Chief sets the trend with pineapples

Ol Jabet is a little shopping centre on the outskirts of Nyahururu Town, off the Nyahururu-Maralal Road.

Just like many other trading centres across the country, Ol Jabet is bubbly, hosting several shops, bars and boda boda riders.

More importantly, the centre offers a market for farmers in the area, particularly those who do not wish to sell their products in Nyahururu, some 34km away.

Seeds of Gold team meets farmer Naomi Ngunyi at this centre and after a short chit-chat, we drive off to her farm, 5km away.

Pineapples, sweet potatoes and bananas are some of the crops the farmer grows.

She also keeps dairy cows. Of the crops, however, the pineapples take the pride of place on her eight-acre farm.

Sitting on about two acres, the fruits are a spectacle to behold. Their brittle leaves curl and twist to form a beautiful reddish-green cover.

“They are 34,000 of them,” says Naomi, as she squats to check a developing fruit on one of the plants. “This time round I expect to harvest bigger fruits because I did everything right, including carrying out an analysis to determine what nutrients the soil needs.”

She started the venture in 2009, planting over 7,000 seedlings on half-an-acre.

However, upon maturity at one year, her harvest was disastrous.

“I got less than Sh10,000 from a whole half-an-acre. My losses were between Sh20,000 and Sh30,000. I had bought suckers at Sh7,000 from my neighbour, used Sh9,000 to prepare the farm and purchased manure worth Sh12,000.”

This loss shook her into action.

“I consulted agricultural extension officers who advised me to use animal manure and 17:17:17 fertiliser. This made all the difference. My next harvest even surprised me because the fruits were huge,” says the 43–year–old mother of two, who is also the assistant chief of Bondeni sub-location, Laikipia County.

Her business has since grown in leaps and bounds.

To get maximum returns, Naomi advises that one must dig a one-and-half feet hole, add manure and mix it with soil and fertiliser, and leave it open for about two weeks and then plant the suckers.

“During planting use DAP, while when top-dressing use triple 17 to sweeten the fruit. One may also use Agro Leaf K and H fertilisers, which are soluble. They help reduce acid in the fruit,” she explains.

Pineapples require warm temperatures of between 29–32 degrees Celsius, sandy soils and moderate rains

She advises that before planting, one should do an analysis to determine the acidity level of the soil as this would help in growing juicy pineapples.

“If you eat a pineapple and it tastes bitter, chances are that proper fertiliser was not applied,” says Naomi, who grows the Smooth cayenne variety.

She sells her fruits at Rumuruti market once a week, making at least Sh20,000.

“Harvesting pineapple is easy. You just pluck it once it ripens at about nine months. You should not use a metal or sharp object. The small ones go for Sh50 and the big fruits as high as Sh100 per piece,” she says, noting an acre hosts up to 30,000 fruits.

She has further secured market at a supermarket in Nyahururu Town.

“I deliver between 30–40 pieces per week to Spears supermarket. Pineapples have done me proud as they are my best source of income. I once made Sh1 million a year because of the pineapples.”

The crop is, however, prone to pests such as thrips, which drain it, and diseases like acetic souring. The pests are curbed by use of pesticides while soil analysis can help prevent most of the diseases because one would know the nutrients the soil lacks.

She has further planted sweet potato vines, which she got from Kisii, on quarter acre.

“Sweet potatoes give me some good amount of money. I get an average of Sh7,000 per month.”

“The secret to growing best sweet potatoes is applying manure and making good soil mounds, which should be 75cm apart to allow the tuber to grow big,” she adds.

While harvesting, farmers should not use hoes but specially made sticks or hands to avoid splitting the potato, which lowers the quality and hence the price.

Naomi also has quarter-acre under bananas.

“I got the tissue-culture banana seedlings from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. I first planted 10 seedlings and they earn me an average of Sh6,000 monthly.”

She sells between 10 – 20 suckers per week at Sh100 a piece and the fruit at Sh500. This earns her an estimated Sh7,000 weekly.

Her farm would not be complete without dairy cows. She keeps five Friesian cows under zero-grazing, which produce about 100 litres of milk daily. A litre goes for Sh35, earning her between Sh70,000 and Sh75,000 monthly after deducting expenses.

The cows feed on sweet potato vines and pineapple waste from the farm, as well as hay and waste from the wheat harvested in the area.

The assistant chief’s husband David Mwangi, her son Cyrus Maina, who holds a Bachelors degree in Dryland Agriculture and Enterprise Development Management from Kenyatta University and her daughter Susan Wangechi, a third year agri-business and trade student at the same university, assist her in managing the farm.

The farmer employs one permanent worker and four casuals, who work on the farm regularly.

“Our annual income averages between Sh350,000 and Sh400,000 per year,” adds Naomi.

“My plan is to make this farm a one-stop fruit farm where all the fruits are readily available and to set up a juice processing company.”

She is working on the dream by growing oranges. “I want to plant 230 of them. So far I have already invested Sh50,000 in the project with most of the money going into digging holes, buying seeds and manure,” says Naomi, whose first farming venture that involved maize on three acres turned out disastrous due to a dry spell.

However, it is not all rosy. Elephants are a big menace as they occasionally invade her farm and destroy her crops.

She also has to deal with a variety of diseases and low prices in the market, which eat into her profit margins.

Her farm recently earned her an award from the Ministry of Agriculture and Elgon Kenya.

“I had always wondered what the farmers do unique to win national awards. I am happy my dreams came true,” says Naomi, who was awarded for running a small-scale farm profitably.

The judges were impressed by her planning and good farming practices.

Dr Lusike Wasilwa, an Assistant Director Horticultural and Industrial Crops at Kenya Agricultural Research and Livestock Organisation, says a successful fruit farming venture is mainly determined by quality of seeds.

“Get the seedlings from reputable sources that include Karlo. At our Matuga farm, there are quality orange varieties that include Mineola, pixie tangerine, lime and Washington naval,” he offers, adding that the seedlings must be specific to the geographical zone for maximum profits.