Watermelon Farming in Kenya
Watermelon Farming in Kenya is taking as most Kenyans embrace the fruit. In almost every city you will find fruit vendors with watermelons. Don't wonder why, they get good prices. Imagine a piece of watermelon that sells for 20 Ksh, how many pieces does a big watermelon have? To answer your question, a single melon can have up to 20 pieces, selling @Ksh 20, this equals Ksh 400.
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is a warm season annual that produces large succulent fruits. The fruits are mostly water and can be eaten raw or pickled and the rind is also edible when cooked.
How Much Is 1kg of Watermelon in Kenya - Watermelon Farming Kenya
On the farm, a farmer can make a good profit of up to 100 Ksh. What matters is how he handles the watermelons during harvesting and transportation to market. If not handled properly, spoiled watermelons will reduce your income. The cost of production is estimated at Sh100,000 per acre.
Watermelon is planted directly from the seeds. Although other people prefer to plant them in a nursery and then transfer them later. It all depends on your own decision.
Watermelon farming in Kenya requires minimal handling processes and its market is readily available. In Kenya, this is mostly done in hot regions like Makueni, Machakos, Kajiado and coastal regions. Watermelon can also be grown in mountainous regions, although the quality of the fruit is inferior to that grown in hot regions.
Watermelon Farming in Kenya - Watermelon Farming Business:
High Turnover - Watermelon takes eighty-five days to ripen from the date of planting. This means that you can have three sets of harvested watermelon fruits for sale in the year and if you have started the business on a large piece of land, you will surely get excellent returns on your investment.
Ready Market -: because people are aware of its health benefits, mainly because it contains enzymes that help fight cancer cells in the body; the demand for watermelon is very high.
Watermelon Is Resistant To Pests: this means that the watermelon plant is resistant to pests and diseases that generally affect plants; You won't need to spend a lot to prevent pests from affecting your watermelon.
Very Easy To Start: As long as you have the land space you need for farming, you don't need much else to start your watermelon business; You don't need a lot of technical knowledge to run a watermelon farm.
Is Watermelons Farming Profitable In Kenya - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
Watermelon farming in Kenya generates a profit of about 10 times the initial investment with an average of 30 tons per acre with one kilo sold for only Ksh 10, so the return is Ksh 400,000. That's a huge profit in just 3 months. Watermelon farming business in Kenya is guaranteed to reap small profits. The better your product, the more traders will want to bring your product to Kenyan watermelon shoppers looking for the sweetest fruit with the fewest seeds.
• Seeds - 12,500 Ksh
• Labour: 10,000 Kenyan shillings
• Plowing and weeding: Ksh 10,000
• DAP fertilizer 50 KG - 2,500 Ksh
An acre of land can produce 45,000 pounds. Each kilo is sold at a sale price of 10 Ksh - 15 Ksh. In short, we are talking about a minimum income of around 450,000 Ksh.
How To Start A Watermelon Farm - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
When it comes to Watermelon farming in Kenya, the first step is determining which variety to use. While some are tall and slow to mature, like Sukari F1 Hybrid, others, like Charleston Grey, are drought tolerant. The nursery is not necessary as they are planted directly in the ground.
The farmer must ensure that the farm is well plowed and that the soil is loose to facilitate soil aeration. Additionally, the area should receive at least six hours of sunlight per day, as watermelons need plenty of sunlight to bloom. When planting, sow the seeds 1 meter apart with a minimum of 1.5 meters between rows. During the first few weeks after planting, adequate rainfall or irrigation will be required.
Watermelon Farming Kenya - Ecological Requirements of Watermelon
Soil: The crop does well in clay, well-drained, nutrient-rich, slightly acidic soils. If grown in heavy soils, the crop grows slowly and fruit size is often of poor quality.
Temperature: Warm temperatures between 15 and 30 0C are suitable for the growth and development of this crop.
Attitude: Watermelons do well at elevations up to 1500 m above sea level. However, lowlands are the best Watermelon farming in Kenya areas.
Rainfall: The crop thrives in areas where the ideal rainfall is 600mm per growing season. Irrigation is important to ensure a constant availability of moisture.
How to increase your Ksh40,000 to Ksh400,000 in 100 days
#1: Watermelon Farming Kenya – Watermelon Seeds
High quality seeds are available from Kenya Seeds Company and Simlaw Seeds Company stores. Currently, 500 grams of seed sells for Ksh 12,500 and can be used for up to 1 acre.
Keep in mind that since watermelon produces large vines, you need to space at least 1.5 meters between rows. This leafy crop should be grown away from any shade to receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.
#2: What Is The Best Watermelon Seed? - Watermelon Farming Kenya
The variety of watermelon you choose can determine the return on investment you get. According to Xaxa-Farms, a variety known as Sweet Rose is the best choice for novice growers as it is highly resistant to disease and pests. Other varieties in high demand in Kenya include:
When it comes to Kenyan watermelon varieties, choosing an appropriate type is key to making a profit. The choice must be made according to market requirements in terms of shape, taste, size and weight of the fruit.
Other traits that affect the watermelon variety include; shelf life, productivity, transportation and suitability for greenhouse cultivation. Let's take a look at some of the common watermelon varieties in Kenya.
• Watermelon Sukari F1 - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
Sukari F1 is considered one of the best and most used watermelon varieties in Kenya. Very sweet watermelons with crimson red flesh are characterized by an approximately early maturity cycle. 75-90 days from the time of sowing.
With a seeding rate of 500-600 grams/acre, the Sukari F1 watermelon variety has a potential yield of 25 tons/acre with an average weight of 7-8 kg.
• Watermelon Asali F1 from Royal Seeds Company - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
The next watermelon variety in Kenya is the popular Asali F1 hybrid watermelon, easily identified by its oblong shape.
Asali F1 is characterized by its early maturation period of 85 days with a potential yield of 30 to 40 tons per acre. This variety of watermelon is resistant to Fusarium and Anthracnose diseases and has an average weight of 10-12KGS at full maturity.
You Might Also Be Interested In Avocados Farming In Kenya.
• Sugar Baby Watermelon - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
The Sugar Baby watermelon variety was designed for farmers with a small growing space. Despite its small size, Sugar Baby is in great demand in the market due to its softness and weight, which usually does not exceed 5 kg.
Watermelon Farming Kenya - Seed Costs
About 500 g of seeds are needed for direct sowing in a one hectare field.
#3: How Long Does Watermelon Take To Grow In Kenya - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
Watermelons usually reach maturity in 80 to 100 days. To check if your fruits are ready, simply turn them over to see if they have a yellow spot on the part that rests on the ground. Another way to check ripeness would be to beat the fruit; you should expect to hear a thud of ripe fruit.
#4: Can I Plant Watermelons At Home - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
Watermelon adapts to a wide range of environments. In general, watermelons grow well in coastal areas of moderate heat and dry plains. Example of such places: Machakos, Embu, Kirinyaga, Loitoktok, Garissa, Isiolo, Kerio Valley and parts of Meru. According to the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), this crop can also grow well in areas with black cotton soil (such as Kitengela) if planted with drip irrigation.
#5: Watermelon Challenges - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
As with any other business, Watermelon farming in Kenya comes with its own set of challenges. Xaxa-Frams (a former watermelon grower) says finding the right pesticides and fungicides is always a challenge. Xaxa Farms recommends seeking advice from an extension worker before applying pesticides or fungicides to watermelons.
Watermelon Farming In Kenya: Soil Preparation and Planting
Land preparation should be done early to allow weeds to dry out and break down before planting.
Seeds are usually planted directly in the field. However, it is also possible to raise them first in a bed and transplant them to the main field, although this may cause disturbances in their root systems.
Watermelon Farming Kenya – Watermelon Spacing
The crop is spaced 1.5 meters between rows and 1 meter from crop to crop. Vines need enough space for their propagation. Watermelon spacing is usually 1.5m from row to row and 1m from plant to plant. Watermelon can grow best in hot, dry areas under irrigation and rainfed in marginal areas. Watermelon can also grow well in higher areas during the hot season under irrigation. If irrigated, develop a good systematic irrigation system because fruits become stressed when the pattern changes, affecting fruit development and spraying schedule.
Remember that watermelons germinate in 7 days and the first fruits are seen from the 30th day. Boron is thought to help plants produce sweet fruit.
The crop needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight, which is essential for fruit development.
Germination takes place in 7 days.
Watermelon Farming In Kenya: Watermelon Weeding
Weeds can significantly reduce the yield potential of the crop as they compete with the crop for nutrients, water and light and harbor diseases and pests, which reduce yields. Therefore, good weed control is very important for good yield and also makes harvesting easier. This can be done by surface culture. Hand weeding is recommended when the crop has grown enough to cover the ground.
Watermelon Farming In Kenya – Watermelon Pruning
Excess fruit should be pruned to allow the correct number of fruit to develop properly and achieve marketable quality. All non-marketable fruit, i.e. deformed and rotten fruit, is discarded.
Watermelon Farming In Kenya - Irrigation
Watermelon requires relatively much water, so it should be watered just enough to maintain moisture consistency. If this is not done, the fruits dry out inside, while excessive watering makes the fruits tasteless and watery.
Irrigation can be done by furrows, sprinkling or drip.
Tips!
Fruit splitting/cracking due to excessive irrigation after the crop has experienced water stress.
Irrigation should be reduced when the fruits reach the harvest stage. It should be stopped about two weeks before expiration.
How Many Watermelons Can You Have Per Acre - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
Yields of watermelon vary depending on the variety and general maintenance of the crop. However, one hectare of land, in favorable ecological conditions and well maintained, can produce 20 to 35 tons.
Watermelon Farming In Kenya - Crop Rotation
Watermelon can be rotated with crops other than cucurbits such as cereals, legumes or crucifers. This helps in pest and disease management, as it breaks their development cycles, among other benefits. What is the best fertilizer for watermelons?
For optimum yields, the timely application of basal and foliar fertilizers is highly recommended. Manure should be added especially for soils with little or no organic matter. Proper nutrition during the early stages of crop growth helps increase nutrients and grow fruit longer.
Watermelon Farming In Kenya – Best Fertilizers for Watermelon
Apply 50 kg of DAP to one acre before planting. Alternatively, place a teaspoon of fertilizer in each planting hole, mix well into the soil to ensure the fertilizer doesn't burn the seeds, then plant the seeds.
DAP is preferred because it contains relatively higher levels of phosphorus which helps the crop develop roots. Other phosphate fertilizers such as TSP can be used.
Watermelon Farming In Kenya: Top Dressing
Use CAN 3-4 weeks after planting. Apply 1 teaspoon of fertilizer to the base of each plant in a circle or along the rows, about 15 cm from the plant at the rate of 50 to 100 kg per acre.
CAN fixes nitrogen in the soil, which increases the green color of the leaves, responsible for the production of food for the plant. Other nitrogen fertilizers such as urea can also be used.
What Are The Common Diseases Of Watermelon - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
Common pests that damage watermelon plants and fruits are listed below.
Watermelon Farming Kenya - Pests
Cutworms: These are brownish biting and chewing pests found mainly in the soil near the root zone of the plant, cutting off tender young stems. Heavy infestations cause significant crop losses.
Melon fly: attacks young fruits, impairing their development and cell multiplication, which leads to the production of deformed fruits, as well as the immature drop of infested fruits.
Red spider mites - are a big problem in hot, dry conditions. They feed by piercing and sucking while damaging the crop. The attacked leaves have a mottled appearance that turns yellowish to whitish and dry. Plants under water or drought stress are more susceptible to severe damage from the pest. They form networks on the underside of leaves.
Whiteflies: suck plant sap and excrete honeydew where mold is growing, affecting plant growth and vigor. The affected plant loses its vitality due to the suction of the sap, which leads to yellowing, curling down and eventually drying of the leaves. The tobacco whitefly is considered one of the major pests due to its ability to carry several viral diseases that cause extensive damage to watermelons.
Leaf miners: The larvae mine below the surface of the leaves, creating irregularly shaped white mines that increase in width as the larvae mature. This reduces the photosynthetic zone and eventually leads to leaf wilting.
Epilachna beetles: Adults and larvae feed on leaves, leaving a fine network of veins, and damaged leaves wilt and dry up. Young plants can be completely destroyed, while older plants can tolerate considerable leaf damage. This beetle is a vector of pumpkin mosaic virus.
Aphids: They feed by piercing and sucking plant sap and reproduce very quickly, so if left unchecked they cause significant damage. Infested leaves curl and wrinkle. While feeding, they excrete honeydew which facilitates the development of sooty mold which reduces the photosynthetic zone. Growth retardation is observed.
Thrips: Both adult and nymph are destructive. They feed on leaves and, more preferably, flowers by sucking the sap, causing damage that can lead to flower damage or abortion.
Nematodes: These are microscopic parasites present in the soil. Infestation causes plants to wilt and when infested plants are pulled out of the ground, the roots become distorted, swell and knot/gall, eventually rotting and leading to plant death.
Watermelon Farming Kenya - Diseases
Damping off: This is a soil-borne disease. Diseased seeds do not germinate while seedlings rot and eventually die. White cotton growth is evident on the roots of infected seedlings.
Powdery Mildew: Symptoms first develop as a whitish powder like powdery growth on the upper surface of the leaf, and as the infection progresses the stems also become infected. Severely infected parts turn yellow and eventually wither.
Anthracnose: Symptoms are mainly seen on fruit as circular sunken black or brown lesions. When wet, the centers of the lesions turn purple due to a mass of fungal spores. However, water-soaked lesions are also seen on leaves and stems. At the stem, they can girdle the stem, causing vines to wilt.
Powdery mildew - infection leads to the formation of yellow spots on the underside of the leaf. These diseased leaves eventually turn brown and fall off. Infected plants are stunted and die, while the fruit produced may not ripen and therefore taste bad.
Watermelon mosaic - this is a viral disease. The virus is transmitted mechanically and is also spread by several species of aphids in a non-persistent manner. The leaves show symptoms of reduced size, patches of dark green tissue alternating with greenish-yellow. Usually the plant is stunted and the fruits develop watery lesions with solid central spots.
Leaf spots: The infection causes leaf spots to develop which are angled in shape and vary in size due to the size of the leaf veins. Initially, these points are soaked with water.
Fusarium wilt: Symptoms initially appear as leaf chlorosis and as the infection continues the leaves begin to wilt upwards. A brown vascular discoloration in the infected stem or root leads to the death of the plant.
How Long Do Watermelons Take to Grow -Watermelon Farming In Kenya
This starts about 3-4 months after planting, depending on variety and ecological factors. It is best to harvest early in the morning, when the heat in the field is low and the fruit is fat.
Watermelon farming in Kenya - Maturity
They include the following;
• Dull, hollow sound when tapping the watermelon fruit with the knuckles
• Cracking of stems near ripe fruit
• Skin color changes from white to cream or pale yellow where the fruit was resting on the ground
• Breakage of the green bands at the floral end of the fruit
• Death of the tendrils near the fruit when it reaches maturity
• The skin becomes resistant to the penetration of miniatures and is rough to the touch
Tips!
Fruit should be cut from the vine with a sharp object, such as a knife, rather than pulling, twisting, or breaking.
If the fruits are picked while still immature, the red color is formed, but the pulp does not develop an acceptable sweetness, as the sugar content does not increase after harvest.
Watermelon Farming Kenya - Handling, Storage & Transportation
Minimal handling of the fruits should be ensured as they are quite fragile and prone to breakage and bruising.
In storage, temperature management is very important for optimal fruit quality. They are not suitable for long periods of storage.
Fruit should not be thrown onto the truck and should be placed correctly to minimize any movement, which prevents the fruit from being bruised from the inside.
Watermelons should not be transported in closed trucks or stored with products that produce ethylene, such as bananas, as this causes them to break inside, the pulp to soak up water and soften and loses its sweet taste.
NB; Do not store harvested watermelons in the sun.
Watermelon Farming Kenya - Physiological Disorders
These are conditions that are caused by non-pathogenic agents. They can result from one or a combination of nutritional, environmental or genetic factors. They include the following;
Blossom end rot (BER)
This is the rotting of the blossom end of fruits that begins with softening, slight wilting, browning, browning with further wilting and sometimes secondary rotting. It is caused by a lack of calcium in nutrition and water stress. It is recommended to apply fertilizers rich in calcium such as FERRARI GOLD and to maintain the consistency of humidity.
Sunscald/sunburns
This occurs as a result of exposure to intense sunlight, causing dehydration and overheating damage to shell tissue. Sunburn occurs more often in varieties that produce dark green-skinned fruits. Covering the fruit with materials such as straw or vines can prevent this condition.
Bursting/Cracking
During the dry period the bark becomes quite inelastic and when followed by irrigation or rain the fruit absorbs a large amount of water, forcing the bark to burst at its weakest point. Good nutrition and proper irrigation reduce the occurrence of this disorder.
Deformed fruit (pumpkin or bottleneck)
This is mainly due to water stress and is common in varieties that produce long fruits. Proper irrigation is recommended.
White Heart
White streaks or streaks of unwanted flesh usually form in the center of the fruit, which is caused by excessive moisture and excess nitrogen during fruit ripening. Avoid excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers especially during the fruiting phase and ensure correct irrigation.
Shapeless (pear-shaped fruit)
This condition can be the result of poor pollination resulting in restricted growth at the stem tip due to the absence of developing seeds. It can also happen if the temperatures are lower than expected. Increasing the number of beehives around the farm and using environmentally friendly agrochemicals helps to increase the number of pollinators, which promotes pollination.
Hollow heart
This disorder is indicated by cracks in the core/stone of the fruit due to an increase in growth rate in response to ideal growing conditions facilitated by abundant water and warm temperatures.
Rind necrosis
This is an internal watermelon rind disorder in which brown, corky-like spots form on the rind, which may enlarge to form large bands of discoloration that rarely extend to flesh. Bacterial infections and water stress have been reported to cause this disorder.
Tips!
Watermelons of all varieties can warp, especially if they are on uneven ground or damaged when small.
OPTIMIZER® is an essential organic bio stimulant for plant growth and stress management. It can be applied to all or any stage of crop growth and development.
#7: Watermelon Market in Kenya - Watermelon Farming In Kenya
The main watermelon market in Kenya is easily available at Nairobi City Market, Agakhan Market, Githurai Market, Kangemi and Kongowea Market located in Mombasa. Alternatively, you can search for a market in hotels and supermarkets in your area. “There are middlemen who often come to the farms to buy their products before they are even ripe, so I don't think finding a market for watermelon is a big problem” Julius Kombo (farmer from Lamu, Kenya ).
Watermelons can also be planted together with tomatoes because they thrive at the same temperature, and have almost the same nutritional requirements. This means that you can use a tomatoes fertilizer without having to worry about reduced yields.
 Guide | Xaxa-Farms){kind=link}
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