Aloe vera farming is becoming a lucrative business idea in Kenya due to its herbal properties and healing benefits.
Farmers in various parts of the country including Laikipia and Baringo counties who have taken up this venture have attested to its profitability.
Rosemary Putunoi, who leads a group of aloe vera women farmers in Laikipia says they had to obtain a license before engaging in commercial aloe vera farming and export.
The operation permit is issued by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which has jurisdiction over the aloe plant.
According to Joseph Lentunyoi an agronomist from Laikipia, to start off, farmers should get seeds from certified sources or use cuttings from the right species.
He notes that seeds grow faster than cuttings and take a few weeks depending on the weather, unlike cuttings which may take weeks or sometimes months.
One can get seedlings from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) offices at about Sh80 for the Aloe vera barbadensis variety.
How to grow the most profitable fruit per acre
When planting, experts recommend a spacing of three feet by three feet for high-quality harvest. A typical aloe vera plant has 25 leaves which extend up to a full length of between one foot and two feet.
Observing this spacing, an acre of land will carry a maximum of 4,000 plants which will take about 18 to 24 months to mature.
According to Lentunyoi, aloe vera is less susceptible to diseases than other crops meaning low production cost.
Some of the pests and diseases that attack the plant include aphids and mealybugs, black leaf spot, white scale, eriophyid mites (gall mites), root rot.
To control this, he advises farmers to use clean planting materials and remove affected plants.
The plant can be harvested four times a year. Keep in mind that only older outer leaves are harvested. When harvesting, farmers are encouraged to pluck around three leaves per plant.
That comes to a total of 12 leaves per plant every year. Throughout the year, a farmer can harvest up to 60,000 kilograms of aloe vera.
The plant has a market both locally and internationally due to its diverse uses. Sap from the green plant with thick fleshy leaves is used to make beauty products such as soaps, shampoos, and body creams as well as medicine.
“The first place I would recommend you look for market is at Herbal Garden which is located in Warren in Kasarani. Another alternative would be to get into a supermarket, pick out a local aloe product and then contact the manufacturer,” said Lentunyoi.
Putunoi says a kilo of aloe leaves sells at 380 shillings. Two big leaves of the succulent plant equal a kilo. Flowers from the plant produce seeds that are sold at about Sh1,000 a kilogram.