Crop that is changing lives of Ukambani residents

Some years ago, farmers in Machakos, Kitui and Makueni counties would be a hopeless lot around this time of the year because of failed crop.

Growing maize and beans, the farmers would plant sometime in April and harvest in October, but the crop would not perform well due to erratic rains.

The result would be farmers harvesting only enough for their families, but little for sale.

“We would end up miserable during Christmas because we would not have enough produce to sell to cheer our families,” recalls Beth Munuvi, a farmer in Kaulani village, Yatta Constituency.

But that is now in the distant past as the farmers have embraced yellow passion fruit that is changing lives.

The fruit is slowly becoming the cash crop of choice for residents as it spreads its cheer.

“I grow the crop individually on my farm but we collect our produce and sell as a group,” says Munuvi, a member of the Yatta Farm Growers Community Based Organisation, which brings together 100 farmers.

David Muthiani, a retired banker, 65, says he embraced yellow passion fruit sometime in 2015.

“It was a golden opportunity I could not let pass. Although prices have been low, at Sh20 a kilo, we now sell at Sh30.

Our members are getting good money taking over 300kg per week earning up to Sh10,000,” says Muthiani, a member of Yatta group.

WATER CHALLENGES

The farmer recalls he used to harvest about two sacks of maize from his quarter-acre, which he would use at home.

However, from the same farm, he harvests between 250-280kg of passion fruit per week

“Passion fruits take about six months to mature, which means one can harvest twice a year offering more earnings than maize and beans.”

The passion fruit variety is suitable for low altitude regions with little rainfall. The variety developed in collaboration with researchers from the Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organisation is also drought-tolerant and resistant to some pests and diseases.

However, being a dry region, water scarcity is a big challenge to farmers. The lucky ones, however, like Munuvi get irrigation water from a nearby dam, enabling her to earn up to Sh20,000 per month.

At Kaani in Kathiani Constituency, Joseph Muinde has planted 350 yellow passion fruit vines on his quarter acre.

Muinde supplies his produce to Mulleys Supermarket, which processes juice and sells to customers. “Demand for the product has been high this December that I do not regret switching to grow the crop.”

His main challenge, however, is diseases and pests such as thrips, which destroy the crop. But he has learned how to prevent or stop them whenever they occur.

AGGREGATION CENTRES

USAID Kenya Agricultural Value Chain Enterprise Director of Horticulture James Arim says the organisation has set up aggregation centres to link up farmers to the market.

However, the main problem is the lack of adequate volumes to satisfy the export market.

“We have the fresh domestic, processing and export markets. Currently, we are getting 500 metric tonnes of yellow passion fruit per year from about 4,000 farmers in Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties,” says Arim, adding the price varies from Sh25 per kilo for processing to Sh60 for fresh domestic market and up to Sh80 per kilo for the export market.

Machakos Agriculture Executive Ruth Mutua says the county is using extension officers to ensure farmers grow more to increase quantities for the export market.

“We have realised it is possible to commercialise yellow passion fruit in this region. We believe this is the crop that will change Ukambani for the better soon.”

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Growing Passion-fruit Vines is easy

• One needs to prepare the seedbed with compost manure and spread the seedlings. Fresh seeds germinate faster than dry ones (within two weeks) while seeds from the shop may take a month.
• Transplant the seedlings when about 20cm.
• Recommended spacing is 3m between vines and 2m between rows. Mulching is done around the roots to prevent evaporation of moisture.
• Support the crop with wire mesh or sticks for the tendrils to climb.
• Prune the vines after flowering to remove all dead parts. This prevents infections and allows space for fruiting.
• Water regularly during flowering and fruiting.
• Passion fruit vines take about six months to mature in tropical climate regions.