Passion fruit commercialisation in Kenya
A 20-year research by Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) has developed three new passion fruit varieties, Kenya passion fruit number 4 (KPF 4), KPF 11 and KPF 12.
Experts say the new varieties could help lift the economic status of smallholder farmers and contribute to a rapid increase in passion fruit production. The new varieties are not only drought tolerant but are more suited to the fresh market and processing. Although these varieties are of similar physical characteristics with types grown in the coastal region, they are more superior in quality, according to Mr Joseph Njuguna a fruit expert at KARI-Thika.
"The new varieties are sweet unlike those grown in the coast region (Brazil, C5)," he says, adding that they are bigger in size, juicier and more tolerant to soil and foliar diseases.
Mr Njuguna said Kenya has begun to commercialise these varieties. Systems are in place to ensure quality and increased production. KARI will identify community nurseries in warm areas to transfer of the technology to farmers.
A multi-stakeholder project promoting commercialisation of passion fruit in Kenya is at the bulking stage ¬- the phase in which KARI ascertains that there are enough certified seedlings, which are propagated prior to their transfer to farmers. KARI has propagated 30,000 seedlings for distribution in Eastern, Central and parts of
Rift Valley Provinces.
A vegetatively propagated seedling of the new varieties costs Ksh30 (35 US cents) but farmers could also purchase a gramme of seeds at Ksh60 (70 US cents). KARI estimates that a farmer can harvest as much as three tonnes from a hectare of land, while the farm-gate price of a kilogramme of fresh fruit is Ksh20 (24 US cents).
For this project, soft drink gian Coca Cola has offered to buy the passion fruit concentrates from intermediaries for later value addition into quality juices. This, according to Mr Henry Kinyua of Technoserve, is good news to thousands of farmers pegging their hopes on the product at a time when the country's production capacity is below the market demand.
Passion fruit has quick financial returns for both the domestic and export markets because it takes only one year for the crop to mature.
Two more companies - Equity Bank and Sunny Processors - are collaborating with KARI in the project. Equity Bank will provide loans to passion fruit farmers while Sunny Processors will extract concentrates for sale to Coca Cola.
According to KARI researchers, vegetative material is obtained from locally growing varieties which have been bred with a superior strain. Data from KARI shows that two varieties have been predominantly grown in Kenya. The purple passion, the most common which does well in mid-attitude regions, has quick market returns but is susceptible to Fusarium wilt, brown spot and passion fruit woodiness virus complex. Whereas the yellow passion fruit does well in hot regions, it is highly tolerant to soil-borne diseases. The yellow passion fruit‘s strength is in its acidity content and strong flavour.
"The KARI fruit breeding programme initiated activities to improve yellow passion fruit including use of the yellow type as the rootstalk," explains Mr Njuguna.
The passion fruit breeding programme is also supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Fresh produce of passion fruit cultivated in the North Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza Provinces targets the local and regional markets. It is one of the leading commercial enterprises in the North Rift where the area under passion fruit is increasing rapidly. However, farmers in these regions face major challenges with quality planting materials, agronomic and pest and disease management. Diseases of economic importance are passion fruit woodiness virus complex, Fusarium wilt and brown spot. Majority of the growers apply sub-optimal fertilizers.
A local community group in Bungoma Good Neighbours that is supported by KARI, USAID and GIZ (previously PSDA GTZ) is focused on upscaling passion fruit in Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley Provinces. The chair of Good Neighbours Mrs Zippy Simiyu is instrumental in establishing 15 screenhouses for passion fruit production in Rift Valley (6), Western (7) and Nyanza (2) Provinces. Outputs from this initiative are targeting 200,000 households by 2015. To date 350,000 passion fruit seedlings have been distributed in this region. Another initiative spearheaded by KARI-Kitale recently disseminated 12kg of yellow passion fruit (cultivated on approximately 120 acres) and 17kg of purple passion fruit covering about 200 acres that contributes to a total of 360 acres in the North Rift. The bulk of the passion fruit goes to Uganda for juice processing.
KARI-Kitale also sells grafted seedlings and has been offering technical advice to farmers and directing them to registered nurseries such Good Neighbours, ESKAY and Lessos in Bungoma, Uasin Gishu and Nandi.
In Coast Province (Kilifi, Malindi, Kwale, Msambweni and South Coast), two KARI centres (KARI-Mtwapa and KARI-Matuga) have the capacity to train farmers on passion fruit agronomics, crop management practices and propagate various varieties of passion fruit including the yellow passion fruit (dominant variety (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa), KPF-4 and C5.
A recent survey spearheaded by Agricultural Business Development in Kwale and Msambweni indicates that over 3,808 passion fruit farmers have cultivated about 425ha of passion fruit or about 707,114 stems. The farmers earned Ksh154 million at farm-gate level and produced about 8,753 tonnes.
KARI research activities have developed passion fruit varieties that are pest and disease tolerant as well as high yielding and suited for coastal region. Genes from the yellow passion fruit which does well in Coast have been combined with the purple highland variety to produce a superior hybrid. The new hybrids have fruit that is sweeter and good for juice processing.
Report By David Njagi, Joseph K. Njuguna, Thomas K. Kwambai, Pole Finyange and Lusike A. Wasilwa
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wonderful lessons am a passion farmer from north rift & would want to learn more on passion management and would want the best market in the world!
your work will benefit many Kenyans socially and economically. Is it possible to grow yellow passion friut at 1900masl in central province?
Thank you for the information on passion fruits. I have a farm in Kitale and want to plant some grafted passion in a 2 acre portion. However I get conflicting information on the yield rates. Can I get some reliable information from a farmer who has done it practically?
It is indeed a noble idea. I have initiated a passion fruit growing project in Kiminini area and we have established yellow rootstocks for which we intend to graft with purple scion material. We will appreciate getting the KPF 4, 11 and 12 for the scion material. We communicated with KARI Kitale who visited the farm and we hope to get them in time so that seedlings are ready for planting in March. We have a 2 acre farm where we will plant ours and since marketing is the main drive for the farmers, we are planning to process juices ourselves before we get large quantities for selling to Sunny and ultimately to Coca Cola. Information on passion fruit growing based on practical experience will also help us a great deal.
I am fruit farmer in Eldoret town.my concern is that the prices for the fruit are currently very low at only 20 bob.How can i get better prices and avoid exploitation by middle men
do you have seedling in kari thika.
My name is Magdy and held in Egypt the pyramids area and I would like and I want a very small amount of seed Golden kind -PASSION FRUIT-10 seeds- placing it in a speech at the following address ---- EGYPT -Cairo - ELHRM-GEZZA-Street 32ELEBOOR Branched from-FLAMDDA- Teresa -ELKOM ELACHDER-GREEN
am very much intreasted in passion crops i would like to know where to get the seeds from kari i have two acres of land in bomet county i noticed there is not such passion fruits growing in this county i wonder is it that the soil is not suitable or the people there have no informations about passios so who can help us .
Congratulations, from Colombia
I have 45 ha of slightly hilly farm in Lambwe area. What should I grow on it?
thanks for the very informative update.
I NEED GRAFTED SEEDLING OF PASSION FRUIT FOR ONE ACRE LOAN PLEASE
Thanks for wonderful report about the passion fruits. my question is, which is the best type to be grown in Maai-Mahiu area. can you help me with contact person at Thika Branch-mobile number
Please how can I get the New Hybrid passion fruit seedlings which are drought tolerant?
Thank you for the article and the inforamtion in the article...however,,the 20 bob part is a lie or poor information...good pasion bought by good companies with good intentions for farmers hit as high as 70-80 kshs per kilo...and in the market place..40 bob or 30 bob per kg is the minimum price...meanwhile kam kuna mtu ako na young turkeys and ako central province..please leave a coment
I appreciate the developments that have seen an emergence of KPF 4,11 and 12. I am a farmer who also raises seedlings for sale to residents of Kisumu and its outskirts.Which branch of Kari can serve me well so i can have quality seedlings for my clients.
am interested in passion farming. i have afarm in rongo. will passion fruit grow there?
i would like to know if the same variety grows in india, and if there could be market in kenya for such fruits, as i have passion fruit in my home. im intrested in cultivating in large scale as it has numerous medicinal properties. please provide me information .
we have a group by the name TIRET SELF HELP GROUP and we have already ripe yellow passion. In a week we are harvesting an average of 800 kg on the entire valleys of Tinderet, Nandi county,Rift valley Province-Kenya.In this Regard,we as a group are looking for a potential BUYER who can sign an M O U with us.Thank you
Hi i need approximately 1300 seed/seedlings (cocacola) for planting in laikipia
I am soon starting to grow tomatoes in greenhouses.I also intend to grow passion fruits on 2 acre piece of land in Budalangi Bunyala District.Do you advise me to go ahead or I must test the soil first.What would be the cost of testing the soil and where?
Please get me registered so that I can benefit from your good farming news.
i am interested in starting a passion fruit project on 1/4 acre of land iwould like to learn more about the total costs to be incurred total yield and the expected returns.
please my farm is already ploughed and in need of seedlings. Where can i get the seedlings,am based in Rarieda district in Asembo,Nyabande village.
I want to grow passion fruits in my one acre plot in sagana but when i do the calculations of 20 bob a kilo it doesn,t make sense. The cost of transporting is already too much...
we have done abit well in grafted passion fruts but we need to explore on un-grafted ones. Please KARI Kenya can you communicate with us
I am in Tanzania how and where can I get seeds for this passion fruit please advice
20 shillings per kilo ??!! That works out to 60,000 bob from a hectare. Grass will fetch more, and cost nothing to let grow wild. Do your math well.
that is good work, please keep it up.
kk the figures qouted are just an approximation since passion fruits sometimes may shoot upto 80 bob, also engaging irrigation will considerably improve production.However its critical that the editors conduct an informed survey before disseminating results to readers.Meanwhile i am seeking buyers of PASSION (6000) and grafted AVOCADO (5000)fruit seedlings at market price.conduct chebii_p@yahoo.com
I wish to know how to get these improved vaieties.my 1 acre of land is at :Lukuyani Tranzoia .Am very much interested in imrpoved passion farming.I appreciate your effort.Please advice on other fruits planting materials you've come up with.
im interested in passion fruit farming,can it work in teso uganda
Thanks for the information. But the distance from Thika to Gilgil is quite far. Can you advice me of a nearer place where l can buy this seedlings please since do reside in Gilgil. I will appreciate for your replies. Thanks in advance.
am looking for the seed for passion fruits were can i get it am form trazoia county.
i have 3 ha. of land in embu and i want to grow passion friut. I however do not know where to sell it at a good price
where can i buy the grafted seedling