John Mutwiri, a 39-year-old farmer from Meru County, is one of the successful strawberry farmers in the region better known for crops like tea, coffee, and bananas.

His limited education did not deter him from achieving his life goals, and the primary school dropout is able to make a decent living for himself through the fruits.

Mutwiri settled on strawberry farming after learning about their high productivity, low input costs, and, more importantly, good market prices.

With a capital of Sh10,000, he stepped into the venture, growing the fruits on an acre piece of land he owns in Kooje Village in Imenti North.

His success in the venture cannot be told without mentioning a yoghurt-making company in the region, which is his main client. He also sells his produce to juice vendors in Meru town.

The farmer harvests 30 kilogrammes of strawberries daily, which he says earns him approximately Sh12,000. He notes that for one to succeed in strawberry farming, one should first look for a ready market, test their soils, and invest in professionalism.

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The plants mature faster, hence the need for farmers to continuously replace old plants to prevent yields from dropping.

“Strawberry plants can last for about four years on the farm. However, when they are more than a year or two old, their yields starts to decline. It is important to replace the plants every year to maintain quality,” he said.

Mutwiri further says that watering should be done regularly and strictly on the roots, as moisture left on leaves encourages the growth of fungus and other diseases that can be detrimental to the crop.

According to him, many buyers prefers strawberry grown in the open field as they are more productive and have a better taste compared to those grown in a greenhouse.

“Strawberries are very perishable. If you do not have someone to be checking on them after flowering, you might find that most of the fruits are rotting on the farm. To maintain the crop’s good quality, they are also harvested once every day,” he said.

The fruits are ready for harvest after three months.