Youth finds wealth in pawpaws

Daniel Kenga Ngalla, 27, a resident of Kikambala, Kilifi County, grew up in a family that adored farming and ended up liking the venture at a tender age.

After completing his primary education in 2006, and failing to proceed to secondary school due to school fees challenges, Ngalla turned to faming.

He started with growing vegetables that include mchicha, mwangani, mnavu and sukuma wiki on quarter acre.

Over time, he has now ventured to fruits, mainly growing pawpaws, in addition to the vegetables, on two acres. The pawpaws are his mainstay thanks to the good money they fetch in the local market.

He grows mainly the Indian and Hawii varieties of the fruit, besides the local one.

It takes nine months for the local variety to mature and be ready for harvesting, which starts three months later.

Meanwhile, for the Hawaii and Indian varieties, he harvests after six months and the harvesting goes on for up to five months.

Ngalla sells the pawpaws per crate with one going at Sh1,200 for the local variety. For the Hawaii and Indian, he sells per kilo with each going for Sh80. He harvests up to 15 crates of pawpaws daily when they are in season.

“Customers like my vegetables and pawpaws because I don’t use inorganic fertilisers, and the fruits are sweet and fresh. I grow the crops using compost manure that I make on the farm,” says Ngalla. Ngalla does not regret venturing into farming as he lives off agribusiness, selling his produce to neighbours and nearby tourist hotels along Mtwapa, Kikambala and Takaungu in Kilifi County.

His challenges include pests that attack his crops mainly during early stages, which force him to spend a lot of money on pesticides.

“Sometimes I am also forced to spend nights on the farm to protect my crops from thieves and wild animals,” says Ngalla, noting he hopes to fence his two acres to keep away intruders.