When I was growing up, no one from our land could ever think of
investing in pawpaw farming. The fruit was so readily available that it was
thought to be a poor man's fruit. Fast forward to 2024 and the fruit is now a
sort-after commodity akin to a precious mineral, especially among the well-informed urban population. Surprisingly, my fellow village-mates are now diligently seeking the fruit, just a few years after abandoning pawpaw farming.
The soaring demand for pawpaw in Kenya presents an opportunity that is increasingly becoming
attractive to farmers in Kenya who are keen to tap into new ways of making money. Well, it is not an entirely new crop but there are two
main reasons why its farming has recently become more profitable: one, the
increasing awareness of its nutritional and medicinal values among local
consumers, and two, the opening up of an attractive export market especially in
Dubai and the larger Middle East.
Since
papaya (as it is commonly known worldwide) is our main crop at Rich Farm Kenya,
we have been getting a lot of questions regarding investing in its commercial farming.
We thought it would benefit you to share the most frequently asked question
about this venture.
1. How long does pawpaw seed take to
germinate?
The
seeds will take about two to five weeks to germinate. To achieve faster and higher
rate of germination, you should soak the seeds in an optimizer or a potassium nitrate
fertilizer for at least 24 hours before sowing. These products can be bought at
an agro-vet shop. Sow the seeds in a media that is not too compact. If you are
using soil, ensure to mix it with 1 unit of sand for every 3 units of soil.
2. At what age do I transplant the
seedlings?
Transplant
the seedlings at two to three months after sowing the seeds. At this age, the
plants will be about 15 cm tall and with at least 2 sets of leaves. If planted
later than this, the seedlings are likely to suffer transplanting shock.
3. How long does it take for the tree
to produce fruits?
It
takes between 6 and 11 months from the date of sowing seeds to harvesting your
first fruit. The climate is the major determinant of how long the tree takes to
mature. In hot areas, you can get your first fruit as early as the 6th month
while in cooler areas it can take as long as 11 months.
4. For how long will the tree be
producing fruits?
Generally,
papaya trees will keep producing fruits for 4 to 5 years. Some varieties such
as the solo sunrise will live even longer than that but the yield will
significantly reduce after the 5 year.
5. Do the trees need a lot of water?
Pawpaw
trees do not need a lot of water to grow. In fact, they are drought tolerant. However,
they will need to be irrigated during the dry seasons in order to grow faster
and produce tasty fruits of a good size. While irrigating, though, you should
keep in mind that the trees cannot tolerate waterlogged soils. If the soils
are too wet even for 24 hours, the trees develop root rot and eventually die.
6. Are there male and female papaya
trees?
There
are actually 3 types of trees: male, female and hermaphrodite. The male trees
produce many flowers whose sole purpose is to produce pollen for pollinating female
flowers. The female trees produce flowers that are pollinated by the male
flowers and develop fruits. The hermaphrodite trees are self pollinating and
they all bear fruits.
|
Female pawpaw tree |
|
Male pawpaw tree |
The
major determinant of whether you will get male trees is variety. Varieties that
are dioecious have separated male and female trees and you must have both in
order to have good fruit setting. Varieties that are hermaphroditic are self pollinating
and they all bear fruits successfully.
7. In which soils do they grow best?
Well
drained sandy loam soils with high humus content are the best. As mentioned
earlier, the trees are easily killed by excess water in the soil. That is why
it is very important that the soils be well drained. For this reason, heavy
black cotton and red clay soils are not ideal for Pawpaw farming. Where the
soils are not too heavy, drainage can be improved by planting the trees on
raised beds.
8. What is the best fertilizer?
The
best fertilizer is one that will provide well balanced nutrients especially
nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K). Well composed farm yard or
animal manure will often give enough of these. However, if you must use
chemical based fertilizers, ensure that you do the first top dressing on the 3rd
month after transplanting and then once every month thereafter. 100g of NPK 17:17:17
or 14:14:14 per tree will suffice. The application should be done around the
tree at least 30cm from the base: all trees must be watered if it is not
raining after fertilizer application.
9. How many trees fit in an acre?
One
acre will accommodate 1100 trees with the common spacing of 2x2 meters. Dwarf
varieties like Calina papaya IPB9, Red Lady and Red Royale can be spaced 1.5
meters from plant to plant and 2 meters between the lines giving a plant
population of about 1345 trees per acre.
10. Which is the best pawpaw variety
in Kenya?
IPB9
and Solo sunrise are the best varieties in the country. However the best will
actually be determined by what your target market is. There's also Malkia, the big, red and sweet variety that many blenders and juice makers prefer. I wrote a simple guide to help you choose the best variety for you: you can read it here: How To Choose The Best Pawpaw Variety For Farming In Kenya.
Well, we cannot say all that we need to about pawpaw farming in Kenya. So we have written a few more detailed articles for you. Here are some reads we recommend for you:
50% discount on all pawpaw
seedlings
Above all, we are so happy
to announce that you can get yourself solo sunrise and calina IPB9 seedlings at
half their usual price. But don’t be late; this offer ends with this year’s
month of love... Call us now on 0724698357 / 0723213602 / 0798919007 to claim
your offer now!
21 comments:
Very significant information
Good information
Very useful info👍
Very nice and encouraging information.
Impressive am interested
Very impressive
Where in nyanza or Western can I sell my pawpaws..... Large scale?
I'm interested in this farming. How much do I need to start a farm of 500 trees.
How do i get the book inorder to have more information?
Where can i get the seeds
Thankyou for the information! Where can one get the seedlings pls?
Very informed, let's work on it
What is way to control siper mites
Good tips , thanks Rich farm
Great information,slowly get into this farming
I do plant them.They are very good fruits.Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the tips,am also trying it i have a few plants already
Very useful information
Thanks I'm, in oyugis, where do I buy seeds ?
Please help me be in touch with you please
Is Solo Sunrise a dwarf variety?
how can I get the best seeds please?
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