Laikipia Farmers Eye the Lucrative Avocado Share

Members of the Laikipia Avocado Out Growers CBO during a farmer’s field day in Mia Moja location where they were retrained on best avocado planting practices.

In 2022, Kenya was reported to be the leading avocado exporter in Africa, with a production of 417,000 tons, followed by Ethiopia, which produced 152,000 tons. Kenya produces over 40 avocado varieties, but Hass is the main export variety hence most preferred in the recent times by most farmers across the growing regions. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the average farm gate price for Hass avocado in 2022 was KES. 18 per kilo, while the average export price was KES.150 per Kilo. Additionally, Kenya has entered the league of counties that export frozen avocados which is a value-added measure that fetches even higher returns and guarantees longer shelf life.
Farmers in Laikipia County quickly started venturing into avocado farming to tap into the available market opportunities. Through the Regenerative Foodscapes Initiatives (REFI) pilot Project implemented by MESPT in partnership with CETRAD and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) however, the focus has not been so much on just developing the value chain but to identify the opportunities that reduce land degradation and enhance biodiversity, promote water use efficiency through the protection of water sources and adoption of water conservation measures while impacting target communities with knowledge transfer for the transformation of attitudes and enhance regenerative practices adoption.

As part of the pilot inception phase, MESPT conducted farmer groups profiling and capacity assessment. One of the profiled groups is in Mia Moja location where the Laikipia Avocado Out Growers CBO of 150 members was formed and later registered. For a period of 6 months, 125 active members planted 3,200 avocado seedlings after they were connected to a market, i.e., Keitt Exporters Limited. Avocado is the anchor value chain for the REFI project not just for the purpose of income but also agroforestry.
Due to increased demand for accessing clean planting avocado seedlings by the farmers and the neighboring communities, a need to support establishment of new certified seedling nurseries was critical. The nurseries would also help to lower the cost of the seedlings and enhance physical access of the same in various locations. As a result, the nursery operators were also identified and trained in partnership with Keitt Exporters, the established avocado buyer. Five (5) seedlings operators were trained and supported to establish avocado seedlings nursery making the seedlings more accessible to farmers. For a start, the 5-operator started off with 2,000 seedlings each and they have been scaling up as per the demand.

John Kogi showing his grafted avocado seedlings and water pan to Peter Njima, REFI Project Officer and Derrick Muriithi, Keitt Exporters Regional Manager during a recent visit.

John Kogi is one of the beneficiary seedlings operators in Laikipia. He was initially dealing in different forestry and agroforestry seedlings but upon learning of the opportunities in avocado seedlings, he started focusing more on avocados. His nursery is a learning hub for the local farmers, and he has managed to increase his income through the sale of seedlings and training farmers on good avocado farming practices. He has also planted avocado seedlings at his farm and is optimistic that within 2 and a half years, he will be harvesting.

“I didn’t know the value of avocados before, and I planted them anyhow but one day I was just at home, and someone came knocking and asked if I could sell him my avocado fruits. I told him I only had 2 trees with ready avocados, and he asked to harvest them. That day, the guy harvested and paid me Kes. 2,000. That got me thinking of how easily I made that money, and from that time I decided to plant many avocado trees. I am grateful to the project by MESPT and TNC since I have been trained to be a better nursery operator and many other things that regard conservation of the environment and how to restore our soils. I am very keen to follow all that we have been taught in planting avocados. I do not ignore the good practices like digging the right hole size, mulching, and watering since getting it right from the start means you eliminate disappointments. This farming will greatly support my wife and I and my grandchildren whom I want to give a better life. This house you see here (a newly constructed stone house) was built with proceeds from the nursery work I do”. Noted Kogi.

At Ephantus Mwai’s farm on the other hand, a demonstration farm purely on regenerative agriculture was established for the farmers to learn. The Hass avocado demo farm is established on half an acre and has 95 avocado trees planted. The objective of the demo is to demonstrate regenerative agriculture practices that include minimum tillage, agroforestry, crop diversity, livestock integration, water and soil management.

“I planted avocado because I expect to get a good income from selling them. The fruits will also be consumed by my family, and they are good for environmental conservation. This demonstration farm by the way makes me very happy when I see farmers coming to learn from here. There is that portion at the edge of my farm which has so many stones hence cannot be cultivated, I want to set up a hall that farmers will be learning in before they get out to see the practical work that is ongoing.” Said Mwai. Mr. Mwai also reported that he had started earning from the sale of carbon credit from trees at his farm.

From Mr. Mwai and Kogi’s farms, other farmers have learnt good agriculture practices, and they are on their way to becoming successful avocado farmers and conservation champions. Members of Laikipia Avocado Out Growers CBO are keen on acquisition of certified avocado seedlings and following the correct planting technique that entails digging 2x2ft planting holes and keeping the seedlings spacing 6 meters apart. The farmers are continuously trained in good agriculture practices in avocado farming.

In addition, Pest and diseases management practices, regenerative agriculture practices such as mulching, cover cropping, intercropping, and organic cropping are emphasized to prevent water logging, erosion and to promote soil health.

The project has been keen on partnerships and has partnered with the Laikipia department of Agriculture for support in capacity building and extension services to the farmers, financials service providers, input dealers and irrigation solutions dealers.