Pixie oranges continue to become very popular among Kenyan consumers. This is because this variety of oranges is a lot sweeter than the ordinary large oranges, juicier and their orange flavour is very sharp.

Actually, if you cut a pixie orange in one room, its refreshing smell will be calling someone from the next room.

Farmers have realized the huge opportunity arising from the demand and are making efforts to fill the gap. However, the few pixie orange farming activities in Kenya are far from meeting the growing demand within the country and even abroad.

Meet the charming Pixie oranges – a small citrus variety that’s perfect for those who want easy fruit farming. These little fruits are sweet and tangy all at once. They love soaking up the sun and growing in well-drained soil, which suits many parts of Kenya.

Regular watering, a sprinkle of fertilizer every now and then, and a watchful eye for pests are usually all it takes to enjoy a steady supply of these delightful treats.

Being a variety of citrus fruits, pixie oranges thrive in hot climatic conditions. Currently, Makueni County leads in the production of this fruit, followed by the other Ukambani counties like Machakos and Kitui.

The hot Baringo County is also hot on the trail and gladly, the coastal people of Kwale and Taita Taveta have woken up to the opportunity even though in very small scales.

Grafted pixie oranges will start giving you fruits in the second year and mature after 3-5 years depending on how well they are taken care of.

At first, each tree will give a few fruits; about 30 to 50 fruits. This production increases every year as the branches grow wider. The highest yield is attained in the 4th or 5th year in which each pixie tree can give up to 300 fruits; about 60 kgs per tree.

Pixie orange trees grow vigorously and has stout ascending branches with large leaves. Proper spacing should be considered when setting up pixie orchards. The recommended spacing of pixie orange trees is 4 meters between trees and 5 meters between rows. This gives each tree about 625 square meters of space.

With this spacing, you can plant about 200 pixie orange trees per acre., some farmers opt for a 3m by 3m spacing resulting to a high population of about 333 pixie trees per acre.

The expected yield on pixie orange per tree can vary depending on a number of factors, including the variety of pixie orange tree, the climate, the soil, and the amount of care the tree receives.

A mature pixie orange tree will start producing at 2nd year with proper management. However, a typical expected yield for pixie orange trees in Kenya is:

Year 1: Growth

Year 2: 30-100 fruits per tree

Year 3: 100-200 fruits per tree

Year 4: 200-300 fruits per tree

Year 5: 300-400 fruits per tree

Year 6: 400-550 fruits per tree

Year 7: 550-700 fruits per tree

Year 8: 700-850 fruits per tree

Year 9: 850-1000 fruits per tree

Year 10: 1000-1250 fruits per tree

It is important to note that these are just general guidelines. The actual yield of a pixie orange tree can be higher or lower depending on the factors mentioned above.

A Kg of pixie orange goes for about Ksh.100 to Ksh.150 during off season and around Ksh.80 when the season is at its peak

Assumptions:

Spacing: 4 meters between trees in a row, 5 meters between rows
Trees per Acre: 200 trees (as per recommended spacing)

Year 5 Yield per Tree: 40 kilograms

Market Price per Kilogram: Ksh.150

Cost of pixie orange production

Land preparation: Ksh.40,000

Hole digging: Ksh.8,000 (assuming 200 holes @ Ksh.40/hole)

Irrigation: Ksh.40,000

Goat manure: Ksh.20,000

Pest control: Ksh.15,000

Other miscellaneous costs: Ksh.25,000

Total cost of production: Ksh.113,000

Expected yield

Yield per tree: 40 kg

Number of trees per acre: 200

Total yield per acre: 8000 kg

Expected revenue

Price per kg: Ksh.150

Total revenue: 8000 × 150 = Ksh.1,200,000

Profit on pixie orange farming in Kenya

Profit = Revenue – Cost

Profit = 1,200,000 – 113,000 = Ksh.1,087,000

Therefore, the expected profit from pixie orange farming per acre is Ksh.1,087,000, even with the additional miscellaneous costs. This is still a very profitable venture.

Please note that the above calculations are simplified examples for illustrative purposes. Actual costs and profits can vary based on numerous factors, including actual expenses, market fluctuations, yield variations, and unforeseen challenges.

Also this are profits for the first harvest, as years pass by production per tree increases and your profits keep on rising.

Where to sell pixie fruit in Kenya

Supermarkets and grocery shops currently form the largest market for pixie oranges in Kenya. This is already a huge market that has not had enough of these tasty fruits.

A kilo of pixie retails for as high as Ksh.200 making them look like fruits for the rich.

The larger Wakulima Markets are yet to get a good share of pixie oranges.

At this point, we cannot even talk about the exporting companies that are constantly hunting for the fruits and offering prices as high as Ksh.150 at the farm gate.

Final Word

As we always tell you, there’s no marathon race that has ever been won by those who did not start the race.

If you like the idea discussed above and you have what it takes to actualize it…then don’t wait to start…just do it.

We live in a beautiful country indeed. Our potential for agri-business is immense, our land is fertile and our people are hard workers.

Thanks to a fast growing demand for fresh grocery, demand for agricultural products such as watermelons has grown exponentially over the last few years.

Today I want to share some important tips about watermelon farming.

How To Grow Your Ksh.40,000 Into Ksh.400,000 In A 100 Days

1. Get the Seeds

High quality seeds are available at Kenya Seeds Company and Simlaw Seeds Company outlets. At the moment 500 grams of seeds is retailing at Ksh.12,500 and it can serve up to 1 acre.

Keep in mind that because watermelon produce large vines, you need to leave a space of at least 1.5 metres between rows. This leafy crop should be grown away from any shade so that it receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

2. Choose the Right Variety

The variety of watermelon you choose can determine what profit you are going to reap from your investment.

According to Mr. Robert Musyoki, a variety known as Sweet Rose is the best bet for first time farmers since it is highly resistant to diseases and pests.

Other varieties that are in high demand in Kenya include: Sugar-Baby, Jubilee and Congo.

3. How Long to Maturity?

Watermelons normally reach maturity in 80 to 100 days. To check if your fruits are ready you only need to turn them to see if they have a yellow patch on the part that lies against the ground.

Another way to check for maturity would be by thumping the fruits – you should expect to hear a dull noise from a ripe one.

4. Can I Plant Watermelons in My Home Area?

“Watermelon is adapatable to a wide range of environments” said Robert Musyoki during a telephone interview with our research team. In general watermelons grow well in mid-hot coastal areas and dry plains.

Example of such places: Machakos, Embu, Kirinyaga, Loitoktok, Garissa, Isiolo, Kerio Valley and some parts of Meru.

According to Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) this crop can also perform well in areas with black cotton soil (such as Kitengela) if planted under drip irrigation.

5. Challenges to Watch Out For

As with any other business, watermelon farming has its fair share of challenges. According to Dr. John McOpiyo (a one-time Watermelon farmer) says that finding the right pesticides, and fungicide is always a challenge.

He narrated to us how he sprayed his farm with wrong chemicals only to lose all his crops.

We recommend seeking advice from an extension officer before applying any pesticides of fungicides to watermelons.

6. How Much You Need (1 acre farm budget)

Seeds – Ksh.12,500

Labour – Ksh.10,000

Ploughing and weeding – Ksh.10,000

50 KG DAP Fertilizer – Ksh.2,500

An acre of land can produce 45,000 Kilograms. Each Kilogram retails at a farm-gate price of Ksh.10 – Ksh.15.

In short, we are talking about a return of about Ksh.450,000 minimum.

7. Where Is the Market for Watermelons

Major market for watermelons in Kenya is easily available in Nairobi’s City Market, Agakhan Market, Githurai Market, Kangemi and Kongowea Market that is in Mombasa.

Alternatively, you can look for market in hotels and supermarkets in your locality.

“There are middle-men who normally come to the farms seeking to buy your produce even before it matures, so I don’t think finding market for watermelon would be a big problem” Julius Kombo (a farmer from Lamu, Kenya).

How former watchman and college dropout found a soft landing in watermelon farming

Raised by a single parent, Zachariah Onchuri is one of those few youths who have gone through various challenges in their hustles through the persistence for success has borne them fruits.

Zack, as famously known by his friends, was forced out of college in 2009 when he could not pay his school fees given his mother who is his only parent, he could depend on was unable to pay his fees.

His hustle as a ‘mutura’ seller in Eldoret Town near Elgon View College where he was taking his journalism course could also not continue as the town ‘askaris’ were always on his case due to lack of business permit.

When it became unbearable, he dropped out of college, left his home in Sotik, Bomet County for Kilifi Town after a friend of his called him over to join him in a security job.

“I had no choice, I found myself being a night watchman in the coastal town, a job which could earn me Sh.3,500 a month,” said Zack.

During the day, he could also get involved in hawking fruits such as watermelon, oranges and pineapples at least to increase his earning, foot his bills and support his mother back at home.

Fortunately for him, the fruit hawking business picked and he saw no need of continuing as a night security guard. So, he left the watchman job in May 2009 to focus on his new business.

“I used to make Sh.500 a day from watermelon sales alone as it was loved by most consumers and it would always run out of stock leaving me with nothing to sell even when the demand was still high,” said Zack.

Soon an idea would strike his mind – farming watermelon. However, his first challenge was the lack of a farm though he could afford farm inputs from his little savings.

Luckily, a young man from the Chakama location in Kilifi County whom they had become friends offered him a quarter piece of land to grow watermelon.

Without any skills in commercial farming and had not thought of consulting, Zack left his business in town to invest about Sh.11,000 in watermelon farming.

Unfortunately, he lost almost the entire crop to Bacterial Fruit Blotch and Powdery Mildew, very common watermelon diseases.

“At a time I was expecting my first fruits in December that year, I realized the products were still very small and unhealthy while others were withering away. There was no hope on them so I destroyed everything,” he said.

Not losing hope, he hustled for a loan of Sh.50,000 to begin afresh since his Chakama friend had accepted to let him another half an acre piece of the plot.

Before starting his round two of watermelon farming, he had to consult the county agriculture extension officer and some experienced farmers in the area.

In mid-January, he planted the fruits again using the friend’s generator water pump to draw water from Athi River which the farm was closer to water his tender crops through the dry season.

By mid-March 2011, he harvested about six tonnes of watermelon which he took to markets in Malindi and Kilifi to sell by himself at Sh.40 per kilo without passing through middlemen hence making full profit.

“At the end of that season I made Sh.200,000 gross income remaining with Sh.140,000 after expenses and this has since motivated me,” said Zack.

Today the young farmer has over 47 acres of land (his own and others leased) under rotation watermelon farming at Chakama and Garsen in Malindi.

He produces 10 to 17 tonnes of the crop per acre selling on order to wholesalers from Mombasa, Malindi Kilifi and Nairobi at Sh.60 per kilo.

This earns him between Sh.900,000 and Sh.1.2 million clean net income after farm expenses. He uses this money to settle siblings school fees, some on his mother’s needs while saving the rest.

He has also ventured into other vegetables such as okra, cabbages, capsicum, and zucchini which helps him in rotation farming he has adopted to keep diseases away and improve the structure of his farms’ soils.

Finally;

As we always tell you, there’s no marathon race that has ever been won by those who did not start the race. If you like the idea discussed above and you have what it takes to actualize it…then don’t wait to start…just do it.

The agribusiness journey continues to be an exciting one. It is more so with Kenyan farmers now able to access international markets.

The youth are also coming in with ever more advanced technologies that have not only brought farming solutions nearer to the farmer but also made then more affordable.

While agribusiness in Kenya is on a fast growth, the following crops have an even greater advantage:

1. Dragon fruit

It is not by coincidence that we have chosen to start with this crop. Dragon fruit is a relatively new crop on the Kenyan soils but the kind of profit potential it has leaves everyone who gets to know about it in awe.

Take one acre for example: dragon fruit plants are vines of the cactus family. As such, they have to be provided with support such as a post or a concrete structure to remain erect.

The ideal spacing for dragon fruits is 2x2m which means an acre can accommodate 1,000 of these support posts.

On each post, 2 vines are planted hence the plant population per acre is 2,000. Each of these vines can give you 30 fruits per year, each fruit weighing on average 0.5kg. That translates to a yield of 30,000 kgs per acre every year.

Now what’s crazy is the price of the fruit per acre and I would like you to check this out for yourself if you are lucky to be near a supermarket that stocks these fruits.

When we last checked, the price was at Ksh.800 per kilo at the farm gate of the largest dragon fruit farm in Kenya so far, Boffar farm, Naivasha.

Have you done the math? It comes to Ksh.24 million per acre per year.

Of course, the price of dragon fruit in Kenya at the moment is too high because 90% of the fruits that reach our supermarket shelves are imported.

As more farmers take up dragon fruit farming in Kenya, the price of the fruit will come down. Going by the statistics of the fruits we currently produce and sell locally such as strawberries, a sustainable price will be in the range of 400 per kg.

But even with such, a farmer will still be making a cool Ksh.12 million per acre every year.

The best thing about dragon fruit farming is that once you establish your farm, you have over 30 years to reap from it. You can visit Richfarm Kenya’s demonstration farm in Kiritiri Embu or call them on 0724698347 / 0723213602 for more information.

2. Passion fruit

If you are looking for a high-value crop that can produce an income in the first year, take a look at passion fruit farming. Passion fruit farming has nearly unlimited advantages from extended life span exceeding three years after establishment to ability to intercrop.

While the capital needed to start a good size of passion fruit farm is not very low, the benefits and profit are worth every investment you make.

Demand for passion fruits has continued to rise in 2022, especially with the coming of Covid 19 which has made people want to eat more healthy foods, more so fruits.

In the wake of health awareness, companies like Coca-cola, Afia juices and Del-Monte are also doing more in fruit juice production.

Some of them are already sourcing various fruits from farmers to tap fresh fruits processing segments.

Despite all the interest by fresh drink processors, the supply of this fruit has been low even this year. This presents an opportunity for you as a farmer.

The crop produces high yields under proper care, for instance, a yield of 50,000kg of passion fruit per hectare has been reported in Kenya. The average price of one kilo of passion fruits is Sh.50 in various market centres in the country.

However, you can still sell at a higher price through direct marketing. From one hectare, it’s possible to earn over Sh.2,000,000; an earning that exceeds many other farming enterprises.

Furthermore, the maturity and ripening of the fruits, does not happen at the same time; some take three days others one week while others two weeks. This is an advantage, as it will allow you to harvest weekly, and have time to market the produce.

Starting as a small grower you will find lots of eager buyers at your neighbourhoods and supermarkets.

3. Strawberries

The demand for strawberries is bursting at the seams and the supply is low. This is because of the strawberry flavour that is used in the production of yoghurt, ice-creams, jams and in perfumes.

Companies that use these fruits in Kenya are relying on imports. This is sufficient justification why strawberry farming is and will remain lucrative agribusiness in the years to come.

Strawberries can grow in almost every part of our country provided there is constant water supply and stable temperature.

A one eighth of an acre would be adequate for a beginner but if you are in an urban setting you can invest in a few containers (which you can then put in your backyard) and start farming.

It takes about 70 days for the crop to mature and produce the first fruits. But because the fruits are highly perishable (stays fresh for four to five days after harvesting), it is advisable to start looking for market early enough to avoid incurring losses.

An eighth piece of land can produce between 30 kg and 50 kg of strawberries per week and each kilo goes for about Sh.200 at the current wholesale market price. Now assuming your small farm produces 50 Kgs per week then that means you can make Sh.40,000 per month using only a small portion of your land.

Once you plant them, 70 days down the line you will get your first harvest. This will continue for up to three years with two to three harvesting seasons every year.

Like any other business with attractive returns, strawberry farming in Kenya requires capital. Chandler is the most popular variety. Strawberries are runners, so once you plant, you do not need to buy other seedlings as you can propagate them by removing the splits from the parent plant.

You don’t have to be an agriculture expert to succeed in strawberry farming. All you need to do is find a good piece of land. Then you need to source for the right seedlings – and this is where you need to contact Richfarm Kenya on 0724698357 for assistance.

Alternatively, you can talk to other successful farmers in your area for assistance in sourcing for the right variety.

4. Mushrooms

Mushroom production of late has captured the attention of the Kenya’s farming community with most mushroom farmers boasting amazing profits.

Mushroom are land and rainfall independent hence making them the better option for those looking to maximize revenue from their land usage.

For those without space to garden, growing mushrooms for profit can produce a great return in a small space.

Exotic mushrooms, such as oyster and shiitake, make sense, as they can be grown indoors without soil. They only require a house and your attention. Mud thatched houses can create the right climate for mushroom growing.

The demand in Kenya is unsatisfied with data indicating that we are only producing 500 tonnes of these mushrooms against an annual demand of 1,200 tonnes.

Mushrooms can be grown using various substrates from agricultural wastes such as cereal straws such as maize stalks, bean stalk, wheat straw Coffee pulp, coffee husks, paper waste, papyrus, water hyacinth, banana fronds etc.

Cotton husks, maize cobs, banana leaves, papyrus, grass straw, paper wastes, sugarcane bagasse and hay. Spawns ‘seeds’ can now be easily obtained from Richfarm Kenya.

Oyster mushrooms, for example, produce around 10kg per square foot of growing space in a year’s time. At the current price of Sh.400 a kilo, that’s Sh.400,000 worth of mushrooms from a 10’x10′ space!

Exotic mushrooms do not travel well, so as a small local grower you will always have an edge over distant producers. In most supermarkets, the oyster mushrooms are also the first items to sell out.

Before, mushroom farming has been a very complicated venture requiring lots of chemistry, biology and attention. So many people were discouraged by this but not now, Richfarm Kenya has simplified it so much that anyone can do it.

There are training sessions every week and starters can even buy already prepared and seeded mushroom production bags such that they are in production in less than 1 month.

5. Onions

Although onion prices reached the lowest in 2020 with a kg selling for as low as Ksh.20 at the farm gate, this is a crop that is still worth a shot at.

It is not so much of a goldmine as it was in previous years but my prediction is that there is going to be an abnormal rise in onion prices very soon since so many farmers abandoned the crop when the prices went low and remained so for a long time.

Done well, 1 acre of onions should yield 20,000 kgs or more. If you sell the crop at Ksh.20 per kg, your revenue will be Ksh.400,000 in just 5 months.

The cost of production usually goes to an average of Ksh.120,000 per acre so you are still making profits.

The kill will be when these prices start going up, most likely in early 2021, something that seems sure to happen.

Can you imagine how much you will earn if you harvest your 20 tons when the price are at 80 per kg!

That is not a far dream; the prices have many times been on such a high.

6. Pawpaws

This is a crop that few farmers know about and that is where the opportunity lies. It is a tree that is quite resistant to dry conditions and hardy to pests and diseases. Once planted and well established, just a little care will be required from time to time.

There are various varieties of pawpaw and now we even have the dwarfs which start producing fruits from the ninth month.

With a line spacing of 2 m and tree-to-tree spacing of 2m, one acre can carry 1100 trees. Each of these trees produces 40 to 50 kg of fruit every year giving you about 40 to 50 tons of fruit per acre every year.

With a kg selling at an average of Ksh.30, you can easily make 1.2 to 1.5 million shillings from an acre of pawpaw every year.

The initial cost of planting an acre of pawpaw is low since each seedling can be bought at an average of 50 shillings meaning you will only need 55,000 shillings to buy seedlings for one acre.

The rest is labour and a bit of fertilization. The cost would hardly exceed 100,000 shillings.

Finally

Well, while dragon fruit caps our list of the five most profitable crops in Kenya this year, we have two unique crops we would like you to research more about:

1. Kiwi fruit
2. Black berry farming in Kenya