This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
June 16, 2020, marked a turning point for Michael Wangombe, a 45-year-old farmer from Nakuru County. He had been growing maize for several years, but after a benchmarking trip to Canada, he decided to venture into avocado farming.
Wangombe's decision was sparked by the high price of avocados in Canada, which he saw selling at Sh200. This experience opened his eyes to the potential of the fruit in the international market.
He specialises in Hass variety of avocado, which he intercrops with beans. In his one-acre farm, Wangombe has about 200 Hass avocado trees, some of which are already earning him good money.
His first harvest was a success, with fruits worth Sh60,000 being sold at Sh10 each to traders from Nakuru, Molo, Elburgon, Naivasha, and Nairobi. Wangombe notes that there is guaranteed income in this business.
He has also invested in tree seedlings, selling grafted seedlings at Sh100 each. Currently, he has 3,000 seedlings, and in a peak month like April, he sells between 2,000 and 3,000 seedlings, earning him between Sh200,000 and Sh300,000.
Wangombe has attended training at Kakuzi in Thika and several farm clinics, where he learned valuable lessons on how to trim and graft trees. He reveals that his capital was Sh50,000, which he spent on 80 Hass avocado seedlings. Despite losing 28 seedlings due to drought, Wangombe remained determined to succeed.
He says he has no regrets for abandoning maize farming, citing the fact that he harvests at least four times a year from his avocado trees, compared to just one season for maize.
However, Wangombe's biggest challenges are pests, diseases, and theft of fruits. He uses traps to keep insects at bay and sprays his fruits regularly to address the challenge of aphids.
Joseph Gaturuku, Nakuru County horticultural officer, advises farmers to avoid planting avocados in areas that had deep-rooted trees, as the roots are prone to diseases. He also stresses the importance of testing the soil to determine the best type of fertiliser to use.
