How To Prepare Chia Seeds And Their 7 Proven Health Benefits

If you have been wondering why in countries like Australia, America and the European countries chia seeds have exploded in popularity, let me fill you in.

Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet. They are loaded with nutrients that can have important benefits for your body and brain. 

And what's more, Chia seeds are incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet.
The seeds themselves do not have any readily sensable taste, so you can add them to pretty much anything.

They also don’t need to be ground, which makes them much easier to prepare. They can be eaten raw, soaked in juice, added to porridge and pudding, or added to baked goods. You can also sprinkle them on top of cereal, yogurt, vegetables or rice dishes.

Because of their ability to absorb both water and fat, they can be used to thicken sauces and even used as egg substitutes in recipes. They can also be mixed with water and turned into a gel. Adding chia seeds to recipes will dramatically boost the nutritional value.

Here are 11 health benefits of chia seeds that are supported by human studies:

1. Chia Seeds Deliver a Massive Amount of Nutrients With Very Few Calories

Despite their ancient history as a dietary staple, only recently did chia seeds become recognized as a modern day superfood.

A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains:

• ·        Fiber: 11 grams.
• ·        Protein: 4 grams.
• ·        Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s).
• ·        Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
• ·        Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
• ·        Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• ·        Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.

They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2.

This is particularly impressive when you consider that this is just a single ounce, which supplies only 137 calories and one gram of digestible carbohydrate!

Just so that we’re all on the same page, 1 ounce equals 28 grams, or about 2 tablespoons. Interestingly… if you subtract the fiber, which may not end up as usable calories for the body, chia seeds only contain 101 calories per ounce.

To top things off, chia seeds are a “whole grain” food, are usually grown organically, are non-GMO and naturally free of gluten.

2. Chia Seeds Are Loaded With Antioxidants

Antioxidants fight the production of free radicals in our bodies, which can damage molecules in cells and contribute to ageing and diseases like cancer. 

Chia seeds have antioxidants that protect the sensitive fats in the seeds from going rancid. When we eat the seeds, we ingest these antioxidants delivering immense health benefits to our bodies. There are some claims online about chia seeds having more antioxidants than blueberries, but I was unable find a study to verify this claim.

3. Almost All The Carbohydrates in Them Are Fibre

Looking at the nutrition profile of chia seeds, you see that an ounce has 12 grams of “carbohydrate.” However, 11 of those grams are fibber, which isn’t digested by the body.

Fibre doesn’t raise blood sugar, doesn’t require insulin to be disposed of and therefore shouldn’t count as a carb. The true carb content is only 1 gram per ounce, which is very low. This makes chia a low-carb friendly food.

Because of all the fiber, chia seeds can absorb up to 10-12 times their weight in water, becoming gel-like and expanding in your stomach. Theoretically, this should increase fullness, slow absorption of your food and help you automatically eat fewer calories.

What this means is that if you are struggling with diabetes or you want to lose weight, then chia seeds should definitely make part of your diets.

4. Chia Seeds Are High in Quality Protein

Chia seeds contain a decent amount of protein. By weight, they are about 14% protein, which is very high compared to most plants.

They also contain a good balance of essential amino acids, so our bodies should be able to make use of the protein in them. Protein has all sorts of benefits for health. It is also the most weight loss friendly nutrient in the diet, by far.

A high protein intake reduces appetite and has been shown to reduce obsessive thoughts about food by 60% and the desire for night time snacking by 50%.

Chia seeds really are an excellent protein source, especially for people who eat little or no animal products.

5. Chia Seeds Are High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Like flax seeds, chia seeds are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, chia seeds contain more Omega-3s than salmon, the fish.

Currently, chia seeds are the richest know plant source of omega-3 fatty acids.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that the Omega-3s in them are mostly ALA (Alpha Linolenic Acid), which makes them a little inferior to animal Omega-3s.

6. Chia Seeds May Improve Certain Blood Markers, Which Should Lower The Risk of Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes

Given that chia seeds are high in fibre, protein and Omega-3s, they should be able to improve metabolic health. This has been tested in several studies, but the results have been inconclusive.

In two studies, a diet with chia seeds, soy protein, oats and nopal, has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, increase HDL cholesterol and reduce inflammation.

The most successful application of chia seeds to date was in a study on type 2 diabetic patients. In this study, 20 diabetic patients received either 37 grams of chia seeds, or 37 grams of wheat bran, for 12 weeks.

When they got the chia seeds, they saw improvements in several important health markers. Blood pressure went down by 3-6 mm/Hg and an inflammatory marker called hs-CRP went down by 40%. A risk factor called vWF also decreased by 21%. There was also a small drop in blood sugar, but it wasn’t statistically significant.

7. They Are High in Many Important Bone Nutrients

Chia seeds are high in several nutrients that are important for bone health. This includes calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and protein. The calcium content is particularly impressive… 18% of the RDA in a single ounce.

Gram for gram, this is higher than most dairy products. Chia seeds may therefore be considered an excellent source of calcium for people who don’t eat dairy.

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

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

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

As chia seeds become popular in Kenya, its cultivation becomes lucrative. This presents a great business opportunity. You can take advantage of this opportunity now while the demand is high. 

We have have compiled this comprehensive chia seeds farming guide for Kenya with step by step information from planting through to harvesting and marketing. 

It also contains budget estimates to help you in proper planning. 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. 

Habiba Beats Dry Weather In Wajir To Earn Fortunes From Lemon Farming

In a vast, dry region where water is scarce and drought is the norm, 35-year-old Habiba Mohammed and a mother of 7 has adopted lemon farming under irrigation, totally transforming her life.

Now she not only supplies fresh fruits to Wajir town and its environs, she is also an employer and a model farmer in the village of Bangal.

Her farm is used as a case study in bid to encourage area residents to diversify since Wajir is one of the regions in Kenya that has been badly affected by extreme weather.

While many pastoralists have lost their livestock to drought over the years, Habiba is not regretting the decision she made eight years ago.

Habiba’s passion for farming started at a young age. “Farming is my passion, and I got it from my father. When I came here, there were no farms,” she says.

Habiba: Successful farmer in Wajir

Now she is reaping big ever since her ‘discovery’ that irrigation agriculture is the way to go in the region.

She has dedicated two and half acres of her 20-acre farm to crop husbandry and from the figures, it is clear she is on to something special.

In addition to her lemon trees, Habiba currently has 300 pawpaw trees (occupying about a ¼ acre) and watermelons. After every three months, she is assured of at least Sh300,000 from sale of lemons alone, and Sh400,000 from pawpaws every year.

She has also set up a green house where she plants tomatoes and other perishables for local consumption and time after time plants watermelons.

“I supply the pawpaw lemons and it is not enough, I cannot satisfy the local market,” she says.

The huge profits did not start coming until she improved her farming methods. Through the assistance of a non-governmental organisation, Mercy Corps, which saw her hard work and enthusiasm in farming, she was given a solar powered pump which she uses to pump water from one of her three wells.

TACKLING POVERTY AND FOOD INSECURITY

To conserve water, she uses drip irrigation on some sections of her farm, despite the associated cost. She has five overhead tanks which distribute water.

“The solar pump has increased my yields. Before I could get between Sh20,000 and Sh50,000 per harvest,” she says.
She has subdivided her land to optimally utilise it and because it is expansive she leaves some of the sections fallow.

In addition, Ms Mohammed uses mulch and compost manure with the aim of not only conserving water, but also to maintain soil fertility.

But undertaking is not without challenges, “Because of the salinity of the water, the drips and pipes have to be changed regularly. This is in addition to the fact that water levels sometimes go down because of drought,” she says.

A pipe long enough to supply water in the whole farm costs Sh15,000 while a drip kit for a three-quarter farm is Sh34,000.

Habiba used Sh60,000 to sink each well. She still uses diesel to pumps in two wells but hopes to install other solar pumps.

Previously, pastoralists would graze livestock in her farm and would destroy her crops since land in that region is communal and was not fenced, despite having bought it at Sh1 million in 2012.

This is because she also cultivates fodder for her eight cattle and four Toggenburg goats which provide milk for her and her family. The conflict was, however, solved amicably five years ago after elders intervened.

The entrepreneur has four farmhands of whom one is on a permanent basis.

And with the need to monitor weather and market, Ms Mohammed uses mobile phone applications to know commodity prices, market forces as well as get weather updates.

“Irrigation-farming is a sure bet to tackling poverty and lack of food,” she says.

To become a successful farmer like Habiba, information is the most important asset. If you need more information on different agribusiness projects that you can undertake in Kenya, our Resources Page displays several farming guides that you can request for in form of pdf. 

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

The more I travel and visit farms in different parts of our beautiful country, the more I fall in love with pawpaw farming in Kenya. I specifically love the small red-flesh Solo Sunrise variety growing in the hot areas of ukambani and parts of Embu and Meru. I recently tasted some fruits from Vihiga in Western Kenya and I was thrilled! The climate and soils there are also perfect for a pawpaw farming business and the locals are taking up the opportunity.

Now talking about a business of growing pawpaw makes the deal even sweeter. Despite all the health benefits and the sweetness that these fruits offer, they are some of the easiest crops to cultivate commercially.

Mountain pawpaw farming in Kenya

In February this year (2018), I visited a pawpaw farm in Marigat, Baringo County. Yes, that’s right; Baringo County. This place is one of the most hostile parts of Kenya in terms of climate. It was my first time to experience real heat waves with temperatures rising to about 40°C.

You would expect nothing meaningful to come from such a place. I was surprised to find a thriving pawpaw plantation right at the heart of this place. The 2-acre Solo Sunrise pawpaw farm had all the trees still fruiting.

“Production has really gone down since we last had rains in October last year. We are currently getting just about 250kg from each acre in a week.” Said Robert. I later learned that he was selling a kg of the fruits at Ksh.80 due to the low supply.

I noted that the trees are not irrigated, and they had not been weeded for the longest time save for the slashing of the grasses. I wondered how they survived the dry spell and still produced that much.

Later in March, we were called to Matuu to supply seedlings. It is here that I found another pawpaw farm right at the middle of an arid area but still producing well.

Philip, the manager of the farm told us that they were not tending to the pawpaw trees at all since they were old and the owner of the farm was planning develop a 2-acre commercial farm.

“So you are not harvesting any fruits from these old trees?” I asked Philip.

“We are harvesting. Every tree gives us about 2 fruits every two weeks. We supply a small market comprised of friends of my boss.” He told me.

Since then I have visited several other successful pawpaw farms in Kenya especially in Meru and Baringo. A few farmers have the crop at a commercial scale but the much they do is to weed twice a year and water about once a week. Those who do this can tell you that an acre of solo sunrise pawpaw can yield up to 40 tons in a year.

An acre of solo sunrise pawpaw can produce 40 tons per year

Pawpaw farming is best done in places with warm or hot climate. In such places, farmers who have access to irrigation water make a kill since the price of pawpaw in Kenya is never less than Ksh.30 per kg.

Pawpaws grow very fast and in the hot areas, you get your first fruits in 6 months from planting the seed. This is the case I found in Marigat, Baringo County and Matiliku in Makueni County.

In these dry places, the pawpaws are also not frequently attacked by pests and diseases. In fact, several of the farmer I visited were growing pawpaws purely organically, even using animal manure as the only fertiliser.

The maintenance cost of a pawpaw orchard can be as low as Ksh.10,000 for an acre in a year since only labour during weeding and application of the manure is needed. This one acre then produces about 20 tons of fruits in a year – that is without irrigation. Check out the current market price of a kg of pawpaw in your local supermarkets or open air market and just find out how much you are able to make from one acre of pawpaw with this minimum input.

Pawpaw farming guide for kenya
(PDF)

Now you know what you can do to invest that extra cash you have. Also ensure that you 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.

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

The brown cover of wheat on several farms along the busy Njoro-Elburgon Road stretch yonder, giving one an impression of how dominant the crop is in the region.

However, some 2km from Njoro town in Kenana village, the dominance of wheat is challenged by luxuriant purple-flowered plants.

The farm, a head-turner, belongs to Stephen Gatimu and he grows chia (Salvia hispanica), whose seeds have become popular due to their immense benefits.

We find Gatimu strolling on the farm, which is one of the several on which he grows chia.

He farms on a total of 10 acres on different farms around Nakuru, with each hosting the crops at various stages of growth.

He carefully cuts the apex of an already dry plant, rubs it in his hands and winnows the brown chaff. He puts the tiny black seeds in his mouth.

“Chia is one of the most nutritious foods you will ever come across. It is rich in proteins, Omega 3 fats and a dozen of other nutrients that include calcium, manganese, and phosphorus,” says Gatimu, who has leased the farm at Sh5,000 per acre.

During our visit, he had just completed planting the crop on one of the farms around Kenana. Two days earlier, he had harvested 300kg of Chia from two acres in Rongai, Nakuru, from which he hopes to pocket at least Sh400,000 as the current market price is Sh500 for a 250g pack.

Gatimu, who sells herbal medicine and grows herbs like rosemary, ginger and lemon grass in Molo, ventured into chia growing in 2014 after attending an exhibition in Zanzibar.

“I met a farmer from Rwanda who was exhibiting chia and engaged him. I then researched more and realised how beneficial the crop is.”

Chia seeds farming in Kenya is easy

He purchased 2kg of chia seeds at the exhibition and returned home to sell a portion to one of his patients who had pain in the legs and was confined to a wheelchair.

After two months of consistent use, the patient’s mobility improved. Seeing what the little known chia seeds had done, he planted a kilo on an eighth acre and harvested 30kg.

He later replanted the seeds on quarter-acre, harvesting 70kg and sold 10kg to his clients making at least Sh10,000.

“I planted the rest on two acres from which I harvested 700kg that I sold some 100kg to various people, including at exhibitions, earning Sh200,000. This success made me lease the several pieces of land to grow the crop for commercial purposes,” says Gatimu, who employs at least 15 casual workers to assist him with planting, weeding and harvesting.

To plant the crop, the farmer ploughs the land and levels the ground. He then drills rows 2ft apart and plants.

Chia sprouts after about two weeks and germinates faster when there is good rainfall, taking some three months to mature. One must weed at least thrice before harvesting.

Gatimu grows the crop organically, as he does not apply fertiliser during planting and avoids application of pesticides, noting they destroy the quality of seeds.

“The crop is resistant to diseases and pest attack, making its organic farming easy. Some farmers dry the chia seeds using electricity, which destroys the nutrients. Majority of those who buy insist on organic seeds, which is why I process mine organically,” notes Gatimu, adding he is one of the biggest farmers of the new crop in the country.

Another advantage of the crop is that it is not prone to birds’ attack. On the edge of the pods are spikes that make it difficult for the birds to peck and break the hard brown cover to reach the seeds.

Chia is easy to grow but it has a set of challenges, especially during harvesting.

“Harvesting is labour intensive as I use a sickle to cut the plant at 4 inches from the ground at the point where it begins to branch.”

The next step is sorting the harvest to remove any unwanted materials, including weeds. The seeds are then left to dry for at least three days.

Marketing chia seeds in Kenya

“Besides my herbal business, I market the seeds through social media sites including Facebook and WhatsApp through the help of my son, an engineer, and people buy,” says Gatimu (66), who was licensed by the Ministry of Culture in 2007 to practice herbal medicine.

He is also a member of National Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association.

He attends numerous exhibitions, farmers’ trainings and seminars to learn and promote the crop.

Chia seeds can be eaten whole, ground into flour, pressed for oil or even prepared as a drink if soaked in hot water.

Monica Mburu, a food science lecturer and researcher at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, says chia farming in Kenya is still new and few farmers are aware of the crop.

“Those who are growing the crop are doing it on trial and error basis relying on information from the internet,” she notes, adding that the crop has a high nutritional value and can be a good money-maker.

Prof Richard Mulwa, a horticulture expert from Egerton University notes that chia is an annual herb that grows up to a metre high with purple or white flowers produced in numerous clusters in a spike at the end of each stem.

It is grown commercially in the US, Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Australia and Mexico for its seeds that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

The seeds yield 25 to 30 percent extractable oil that includes alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Soaked seeds develop a mucilaginous gel-like coating that gives chia-based beverages a distinctive slimy texture.

“This crop has not been officially introduced in Kenya and, therefore, finding quality seeds may be difficult,” he says.

Benefits of Chia seeds

·         Chia seeds farming in Kenya is done for its seeds, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

·         The seeds yield 25–30 percent extractable oil, including alpha-linolenic acid.

·         Chia seeds are small ovals, mottle-coloured with brown, gray, black, and white varieties.

·         The seeds absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid when soaked.

Chia seeds farming is easy and you can do it even on a quarter an acre and earn good returns after three months. 

To start, it is important that you have this guide at hand. It gives you all the information you need including contacts of where to get seeds. 

You can now request for it from our Resources Page. 

At 25, I am Making Big Cash With My Tree Tomato Farming and Chicken Keeping

Nothing could beat the fulfillment that comes with earning a livelihood from doing what one truly loves and for one young man Dennis, tree tomato farming and keeping chicken is what makes his heart beat. This kind of farming, unlike most young people in Kenya would imagine, has become more of a delight and less of a chore for him.

Tree Tomato farming in Kenya

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Masinde Muliro University in December 2015, Dennis Kanyugo was buoyant about finally putting his skills to practice. He got placement as an intern at the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital (PGH), as he sought his footing in his dream career. Kanyugo interned here for a year, earning Sh30,000 a month.

Today however, his interest in public health is not as much as it is in farming. At 25 years, Kanyugo has a newfound interest: he grows Red Oratia, the best variety of the tree tomato in Kenya so far, and rears chicken in the family farm in Mathari, just outside Nyeri town.

So how did his interest in tree tomato farming grow? During a visit to Embu with a friend, he met a farmer who grew the fruits. He was impressed.

“He had 300 trees of grafted red oratia on his small farm, from which he was making almost super-normal profits while also training other farmers on the various techniques of grafting. I was fascinated and inspired,” Kanyugo recalls.

After days of evaluation, he concluded that farming tree tomatoes would be a worthy go, one worth walking away from his career eventually. Though his parents were taken aback by his drastic move, they allowed him to use two acres of their three-acre parcel of land in Nyeri County.

“With the Sh100,000 I had saved, I was ready to kick-start this project - most people disregard the little money they earn from their first jobs, yet little as it is, spent prudently, it is enough.”

At first, he juggled the internship with his farming endeavours with some ease. Soon, however, it became difficult to offer the attention each deserved, and so he quit to concentrate on farming. Like with all startups, the ride sometimes gets bumpy. For instance, when he was starting off, he lost Sh75,000 after he was tricked into buying the wrong seedlings.

After that costly mistake, Kanyugo was wiser. “I visited the farmer that inspired me to plant this fruit and he taught me the basics of tree tomato farming. I learned many things that I had overlooked right from raising my own strong seedlings, proper preparation of the planting holes, farm maintenance and most importantly crop protection.”

He explains: “I learned the importance of starting off with healthy seedlings as that determines the growth vigour of the plant and how long it will take to mature.”

RED ORATIA TREE TOMATOES DUE FOR HARVESTING

In May 2016, he planted 2,000 trees which by the time we were meeting him had matured and were due for harvesting.

“The trees produce between 20 and 25 kgs of fruits annually. A kilo of tree tomato fruits sells at between Sh60 to Sh80 depending on the demand in the market.”

He also keeps poultry – at any given time, he has 1,000 birds.

“Broilers take about six weeks to mature. I have split my birds into three groups, such that when I introduce new chicks, another batch is three-weeks old and the third one ready for sale. I transport 500 birds for sale at the City Market in Nairobi after every three weeks. This stargered production ensures a regular supply of income.”

The young farmer has three farmhands who work both in his tree tomato farm and in the chicken section. He spends between Sh40,000 and Sh70,000 every month on labour.

For potential poultry farmers, he advises: “The secret to successful poultry farming in Kenya is getting the right breed of chicken, having the right feed, establishing a proper feeding schedule and proper housing with adequate ventilation. Broilers are tougher than layers and sleep after feeding. They are the best breed for starters because of their fewer demands.”   

With decent success in poultry and a massive fruit harvest in the offing, one may be tempted to imagine that Kanyugo is now content. Except that these accomplishments have only whetted his appetite for more success in agribusiness. 

“In two years, I plan to put up a fruit juice and jam processing plant on the farm. Value addition of the fruits will boost my income while creating more jobs,” he says.

Further Training on Tree Tomato Farming in Kenya

Tree tomato farming guide for kenya

Did you notice that Dennis had to go back to his mentor for information on his new venture? Just like I have always said, success in farming starts with information. Gather as much information as you can before engaging in a new farming project. 

Visit farmers who have done it, engage agribusiness professionals and decide on your best methods of marketing beforehand. If you can afford to hire skilled people to help you in managing your investments in farming, that would be a great step in the right direction.

We also have this comprehensive tree tomato farming guide. It is in pdf form so you can even read it from your phone while at the farm. You can now request for it from our Resources Page.

Neofresh Pawpaw Farm Is a Mind-blowing Inspiration

At Rich Farm Kenya, our pawpaw farming endeavours are still at the crawling stages but the future shines bright, especially gauging from companies with a similar vision that started their steps earlier in time. Our largest inspiration coming from a South African company,  Neofresh, our dreams and aspirations are renewed every single moment we look at their conquest and success.

Neofresh was established 20 years ago by Tim and Brian Chennels. From the outset the core business of the company was the production, value-adding and marketing of Papaya.

In 2011 Neofresh merged with one of its competitors, Low’s Creek, adding 40% to its production area and consolidating retail market share in South Africa. Before the merger Neofresh hired all its farms but owned the packing facility in Hectorspruit. Its assets were mainly intangible in nature, consisting of Intellectual Property with regards to varieties and trademarks, as well as substantial market share amongst South African retailers. The merger strengthened the balance sheet to enable Neofresh to acquire its flagship farm, Kenworthy Estates.

Today Neofresh produces papaya on four farms and litchi on three farms in South Africa. Production of papaya in Mozambique commenced in 2016. Today it is the biggest supplier of Papaya to the Retail market in South Africa.

The journey of success of this South African pawpaw giant is founded on specific principals, which have become our strong pillars at Rich Farm Kenya. Neofresh understands that a properly funded Research and Development Department gives them the competitive edge regarding new exclusive varieties, post-harvest treatment methods and unique growing methods.

They also understand that producing fruit in different areas gives them the advantage of stabilizing production and finding niche marketing windows. This is the very reason we moved to Naivasha after establishing our first orchard in Embu.

The company also invests and participates in the complete value chain.

Through conventional breeding Neofresh has developed exclusive papaya cultivars which are perfectly suited to South African conditions and taste. A great deal of emphasis has gone into the development of taste as opposed to only yield and external appearance.

By spreading their production units around different areas, the company is now able to supply papaya to South African consumers on a twelve month basis.

This is the reflection of our dream in Kenya. We applaud all the successful pawpaw farmers in Kenya and hope that we join hands in developing our very own pawpaw industry in Kenya and have our children and citizens enjoy not just enough but sweet pawpaws.

If you would like to join us be sure to call us on 0724698357. 

We have compiled this pawpaw 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. 

Grape Farming in Kenya: How Meru Farmers Are Making Crazy Money

Grapes Farming in Kenya is Possible and Profitable

Grapes farming in Kenya sounds like an impossible dream to many. But you would be pleasantly surprised if you visited Meru and witnessed how farmers there have cultivated this rare crop in Kenya. Rows and rows of over 5,000 grape plants line up an expansive piece of land at Liliaba in Igembe Central with vines well supported by wires tied across the pilot farm established over 20 years ago.

To most people, vineyards are only synonymous with bible stories but the Liliaba Vineyard has been in Meru for two decades after grapes were introduced by Father Adol Celestino from Italy in the 1980s. 

Grapes farming in Kenya

Located about 20 kilometers from Kangeta town, the Liliaba Vineyard is now run by Catholic Fathers the Diocese of Meru where over 80 farmers have now adopted grape farming.

According to Father Mbiko, Grape farming has also been introduced at Murera near Meru National park, Rwarera in Buuri and Ngarendare.

“We already have a wine press and processing plant at Mukululu in Igembe Central. We produce over 1,000 bottles of table wine, church wine among other brands. The demand for the wine is higher than supply hence we are encouraging more farmers to start grape farming,” Fr Mbiko says.

Is Grapes farming in Kenya profitable?

When we spoke to Fr. Mbiko, the father in charge at the time, he said that he buys grapes from out growers at Sh80 per kilo on self delivery and Sh70 gate price while those who sell fresh fruits to supermarkets and streets can make up to Sh300 a kilo.

He notes that grapes farming require very little water and are often referred as ‘camel fruit’ hence can be grown even in the hot and dry parts of Kenya.

We have actually highlighted the conditions suitable for grapes farming in Kenya in the article "How to Make Money With Grapes Farming in Kenya". 

“We train farmers on how to grow grapes, supply them with seedlings and buy fruits for processing. Many farmers are losing crops to drought but if they venture into grape farming, they are assured of harvest,” he explains.

Grapes start yielding very early; within a year after transplanting but reach the highest yield in take four years. They are harvested twice a year and with one grape plant capable producing over 15kgs of grapes per year which translates to Sh1, 200 per plant.

Fr Adol notes that farmers who have embraced the production of grapes in Kenya have benefited greatly from the farming as Liliaba is mostly prone to rain failure.

What is the main challenge with grapes farming in Kenya?

The main challenge in grape farming, Fr Mbiko says, is keeping off birds hence a watch tower has to be built in the middle of the farm for a good view of the farm

“Birds like feeding the grape fruits when they are ripe. The farmer has to keep watch throughout the day to secure a good harvest.

However, the returns are too good to be barred by the challenges. We cannot meet the demand for wine in Meru only,” he advises.

He notes that other seasonal crops can be planted in between the grapes making the land more productive.

About four varieties of grapes are grown at Liliaba vineyard and the fruit has been attracting interest from many people including former Provincial Commissioner Peter Kiilu who has a vineyard in Kitui.

Grapes farming guide for Kenya

Fr Mbiko is calling on more farmers to venture into grape farming so as to increase production of Mukululu wine production plant. 

However, for you to be successful in grapes farming, you need proper information. That is why we compiled this grapes  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.