Farming is slowly gaining popularity in Kenya with more people seeking to earn a living from the venture as well as feeding the nation.
The government has invested in encouraging Kenyans to uptake farming with subsidised fertiliser.
Fruit farming is one of the most popular and lucrative businesses for farmers. Some of these fruits are exported abroad while others are sold locally.
One of the profitable fruit, Kenyans have turned to is passion fruit mostly used to make juices, jelly, or eaten raw. Additionally, the fruit may be used to make various cosmetic products and food flavors.
According to Rich Farm Kenya, farming experts, the fruit has unlimited advantages including a life span exceeding three years.
Under proper care, Rich Farm noted that the crop can produce at least 50,000 kilograms per hectare with the average price of a kilo of the fruit set at Ksh50.
The price may range between Ksh40 to Ksh100. This depends on the season, quality, and location of the farm.
Some of the reasons Kenyan farmers choose passion fruit include they are in high demand, have low-cost production, and are easy to grow.
"Passion fruit farming is one of the lucrative ventures in Kenya. It is very profitable in terms of returns to investments. The one thing the farmers fear is the duration because it takes time before it matures for the first harvest," one farmer told Farm Kenya.
"In a quarter acre of land, small-scale farmers plant between 100 to 200 crops," he added.
The fruit thrives in deep well-drained soil with a pH range of 6.0-7.0, an altitude between 1,200-2,000metres, annual rainfall of about 900-2000mm, and a temperature between 18-28 degrees Celsius.
"I would advise the farmers to use organic mature after every harvest and anything recommend by the social analysis report," the farmer advised.
Common pests that attack passion fruit include aphids, mealy bugs, cutworms, fruit flies, mites, and scales.
Farming experts advise that it is necessary to incorporate mulching to ensure water is retained.
Notably, there are different types of passion fruit including purple passion fruit, yellow passion fruit, sweet granadilla, and giant granadilla.
It takes about 12-18 months for passion fruit to mature.
Another advantage of the fruits is that when they are mature, they do not ripen at the same time. There the farmer can harvest at different times.
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