With little knowledge of guavas, some people have seen them as fruits for birds to feed on. But, guava farming is a profitable agribusiness that is gaining popularity steadily as the number of consumers increases. They take a short time to mature, with grafted varieties taking about 2 years. The fruits are ready for harvest 4 to 5 months after flowering. To earn more money, farmers can go the value addition way as the fruits are used extensively to make guava juice.

Guavas have many benefits, which include:

  • The fruits contain Vitamin C, which helps boost heart health and the immune system.
  • It restrains the growth of cancerous cells, preventing oral, breast, and prostate cancers.
  • They contain vitamin A which helps boost eye vision and health
  • They contain a high dietary fiber content. Hence, they are ideal for people with diabetes.
  • They are rich in nutrients that help in enhancing blood regulation in the body.

Guava trees can be highly productive with good care, becoming a rewarding agribusiness. A mature tree can yield about 200 to 300 fruits per season. Commercial yield is achieved from the third year if the trees are managed well. That means with the current price of Ksh 10 per fruit, a farmer with 20 trees can pocket about Ksh 20,000 per season.

To achieve optimum production from your trees, you need perfect soils, a favorable climate, timely irrigation, regular manuring, and proper management.

Guava trees thrive in deep, fertile, well-drained sandy loamy, loamy, and clay loamy soils with a pH range of 5.5 to 7.0. You should add manure regularly to enhance soil fertility.

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Like other plants, guavas require frequent irrigation, especially in drier areas or dry seasons. Ensure that you set up an efficient irrigation system for optimum growth. Drip irrigation systems apply water evenly and will help you produce high yields and quality fruits. However, irrigation may not be necessary during the rainy season.

Guavas are one of the easiest plants to care for. They don't require frequent watering. They are drought tolerant, resistant to many pests and diseases, and have shallow roots to absorb water and nutrients faster.

During land preparation, apply a spacing of 6m by 6m with an acre accommodating about 112 plants. However, the spacing may change depending on the variety, plant size, and the required plant density.

You need to control pests and diseases for the plants to grow well. Guavas are mainly attacked by pests such as guava weevil, fruit flies, aphids, thrips, caterpillars, fruit borers, and scale insects. They are prone to diseases such as anthracnose, rust, leaf spot, fruit rot, dieback, and algae fruit and leaf spot. Adopt integrated pest management practices and control pests and diseases on time.

Sanitation is an important aspect of any orchard. Clear any infested fruits from the orchard. Collect any infected plants and leaves and dump them in a pit away from your orchard.

Grafted guava varieties mature and bear fruits after two years from planting. Ripe fruits turn from green to light green, although this is not always the case. Do not allow your fruits to over-ripen, as preserving them will be pretty challenging.

After harvesting, farmers can take their fruits to traders and vendors in the market or sell them to juice companies who are always ready to buy in large quantities. They are also used to add value to other products such as jam, toffee, guava powder, guava wine, guava juice, ice cream topping, cheese, and blended RTS beverages. That means there is a high demand for the fruit locally and in export markets.

For more information;
Nairobi region - 0769623300
Ms. Florence
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/254769623300

Eldoret region - 0710588060
Mr. Duncan
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/254710588060

Nakuru region- 0740000044
Ms. Caroline
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/254740000044

Mt Kenya region - 0742194880
Mr. Nick
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Western region - 0706222888
Mr. Asman
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