Before we even delve into the profitability of dragon fruit farming in
Kenya, let us first explain what this thing is. Dragon fruit, also called
Pitaya, is a fruit that grows on a plant of the cactus family. There are many
varieties of the fruit, distinguishable by the colour of the fruit skin and
flesh. Some have a red skin while others have a yellow one. The flesh can be red,
purple or white. The red and purple fleshed dragon fruits are sweet while the
white fleshed ones are a little sour.
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| A dragon fruit farm |
So why would it be wise to invest in dragon fruit farming in Kenya now? Here are the reasons:
1) Dragon fruits are easy to grow
New plants are easily grown from
cuttings. All you need to do is obtain cuttings from a mature vine, keep them
under a shade to dry off their tips for about a week and then plant them. The cuttings
are planted by burying the lower tip (just about 1 inch) into the soil. In about
2 weeks the cuttings start developing roots and new shoots appear in about a month’s
time. Better still, you can buy already rooted and sprouting dragon fruit seedlings
from Richfarm Kenya. They take 9 months to 1 year to start producing fruits.
Being in the cactus family, dragon
fruit plants do not need a lot of water. They are best planted in sandy or
loamy soils that are well drained. After planting them, they will need very
little attention other than the occasional application of manure and pruning. They are less susceptible to pests and
diseases so you won’t have the burden of spraying them regularly.
2) High returns on investment
Pitaya is among the most expensive fruits in Kenya at the moment with a kilo selling for between Ksh800 and Ksh1200. The farmers that are already harvesting in Kenya produce fruits that have between 400g and 1.2kg. The cuttings used in planting cost only Ksh500 each. So essentially, selling just 1 fruit will help you recoup the investment you put in buying planting materials.
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| Dragon Fruits for sale in Kenya |
The dragon fruit plants are vines
that have a production period of up to 30 years. So you will need to support
them with strong posts that can last as long. Each vine can grow up to 30 feet
long and give you 30 to 100 fruits per year upon maturity. Now you can see what
that means in terms of returns given the current prices.
The demand for these fruits is very
high in Kenya especially among the Asian communities. In fact, anyone who has
tasted this fruit likes it. The only limiting factor at the moment is the high
price. So if you have a high production capacity, you can reach a very wide
market by reducing your prices and still make a kill. Do not forget that the
export market in China, the Middle East and Europe is also offering very high
prices for dragon fruit. These markets would definitely prefer the high quality
fruits grown in our hot tropical climate to the less tasty fruits from sub-tropical
regions.
Read also:
Why Dragon Fruit Is Set To Be The Next Big Thing In Kenya's Farming Business
3) They require a only a small space
Dragon fruit vines are planted in
groups supported by one post. On each post, you can plant 4 vines. The ideal
spacing is 1m from one group to the next and 2m between the rows. With this
kind of spacing you can fit 1,000 dragon fruit plants on a plot 50 by 100. This
is enough to help you realize a good economic return.
Since the vines do not have deep
roots, some farmers even plant them on pots in their backyard gardens. This is
an ideal way to grow dragon fruits for your own consumption even if you live in
a rented house in which you only have a balcony.
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| Dragon fruit growing in a pot |
So how do I start a dragon fruit farm in Kenya?
If
you have a plot of land, anything from a 50 by 100 or bigger, you can easily
start this kind of commercial farming. Dragon fruits grow well in areas with
temperatures of 15℃ and above. They also like full day sunshine, therefore ensure
that you do not plant them under trees.
Have
your land cleared and set up the support structures that will hold your plants.
These structures are made with strong posts of about 5 feet and an old tyre
mounted on each post. Other farmers construct a square wooden structure on the
poles. These are the structures over which the vines will hang.
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| Dragon fruit farming: How to support the plants |
Prepare the base area of each post to have fine soils. Mix the soil with manure: chicken manure is the best for growing Pitaya. Plant your seedlings here making sure not to cover too much of the stem to avoid rotting. Use strings to train the vines onto the post. If the weather becomes too hot and dry, water your plants for faster growth. Wait to start harvesting the precious fruit in about a year’s time.
If you would like to get more information on dragon fruit farming in Kenya, call Richfarm Kenya on 0724698357 now.
