Top 5 Profitable Fruits You Should Grow On Your Farm

Fruit farming is an exciting way to keep busy while still making an income. With the rains here, this is the perfect time to grow the money trees. However, while agribusiness sounds tempting, you must also understand you need patience, and adopting proper management practices may take more than a year to mature. But, the wait is worth it as they will serve you as the best long-term investments you can make.

Check out the top five profitable fruits to grow that we have compiled. You are missing a lot if you are not growing them.

  • Bananas

Bananas are underrated crops consumed in most households in different parts of the country. It has become a staple food, especially in parts such as Western, Nyanza, Central Kenya, urban areas, and in most homes. In parts such as Nyamira and Kisii, it's almost a main dish. On average, bananas take about nine months to mature, although this may vary depending on the cultivar.

Banana farming can be a highly profitable business opportunity when proper management practices are applied. It's a high-value crop that can sell at high prices in its raw form and when added value.

Let's do the math to see how much you can make. With 450 bananas on your farm, you can expect to harvest at least ten bunches daily. At a minimum price of KSh 300 per bunch will equal to Ksh 90,000 per month (30x10x300). You can sell a bunch for Ksh 500 or more when the market is good. This equates to Ksh 150,000 per month. Isn't this good cash?

  • Hass Avocado

Hass avocado farming is picking momentum fast, mainly due to the increasing demand, growing demand, many health benefits, and usage in a wide range of dishes. They can be used at home as baby feed, mixed in food, or as a dessert. Imagine that stew you took with avocado in it. It was delicious, right? The trees are fast maturing, with grafted varieties bearing fruits in two to three years after planting. Besides, they grow in a wide range of ecological conditions, require little care, and produce high yields. To minimize wastage, mature fruits should be harvested before they ripen.

The question is, how much can you make? Well, one tree can produce about 600 fruits, translating to about Ksh 6000 per tree when you sell each fruit at Ksh 10. An acre with 100 trees will give you about Ksh 500,000 to Ksh 600,000+. The production increases as the years pass.

  • Pawpaw

This is a sensitive agribusiness with a high return on investment. The fruits are susceptible to extreme sunlight, but their demand is relatively high. They need plenty of shade in their first year and start bearing fruits 2 – 3 years after planting (grafted varieties, though). Ensure you use quality seedlings and employ proper management practices.

Calculating the amount you can get, an acre can give you an average of 30 tons. The price of sh 30 per kg translates to about Ksh 900,000 per year. Expect a similar amount or higher in the following year. Isn't this a cash cow?

  • Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! Well, apple trees on a farm keep your pockets full. Apple farming is a highly lucrative venture that requires little management but gives high returns. All you need to do is keep your plants watered, control pests and diseases, keep your orchard tidy, feed your apples, apply manure regularly, and prune your trees on time.

A mature, well-managed apple tree can give you about 500 fruits per season. Since they retail at premium prices of about Ksh 15 – 30 per fruit, expect to make some good money. A single tree will give you about Ksh 10,000 when you sell at Ksh 20 per fruit. This translates to an average of Ksh 500,000.

  • Macadamia

When the profitability of cash crops such as coffee started falling, most people started shifting to high-value crops, and macadamia was one of them. The increasing demand, reasonable prices of the nuts, and little care needed have macadamia farming an ideal agribusiness for both high and low-income earners.

A well-maintained tree can produce around 80kgs per season. An acre under macadamia can yield an average of 5600 kgs. This equates to Ksh 560,000 per season when selling at Ksh 100 per kilo. A farmer can make a minimum of Ksh 392k per acre on the low side. The prices may rise to even 230 per kilo, which means you will earn Sh 1.2 million plus.

                                               Is This the Right Time To Invest in Fruit Farming?

Yes, this is the right time to invest in the commercial production of cash cows. With increased usage in value addition, growing markets, and an increasing number of consumers, fruit farming is something you should consider. At Oxfarm, we offer certified, high-quality seedlings to help you get started. Contact us today, and let's get growing.