. In fact, some unscrupulous traders are taking advantage of this high demand for in-shell nuts to illegally smuggle unprocessed macadamia nuts out of Kenya to China.

Macadamia farmers in Kenya are also enjoying ready market, selling directly to processors. There are currently 30 licensed macadamia processing plants in the country.

Read Also:
1. Avocado demand continues to climb: “The issue right now is providing a continuous supply

2. Habiba Beats Dry Weather In Wajir To Earn Fortunes From Fruit Farming

Macadamia farming is stress-free

While farmers of such crops as tomatoes, passion fruits, onions and others have had sleepless nights because of pest and disease challenges, macadamia farming in Kenya seems to be rather stress-free. The only major challenge that farmers have faced is powdery mildew, a fungal disease which is easy to control. Other than spraying, annual pruning is the other management practice required for macadamia trees to be productive.

Ecological requirements 

Macadamia grows in a wide range of climatic conditions. The major macadamia farming counties in Kenya are Embu, Meru, Kirinyaga and Tharaka Nithi in the Mount Kenya region and Taita Taveta County in the coastal region. Efforts are now being made to expand to other Counties such as Kisii, Kakamega, Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet with significant success.

The tree requires a lot of water and manure and it’s advisable to put in place irrigation strategies for areas that experience low rainfall. However, this is not much of an input since one acre accommodates 150 trees of macadamia at a spacing of 5x5 meters. 

Pawpaw Farming In Kenya: How Much Do I Invest and What’s The Profit

Pawpaw farming has been practiced in Kenya for a relatively long time. However, most of the people who cultivated this fruits did it for own consumption. It is a wonderful source of vitamins during the long dry periods in Kenya during which other fruit farming activities don't give much.  

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

2. Neofresh Pawpaw Farm Is a Mind-blowing Inspiration

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:

1. The trees are easy to manage due to their size
2. They produce big fruits of about 1kg each but still with a good keeping quality
3. They are self pollinating hence no male trees that only take up space without producing fruits.
4. The fruits have an attractive red color and are very sweet.

Pawpaw farming guide for Kenya

Pawpaw farming is a venture worth considering. If you would want to invest in it, we would love to guide you through. You can call or WhatsApp us on 0724698357. 

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. 

Chia Seeds Farming in Kenya: How Profitable Is It, Complete Guide on Growing It

Chia seeds came into the Kenyan market sometime before 2017 but it’s in early that year that the crop hit the market strongly. Since then, its market has been expanding from the high end shops to retail supermarkets as information about the benefits of these seeds trickles down to a wider population. This made it to rise into the group of most profitable cash crops to grow in Kenya. 

The other crops you may want to consider are:

1. Tomato - Please read the article How To Do Tomato Farming in Kenya Without Burning Your Fingers

2. Grapes - Grapes Farming: How to produce the best grapes in Kenya

3. Avocado - How To Grow Avocados In Kenya For Export

The tiny black and grey chia seeds provide a whole meal packed with proteins, Omega 3 fats and a dozen of other nutrients that include calcium, manganese, and phosphorus.

Chia seeds farming is being done commercially not only in Kenya. In fact, the crop is grown commercially in the US, Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Australia and Mexico for its seeds because of its high nutritional value. 

Growers in the Ord Valley, Australia, started trialling the crop back in 2005, following research by a Nuffield scholar who was looking for natural solutions to modern diet related diseases.

This little crop with tiny seeds is causing waves not only in Kenya but across the world. This is because of its established and documented benefits. These include:

• Chia Seeds have Omega-3 fats – it is the richest plant source of omega 3. These are essential fatty acids known for their effectiveness at lowering cholesterol levels, blood pressure, preventing heart disease among other health benefits.
• Chia seeds are rich in fibre: Two tablespoons of Chia – about 25 grams – provide about seven grams of fibre.
• Chia seeds are rich in minerals which include calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, copper, niacin, and zinc.
• Chia seeds have a nutty flavour, and are a healthful addition to the diet sprinkled on cereals, yogurt or salads. You can also eat them whole or mix them into flour when baking bread, muffins or other baked goods.
• Chia leaves are also used to make therapeutic tea.

These benefits are recognized worldwide giving this crop and its products a great demand.

Chia seeds farming is relatively new in Kenya with the only documented farmers being found in Nakuru, Meru, Nyanyuki and lately Busia County where farmers with an aggregate 150 acres are growing the crop for export to Denmark with the support of the county government.

Chia seeds farming in Kenya is easy and is not capital intensive as other cash crop ventures. The capital requirements are similar to other crop and could actually be lower considering that the crop is a pest repellent and can be grown without the need for spraying pesticides or applying chemical fertilisers.

Typically, the costs of chia seeds farming in Kenya for one acre is as follows:

·                        Land lease                 5,000

·                           Ploughing                  3,000

·                           Harrowing                2,000

·                           Planting                     3,000

·                           Seeds                          8,000 (1,000 per Kg)

·                           Harvesting                5,000

           Total                              26,000

The average yield per acre is 300 kgs. Should the prices plummet from the Ksh. 2,000 we are currently seeing on retail shelves of our supermarkets to a low of Ksh. 500 per kg, a farmer will still make Ksh.150,000 in just 3 months from planting. 

Read also:

- Just 3 Months From Planting The Tiny Chia Seeds Have Brought Us Giant Cheer

- Chia Seeds Farming in Kenya: New Herb Rich In Oil Has Great Income Potential

We have put together our experiences and have come up with this farming guide. 

If you would like to start chia seeds farming, then you will find this book very helpful. 

You can request for your copy here or through the Resources Page