Strawberry Farming in Kenya: The Success Story of George Muturi

The small red fruits arrest the eye as George Muturi, on of the renowned strawberry farmers in Kenya, puts them in a plastic container in his farm in Iganjo, Nyeri County.

He picks the strawberries from their vines one by one and later drops them in the container.
“The strawberries I will harvest from this small portion of land are enough to fill this 40 litre container,” says Muturi as he walks in his farm picking the fruits.

Soon, the farmer fills the container. He carries the fruits into his house for storage before returning for more.

“Strawberry farming is a good venture. The returns are good because the market in Kenya is largely undersupplied . I sell mainly to supermarkets.’

Muturi shifted from cabbage farming to strawberry after incurring losses. “It was about four years ago. I would plant cabbages, but they would not do well. I shared my frustrations with a friend and he introduced me to strawberry farming,” says Muturi, 47, who is based in Iganjo, Mathira East.

“I used to make between Sh10,000 and Sh15,000 after every harvest of my cabbages. Now I harvest at least 100kg of strawberry a month.”
He isolates supermarkets, groceries and factories that make juice as markets for the fruits.

“There is also good market if one can manage to export the fruits,” Muturi, who harvests and packs between 500 and 700 pallets of strawberry each day from his three-quarter acre farm, says.

Muturi buys more berries from some 20 farmers in the village, who he has recruited into the business, including Mary Nyawira, who sells 65kg a day from her half-acre farm.

There are three types of strawberries namely Junebearing, Everbearing and Daily Neutral. Most farmers in Iganjo grow the Daily Neutral type.

“I started with Everbearing but the yields were not much. Unlike Daily Neutral, Everbearing could not resist the cold season in Nyeri.”

How is strawberry farming affected by the dry weather in Kenya

With the help of four workers, whom he hires every day at Sh200 per person, Muturi starts picking the red-ripe berries at noon.
Once he is done on the farm, he packs them in the pallets, which he arranges in cartons for transportation to the market.

“Strawberry ripen every day, the reason why we must harvest. Once they mature after three months, you can harvest them continuously for three years before uprooting and planting new ones,” he says.

Strawberries grow well when the weather is dry.

“I make more money when the weather is hot. Every month I earn more than Sh50,000, but this increases during the dry season.”

Muturi also sells his strawberries in Nairobi. He transports them from Nyeri every day at 3am. He starts the journey early so that he can sell the fruits when they are still fresh.

“This gives me enough time to return to my farm, tend to the crops and plan for the next trip.”

Currently, a kilo of the berries goes for Sh400, and on a good day, he can sell 200kg, out of which 120kg are from his farm. 

Some of the supermarkets that buy his produce are Naivas, Jamaa, Magunas and some new upcoming supermarkets.

To start a strawberry farm, you only need a small space. However you also need some knowledge on how to set up the farming area, where to source the best strawberry seedlings in Kenya and how to go about marketing. 

We have provided such information in this guide and it will lead you through all necessary steps of successful strawberry farming. But we will also value your feedback so if you still have questions about anything that is not covered in it, kindly inform us through 0724698357. You can now request for it from our Resources Page. 

Tree Tomato Farmers in Kenya Rewarded With Good Prices Due to A Biting Shortage

If you have been dreaming of eating the fruits of your own labour then the idea of tree tomatoes farming is a literal way to do just that. The oval-shaped fruit is in short supply in Kenya and various distributors including supermarkets are scouting for farmers to help them meet growing demand.

Tree tomato farming in Kenya

One good thing about this crop is that once you plant your seedlings you do not have to always be there to take care of them, which means you can set-up a farm somewhere near your current place of work and monitor it remotely as a side hustle.

The most interesting bit of it is that you can get started with your meager savings and make as much as Ksh133,000 per month out of just one acre of land. But before you rush to invest allow me to guide you through the steps of investing in tree tomato farming.

1. Get a good piece of land to grow tree tomatoes

The good thing about investing in agribusiness nowadays is that you don’t necessarily have to buy land. You can easily lease land from owners across the nation. The ideal piece of land is one that is fertile and well drained, preferably located in a place with adequate supply of water and relatively calm winds. Make sure you test both the soil and water for suitability in farming. 

This is to say you can plant your tree tomatoes in places like Central Kenya, Western, parts of Nyanza, Taita Taveta and even parts of Rift Valley. The fruits can even grow in semi-arid areas provided there is adequate water to irrigate them (in addition to mulching). Set aside Ksh15,000, on average, for leasing land if you do not have any available.

2. Prepare your land well

Of course the first thing in land preparation is clearing the bushes. This is particularly important in tree tomato farming since this crop is susceptible viral and fungal diseases, many of which are transmitted by pests. Pests hide in weeds hence you must make sure that your farm is absolutely clear before starting your transplanting activity.

The planting hole should be 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep - 2 feet is about 60cm. The holes should be spaced 2m apart and the lines should also be 2m apart. While digging the holes, separate the top soil (about the 1st foot) from the bottom soil. We shall only need to use the top soil so you can discard the bottom soil. Mix the top soil with sufficient amount of compost or animal manure - a soil test will advice you how much you need. Use this mixture to fill back into the hole leaving only a small space that you may use just in case you need to irrigate the trees.

Apart from tilling the land and preparing the holes you may need to buy a water tank. This will come in handy during dry seasons because tree tomatoes require adequate watering at least once a week. A good water tank with 1000 litre capacity will cost you about Ksh15,000

Make sure you read: How To Grow Sweet Fruits And Keep Your Customers Coming Back For More

3. Get quality tree tomato seedlings

Not all tree tomato seedlings are good. Some take too long to grow and their fruits are bitter and unsightly. So at this point you need to look for high quality seedlings. A good variety is the Red Oratia family that only takes 8 months to mature. Red Oratia type is popular because of its great taste and the fact that 97% of the fruit is edible.

 

Red Oratia: Best tree tomato variety in Kenya

A seedling goes for Ksh.60 at Richfarm Kenya and other well established nurseries in the country. You can contact Richfarm Naivasha on 0723213602, Richfarm Embu on 0724 698357 to organize for delivery to your farm. An acre of land will require 1,100 seedlings amounting to Ksh66,000. Remember, you can always start small e.g. on 1/8th acre which requires 300 seedlings and thus a smaller budget of Ksh18,000.

Plant your tree tomato seedlings, keep caring for the farm  and wait for about 8 months to get your first fruits ready for consumption and sale. Please download the full Tree Tomato Farming Guide from the Farmers Recourses Page - it is free. Normally, that is the time it takes to see the first fruits. And one more thing, remember to set aside a small budget for insecticides because aphids can sometimes be a bother. (see the sample budget below)

How to go about marketing tree tomatoes

The best deal would be supplying supermarkets. You only need to have a constant production of quality fruits to win mouth watering contracts with supermarkets. Since it is difficult to supply one chain from your farm only, consider joining hands with other farmers around your area.

Market for high quality fruits is available and growing. In fact by the time your first crop matures you will start to receive calls from potential buyers. But due to its high demand and popularity across the country, you can recruit a few sales people retail the fruits in local shopping centers and bus stops.

The Githurai 45 and Marikiti market in Kiambu County, Wakulima Market in Nairobi and the Kongowea Market in Mombasa are also in great shortage of the fruit and you can get very good prices there as well.

How Much To Invest in tree tomato farming

For a small farm like the 1/8 acre one you will require about Ksh20,000 to get started. However, because we always believe in thinking big, we shall give you estimates for 1 acre of land for purposes of planning.

-Leasing Land: Ksh.15,000

-Buying Seedlings: Ksh.66,000

-Farm Labour: Ksh.20,000

-Manure: Ksh.10,000

-Water Tank etc: Ksh.20,000

-Insecticides etc: Ksh.5,000

-Miscellaneous items: Ksh.10,000

1 Acre Total Budget: Ksh.126,000

How Much Earnings To Expect From one Acre of Tree Tomato

Of course, the bigger the land, the better the returns. On average a single tree produces 20 Kilograms of fruit per year (harvested once a week). So using the 1 acre farm as an example and assuming only 1000 out of 1100 trees mature then we can set our realistic expectations on a minimum of Ksh.1,600,000 revenue.

1000 trees x 20 Kgs x 80 (Price per Kilo) = Ksh.1,600,000 per year. (Or Ksh 133,000 per month)

Remember, this is a very minimalistic approach and you can even make more money if you are really serious about it. For instance the price per kilo currently varies at between Ksh100 and Ksh150. Also, the likelihood of losing 200 trees is very low.

Challenges in tree tomato farming

Finding good land, reliable labour with constant water supply and getting good seedlings are some of the challenges to expect. The fruits have to be watered at least once per week during the dry season. And you must get reliable seedlings from established nurseries - reach out to Richfarm Kenya to be safe on that. 

Many farmers might want to do this and hence flood the market and prices may go down (But for now prices are very stable).

Final Word

How many investment opportunities in this world allow you to inject Ksh130,000 to reap Ksh1,600,000 per year? That is why the idea of tree tomato farming in Kenya is a timely one. You can start small today and build onto to bigger things. 

Further Training on Tree Tomato Farming in Kenya

Tree tomato farming guide by Richfarm Kenya

Just like I have always said, success in farming starts with information. Gather as much information as you can about tree tomato farming in Kenya before setting out on your project.  Visit farmers who have done it and decide on your best methods of marketing beforehand. If you can afford to hire professional help to manage your investments, that would be fantastic.

I suggest that you start off by getting the information in this farming guide. It is in pdf form so you can even read it from your phone. You can now request for it from our Resources Page. 

Tree Tomato Farming Earns Kosgie Fame And Wealth: Richfarm Kenya

On the hilly outskirts of the cool Kapsabet town, Arap Kosgei is sending tongues wagging.

Kosgei is farming tree tomatoes, a crop many in this part of Kenya have never seen before, the reason residents of Chebarbar village would not stop talking about him.

He is farming Tamarillo, a crop that resembles tomatoes and is also known as Tree Tomato.

“I started growing Tamarillo out of curiosity. I credit it to my wife because had she not bought some tasty fruits from the supermarket and came with them home in 2010, I would not have ended up farming them,” says Kosgei, whose wife is a school principal.

Out of curiosity, Kosgei wanted to know is the fruits would grow in his farm so he can be picking straight from there instead of having to buy them from the supermarket where the price was really high. 

He then searched online for tree tomato seedlings and found them at Richfarm Kenya. 

“I was excited when I received the 30 seedlings I had ordered. I transplanted them and only 27 trees survived. They did well thereafter even though with quite a number of challenges.”

Kosgei attended a workshop on horticultural farming in Kapsabet town later where he took keen interest in cultivation of the crop.

He figured out where he had been going wrong. “I discovered that I had spaced them incorrectly besides failing to take care of them properly. I wish I had engaged the company that had supplied me for advice but I thought I only needed to plant and wait for the fruits.”

In 2011, armed with the knowledge he had received from the workshop and a constant support from Richfarm Kenya, he ordered and planted 110 seedlings spacing them at the recommended two by two metres space.

He mulched them during the dry season and pruned them correctly as advised.

“Transplanting is done when the seedlings are between 60 to 70 days old or when the seedling is 20 to 30cm long. Planting holes should be dug 30 to 45cm deep with a diameter of 60cm to accommodate sufficient volume of manure,” explains Kosgei.

When his crops started to flower in September 2012, they attracted several residents who came to his farm to inquire about them.

“It is a lucrative venture and since I am the only farmer in this region, the market is overwhelming. Customers even book them before they ripe. They come from as far as Eldoret,” says the farmer, who notes that the crop requires sufficient irrigation during the dry season.

Also Read: 

Tree Tomato Farmers in Kenya Rewarded With Good Prices Due to A Biting Shortage

According to Kosgei, growing Tree Tomato is not labour intensive and requires little capital to start.

“The crops take about a year to mature. One then picks fruits twice a week for the whole year except when you spray them to kill pests.”

Each tree produces an average of 20-30kg of fruits annually. you, therefore, would pick approximately 20-30 tons of fruits yearly from one acre and sell a kilo locally at between Sh60 and Ksh80.

“I get buyers from surrounding areas and beyond. Some come to pick from the farm here; others I supply to them.”

He says his production is steady except when the weather is cold.

In Kapsabet, July is chilly while March is the driest month. “Compared to maize, which other farmers grow, the proceeds from Tree Tomato are better. Here, maize farmers get on 0.2 acre like mine Sh15,000,” says Kosgei, who is a Horticultural Corporation Development Authority licensed operator.

Other crops he grows include grafted avocados, bananas and passion fruits.

Also Read: Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya: The Costs and Expected Returns

He also grows flowers like daisies, roses, lilies, dew and landers.

“Successful farmers are normally adventurous. They try out different plants especially unique ones. Many people thought the crop could not grow because not a single farmer had ever attempted planting it before in this area,” says Kosgei, 48, who has used proceeds from the farming venture to pay for his children’s school fees and his education at Gretsa University, Kapsabet, where he is undertaking Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Studies.

Amos Ego, a plant breeder at University of Eldoret, says Tamarillo is a delicious egg-shaped fruit, whose origin is South America.

“The plant looks strange because its skin is not eaten. The skin is tough and bitter but the flesh is sweet and juicy. The flesh holds soft black seeds nested in a red gel, which is sweet,” he says.

The fruit has an upright trunk with lateral branches that bear pink-white fragrant flowers, shallow roots and yields long fruits with dark longitudinal stripes.

“Because of such roots, the crop should be planted in deep holes to protect them from winds. They also require moderate well-distributed rainfall, temperature of between 15 to 20 degrees Celcius and a soil pH of five to 8.5.”

Amos, however, says the crop is highly susceptible to bacterial wilt and should not be intercropped with crops such as potatoes and cabbages.

He adds, “Organic manure used should be fully decomposed to ensure that it does not become a source of diseases and to ensure that maximum nutrients are obtained especially when farm yard manure is used.” In addition, the crop should be sheltered from direct winds to protect flowers and fruits from damage.

Tree tomato farming guide for kenya

He advises farmers to diversify their crops to meet the dynamic consumer preferences. However, he counsels that one should seek advice and information before investing in such enterprises.

Also Read: Tomato Farming in Kenya: How To Do It Without Burning Your Fingers

“Farmers should read as much information about their venture of interest as they can find. For tree tomato farming, you should find all the information starting from propagation to harvesting.” He says, and adds that farmers should also seek information from others who grow the crop.

Here is a Tree tomato production guide that you should start by reading. You can request for your copy from our Resources Page. 

How Maina Karuiru Taps the Hass Avocado Export Market to Make a Kill

The farm resembles a magnificent rain forest from afar, with huge lush-green trees neatly growing in straight lines.

Attention shifts to dozens of pear-shaped green and brown fruits hanging loosely from the branches of the trees as one nears the farm.

“Some of the fruits are ripe, others are not, but I will be harvesting in the next few days,” says Maina Karuiru, the owner of the farm located in Mathira, Nyeri County.

Karuiru is an avocado farmer in Kenya, who is exporting the fruits to Europe. He has been growing avocados since 2006 after switching from coffee.

“I shifted to avocado after the coffee industry became shaky. I cannot regret having moved since some of my colleagues who stuck to coffee are facing numerous challenges that have made the industry lose its lustre.”

The farmer recalls the good old days when he was growing coffee.

“We used to make good money in 1980s, but prices of coffee have dropped greatly on the international market. Coffee farmers are not making much,” Karuiru tells Seeds of Gold.

To switch to avocados, the farmer uprooted over 500 coffee trees.

“I had been in the horticultural industry for over 15 years. I knew hass avocado farming in Kenya could make money and I convinced my mother. Neighbours thought it was not a smart move.”

Karuiru grows the Hass Export variety of avocados, which he mainly sells overseas. When he started, he planted 100 avocado trees.

“I bought seedlings from a friend. I increased the number to 222 in the second year. Right now they are 322,” says Karuiru of the trees spread on a three-acre farm.

He says that unlike coffee, avocado farming is profitable yet it requires minimal maintenance.

“The seedlings should be planted during the rainy season for better growth. The spacing between the trees should be seven by seven metres. If the trees are not well-spaced, the canopies will overlap and yields will fail.”

LESS TIME TO DECOMPOSE

During planting, the holes should be filled with about five kilos of manure and one can later add DAP fertiliser for better growth. “I use goat droppings for manure as they take less time to decompose as compared to cow dung,” he says.

He harvests 600 fruits from each tree annually—equivalent to between 100 kilos and 150 kilos of fruits.

The food quality consultant and a one-time technical director of Kenya Horticulture Exporters Association, made Sh300,000 in every quarter of the year from exports.

A fruit fetches an average of Sh10 in the export market. The fruits are mainly sold in Middle East, South Arabia, France, Holland and Germany.

“France and Holland are my main markets. I supply directly to the markets about 20 tonnes of avocados,” he says.

This year, he expects to export 12 to 14 tonnes to different countries, which will fetch him at least Sh500,000 every three months.

Karuiru hopes to start producing avocado seedlings to meet the high demand from farmers seeking to grow the crop. “I have an order of 5,000 seedlings that I cannot meet. Each seedling goes for Sh200.”

Why avocados have a large market in Europe and Asia

·         An avocado has more potassium than any other fruit. A single fruit has 975mg of potassium, which is double that offered by bananas.

·         The fruits are high in protein. A single avocado has 4gm of protein, which is higher than that in other fruits.

·         Avocados ripen more quickly when placed with bananas or apples. This is because the two fruits release ethylene gas, which helps green avocados ripen rapidly.

·         Antioxidants, amino acids and essential oils in avocado repair damaged hair, keep skin moisturised and minimise wrinkles.

How to Reap More from Avocado Farming in Kenya in 2024.

The avocado farming business in Kenya continues to attract more investors, with the global market outlook in this year being the greatest encouragement.

The avocado tree requires cool to warm temperatures, with the minimum not falling below 7°C and a maximum of 30°C (the optimum range is 15°C to 25°C). This climate is experienced in many areas that have traditionally not been growing avocado. But now with the opening up of the Hass avocado market, even these areas have taken on avocado farming for export. Only extremely high areas could be left out since the trees are not tolerant to frost, especially those adapted to humid tropics. The sensitivity of trees to low temperature is influenced by a wide range of factors including:

• The age of the tree, its vigour, its growth stage and its health.

• The duration and frequency of low temperature, and the speed with which they fall to near or below zero.

Temperatures that are constantly above 36°C also have disastrous effects.

Amount of rainfall required for avocado farming in Kenya

Avocados are highly adapted to different rainfall conditions, however, the rain should be an average of 1,000–1,600mm per annum and well-distributed throughout the year.

Irrigation is essential where rainfall is not adequate. Although an avocado tree cannot tolerate waterlogged soil, it needs at least 25mm of water every week during periods of insufficient rainfall such as in eastern Kenya.

Too much rain during flowering leads to shedding of flowers resulting in significant reduction in production. Fungal diseases also normally become problematic in very wet weather.

A short period of dry weather of up to two months usually triggers flowering especially in tropical climates not subject to marked falls in temperature.

The avocado tree needs high relative humidity at flowering (70-80 per cent), then moderate levels during the fruit swelling stage. Too much humidity encourages the proliferation of pests and diseases such as thrips, scales, cercospora spot, scab and anthracnose.

WIND

The avocado is sensitive to strong winds, which may lead to breakage of branches or flowers and fruits drop. Whole trees may even be uprooted. Hot dry winds may cause desiccation of flower buds or abrasions.

LIGHT
Avocado needs plenty of light, 2,000 hours of sunshine a year (average of 6 hours a day) are sufficient. Intense radiation causes scorching of leaves and fruits.

SOIL
An avocado tree can grow successfully in a variety of soil types and in soil with acidic or alkaline pH levels, but the tree requires soil that has good drainage. Avocados are more sensitive to water-logging than citrus hence soils should be well-drained. Poorly drained soils are associated with the presence of the Phytophthora fungi, which causes root or stem end rot.

Suitable soils are medium sandy loams with a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5.

POLLINATION
An avocado tree needs to cross-pollinate with another variety for optimal fruit set. Although avocado flowers have both male and female flower parts, each part functions at a different time during the day.

The trees are grouped into Type A and Type B, depending on the time of day their male and female flower parts are reproductively viable. Planting Type A tree and Type B tree increases successful pollination if enough insect pollinators, such as bees, are present.

FERTILIZERS
To obtain good growth and high fruit yields, it is important to supply the necessary nutrients. Several factors should be taken into account when deciding on fertiliser rates.

The existing fertility of the soil should be determined. The age of the trees, fruit yields, the physical and chemical characteristics as a function of climate, determine nutrient losses through leaching, which affects uptake by the trees.

It is advisable not to top-dress with nitrogen in the first four to five months after transplanting. After this period, 60g of 26 per cent of Nitrate (N) fertiliser should be applied every three months when the soil is moist. About 15 to 30kg of well-rotten farm yard manure (FYM) should also be spread around the tree

The use of FYM is strongly recommended for young orchards since it improves physical characteristics of the soil and supplies nutrients to trees, promoting the uptake of micro-nutrients.

DISEASES
Avocado root rot is the most serious disease that affects the crop. The disease, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi, thrives in poor drainage conditions.

Pale and wilted leaves, branch die-back and small fruits are the consequences. It has been suggested that applying a layer of gypsum and a 10 to 15cm layer of an organic, coarse mulch underneath the avocado tree’s canopy, but several centimetres from the tree’s trunk, supplies calcium and suppresses the development of root rot.

Anthracnose, caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, infects an avocado tree’s fruit, flowers, small branches and foliage, leaving spots, lesions and decay.

This disease thrives in areas of high humidity. Pruning limbs to at least 2 feet off the ground increases air circulation at the base of the tree and removing debris from underneath the tree prevents pathogens.

Frequently asked questions

Can Hass and Fuerte varieties of avocado be grown in the same climatic conditions?

Yes, they thrive well in the same environmental conditions.

In Eastern Kenya, avocadoes do well in certain pockets such as Kang’undo, Mua Hills, Kathiani (Iveti hills), parts of Mbooni, all in Machakos County, and the high potential areas of the larger Embu and Meru counties. These are areas where coffee is grown successfully without irrigation.

Article By Dr Wolukau,  lecturer at Egerton University.

For those starting out and those who would like to improve their productivity, we have compiled this comprehensive guide for avocado farming in Kenya and put it in PDF. You can now request for it from our Resources Page. 

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Seedlings Available 

For Healthy, Affordable and Improved fruit tree seedlings call Richfarm Kenya on 0724698357. The following fruit tree seedlings are available:

• Grafted hass avocado 

• Grafted mangoes (different varieties)

• Solo sunrise pawpaw

• Tissue culture bananas (all varieties at Ksh.100)

• Tree tomatoes

• Oranges

• Sweet yellow and grafted purple passion

• Strawberry

Handsome discounts given for large purchases. 

Caleb Karuga’s Story Depicts The True Journey To Agribusiness Success

“I would pray with my wife every morning: ‘God, today I want to be fired.’”

If he quit his job Karuga would have had to forfeit KSh. 1.3m (US$14,800) in benefits, so he held on until when his employer retrenched him alongside dozens of his colleagues. Looking back, Karuga says this was a blessing in disguise.

The founder and managing director of Wendy Farms tells How we made it in Africa that as a child he hated farming. Like most kids in his rural village, he was used as free labour in the family’s agricultural ventures.

“I grew up being forced to go to the coffee plantation. I hated having to water the cabbages after school. I would see my uncles playing tricks on their father and faking illnesses so they wouldn’t work at the farm. As a young boy I viewed farming as a form of punishment. I don’t blame any young person who hates farming because I did too.”

It was while on assignment nearly four years ago that Karuga interviewed a professional mole catcher and felt motivated to go into agribusiness. Farmers would hire the mole catcher to trap moles, which destroy crops, at a fee. Karuga notes that by his calculation the mole catcher probably took home at least KSh. 90,000 ($1,000) per month, some thousands more than he was making as a TV reporter.

Karuga leased a one acre piece of land in central Kenya and started Wendy Farms. Today he runs three farms where he keeps thousands of indigenous chicken, quails, guinea fowls and dairy goats and grows butternut, strawberry, sweet potatoes and sunflowers.

Every Saturday, groups of 30-40 people visit Wendy Farms for training on poultry farming. Karuga charges KSh. 1,000 ($11) per person for one session.

Many mistakes

Karuga says he started offering training sessions to help other entrepreneurs avoid making the mistakes he made. He notes that while his success story is inspiring for other youth, few know about the challenges he encountered along the way.

When Karuga first ventured into farming he acquired 200 pigs because pigs were the ‘it’ thing at the time. With no proper research, the venture failed.

He made another attempt, buying two hens and one cock.

“When the two hens started laying eggs I decided to buy more hens from neighbouring farms. That was my biggest mistake because some of the hens were not vaccinated. In a span of about a month and a half I had lost about 200 hens. I learned that you should never buy birds that you are not sure whether or not they have been vaccinated.”

Not one to give up easily, Karuga purchased 500 day-old chicks from the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, but once again made loses as his employees sold the chickens in his absence.

“Theft by employees was the major challenge we have faced. I bought the chicks at KSh. 100 ($1.14) each and after a month of feeding them my employees were selling them off for KSh. 50 ($0.57) each. When they matured I would be told the hens had ‘died’ of diseases.”

Karuga soldiered on and bought another 1,500 chicks, but because he used cheaper feed, egg production was poor. Eventually Karuga realised he would make three times more selling day-old chicks than what he was making selling eggs.

“I learned that in indigenous chicken farming the money is in day-old chicks, not eggs. It was like a light bulb moment for me. That is when I knew for sure I did not want to be employed anymore. I realised I had been sitting on a gold mine. I knew I needed to get fired and get it right with the business.”

Farming not for everyone

Despite his initial losses, Karuga says he has learnt a lot along the way.

“I believe in going through the learning curve. When a venture fails I don’t take it personally. It is the business that has failed, not me. I might have made a mistake but I choose to keep on the ball. I don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary situations.”

While it is encouraging to see more young people going into agribusiness, Karuga says the industry should not be romanticised.

“What we are seeing is people going into farming because they read a story in a newspaper. They don’t do thorough research and they have no passion for farming, but because it seems sexy they decide to take a loan and bury the money. Don’t make farming sexy because it is not.”

He warns that anyone looking to get into agribusiness needs to first have a passion for it.

“If your only motivation is to make money then you are getting into the wrong business.”

Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya: Success Story of Former Kibaki’s Security Advisor

After working for the National Intelligence Service and as former President Mwai Kibaki’s security advisor, Esau Kioni retired to start passion fruit farming in Othaya, Nyeri. He was in time to catch good prices as the demand for the fruit in Kenya was increasing and now he says the venture is earning him good money.

In the more than one and half acre piece of land, Mr Kioni has planted the ‘purple’ passion fruit that also does well in cold regions.

With his shamba located at the edge of the Aberdare forest, his plantation is doing well and every week, he is able to harvest more than half a tonne of the produce.

“When I made sure that my boss, Mr Kibaki was in safe hands, I decided to retire and venture into farming. However, I had not decided on what type of crop I was going to grow,” says Mr Kioni.

He wanted a crop that would do better than the usual crops that other farmers were growing — maize, coffee and tea.

The 71-year-old father of three says he first tried his hand at tissue culture bananas, which he bought from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

To diversify he went out searching for another crop to grow and a friend from the same university told him to try the purple passion fruit, which he now says has turned to be a success.

“I only started with a few crops but after I realised they were doing well and the fruits were in high demand, I decided to plant more,” Mr Kioni says.

Mr Kioni says he is unable to satisfy his market in Nairobi, adding that he sells a kilogramme at Sh100.

He however says there are times he hikes his price to Sh180 per kg depending on the availability of the fruit in the market.

To discourage diseases, Mr Kioni practices crop rotation by planting bananas or cabbages before again planting his passion fruits.

The fruit is prone to diseases and this has discouraged many farmers from planting it in large scale.

But Mr Kioni says despite the risk, he had to try his luck.

To avoid transferring diseases from one plant to another, he makes sure to dip his secateurs in Jik detergent to sterilise them while pruning.

Having realised the nutritional and market potential in the fruit, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) has developed three new passion fruit varieties, Kenya passion fruit number 4 (KPF 4), KPF 11 and KPF 12, after a 20-year research.

According to a report by The East African Fresh Produce Journal, experts say the new varieties could help lift the economic status of smallholder farmers and contribute to a rapid increase in passion fruit production.

The new varieties are not only drought tolerant but are more suited to the fresh market and processing.

Although these varieties are of similar physical characteristics with types grown in the coastal region, they are more superior in quality, according to Joseph Njuguna a fruit expert at Kari-Thika.

“The new varieties are sweet unlike those grown in the Coast region. They are also bigger in size, juicier and more tolerant to soil and foliar diseases,” he notes.

A multi-stakeholder project promoting commercialisation of passion fruit in Kenya is at the bulking stage, the phase in which Kari ascertains that there are enough certified seedlings for transfer to farmers. Kari has propagated 30,000 seedlings for distribution in Eastern, Central and parts of Rift Valley Provinces.

Soft drink companies, among them Coca-Cola, are encouraging farmers to plant more fruits by promising a ready market. Coca-Cola aims at starting to manufacture packed fresh fruit juices.

Mr Kioni is currently trying out a new type of avocado species that has a longer shelf life and doesn’t grow very tall.

Passion fruit farming guide for kenya

He has started with 200 seedlings of the Hass avocado from the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) and he says if all goes well, he will plant it in a similar acreage to that of his passion fruits.

“I love farming fruits since they have ready market throughout the year and apart from this advantage, they fetch good money,” says Mr Kioni.

We wrote this comprehensive passion fruit farming guide for Kenya and put it 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.