HOW TO SETUP AN AVOCADO MODEL FARM IN KENYA
- Category: Commercial
- Date 08-11-2022
Avocado is a very lucrative fruit in Kenya. It is one of the top 5 most profitable fruits alongside banana, mango and pineapples and is only 2nd to mangoes as the most exported fruit. Kenya ranks as the highest African exporter of the fruit in the world, with most of its avocados ending up in European and Middle Eastern homes and plates. The country exports 115,000 metric tons per year earning an upwards of 14 billion to both the farmers and government.
In the local markets, the price of avocado per 90-kg bag varies in different counties. The fruit retails highest in Uasin-Gishu County where a bag goes for 3,600 shillings in Eldoret town, 3,000 in Mombasa and Nakuru, 2800 in Nairobi, 1,700 in Kisumu, 2,600 in Loitoktok and 900 shillings in Kisii (subject to inflation adjustment).
The high demand for the fruit has been attributed to both its profitability and associated health benefits which have highly contributed to better living.
Kenya not only exports the fruit to external markets, but sells the highly loved fruit locally with nearly half of the annual production finding its way back to Kenyan households.
Avocado is also an important ingredient in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry due to its healthy and massive oil content.
Some counties like Nyeri, Nakuru, Mombasa, Athi River and Nairobi already have their own factories that use the fruit in the production of cosmetics such as avocado oil, with construction of new factories on the way in Eldoret and Kisii.
Why you should start a small farm
Before you start your own avocado model farm, it is important to figure out your motivations for it. Your motivation will directly impact your strategy and approaches to avocado farming. Some of the major motivations include:
1. For Profit
Avocado is currently the 2nd most important Kenyan export fruit after the Mango. It fetches a good price locally and internationally, with a piece of fruit ranging from sh. 10 – 50 depending on the size and quality in the local markets. Local factories such as Kakuzi buy a kg for sh. 100 with the same fetching double the price at export markets.
It is advisable to do large scale in order to reap the best returns from the fruit. Kakuzi buys good quality avocados and pays handsomely with guaranteed payments every seven days. The Hass variety is most popular with Kenyan factories due to its high fat content.
Small scale farmers can supply the local markets or form co-operatives to export to foreign markets. Small-scale farmers make up to 70% of all avocado growers in Kenya.
A tree can produce an upwards of 100kg of fruit annually, and with a kilogram going for sh. 100, you can do the calculations yourself.
2. Farming as a hobby/household consumption
The UN recommends each household to eat at least one fruit daily. You can therefore decide to plant a few trees for your own consumption rather than buying fruits from markets. This does not require large tracts of land for actualization. It will also ensure you get fresh fruits every time you want some.
3. Environmental Stewardship
Avocados, just like any other trees can be grown solely for the purpose of environmental stewardship. The tree can and will provide shade, and shelter for birds and help conserve and sustain the ecology. This does not require large tracts of land to be realized as well.
Where to Plant Avocados in Kenya?
Kenya is an equatorial country and as such, most of its counties enjoy a minimum of two rainy seasons which make it suitable for growing avocados that require anything from 1,000 -1600mm of rainfall per annum.
The fruit does best in Central Region counties, Western Kenya, Central Rift Valley, Lower Nyanza and Eastern counties. In the Eastern Region, avocado does especially well in Kang’undo, Mua Hills, Kathiani and parts of Mbooni, which are all within Machakos County. It also has great potential Eldoret, Meru and Embu.
What to do if you’ve never farmed before?
If you have never involved yourself in avocado or tree farming before, you could do one of two things:
1. Consult experts
At your local government office, you will be able to see and talk to a forester, forestry/agricultural extension officer or avocado farming expert who will give you some guide on the best practices of avocado farming.
In the case where there are no forestry and forestry extension officers near your area, contact us here for more information and inquiries on avocado farming.
2. Learn farming as you go
You could always teach yourself farming as you do it. With so many internet resources these days, such as this article, you can teach yourself the craft on the job.
Steps to Avocado farming
Here are a few steps to help guide you when putting up a model avocado farm:
Step 1: Identify your niche
Once you have decided to set up a model avocado farm, you will need to pick the type of avocado most favorable and profitable for you and your ecological zone.
Types of Avocados
Kenya is favorable for the farming of at least 40 avocado varieties. However, there are three types that are most attractive here for consumption or factory sale.
1. Hass Avocado
This variety is most attractive to foreign markets and produces high yield when grown commercially. The fruit has a dark green skin when ripe and a white-green flesh on the inside. Its intensive flavor and creamy flesh makes it favorable for making guacamole. Its high fat content also makes it attractive to factories. To determine ripeness, give the fruit a gentle squeeze.
2. Fuerte Avocado
This variety is characterized by a thin glossy skin. When ripe, the fruit acquires a bright green color while the skin becomes loose, textured and easy to peel. They have a low fat content and calorie count and work well with salads. They do not soften when ripe hence can be a bit hard to know. It is specially loved by Kenyans who take it with their food.
3. Kienyeji Avocado
The fruits of these are larger than both the Hass and Fuerte varieties and have a lower fat content. 3 slices of a Kienyeji avocado contains about 3 grams of fat whereas the same in Hass contains 4.6 grams. They grow larger and take longer to fruit, some going on for decades before the first fruit yield.
Step 2: Find the Land
You will need some land to farm your avocados. While seeking it, there are few factors you might have to look into.
Things to consider when looking for land to setup your Avocado farm
a. Your proximity to markets
In order that you reduce your transport budget, it is advisable that you find a farm as nearest to your market as possible. If otherwise, ensure there are good access roads to and from the farm to get the produce to the markets as fast as possible.
b. Access to water and soil type
It is important that you maintain a steady water supply to the trees throughout the year. In the event that the area you are establishing your farm at does not have enough rain, irrigation is a good option. Water is important both for meeting the moisture requirement for the trees and effective nutrient absorption.
Avocado trees also require a well-aerated soil and cannot tolerate heavy or waterlogged soil. Too much water reduces soil aeration which affects tree vigor, and increases the severity of Phytophthora root rot. Waterlogged soil does not have enough nutrients and results in the leaching of nutrients from the root zone resulting in wastage of fertilizers and pollutes groundwater.
We advise that you send samples of your soil to an expert in order to know its nutrient composition and which fertilizers will be suitable to your soil type.
Whatever place you decide to set up your farm, ensure your plants access enough boron and calcium, either directly from the soil or through supplements. These will boost the quality of the fruit to ensure it is healthy.
c. Neighbors
While setting up your farm, it is important that you are well acquainted with the community around you. One of the biggest challenges we have faced while setting up model farms for farmers, is the theft of fruits and young seedlings soon after they have been planted. While you can always set up security at your farm, it is also good to ensure that there is a respect of your property and a positive attitude towards fruit farming in your area. If you get a good place, some of these neighbors will be your biggest customers.
Step 3: Financing
Once you have acquired land, you will need some finances to prepare the land and acquire some avocado seedlings. There are various financing methods that you can use:
· Personal savings: in the case where you have saved some cash, you might invest some of it in setting up your avocado farm and put back the savings once you harvest it.
· Loans: friends and relatives can lend you money with a commitment to pay them back as soon as possible, or banks and other financial institutions. Banks such as Equity, KCB and Family Bank have in the past supported Avocado farmers by helping them acquire high quality seedlings and the loan serviced once you harvest the fruit. Avocado cooperatives also provide members with loans to set up or expand farms.
Step 4: Purchasing tree Seedlings
We recommend that you buy your seedlings from an accredited and established tree nursery as these are carefully grown and grafted to ensure they are free from disease. You can also buy from your local KALRO institution or contact us to place your orders.
Step 5: Planting your avocado
You have acquired enough financing, land, and are now ready to plant, there are a few steps that you should take when planting avocado tree seedlings to ensure the farm is both well organized and to achieve a high yield.
i. Prepare the land
When preparing your land for planting, it is advisable that you level the surface using a land leveler to ensure best yields and increase the efficiency of any irrigation done and reduce run off water.
If you are irrigating the land and water flows in furrows, contour farming will be your best bet. Terraces, which are mostly made on contours, should be avoided in your farm at all costs.
ii. Planting Holes
It is advisable to plant your trees in a straight line to facilitate easy movement, weeding and harvesting. The rectangular pattern of planting is best for Hass seedlings and eases activities such as inspection and pruning.
The holes should be 60cm x 60 x 60cm and the spacing of your choice as discussed above.
When planting, use two bucketfuls of farmyard manure and compliment with 250gm of double super-phosphate fertilizer per hole.
