Murang'a farmers embrace more promising avocado type

Ndakaini Half Marathon held annually in Murang’a County is one of the toughest races owing to its unforgiving terrain. The race has produced world class beaters including late the Olympic champion Samuel Wanjiru and double world champion Abel Kirui.

Part of proceeds from the race, sponsored by UAP Insurance, go into conservation of Ndakaini Dam that supplies Nairobi County with fresh drinking water. The proceeds, managed by the Ndakaini Dam Conservation Association of Kenya (Ndeka), also go into agricultural projects to uplift livelihoods of locals. Some of these projects include fish farming, goat rearing, bee keeping, poultry farming, tree planting among others.

But the most notable project, which is barely six years old in Murang’a County and doing remarkably well, is the newly introduced Hass cultivar avocado.

Several households have abandoned the old or traditional avocado (Fuerte cultivar) and are farming the new species, Hass cultivar that is more promising.

Large scale

One of the farmers who have embraced this new avocado is William Kariuki. “I have planted Hass avocado in large scale. The avocado has small radius hence occupies less space in the farm,” explains Mr Kariuki, a prominent avocado farmer.

Thanks to the Ndeka initiative, Kariuki, 51, has planted over 100 seedlings in his two-acre farm. Currently, he is among the first group of farmers, enjoying the Hass profit as their trees have fully matured.

“Unlike Fuerte that takes over six years to mature, Hass only takes two and half years to bear fruits,” Kariuki tells Smart Harvest.

Lucrative

Leah Irungu, another beneficiary, says she prefers Hass to Fuerte because the former has two harvest seasons in a year thereby translating to double profit to farmers.

Irungu explains: “Hass has more benefits to a farmer. We sell Hass fruit for at least Sh5 in the market and on a good day it fetches up to Sh12 per fruit. But the price of Fuerte has stuck to Sh1 for years.”

Kariuki admits that the Hass lucrative prices saw him bring down the traditional avocado in his farm.

“I have managed to do away with a good number of the old type. Soon I shall replace all Fuerte in my farm,” says Kariuki.

Ndeka project officer, Michael Muruga, says farmers in the area who have been supported by Ndeka to plant Hass avocado are now raking in at least Sh7,000 per tree annually.

“One Hass tree is able to give a farmer an average Sh3,500 per cycle. The good news is that the trees produce twice annually. So a farmer who has planted 100 trees makes a cool Sh700, 000 yearly at a cost of Sh5 per fruit. But they can make more as sometimes the price shoots up to Sh12 per fruit,” says Muruga.

Although the cost of buying one Hass seedling ranges between Sh150 to Sh200, local farmers are not worried since they are cushioned by Ndeka.

So how do you differentiate between the two types of avocado?

Muruga, explains that Hass cultivar is a “dark skinned” avocado as it turns dark purple when ready to eat.

On the other hand, Fuerte cultivar has a green skin which remains green as it becomes ripe and ready for eating.

Muruga says Hass cultivar is developed through grafting technology where traditional avocado seedling (Fuerte) is enjoined to the scion from a Hass variety.

“The combination is important in that it helps the developed Hass seedling withstand Ndakaini temperatures which are cold and wet most times of the year. The technique helps Hass to withstand pests and parasites and adapt well to the existing environment,” Muruga explains.

Overseas market

Ndeka chairman James Mukuna says they supply all the 1,500 Ndeka members with five Hass seedlings per year which have already been prepared by experts.

“But for those who want to buy more we sell them for a subsidised rate at Sh70. This is below the retailing market price of Sh200 per seedling,” says Mukuna.

Since they embraced Hass production many families have now been able to pay school fees with ease.

At the same time, the large scale production of Hass in the region has attracted international and local investors who are buying the fruit in large quantities.

Since Hass does well in the export market, Ndeka has roped in international companies including Kakuzi Ltd to buy the avocados from the farmers.

“We have allowed the locals to form self help groups among them the Abadares Avocado Growers, Kagunda Women Group who are selling their produce to Kakuzi Ltd at lucrative prices,” says Mukuna.

According to Mukuna, in 2011 alone Kakuzi exported 3,280 tonnes of Hass and 1,245 tonnes of Fuerte.

Hass variety of avocado from Kenya is in high demand in European Union (EU) markets. The majority of Hass exports (70 per cent) are exported to France, while 15 per cent goes to the UK with the balance distributed through other EU countries, Switzerland and Scandinavia.