I started fruit farming (papaws and later, purple and granadilla passion fruits) during corona period and while it hobbled at the start, it picked up very well. I am almost breaking even and here are some tips I will share on what has worked for me.
Farming is a hands-on business, let no one lie to you ati you can do it from the comfort of Nairobi/your home. You have to be there, at least in some very critical stages e.g. initial weeding/ploughing, spraying and harvesting. If you cannot, hire somebody trustworthy but as you know, this is Kenya. Totally avoid mambo ya ‘tuma hii, tuma hii’. Trust but verify. Do not be afraid to say no.
A source of water is a must. Water solves 50% of your problems, especially a time like now when the rains have failed. Depending on rain is a no-no and can drive you mad. Having water during dry seasons protects you from market downsides simply because low supply=high demand. Here, you call the shots na brokers wana tii. 80% of farmers in Kenya still depend on rain. Try to be the 20%.
Things do not go wrong, they start wrong. Do soil tests, chemical tests etc. for you soil. Don’t assume ‘my soil is fertile/OK’. First time I planted papaws, I did it very kienyeji and kiholela. No soil test, no expert opinion, nothing. My crop was wiped out almost overnight by mealybugs and some other weird diseases. Since I did not know what to look out for, I assumed a lot of things until it was too late. I decided to get an agronomist, and got one through Facebook. He guided me and this time round, the difference in very obvious. Also be careful with agronomists, some are just pushers for these agrochemical companies so do your due diligence and pay him vile mme kubaliana.
Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Visit fellow farmers, visit markets, mama mbogas, brokers etc. Yes, I said brokers. I know they are demonized in Kenya, and perhaps rightfully so, but they also play a very important role in the value chain. For example, I decided to plant pawpaws and passion fruit due to the advice of a few mama mbogas, fruit vendors and some brokers. Passion fruit farming, especially the purple type, is very tiring and can drive you crazy but once you get it, your fruits are booked even before they leave the shamba. Some buyers even pay for them bado zikiwa kwa shamba.
Look for your own market. This is where the brokers beat the farmers hands down. I understand though that most farmers are older, not very technologically-savvy and will not take some risks, thus will not leave their homes to look for market. I advertise mainly through Facebook and my clientele are 80% wholesale and 20% retail. I decided to be bringing my product straight to Nairobi and store them in our family compound, then sell from there. Very expensive since I have to pay for the canter costs plus labour but I factor the costs in my selling price. I tried selling retail but Nairobi is one big cartel, story for another day.
Interesting. Pawpaws are no longer as ubiquitous as they were when we were kids. I remember some paw paw, zambarau, and mango trees just growing fwaa without a specific owner, yaani ungepanda mti ukule ama ubebe na uende. Things have really changed. I’m also interested in farming, sanasana when I hit forry years, but I’m more inclined towards animal farming. I used to manage my mum’s broilers as a keypee and thoroughly enjoyed the responsibility.
Be warned, keeping animals is like raising children. At least you have got some experience but I consider keeping animals way harder than crops. One day farmhand ana decide to quit and your animals are left alone bila food. You must also have vets on your speed dial. All in all, be very prepared and do a thorough work plan before you start.
Always go to registered seed dealers. Try KEPHIS or KEPHIS-approved seed propagators. Wamejaa Facebook but obviously do your due diligence. You can also try JKUATES. The best is to visit local farmers in you area and ask for recommendations.
Muranga County. Another tip I give to farmers is to try not to farm anywhere that is more than an hour from Nairobi/your home. Supervision is critical.
It depends on what you want to plant since Kenya’s ecological zones are very different. For example, avocados don’t do well in very cold parts of the country, passion fruits only do well in certain parts of the country. KALRO has very good resources on the ecological zones of Kenya and what you can plant in each.
Mealybugs prevention and control is a very technical process that needs guidance from agronomists. How extensive is the infestation in your shamba? There are 4 stages of infestation and each stage requires its own control and management practices. I would advise you look for agronomists in your area who is familiar with the soil and farming practices in your area.
My farm had stage 3 (medium) infestation. What worked for me:
Get clean planting materials and seeds. Treat your soil and use manure.
Once you plant pawpaws, always inspect at least once a week. If you see a single mealybug, prune the leaf, dig a hole and bury it deep. Also check under leaves and stem for the eggs. Inspect at least 10% of the plants if your shamba is big. This is absolutely critical, don’t wait until imeanza kutoa fruits.
Field hygiene, for example disinfecting all tools during pruning. Once you prune a tree, disinfect the tool with Jik/water mixture before you move to the next plant. Don’t prune using your ands because some eggs will stick on your hands and you transfer the problem to another plant.
Depending on your level of infestation, use chemicals. Chemical control is usually a last resort because they are expensive and don’t work very well on mealybugs.
In summary, focus more on prevention and management more than control. Find out which stage your level of infestation is before you do anything.