As you approach Naivasha town from Nakuru, a canopy of yellow back
acacia trees line both sides of the busy highway, forming a cool shade that has
defied the scorching sun that welcomes you to this otherwise dusty town.
It is hard to believe that in this seemingly dry environment, a
venture such as grapes farming could be thriving. After all, the only form of
farming we are used to in Kenya is maize and beans and that also only thrives
in rather wet areas. Now let us surprise ourselves and visit a farm doing
something people have thought is impossible in this country.
“Welcome to Morendat Farm vineyard situated in the heart of
Africa’s Great Rift Valley overlooking the scenic Mt Longonot,” says Venter as
he stretches his left hand past a wire mesh that rings the fruits and picks a
bunch of ripe grapes to taste. You can already feel your mouth wet with
anticipation, as you can't wait to taste the purple berries looking so juicy.
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| Grapes farming in Kenya |
Venter, the general manager of the 2,500-hectare
farm, is actually a South African national and a horticulturist. He leads
one of the few companies that brew wine on Kenyan soil.
According to Venter, Kenya produces a
high quality of berries that are ideal for wine making. The sugar levels in
ripe grapes must be between 23 and 25% for the grapes to produce sweet
commercial wine, like the one they produce at their Rift Valley winery.
“What helps us produce quality wine is
that we grow our fruits near the equator,” he adds.
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Does grape farming in Kenya need a lot
of water?
To get the required sugar levels,
Venter, who has been the farm manager for the last two years, says that the
water consumption must be controlled.
“We are situated near the equator and
since Kenya has no winter season which is used as dormancy stage for the grapes
to rest and grow, then water must strictly be controlled to avoid an overgrowth
of grapes,” explains Venter.
“Why should Kenya be proud of stocking
wine brands from other countries while it enjoys volcanic soils, cool nights
and warm days which combine to ensure slow maturation of grapes that allow us
to produce fulsome wines of a unique character?” poses the 41-year-old.
Morendat Farm, which is part of the
Kenya Nut Company, is the producer of the Leleshwa brand wines.
The farm produces 150,000 bottles of
wine annually but has plans to do a million by the end of next year, according
to Venter.
On the farm, they use machines to
remove all the weeds and when planting the seedlings, “we always make sure the
rows run from North to South to avoid the plants having direct contact with the
sun.”
He says the seedling holes must be half
a metre deep and the roots must sharply point to the centre of the hole to make
sure they grow upright. The distance from one seedling to another must be 1.5m
while the rows should be 2.7m apart.
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They are then watered using a
computerised drip irrigation system that makes sure each plant consumes at
least two litres of water per hour twice a week.
Why
Grapes farming in Kenya is best done on drips
Urea, a soluble fertiliser is also
applied using the drip irrigation system. This is supplemented with compost
manure from the more than 3,000 beef bulls for which Morendat Farm is also
famed for. After watering, the ground around the grafted seedlings is covered
with a polythene paper to ensure there is little evaporation and to suppress
weeds.
Besides South Africa, the farm also
imports seedlings from Israel.
After the third month, the plants are
ringed with a wire mesh to keep off birds which can decimate acres if not
checked.
“We normally plant between June and
July and they are ready for harvest after three years. We like harvesting at
the end of January or early February because that is the warmest season of the
year which is crucial for better sugar levels.”
The vines, once planted, can stay in
the farm for up to 30 years before they are uprooted and fresh seedlings are
planted.
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“These current vines we’re harvesting
were planted in 1995 and in the next 10 years, we shall replace them with fresh
vines as they will have reached their optimum.”
One hectare under grapes has between
2,000 and 3,000 vines and a good harvest yields between 10 to 15 tonnes of
grapes.
YOUNG VINES
Currently, the farm has 12 hectares of
mature grapes and another 12 has young vines which are supposed to produce
fruits in the next two years.
“Our target is to plant another 36
hectares to cope with the increasing demand of our wines in the shops and
hotels,” says Venter, who trained as a horticulturist at the University of the
Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
“We have invested in irrigation with
equipment imported from South Africa because water is the heart of any grape
farming,” adds Venter, whose day starts at 5am until 8 or 9pm.
The farm also has a reservoir which is
used as a backup whenever there is a sign of water levels going down. “I have a
soft spot for horticulture as I come from a farming family. My parents,
brothers, uncles are all farmers,” says the father of two boys and two girls,
who has been farming for the last 25 years.
Although he is reluctant to disclose
how much the farm is making, he was quick to point out that there is good money
in grape farming.
However, one of the major challenges is
the downy mildew disease and weevils which can be devastating if not managed.
Keep
Your Grapes Farm Clean
Dr Lusike Wasilwa, the Assistant
Director in-charge of Horticulture and Industrial crops at the Kenya Agricultural
and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), says a number of diseases which
attack the grapes can be contained by keeping the field clean.
“Don’t let the leaves and uprooted
weeds lie idle on the farm as they are alternative hosts for pests.”
Grapes seedlings are available at Kalro
Horticulture Research Centre in Thika, Kiambu County.
According to Dr Wasilwa, the best soils
for grapes are loam and volcanic but clay soil is also be appropriate so
long as it has enough manure. “The crops should be grown in areas with soils
that do not retain a lot of water. One should also ensure they grow the correct
variety.”
She added that the berries flourish
in temperatures ranging from 0 degrees Celsius up to 40 degrees but
are best harvested during hot season.
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| Grapes farming guide for Kenya |
Grapes farming in Kenya is possible and relatively easy. However,
for you to be a successful grapes farmer, you need proper information.
Here is
a booklet we wrote to give you detailed information on what you need to do to
bring up great vines and sweet fruits.
You can
now get this copy from our Resources Page. You can also call or WhatsApp us on 0724698357 if you have any question.
We also have grapes seedlings ready for transplanting. You simply need to call us on the same number 0724698357 to make your order and we shall deliver to where you are as we guide you through on how to do the establishment of your own vineyard.
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