Grace Mutai, a farmer from Aonet village in Bomet County, can now look back and smile after her decision to venture into Hass avocado farming proved worthwhile.
Grace, who ditched maize for avocado farming, says she started the venture in 2020, a chance that came by accident.
“My entry into avocado farming was more of an accident. I overheard people discussing its potential in this region, so I decided to try it. I bought four seedlings and planted them just to see what would happen. I haven’t looked back since then,” Ms Mutai said in an interview.
Out of the four seedlings she planted, only two survived. She notes that this was due to proper agronomic knowledge, which made the venture challenging.
She, however, persevered and secured 10 more seedlings from a certified nursery supported by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Mulot, Narok County. All the seedlings survived, motivating her to carry on.
“It was encouraging to see them thrive. That gave me the motivation to expand,” she said.
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The trees took three years to mature, generating Sh9,000 for grace on her first harvest. She attributed the low earnings to a lack of market knowledge as she sold the produce without weighing.
“It’s been a steep learning curve. I didn’t know at the time that the fruits needed to be harvested in a specific way, graded, and weighed,” she admitted.
She further revealed an incident when her produce was rejected by exporters, earning her Sh11,000 instead of the expected Sh50,000.
Despite these setbacks, Grace has steadily improved her practices, joined a cooperative for better market access, and now manages over 100 avocado trees on her 1.25-acre farm. She revealed that the highest amount she has earned so far is Sh30,000 from a single harvest.
“I now know about harvesting techniques, post-harvest handling, grading, and weighing. I’ve also joined a cooperative society, which offers better market access,” she said.
According to her, avocado farming has fewer risks and better returns compared to maize which is costly to dry and store, and the market is unpredictable.
“With avocados, there’s high demand locally and abroad. The crop is also easier to manage,” she explained.
