How to earn Ksh 750,000 per acre from Cape gooseberries in Kenya

Cultivating Cape gooseberry in Kenya is easy. The basic requirements are seeds, labour and manure. It takes 14-16 weeks from planting to Harvesting.

The plant shares the same family with capsicum and tomato and is therefore similar to plants in some management practices.

Single Cape gooseberry in Kenya can yield average 200 fruits (about 5g each) =1000g or 1kg fruits per season.

At a spacing of 1.5m by 1.0cm, plant population is 2,500plants/acre(26,666 is the exact figure).

2500 plants/ acre will give 2500×1= 2500kg fruit sold @ Ksh 300 per Kg

GROSS INCOME OF 2500KG×300=KSH 750,000/ ACRE

COST OF PRODUCTION IS ABOUT 20%

Seeds can be collected from uncultivated land after the rains.

500g seeds will give you seedlings enough to plant 1-acre. Birds netting is required to protect from birds.

pruning will be necessary for good performance.

Apply a mulch of well-rotted manure or compost for high yields.

The plant adapts well in many areas but moist soil is required all the time.

It takes 4-5 months for the fruits to mature.

Unripe Cape gooseberry fruits are known to be poisonous.

Cape gooseberries farming is not well developed in Kenya currently.

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Grow avocado fruit for export market (Persea americana)

Avocado fruit is an important export commodity from Kenya. Kenya has a place in the international markets alongside the other producer countries like Chile, Peru and South Africa. In Dubai 70 to 80 per cent of avocado fruit come from Kenya when the fruit is in season. There is also a specific window for Kenya, due to a longer season which runs from March to September enabling good returns. There is need for agro-enteprneurs to acquire the relevant accreditation including KenyaGap, GlobalGap and ISO compliance certificates to compete on a worldwide scale. The crop takes about 3 years to give the first produce. During this period fast growing crops may be interplanted between rows to ensure sustainability of income generation from the avacado orchard. One acre can give a gross income of Ksh 2Million per year with minimal inputs.

 Avocado Varieties: Fuerte and Hass are the main export varieties. Other varieties include Nabal, Puebla, Pinkerton, Tonnage, Simmonds.

Ecological requirements 
Altitude: 1500-2100 m a.s.l. depending on variety,

Rainfall: at least 1,000 mm p.a.

Temperature: 25-28⁰C,

Soils: Deep, fertile and well aerated, Optimum pH 5.5-6.5.

Propagation: Grafting or budding methods are used for  avocado propagation. Wedge grafting is preferred.

Nursery: Use healthy, egg sized seeds to produce rootstock.

Grafting: when the seedling reach pencil size thickness.

Avocado orchard establishment:

Land preparation: Remove tree stumps, bushes and perennial

weeds and then plough the ground to 30 cm depth.

Planting holes: 60 x 60 x 60 cm to be dug early before planting

Spacing: and 7 x 4 m for high density, 9 x 9 m for conventional planting.

Fertilizer: CAN

Age of tree	Manure (kg/tree)
1-3yrs	45
4-5yrs	45
6-7yrs	60
Over 8yrs	60

Pruning: 1st years pruning is done to encourage lateral growth

and multiple framework branching. Maintenance pruning

done annually after harvesting.

Windbreak: Placed at right angles to the prevailing winds.

Weed control: Manual weeding, cover crops (preferably with

Legumes) or mulching.

Harvesting: Avocado fruit harvesting begins in the 3-4^th year.

Yield: Production of avocado orchard is 250-300 kg/tree/year.

Post harvest: Cool storage within 24 hours

Utilization: Eaten fresh, used in ice cream flavouring,

base for milk shakes and soups. Oil is used for the manufacture

of creams, lotions and soaps.

Marketing: The main export  varieties are Fuerte and Hass.

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Growing thorn melon in Kenya

Thorn melon fruit is an emerging agribusiness activity which is a fast expanding . Growing thorn melon in Kenya has since time immemorial happened wildly particularly in the hot areas like sagana in kirinyaga and the coast province. The fruit has a good taste and makes nice juice. The fruit has a high demand and good local market prices due to its numerous medicinal attributes.It is said to be good for management of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.  It is locally variously called passion mwitu, parachichi mwitu or passion lenye tete maji. The Fruit shares many characteristic with passion other than the spikes on the skin. To establish a plot of the crop start by extracting seed from healthy looking fruits. Choose a well developed ripe fruit from the vine. Scoop-out the contents consisting of  seed and pulp, and  plant the seed in the nursery directly.      

Seed germination while growing thorn melon in Kenya may be improved by softening the seed coat. Allow the seed together with the pulp to ferment for 1 to 3days in a plastic container. The fruit seed is then thoroughly washed after which it is dried in the shade and sown as soon as possible.Improve seed germination by priming which is soaking the seed in warm water for one hour before planting while growing thorn melon in Kenya. Water the seeds using a fine mist from a hand held sprayer or watering can. Continue watering about twice a day ensuring good drainage of excess water.

       

While growing thorn melon in Kenya, seeds can be planted in trays or seedbed. Once germinated and having two true leaves they are transplanted to bags or bigger trays to ensure more space so that the root don't become entangled as the seedling grows. Harden off the seedlings before they are transplanted to the field by setting them out of the shade in the growing area for 2-3 days. Select vigorous seedlings free from nematodes and fungal diseases when growing thorn melon in Kenya. maturity period of growing thorn melon in Kenya  is about 4months.

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Strawberries Growing Become Popular in Kenya

Strawberry Farming has become increasingly popular in the recent past in Kenyan rural, urban and peri-urban areas. The fruit plant is a high value export crop which makes a multi-billion dollar business around the world. Strawberries are very juicy health-packed fruits which are eaten whole, in fruit salads, jam, milk shake and smoothie juice. Farming of strawberries in Central Kenya region has traditionally been for export to Europe.

However an equally lucrative market for the strawberry plant leaves which used to be thrown away is emerging as a produce in demand. The leaves are being bought by decorating and florist firms in the major towns around the country. According to a florist from Nairobi the demand for bouquets, which was formerly limited to offices, churches and events, is now expanding to individuals, with demand for flowers for home decorations growing in the recent past. This has caused the demand for the strawberry leaves, an important component of bouquets due to their beautiful shape and sweet scent. Strawberries’

Farming is therefore a perfect opportunity for the youth in Kenya for self employment and livelihood improvement. Strawberries are easy to grow, require little land and perform well in a wide range of temperatures ranging from mild to hot. Basic requirements for strawberry Farming include, water, animal manure or compost, garden tools, recommended pesticides and fungicides, packaging materials and Farming capital. The most popular strawberry varieties grown in Kenya are Chandler and pajero.

Other suitable varieties in Kenya includes Tioga selva,Douglas, Tristar, Domanil, Rabunda and Tribute. The crop grows well in warm to hot climate and does not tolerate freezing. Some main diseases affecting this crop include Fusarium Oxysponium, Botrytis and Fusarium Wilt. Avoid growing strawberry on land where crops susceptible to Verticillium wilt a viral disease controlled through crop rotation, were planted in the preceding season. Such crops are capsicums, okra, tomatoes, and eggplant/brinjals

Strawberries Farming starts with thorough land preparation in order to grow vigorous a crop. A bed raised to 20cm with a width of 1metre by any convenient length should be prepared, and well decomposed manure incorporated into the soil at a rate of one medium bucket per square metre. Then planting holes are made at a spacing of 30cm from row to row and 30cm from plant to plant. In strawberries Farming propagation is done using vegetative material namely splits of the strawberries crown.

 Planting is done after thorough watering of the bed and the roots should be covered but not too deep so as to avoid rotting of the stem.  Mulching is a recommended post planting management practice in strawberries Farming in order to conserve moisture, control weeds and keep strawberries clean. Irrigate daily in the afternoon during the first month after planting for good crop growth, then 2-3 times a week from the second month of Farming of growth onward 

De-blossoming/removal of strawberry flowers is recommended for the first 2 months of growth to avoid premature fruiting, which leads to stunting and poor development of the crop. Harvesting of strawberry fruits starts 2½months - 3months after planting. Thinning to2- 3 splits per crown should be done every 7 months to allow rejuvenation and increase strawberry yields.

Runners and old leaves are removed in strawberries Farming and the practice is named pruning or stripping.  Flowering is continuous with adequate watering and the lifespan of the crop is 3 years. 

During the production period foliar feeds may be applied to plants to boost growth. Practical training on Farming of strawberries and farm planning for best profit is provided to farmers by the Youth agro-environmental Initiative. Training on strawberry Farming is the first step for all serious visionary agribusinesses. Strawberry farming is an expanding industry in Kenya with a great potential for growth. Practical training on strawberry plant cultivation is available. Contact our agriculture professionals at yagrein@gmail.com. 

1. http://kariokor.olx.co.ke/strawberry-training-on-growing-strawberries-farm-planning-for-best-farm-profit-iid-466431013
2. http://yagrein.blogspot.com/p/what-are-youth-saying.html

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Do You Know The Food You Eat Can Bring Health or Sickness?

Food can bring health or sickness depending on your eating habits. Inadequate helping and  wrong food mixtures leads to malnutrition. Good nutrition is not optional but a basic human need and a fundamental human right. Therefore it’s essential for all people individually and collectively to care for their nutrition. Global Food and nutrition security for the 9 billion by 2050 is the goal of all the world’s nations including Kenya. According to  surveys carried out by the Ministry of public health Kenya 70% of children less than 5years of age are found to have vitamin A deficiency, 55% of women and 47% of men have inadequate blood. These results are indicators of poor family nutrition.

Why should you eat? It’s important to feed for right reasons which include:-

1. Body building in growing children and young people
2. To get energy for daily activities for all people
3. For maintenance and repair in adults

Millions of people globally feed with the following wrong motives and consequently they don't care what they are feeding on:-

• To stop hunger
• To fulfill routine

Malnutrition is a result of eating inadequate amount or wrong food mixtures while hunger is a result of food shortage. This means malnutrition can occur when there is abundance due to wrong mixtures. Good Eating habits observe the following:-

• Distribution :Frequency: Eat 3 balanced meals + 2 snacks Daily
• Contents: Eat balanced/diversified meals which provides all the nutrients required by the body.
• Amount: eat enough/adquate to provide the body with the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of all the essential nutrients.

A balanced meal has the following 7 essential nutrients:-

1. Proteins
2. Carbohydrates
3. Vitamins
4. Minerals
5. Fats/Oils
6. Fibre
7. Clean Drinking Water: At least 8 glasses  / person/ day taken 20 minutes after a meal, to avoid diluting digestive enzymes.

The  functions of water in the body includes:-

• Refreshing and body cleansing
• Age therapy

All these essential nutrients should be should betaken at every sitting to promote good utilization by the human body. When taken at different times, utilization by the body is poor leading to wastage and poor health.

The family farm should therefore  provide the following 6 key food groups for food and nutrition security achievement.

1.      Carbohydrates

2.      Legumes

3.      Fruits

4.      Vegetables

5.      Animal source

6.      Clean drinking water

High impact nutrition intervention areas according to ministry of public health Kenya includes:-

1. Food production: Diversify production to ensure that all the above six groups are available on the family farm in order to provide the 7 essential nutrients. 
2. Breastfeeding: Sole breast feeding of infants for the first 6 months excluding even water. This alone has been observed to reduce child mortality by 13% which is line with millennium development goals. Breastfeeding should then continue for two years during the period in which alternatives are introduced gradually.
3. Expectant mothers:  intervention benefits both mother and child.
4. Lactating Mothers:                         ’’
5. Nutrition education for school children in order to develop the culture early
6. Food security for all people including the toothless aged. You cannot say there is food security for this category of citizens when the only food available is maize and beans.  

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