Pixie oranges continue to become very popular among Kenyan consumers owing to their higher sugar content than the ordinary large oranges.

The fruits are also juicier, and their orange flavor is very sharp. Being a variety of citrus fruits, pixie oranges thrive in hot climatic conditions.

Currently, Makueni County leads in the production of this fruit, followed by the other Ukambani counties of Machakos and Kitui.

Janet Mutua is one of the many residents of Makueni who earn a living from growing fruits. Janet, who started the agribusiness 11 years ago, has more than 400 pixie and orange plants on her two-acre piece in Katulyani, Kibwezi West Constituency.

“We bought seedlings from a place called Kalamba in Matiliku. One seedling was Sh30 at the time. Before planting the seedlings, we ensure the field is tilled well. We use dung as manure from our cows,” she told a local daily.

The plants take three to four years to mature and begin bearing fruits. One pixie plant produces more than 50 kilogrammes of fruits in one season.

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According to the farmer, a plant can produce two cartons of fruits, each weighing 27 kilos. The quantity of harvest varies from season to season, depending on rain and other factors.

Janet notes that a kilo of pixie from her farm sells for Sh150 or more. She explains that while deadly diseases and destructive pests are a major threat in pixie farming, water scarcity causes the production of small, low-quality fruits.

As such, finding buyers becomes problematic, as some customers reject the fruits, and those who pay quote very low prices.

According to Rich Farm Kenya, grafted pixie oranges start producing fruits in the second year and mature after 3-5 years depending on how well they are taken care of.

At first, each tree will produce a few fruits, about 30 to 50. This production increases every year as the branches grow wider.

The highest yield is attained in the fourth or fifth year when each pixie tree can produce up to 300 fruits or about 60 kg per tree.

The venture is said to be profitable, with an acre yielding a turnover of up to Sh1.2 million per year, as reported by farmers in Makueni.

These fruits are sold at an average price of Sh80 per kilo at the farm gate.