“The export market is expanding by the day and with the rising demand for avocados in China, local farmers have their work cut out,” said Mr Wang’ombe. Prior to venturing into avocado farming, Mr Wang’ombe abandoned growing maize and took a leap of faith to specialise in growing the Hass avocado variety, which he intercrops with beans to earn more from the venture. LABOUR INTENSIVE“I decided to venture in fruit farming about seven years ago after earning peanuts from growing maize for several years.”“I earned about Sh50,000 from labour intensive maize farming,” he adds. In his one-acre farm, he has about 200 Hass avocado trees, some of which are already earning him good returns. DROUGHTHe reveals that his seed capital was Sh50,000 when he bought 80 Hass avocado seedlings and planted them but due to drought he lost 28 seedlings.

Source: Daily Nation May 02, 2020 19:41 UTC