Murang'a tea farmers turn to avocados to boost earnings

As the government puts measures in place to streamline the tea and coffee sectors, some tea farmers from Gatanga subcounty, Murang’a  have now turned to avocado farming to boost their earnings.

About 50 farmers have grown impatient with the poor payments they get from the two cash-crops and say they want to try their hands in avocados which are less labour intensive.

The farmers from Kariara area acquired avocado seedlings a few years ago when they discovered the huge potential held by the fruit and the wide international market it enjoys.

A well wisher volunteered a one acre piece of land that the farmers have since been using to graft avocado seedlings to plant in their farms and sell to neighbours.

The farm previously had tea bushes which were uprooted and it is now used to produce seedlings.

Moses Kuria, a farmer, said he has been engaging in tea farming for decades and got fed up with the earnings he got from the crop.

“Instead of improving our lives, we became dependent on loans to educate our children and support ourselves. This is why we have decided to get into avocado farming,” he said.

The tree, he said, does not take too long to mature and in about three years, a farmer starts harvesting.

“We have done our research and we have the guidance of professionals who have been providing us with the materials needed to engage in organic avocado farming,” Kuria said.

The farmer said when time comes for them to harvest, they are confident that they will make good earnings.

He urged the county government to provide extension officers to help ensure their farming is completely organic which fetches more returns.

Tea Prices Stabilisation taskforce chairperson Irungu Nyakera, who visited the farmers to train them on avocado farming, underscored the need for farmers to diversify their farming to maximise their returns.

Nyakera provided the farmers with organic traps to ward off False Codling Moth that has been affecting avocado production.

The moth pierces avocados which can then not be sold in the external market.

The damage caused by the moth is identified by tiny holes in the fruit's peel surrounded by a white powdery exudate.

According to Nyakera, there has been a huge knowledge gap among farmers that has been created by the lack of extension services.

“Initially, extension services were offered by the national government and the system was very effective as extensive research would be done and agricultural technologies trickled down to farmers,” he said.

Once agriculture was devolved, many farmers in most counties have been complaining over lack of extension services as county governments have failed to prioritise them.

Nyakera said that, in turn, has impacted agricultural yields negatively.

While training the farmers, Nyakera said avocado farming was fast becoming a major revenue earner as its earnings for the country have been growing steadily.

Kenya is currently the seventh largest producer and exporter of avocados globally. Last year, the fruit raked in about Sh14.80 billion.

This, Nyakera said, compares well with the Sh17.80 billion derived from coffee exports last year, expressing confidence that avocado earnings will be more this year.

Murang’a is the highest producer of avocados in the country, producing about 32 per cent of all locally produced fruits.

Last year, the county earned Sh4.6 billion from avocados, making the fruits the second highest revenue earners after tea which generated about Sh11.7o billion while coffee farmers earned Sh3.90 billion.

Nyakera who is vying for the Murang'a governor said, if elected, his administration will put focus on provision of extension officers in order to raise local agricultural revenue.

“Provision of extension services and trainings assists farmers to identify and manage common diseases and avoid making losses,” he said.

With the government helping to open the Chinese avocado market by helping to audit and license growers and exporters, Nyakera said farmers engaging in agribusiness stand a better chance of profiting from the fruit.

(Edited by Francis Wadegu)