Smart farms

: 07 May 2018; Hits: 12561

Kericho farmers to adopt avocado farming to diversify their income

Grafted Hass avocado seedlings. Kerich County farmers are set to get 2,000 such seedlings to grow during this rainy season to diversify their income. Photo: Zablon Oyugi

Farmers in Kericho County are set to pick up avocado production as they eye the increasing demand in export markets for more income as compared to traditional tea production in the county which the farmers have always relied on as the main source of income.

According to Horticulture Crop Directorate 2017/2018 export statistics, Kenyan avocado exports recorded a 10 per cent increase annually for the last few years having exporting 115,000 metric tonnes of avocado annually compared to nine per cent drop in tea export in the period under review.

This has become a clear indication to Kericho leaders including Kapsoit MCA Paul Chirchir, Ainamoi MP Sylvannus Maritim and Woman Representative Florence Bore who are leading the campaign of avocado production in the county that there is a good return in the fruit farming.

“Already 2,000 seedlings have been bought and set to be distributed to farmers. We will ensure that the project works by following up with the beneficiaries and give a timely report,” said Ainamoi MP Sylvannus Maritim.

The seedlings have been certified by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) to ensure farmers plant clean materials as one of the requirements for those who want to grow the fruit for export.

“There is good market of Hass avocado abroad and with avocado production we believe the farmers will gain the economic empowerment that they have always sought for. However, they have to plant clean seedlings for their produce to be accepted in the export market,” said Maritim during the launch of the project over the weekend at Kapsoit.

Kenya is the second largest African exporter of avocado after South Africa. Kenya’s main competitors on the European market are South Africa, Israel, and Spain.

“Kenya has big markets in EU as it is only Spain which produces avocadoes for export in the whole of Europe. We are also near to winning a market in the US which will see our export demand rise in the near future.” Said Bernard Kimutai, Fair Trade Enterprises Limited agronomist and avocado export expert.

According to Kimutai, a tree of avocado can yield up to 1000 fruits annually and given a fruit can fetch an average of Sh10, a small scale farmer can rake Sh10,000 per tree. This further means that if the 2000 seedlings set to be delivered to farmers were to successfully grow to maturity will give the farmers about Sh20m.

Small scale land owners are encouraged to be in groups in order to produce the required amount of fruits needed for export as well as make it easier for monitoring and inspection of their crops by experts to ensure the production process if free of any pest and disease contaminations.

To ensure Kenya exports quality avocados, various regulatory institutions such as Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD) and KEPHIS undertake inspection, auditing, licensing and issuance of phytosanitary certificates before exporting avocados.

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: 04 May 2018; Hits: 26991

Molo farmer intercrops potato and garden peas, earning year round income

potato plants in rows how to grow a veg plot

A farmer in Molo is growing potato seeds and intercropping with garden peas, in a classic crop rotation model that not only improves soil fertility but also ensures her of an year round source of income.

Having traditionally relied on potato seeds from the previous harvest for planting, Ann Chepngeno couldn’t understand why her yields dwindled with each subsequent harvest.

Unknown to her, the potato seeds from the previous harvest carried with them diseases, and their yielding capacity decreased with every harvest. For example a tuber that produced six potatoes in one harvest, would produce three in the next.

Ann’s light bulb moment came after a training organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, that not only pointed her to the importance of planting seed varieties but to the extent with which good farm management practices can determine the yield results.

Ann is now a certified potato seed grower who has expanded her farming space from just 2 acres to over 15 acres.

“The demand for seed potatoes is astronomical. There are rogue potato seed sellers who have infiltrated the market and selling substandard seeds to farmers but we thank them. Because farmers who end up buying those seeds get little yields and the y come to us trying to correct the situation. Sometimes that is how farmers need to learn,” said Ann.

Ann gets her seeds from Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and other research institutions. Upon growing the potato seeds and before selling them to farmers, she takes some samples to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate (KEPHIS) who tests the seeds for diseases.

“It is very important that we get the seeds right. Diseases are the biggest headache for potato farmers and take a huge toll on yields. One of the farmers I am working with to help her salvage her farm, put an acre on potato farming. She harvested nothing. All the potatoes were attacked by Bacterial Wilt. She would have salvaged something if she had the certified seeds which at times can withstand the diseases, but she had bought seeds from rogue traders,” she said.

She grows different seed varieties including Kenya Karibu, Tigoni and Sangi varieties. Each variety does well in different climatic conditions and are ideal for various markets. “For example those exporting frozen chips prefer to grow the Tigoni variety because it is preferred by the export market and is easy to cook,” she said.

Sangi variety however has become the darling of many local buyers due to its ability to yield more and mature fast. It takes three months, and a tuber can produce up to 15 potatoes.

The huge demand for the potato seeds has seen Ann rent land to supplement his 10 acre piece.

But in a classic crop rotation model that is earning Ann more, she has also entered into garden pea farming which she farms for export under a contract farming arrangement with Finlays. The garden peas mature after three months, but the demand is so high that every week she has to deliver. She has divided her land to ensure continued supply. Every week she delivers on average 20 kilos with a kilo fetching Sh100.

The garden peas have assisted her potato farming. According to experts potatoes should not be planted continuously. If a farmer plants potato this season, that piece of land should not be under potato cultivation next season. This is to reduce the chances of disease and improve soil fertility. “So after harvesting my potatoes, I plant garden peas the next two seasons. Garden peas are also known to be good nitrogen fixing crops meaning by the time I am planting potatoes again, the soil is fertilized. I use very little fertilizer on the farm,” said Ann.

With potato being the second most important crop in Kenya after maize in terms of consumption, being grown by approximately 500,000 small scale on 120,000 hectares and with an average yield of 7.7 tonnes per hectare it is little wonder that farmers from across the country flock Ann’s farmer for the right seeds and advice. “Even hotels are now growing their own potatoes and are keen on investing in healthy potato seeds. A healthy and certified seed makes all the difference in terms of yields. If you are growing to get yields stay away from planting seeds from the previous season. It wont work,” Ann added.

For more information contacts below:

Ann Chepngeno

Number: +254 722691245

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: 04 May 2018; Hits: 9681

Nyamira family joins hands in farm labour to up their income

kales nyakwaras farm

Kales grown in bags in part of Evans Nyakwara's farm. Photo courtecy.

A family of eight members in Nyamira County has joined hands to work together in their three quarter piece of land where they practice mixed farming by rearing two dairy cows and eight dairy goats, growing pumpkin, kales and spinach upping their income from Sh50,000 to over Sh150,000 per year.

According to United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization 2015 analysis on the economic lives of smallholder farmers in developing countries of which Kenya is one, about two-thirds of the developing world’s three billion rural people live in about 475 million small farm households, working on land plots smaller than two hectares which depend predominantly on family labour.

Furthermore, these families are poor and food insecure and have limited access to markets and services. However, they farm their land and produce food to feed themselves and sell the surplus besides engaging in a number of informal economic activities to contribute towards their small incomes.

As for the Nyamira family, they distribute work among them depending on age, time, other engagements and responsibilities among others to avoid inconveniencing any member.

“Majority of my family members are children who go to school. This is one factor I consider when I allocate duties to them as they are readily available during holidays and weekends when they help in most farm activities,” said Evans Nyakwara, the father of the family and a pastor of a Christ Evangelistic Church in the area.

RELATED STORY: Family finds fortunes farming together

Last year for example, he had three of his children in secondary school, one in college and two in private primary schools and their fees which was over Sh90,000 came from their mixed farming venture.

“I pay my school fees purely from the money I collect from the sales of my farm produce and milk from my four dairy goats and two dairy cows that I sell on a daily basis,” said Nyakwara.

He says his wife is in charge of most of the activities especially when he is out for his gospel ministry and when the children are in school though he has to ensure that the dairy feeds for the gats and the cows are available for the whole day before leaving.

Leaving feeds for the livestock make work easier for my wife as she is only left to water them in the course of the day after her morning duties, he said.

Fortunately for Nyakwara, two of his children are currently in secondary school and two who are in post-secondary school level loved agriculture and pursued it as a subject. This has made his work easier as some of what they are taught in school they apply in the farm.

cabbages nyakwaras farm

Part of EvansNyakwara's farm.

His first daughter, Linet Nyakwara who graduated from Kabianga University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Economics is now instrumental in her father’s aquaculture project that he is now working on having dug a fish pond measuring 30 x10 metres.

“She graduated last year December and while still on her internship, she is helping me with the best ideas to put up my fish farm which I have started working on.”

His son who is a form four candidate and his second daughter, Sarah Nyakwara who is waiting to join college always team up with their mother to manage their horticulture farm of kales, spinach, pumpkin and passion fruits.

Nyakwara milks more than a litre from each of his four dairy goats which are lactating at the moment. In a week he is able to sell the milk and earn Sh600 per goat giving him a total of Sh24,000 from the four goats.

He also sells more than five-one year old goats every year from his flock. A goat goes at Sh4500 giving him roughly Sh22,500. This with the sales from pumpkins, spinach, kales and passion fruits rakes him Sh85,000.

His two Friesian dairy cows produces about 40 litres of milk daily which he sells to the locals at Sh35 per litre earning him Sh1,400 daily translating to Sh42,000 a month.

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