Want stress free farming? Try cure-all tea tree

Tea tree plant farmer at his farm

Nyeri County is well known as the heartland of maize and beans farming, but this is slowly changing as farmers engage in other agricultural ventures.

Tea tree farming is becoming popular due to its good returns. Furthermore, it is the dream of every farmer to get involved in a stress free venture; one that requires low labour input, one that is pest and diseases free and has a ready market for the produce.

Tea tree also referred to as Melaleuca alternifolia is a tree species introduced in 2005 by Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (Koan) in Laikipia, Nyeri and Meru counties.

Koan has been promoting organic agriculture in the country. It looks for organic products, markets and trains farmers on production value chain and market demands.

And a number of Nyeri farmers have started enjoying the economic benefits of tea tree.

Meet Charles Mwiti, a tea tree farmer in Nyeri County from Gakawa ward.

“I have been farming tea tree for the last four years and I have no regret,” says Mwiti who has educated his children out of the venture.

Depending on the species, tea tree grow as shrubs or trees of two metres to 30 metres.

The leaves are evergreen, alternately arranged, dark green to grey-green in colour.

And just how and why did he embark on this venture?

“Previously, I was a subsistence farmer and all I encountered were multiple losses,” Mwiti says.

When Borage (a star flower cultivated for oil extraction) was introduced in 2002, he was among the many farmers who readily embraced the plant for a change though the benefits were short-lived.

Fear of unknown

“Borage thrived well and fetched premium in the market but during the second season, the birds ate the better part of the yields,” Mwiti explains.

By the time tea tree was being introduced, many farmers were not quite receptive for fear of the unknown but Mwiti was optimistic, he embraced it.

“The tree came with numerous advantages ranging from being tolerant to climate change to not being affected by pests and diseases and not being eaten by domestic animals a thing that made it attract more farmers though it did not fetch as much as Borage fetched,” he says.

“Initially, the tree fetched Sh3 for a kilo but today the tree fetches up to Sh12 per kilo. A quarter acre like the one I farm can hold up to 3,000 stems and the harvest can be up to six tonnes translating to Sh90,000,” he says adding “at times one can harvest up to four kilogrammes per tree.”

“Once the tree is planted, it is harvested within 15 months where during harvest, the tree is cut to around 20 centimetres, the branches and leaves are then sold for oil extraction. The tree is harvested every six months,” Mwiti explains.

He points out that the type of farming employed is purely organic where mulching helps increase moisture retention.

How to plant

Mwiti says tea tree has tiny seeds which are germinated in specialist nurseries then planted.

“When the seedlings are about two–four weeks old, they are thinned to one per cell and grown for between two to four months to ensure they are vigorous enough to survive transplanting into prepared fields,” he advises.

Seedlings are planted into specially prepared paddocks in one metre row spacing.

“Once established, the trees quickly form a dense cover that often excludes weeds and over the next 12-14 months grow to a height of 2 to 2.5 metres before being harvested for the first time,” Mwiti says.

He says the trees are robust and regenerate quickly after this first harvest. Yield improves over the next 2 – 3 years as the trees establish a strong network of roots and form several shoots from the root stock.

Tea tree is more resilient to effects of climate change and performs well in extremely harsh weather conditions.

Tea Tree matures within 15 to 18 months after establishment and is harvested twice per year under good management.

Mwiti says: “The tree requires low labour input and less field management since it is not affected by pests and diseases and is not eaten by domestic animals.”

During harvesting time, he says the whole stem is cut down around 15cm-20cm above the ground at an angle using a bending saw. The central stem is then removed.

Branches and leaves are then sold for oil extraction. After some time, new shoots will emerge from where the tree was cut.

Mwiti says he sells his produce to Earth Oil Extract Company at Gakawa in Kieni East Constituency, Nyeri County.

“All the shoots are left to grow, and the farmer is advised to cut them back after 6 months. This is a continuing cycle and tea tree is expected to be highly productive for 25 years under good management,” Mwiti says.

Teresia Ndirangu; a production and training adviser with Koan says: “We are conducting research to identify more tree species for oil extraction for farmers can maximise on their profits.”