Feedback: What it takes to reap from avocado

WHAT IT TAKES TO REAP FROM AVOCADOS

We have land in Kiambu County and we want to start farming avocados. My forefathers were farmers back in India and with that background, we really see that we should do this.

We would appreciate if you could provide us some information as asked below.

Uma Reddy

a) How many trees do we need to plant per acre and what should be the distance from each plant?

You can use a square spacing of 10m by 10m or rectangular spacing of 10m by 8m to get 40 and 50 avocado trees per acre respectively.

The spacing will depend on the grower as a closer one can be used. A spacing of 5m by 5m can be used to give 150 trees per acre.

2. Which variety can give good yields and has the most demand in the local and as well as export markets?

Hass variety has a good market locally and internationally.

3. Is Kiambu suitable for this crop?

Yes, avocados do well in Kiambu. According to Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) validated report of 2016-2017, Kiambu ranks second county in avocado production.

4. What is the current and past three years’ production of avocados in Kenya and who are the end users?

According to HCD, the production from 2015 to 2017 is as shown below and avocados accounted for 80.62 per cent of the total fruits exported from Kenya.

It was the leading produce in the category of fruits. Avocado is consumed locally and internationally.

5. Where are we supposed to take the avocado fruits after we get good yields and what are the buying prices currently?

Locally, avocados are sold at the market place from between Sh10 and Sh50 depending on the size and quality. Export markets are Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Iran, Libya and Egypt, among others.

6. Share what happens from the day I plant trees on the farm up to when I harvest. The land available is 47 acres

Spacing: The square planting pattern is usually used. A spacing of 10m x 10m or 10m x 8m (rectangular) to give plant populations of 100 and 125 trees per hectare, respectively, is ideal.

Planting: Planting holes are dug 45cm x 45cm x 45cm.

Holes are filled with top soil mixed with about 30kg of manure and 125g of DSP. The trees are delivered in polythene bags and carefully removed to cause very little disturbance to the roots.

The trees are usually planted at a higher level than they were in the nursery to allow for settling. After planting, they are watered and mulched. The best time to plant is when the long rains are starting.

Pruning: Normally, no pruning is required besides the removal of broken and diseased branches and trimming those touching the ground. Sucker growth is checked to remove shoots coming out of the rootstock.

Weeding: The orchard should be weed-free. It is recommended to have vegetables growing between the rows of young plantations. Beans have shown better results.

Nothing should be planted closer than 2m from the tree. Higher crops such as maize and sunflower should not be intercropped with the avocado.

Irrigation: To have good production of avocados, irrigation is necessary, especially during the dry period. The quantity of water applied depends on the moisture characteristics of the soil and age of the trees.

It, however, varies from 25-35 litres per tree per fortnight. Since avocados are intolerant to salinity, the water used must be free from salts.

Manuring and fertilisation: To obtain maximum growth and optimum yields, it is important to supply the avocado with necessary nutrients.

It is, however, dangerous to give excessive amounts on any size of trees at one time as it may cause root damage, leaf burn and defoliation. The type of fertiliser to be used depends on soil pH.

In the planting year, it is advisable not to top-dress the orchard since this may retard root development during the first four-to-five months after planting.

After this period, 60g of 26 per cent N fertiliser should be applied after every three months when the soil is moist. In addition, about 25kg of well-rotten manure should be spread around the trees after each year.

Harvesting: The first yields can be expected in the third year after planting. The avocado fruits do not soften on the trees when mature and therefore it is not easy to determine the time of harvest by external appearance. The fruits also do not mature at the same time.

Maturity is determined by harvesting some fruits, which are assumed to be mature and stored at room temperature. If they soften within a maximum period of 12 days without shrivelling, they are considered ready for picking. Other indications of maturity are:

• Loss of a glossy sheen is observed in immature fruits.
• When there is a yellowish tint to the skin and stem. The green fruit becomes smoother, especially at the end opposite the stem and small corky areas appear on the skin.
• When the seed is examined in the ripe fruit, the coat appears dark brown and its tissue is very thin.

During harvesting, the fruit must be clipped with secateurs from the trees; a stalk of about 1cm should be left on the fruit.

Never pull the fruits because this encourages rotting. It is recommended that cotton gloves be used during picking, grading and packing to avoid bruising.

Fruits should never be dropped — they should be placed gently in baskets or boxes during picking. Fruits should be delivered to the grading and packing station as soon as possible.

Avocado trees yields increase with the age of the tree. According to Oxfam, the cost-benefit analysis of hass avocado is as shown:

1st and 2nd years — growth.
3rd year — 200-250 fruits per tree- Sh240,000.
5th year — 800 fruits per tree — Sh900,000.
10th year — more than 1,750 fruits per tree — Sh2 million.

The above cost analysis is for Hass avocado variety grown at a spacing of 5m by 5m to give a total of 150 plants per acre and the selling price was Sh8 per fruit (Oxfam).

Therefore, the benefit analysis will vary depending on the variety, selling price of the fruit, spacing and good agricultural practices.

Avocado seeds can be used to make jewellery, indelible ink, smoothie, dye fabrics and shampoo. With 47 acres, you will need labour for several operations on the farm like planting, weeding, harvesting therefore you will be able to create employment opportunities for Kenyans.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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LEARNING HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN FEEDS

I am a serious chicken farmer currently keeping Improved Kienyeji chickens and the cost of buying feeds such as layers mash and growers mash is too high.

I’m not reaping any profits from the venture and I’m planning to switch to the real Kienyeji chickens as well as make my own feeds. Please advise me on the best recipe that would promote egg production as well as growth for my chickens.

Goodwill Kiprop

Sorry for experiencing hardships in your agribusiness. Create time, come to Egerton University, Department of Animal Sciences, and we will help you on farm feed formulation.

Dennis Kigiri,
Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University.

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I NEED MARKET FOR RABBIT URINE

I have over 300 litres of rabbit urine in Utawala, Nairobi. Is there a market out there please?
Moses Karani

A lot of urban agriculture is taking place on limited spaces, what you need to do is to market your product by visiting greenhouse farmers around you or attending farm field events. This will help you get customers.

Dennis Kigiri,
Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University