Kenyan Farmers Diversify Earnings Through Avocado Farming, Getting The Right Seedlings

• Avocado plants are not ecologically limited like most cash crops, therefore they do well in most parts of Kenya
• Farmers need capital when starting but once the farm is set up and trees start growing, there are minimal expenses
• One of the most crucial step in avocado farming is ensuring that you get the right seedlings

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, leverages more than three years of expertise in financial, business, and technology research, providing profound insights into both Kenyan and global economic trends.

More and more farmers are seeing opportunities in avocado farming, thanks to the rising demand in global markets and the awareness of the profitability of the fruit.

In a recent report by TUKO.co.ke, the government had to stop the exportation of avocado fruits via sea as the quantity of the fruits in the market reduced.

This was done to allow the fruits to mature for exports as Kenyan avocado exports have gained market in Europe, and Asia.

During a recent trip to India, President William Ruto announced that the government had signed an MOU with India to open its market to avocado exports from Kenya.

Long-term crops to farm in Kenya

The growing international market for avocado fruits shows increasing demand for the fruit. Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Geoffrey Kavita, an Agronomist at Amiran K Ltd, advised farmers to embrace avocado farming because of the growing market and its long-term benefits.

Kavita also recommended other crops that farmers can consider for long-term benefits.

"Of long-term crop ventures, mostly fruit trees, in Kenya it is either avocado, mangoes, citrus or macadamia," Kavita said

Kavita stated that farmers can maximise the use of their land as they wait for their avocado trees to grow by growing other short-term crops.

"Away from that, when doing your long-term venture, I recommend you consider doing some short-term crops as you wait for your fruit trees investment to break even," explained Kavita.

"I have seen various projects where farmers plant other foodcrops between rows of avocado trees and they are maximising and diversifying their earnings," Kavita added.

Choosing the right seedlings

To ensure the authenticity of the Hass avocado seedlings in the market, the avocado society of Kenya announced that those providing grafting services will have to be registered.

Maina, a farmer in Muranga, said that the most important step in avocado farming is ensuring you get the right seedlings, particularly the Hass avocado seedling, which is exported to other markets.

"When I was starting, I didn't know what Hass seedlings looked like, so I joined a farmers group and i got a lot of help there in terms of information and technical know-how," said Maina.

Njuguna, also a farmer in Muranga county, told TUKO.co.ke that agribusiness is not an easy journey because sometimes things may not work out as fast as expected, but with persistence, he has been able to take his three children to university.

"First round, I started with 200 seedlings and only about 80 survived the dry season because at that time, I had not planned myself sufficiently. The next round I planted 250 more seedlings, and this time I bought two water tanks and installed several taps in my farm to water them and fortunately, all the seedlings survived. Now I have a total of 300 full-grown trees," said Njuguna.

Hass avocado seedlings can be purchased from certified dealers; however, Njuguna recommended that farmers should have an experienced farmer accompany them or an agricultural consultant to ensure they get suitable seedlings.

How to market your fruits?

The farmers told TUKO.co.ke that once the fruits are mature, they don't have to worry about the market because buyers come to the farm once they advertise on social media and through organisations such as the Avocado Society of Kenya, which connects them with various buyers.

"When it comes to marketing, avocado is in high demand, there are groups on social media where you just post pictures and within a short time, you get customers, mostly agents who are buying the crops for export," said Kavita.

Avocado Farmers Association supports growers in maximising both the quality and quantity of their crops, connecting them with ethical buyers worldwide, while also providing training in good agricultural practices and aiding in the establishment of compliant avocado farming systems that meet global standards.

How many seedlings per acre

In other related stories, TUKO.co.ke reported on the planting distance for Hass avocado trees and the expected yields.

The standard Hass avocado planting distance is 7m x 7m (80 plants per acre), but If you own a small land, you can do 5m x 5m (140 plants per acre) or 6m x 6m (120 plants per acre).

Hass avocado trees exhibit high productivity and prolonged harvesting seasons with proper nurturing. Each tree can yield around 30 fruits in two to three years or an average of 300 to 400 kilograms per acre.