Sometimes, you might not have all the space you may need, but you need to grow something that will increase profits. The yields and market prices for your produce determine the success of your garden. For this reason, you need to grow high-yielding fruits that are easy to care for and fetch good prices in the local and export markets. Here are five high-value fruits that you can grow on your land:

Strawberries

The demand for strawberries has increased rapidly, and the supply has been relatively low. This has been fueled by their extensive use in value addition, in products such as ice-creams, juices, yogurt, jams, and perfumes. Currently, companies rely on imports as we cannot meet their demand. With excellent ecological conditions in most parts of the country, strawberry farming can be a lucrative venture to invest in. They mature within a short period of about 70 days.

You are not limited to growing strawberries on a specific size of land. For a beginner, an urban grower, or a farmer with limited space, an eighth of an acre can be enough. Prepare raised beds or invest in containers (and place them in your garden) and grow your strawberries. On average, an eighth acre can accommodate about 3000 seedlings. You can harvest between 30kg to 50kg per week if you use proper management practices. For Kshs. 200 per kilo, a farmer can pocket about Kshs. 24,000 to Kshs. 40,000 per month.

Passion Fruit

Don't you love the passion flavor in juices? Well, now imagine the number of consumers of passion flavored products in different parts of the world. Like strawberries, passion fruits are highly productive and can give you high yields from just a small piece of land. Two varieties flourish in Kenya: the yellow variety, which produces high yields, and the purple variety, which thrives in high altitudes.

A quarter-acre can accommodate about 350 plants, while an eighth will need about 175 passion fruit plants. However, this varies depending on your spacing. One plant can produce 10 – 15 kg per year when proper management practices are employed. This equates to about 3500kg to 5250kg from a quarter acre. Locally, the fruits sell for Sh 50 to 100 per kg. They sell at Sh 70 – 100 per kg in the export markets. A farmer with a quarter-acre producing 3500kg can pocket about Kshs 140,000 to 350,000 per year while selling locally.

Hass Avocado

Hass avocado is a new goldmine with an ever-ready market, locally and in the export markets. Currently, we are yet to meet the demand for Hass avocado in the Europe, China, and Mauritius markets. With good care, avocado trees are highly productive and produce fruits all year round. On average, with proper spacing, a quarter-acre can accommodate about 30 to 40 trees.

Each mature tree can produce 70 to 100kg per year. Currently, 1kg of Hass avocado is selling at Kshs 176. A farmer can make between Kshs 12000 to 17600 per year from a single tree. This equates to between Kshs. 360,000 to 588,000 per year. The number of countries interested in Kenyan Hass avocados is still rising, with the demand rising in Russia, Singapore, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Libya, Egypt, Hong Kong, and Iran. Also, their use in value addition is still rising, which translates to an increase in demand.

Pawpaws

Many people do not know the opportunities that lie in pawpaw farming. The plants are drought tolerant and can perform well in drier areas. Besides, once well established, they require little care, mature faster, start bearing from the ninth month, and are highly productive. With a spacing of 2m x 2m, a quarter-acre can accommodate about 275 pawpaw trees.

Each plant can produce about 40 to 50kg per year, which equates to 11000kg -13750 from a quarter acre. By selling a kg with an average of Kshs 30, a farmer can pocket Kshs. 330,000 to 412,500 per year. Why not make use of your space and try pawpaw farming?

Bananas

Bananas are one of the most profitable fruit trees to grow. They are easy to manage and can produce high yields all year round. However, although banana farming is an easy process, you need to employ good management practices, apply manure regularly, irrigate on time, and mulch your plants. A quarter-acre can accommodate about 100 to 160 plants. A stem can produce a bunch weighing between 80 and 95kg if the plants are properly managed. Selling at a price of Kshs 20 per kg, a farmer can make about Kshs 160,000 per harvest. Try it out.

 

 

At OxfarmAg, we offer certified, high-quality seedlings to help you kickstart your fruit farming agribusiness. Besides, we offer agronomy support and competitive fruit farming packages to help you make the right steps. Invest in these high-value fruits and enjoy the profitability of fruit farming. Let OxfarmAg help you out!