As you approach Naivasha town from Nakuru, a canopy of eucalyptus trees line both sides of the busy highway, forming a cool shade that has defied the scorching sun that welcomes you to this dusty town.

And just at the end of the canopy, you will be welcomed by a sign post that leads us to a green metal gate that is reinforced with an electric fence as the guard ushers us into the expansive farm. Venter, a South African national and a horticulturist, is the general manager of the 2,500-hectare farm that brews wine on Kenyan soil.

According to Venter, the sugar levels must be between 23 and 25 per cent for the grapes to produce the sweet commercial wine produced at their Rift Valley winery. Venter argues that what makes them produce quality wine is because they grow their fruits near the equator.

SUGAR LEVEL MUST BE CONTROLLED

To get the required sugar levels, Venter, who has been the farm manager for the last two years, says that the water consumption must be controlled. According to Seed of Gold Journalist, “We are situated near the equator and since Kenya has no winter season which is used as dormancy stage for the grapes to rest and grow, then water must strictly be controlled to avoid an overgrowth of grapes,” explains Venter.

“Why should Kenya be proud of stocking wine brands from other countries while it enjoys volcanic soils, cool nights and warm days which combine to ensure slow maturation of grapes that allow us to produce fulsome wines of a unique character?” poses the 41-year-old.

Morendat Farm, which is part of the Kenya Nut Company, is the producer of the Leleshwa brand wines. The farm produces 150,000 bottles of wine annually but has plans to do a million as time goes by, according to Venter. On the farm, they use machines to remove all the weeds and when planting the seedlings, they always make sure the rows run from North to South to avoid the plants having direct contact with the sun.

He said the seedling holes must be half a metre deep and the roots must sharply point to the centre of the hole to make sure they grow upright. The distance from one seedling to another must be 1.5m while the rows should be 2.7m apart. They are then watered using a computerized drip irrigation system that makes sure each plant consumes at least two liters of water per hour twice a week.

 

Grapes Farming: What you need to know

 

DRIP IRRIGATION

Urea is also applied using the drip irrigation system. This is supplemented with compost manure from the more than 3,000 beef bulls for which Morendat Farm is also famed for. After watering, the ground around the grafted seedlings is covered with a polythene paper to ensure there is little evaporation and to suppress weeds.

Besides South Africa, the farm also imports seedlings from Israel. After the third month, the plants are ringed with a wire mesh to keep off birds which can decimate acres if not checked.

They normally plant between June and July and they are ready for harvest after three years. They like harvesting at the end of January or early February because that is the warmest season of the year which is crucial for better sugar levels. The vines, once planted, can stay in the farm for up to 30 years before they are uprooted and fresh seedlings are planted.

Their current vines they are harvesting were planted in 1995 and in the next 10 years, they shall replace them with fresh vines as they will have reached their optimum.One hectare under grapes has between 2,000 and 3,000 vines and a good harvest yields between 10 to 15 tonnes of grapes.

Also Read: How well-planned are you for tree fruit farming this season?

YOUNG VINES

Currently, the farm has 12 hectares of mature grapes and another 12 has young vines which are supposed to produce fruits in the next two years. Their target according to Venter is to plant another 36 hectares to cope with the increasing demand of their wines in the shops and hotels. Venter trained as a horticulturist at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Venter said that they have invested in irrigation with equipment imported from South Africa because water is the heart of any grape farming. The farm also has a reservoir which is used as a backup whenever there is a sign of water levels going down.

Ventor told the journalist that he has a soft spot for horticulture as he comes from a farming family. His parents, brothers, uncles are all farmers, says the father of two boys and two girls, who has been farming for the last 25 years.

Although he is reluctant to disclose how much the farm is making, he was quick to point out that there is good money in grape farming. However, one of the major challenges is the downy mildew disease and weevils which can be devastating if not managed.

KEEP CLEAN

Dr Lusike Wasilwa, the Assistant Director in-charge of Horticulture and Industrial crops at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), says a number of diseases which attack the grapes can be contained by keeping the field clean. He says that you should not let leaves and uprooted weeds lie idle on the farm as they are alternative hosts for pests.

According to Dr Wasilwa, the best soils for grapes are loam and volcanic but clay soil is also appropriate so long as it has enough manure. The crops should be grown in areas with soils that do not retain a lot of water. One should also ensure they grow the correct variety. The berries flourish in temperatures ranging from 0 degrees Celsius up to 40 degrees but are best harvested during hot season.

(This Article was first published on the Saturday Nation, Seed of Gold, courtesy of Francis Mureithi)

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