The compound that hosts the public library building in
Simoti location, Bomet County is normally a beehive of activity every Friday. He is one of the farmers in this region who have taken up passion fruit farming and sell through export companies.
Well, it is not students who meet here but a group of
passion fruit farmers. They congregate in the compound every Friday afternoon
with their harvest for sale.

“The harvest varies from farm to farm and some of our
members bring over 100kg every week while others as little as 5kg,” says Joseph
Koech, Simoti location chief and the chair of Chepkikon Self-Help Group.
The area has experienced a boom in passion fruit
farming that has seen farmers shift from maize and tea.
Chepkikon members came together in 2012 after being
trained by TechnoServe, an NGO. Initially, the group had 75 members but
currently, only 50 are active.
After the training, each member bought 80 seedlings
for planting at Sh20 per piece. This was enough to cover a tenth of an acre.
Koech planted 160 seedlings in his farm in Chongenwo
village. The grafted seedlings are planted in 0.6 by 0.6m holes in a spacing of
2m between rows and 3m within rows. The top soil is mixed with well-composted
manure.
One then should erect strong posts along the rows at
6m intervals to support the plants that take six months to fruit but production
peaks at one year. The farmers sell their fruits to D-Fresh Limited for export.
At the collection centre, the fruits are sorted and
graded then packed in 30kg crates for transportation to Nairobi where the
maximum residue level is checked before being cleaned and packed in 2kg packets
for Europe.
A tree should give at least a kilo of fruit every week
but in ideal situations, the yield goes to over 2kg per tree, per week.
Harvesting is mainly done every week but this can be affected by routine field
practices like pruning and chemical application.
Koech’s biggest harvest in a week has been 156kg and
the lowest 50kg. During our visit, Seeds of Gold witnessed Koech recording
108kg, equivalent to Sh7,560 if the buyer pays the least price of Sh70 per
kilo.
“Sometimes we are paid up to Sh80 per kilo, which is
why a farmer who harvests even 5kg every week earns a good amount of money in a
month,” he says.
Florence Kurgat of Kaptebengwet village, who also
grows passion fruit, says the crop has helped her pay school for her children
after tea prices dropped.
“I planted 140 seedlings in 2012 and I don’t regret
the decision to venture into passion fruit farming. If it were not for passion
fruits, I would have no source of income because the price of tea, which I also
grow, has gone down.”
During the Seeds of Gold visit, she had just brought
110kg of the fruits which will fetch her more than Sh7,000.
The farmers are paid every Monday and this makes the
venture quite beneficial unlike tea whose pay is monthly and annually for
bonuses.
Ruth Koech has less than 30 plants in her farm and she
gets between 10-25kg every week earning her enough money to supplement her
family’s budget.
However, all is not rosy for the passion fruit farmers
because they have to contend with destructive pests and diseases that attack
this precious fruit. The biggest challenge is the fungal Die back disease,
which makes the branches wilt and die especially from the tip backwards. Once
affected, the branch has to be cut off otherwise the entire plant will die.
James Saina, an agronomist at Kaimosi Agriculture
Training Centre, says that to curb Die back, farmers should avoid planting
their passion fruits in shaded areas and in case of attack, the disease can be
treated using Ridomil.
Passion fruits are also attacked by the fungal Fusarium
wilt and the viral Woodiness disease that Saina says though serious, can be
controlled if a farmer observes proper handling of seedlings and keeps the
field free from vectors.
“The seedlings should be grafted in a clean
environment and the grafted section should be sterilised to avoid entry of the
diseases. Disinfect pruning instruments too to avoid viral attacks.”
Saina advises farmers to spray the fruits immediately after harvesting, then ensure that no harvest is done until the stipulated 7-21 days are over, depending on the chemical used.
Saina advises farmers to spray the fruits immediately after harvesting, then ensure that no harvest is done until the stipulated 7-21 days are over, depending on the chemical used.
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Passion fruit farming guide for kenya |
“During sorting, the green and the overripe ones are
rejected just as those that show signs of disease attacks.”
The fruits are tested for maximum residual level to
ensure that traces of chemicals used in their production do not exceed the set
standards.
This complete guide for growing passion fruits in Kenya is available. You can now request for it from our Resources Page.
This complete guide for growing passion fruits in Kenya is available. You can now request for it from our Resources Page.
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