Hass Avocado

Grafted avocados trees take close to two to three years to be ready for fruiting and fruits can be harvested to a period of four months. On average, a single tree can yield more than 1500 fruits in a season. The harvesting season for the fruit in this region is between the months of March to June.

Here is a brief returns an acre can offer;

  • The first two years –growth stage[caption id="attachment_4256" align="alignright" width="300"] hass fruits[/caption]

    • 2nd year (harvest of 50 fruits per tree) – 60k
    • 3rd year (harvest 200-250 fruits) – 240k
    • 4th year –(400 fruits) – 480k
    • 5th year – (800 fruits)- 900k
    • 6th year – (1000 fruits) – 1.08m
    • 7th year –(1100 fruits) – 1.3m
    • 8th year –(more than 1300 fruits) – 1.5m
    • 9th year – (more than 1500 fruits) – 1.8m
    • 10th year – (more than 1750 fruits) – 2m

http://oxfarm.co.ke/tree-fruits/strawberry-farming/strawberries-farming-in-kenya/

Total cumulative returns Ksh 10 million

  • 20th year – (3500 fruits) – 4m

Maize

[caption id="attachment_4253" align="alignright" width="150"] maize farming[/caption]

Maize (zea mays), also known as corn, is actually a cereal grain which is used for many different purposes.

The best farmers in maize production in Uasin Gishu or Kitale produce 30 bags in an acre. Given all conditions constant, selling a bag at 3000ksh in ten years a farmer gets 900,000ksh.

Comparison between Hass Avocado and Maize.

Remember we have not put various costs of production which by a matter of fact when it comes to avocado only the initial costs of seedlings tends to be expensive and you only buy once as when planted its permanent. Maize production costs in a year take more than half of the total earnings.

Marketing of the two is another factor worth noting. Maize marketing is on a struggle and even its prices have shot down year by year whereas hass fruits have been on an upward trend due to the increase in consumption in European market and the recently opened china market. Both local and foreign investors have been putting up avocado factories in the country and have therefore improved prospects among local farmers.

Each year, more than 1500 avocado containers are shipped to Europe and the Middle East. New markets in Asia- specifically Russia and China are opening up opportunities for farmers and exporters, according to key industry players.

In general hass avocado cannot be and will never be compared to maize as an avocado farmer in ten years will have earned handsomely as compared to peanuts earned by the maize farmer.

To summarize all this, planting 10 Hass trees would earn more than planting an acre of maize. OXFARM believes that farmers should have a reason to smile if they embrace on Hass avocado particularly to farmers in north rift region.

For certified hass seedlings contact 0706 222 888.