Passion Fruit Farming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Passion Fruits for Massive Profit
Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya 2022
Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya [2022] can be an extremely profitable business in Kenya with high and steady income. It is one of the biggest fruits exported by Kenya.
In this blog post, we will explore the many benefits of Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya and how to get started.
- Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya PDF
- Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya 2022
- Passion Fruit Yield per Acre in Kenya
- Grafted Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
- Passion Fruit Spacing in Kenya
The local market demand is also quite high. The crop is malleable to a good lowland to highland agroecological zone. The demand for fruit in all domestic and foreign markets continues to grow.
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Large quantities of passion fruit are consumed raw locally and, at constant time, are exported together. East Africa could be a major supplier of recent purple passion fruit in the export market, followed by Brazil, Colombia, Zambia and Rhodesia; Moreover, the United Kingdom is the biggest customer. Other exporters are the Netherlands, France, United Arab Emirates, Germany and Belgium.
Varieties - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya 2022
Types of Passion Fruit - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya 2022
The main varieties of passion fruit grown in Kenya are:-
1. Purple passion fruit
2. Yellow passion fruit
3. Passion fruit jam
4. Giant Passion Fruit
5. Banana passion fruit
6. Purple passion fruit
Purple Passion Fruit - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
It is the most widely grown variety of passion fruit in Kenya and the most important variety in the juice processing industry. It does well in cool temperatures at 2,000 meters elevation west of the Rift Valley and between 1,200 and 1,800 meters elevation east of the Rift Valley.
The purple passion fruit has an oval or round shape, with a diameter between 4cm and 6cm. The color changes from green to dark purple when ripe. The fruits usually drop from the vine when ripe. Whether fresh, processed or frozen, purple passion fruit has exceptional flavor.
Yellow Passion - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Yellow passion is more suited to tropical plains than purple passion. It is also more vigorous. The pulp is aromatic and acidic. The fruit is slightly larger than the purple passion fruit. Turns from green to yellow when ripe. Ripe fruits often fall from the vines.
Since the yellow variety is resistant to soil diseases, it is used to graft the purple variety.
Sweet Passion - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Known by the scientific name Passiflora Ligularis and the common name Sweet Granadilla, the sweet passion fruit grows well in cooler climates, at altitudes of 1500m above sea level.
Sweet passion fruit has an excellent flavor and turns blue to orange-brown when ripe. It has an aromatic white pulp, wrapped in a hard shell, which allows it to withstand transport without spoiling.
Giant Passion (Granilla) - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
The giant passion fruit grows well at sea level and to a maximum height of 1,700 meters above sea level.
The plant grows up to 30 meters tall and the fruit turns from green to yellow when ripe. The fruits are eaten fresh.
Banana Passion - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Banana passion fruit grows in cooler climates above 1500 m altitude.
Ecological Requirements - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Altitude: 0-2000m above sea level
Rainfall: 900-2000 mm per year
Temperature: 16-300C
Soils: Light to heavy medium texture with a pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5
Grafted Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya 2022
Use the seeds of a healthy purple passion fruit plant grafted with yellow passion fruit (Flavicapa) as rootstock. When growing seedlings, use seeds that have been stored for less than 3 months. Treat the seeds with hot water at 500C for 15-30 minutes. Germination will take 2-3 weeks.
Raising Rootstocks for Grafting - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya 2022
Yellow passion fruit is the best, seedlings will take 3-4 months in the nursery. Perform split grafting after 3-4 weeks when the seedlings reach a height of 45 cm, use purple passion fruit crowns for grafting. Transplant after 3 weeks and it should coincide with the rains or water the plants.
Passion Fruit Vine Grafting - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya 2022
This process involves choosing the right rootstock and the right scion. The most suitable and common grafting technique is wedge grafting. The success of the graft union depends on the experience of the grower, choice of rootstock and scion, management practices such as irrigation and cleaning of the graft union.
Choose the Rootstock - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Yellow passion 1 cm thick, defoliated, terminal end removed leaving a stem 8 cm long.
Choosing a Scion
1 cm thick, obtained from an existing passion fruit, healthy and free from pests and diseases.
Quite woody and have 2-3 buds, completely defoliated to reduce their rate of respiration.
Transplant procedure
Cut the wedge-shaped basal structure 2 cm long to allow the xylem and phloem vessels to be in contact with those of the rootstock.
Make a cut about 3 cm in length in the rootstock with a clean surgical blade, into which a suitable purple passion fruit shoot is inserted and attached.
Wrap the graft union tightly with plastic tape to ensure that no air, water, or fungus passes through the union.
After 3 weeks, the graft union should be healed. The plant is then hardened off before transplanting.
Passion Fruit Farming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Passion Fruits for Massive Profit
Land Preparation - Passion Fruit Spacing in Kenya
Plow deeply and rake the soil, this should be done 2-3 months before planting. Dig pits 45cm by 45cm spaced 2m by 3m apart for the manual and 3m by 3m for the mechanic. Add 20 kg of manure and 125 g of TSP or DAP to the pits and mix with the soil
Trellising and Training - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Wooden poles 2.7 m high and 15 cm in diameter are placed before the plants start to climb. Form two healthy shoots above the union of the graft with the sisal ropes.
Pruning - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Remove old unproductive shoots and dead wood
Weed Management - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
It must be done regularly, avoiding any damage to the plants.
Best Fertilizers for Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya Nutrition management
Apply 1250-150g CAN at the beginning of the rains, twice a year. The first application should be made 2 weeks after transplanting.
Apply 20 to 40 kg of organic fertilizer before the rains, foliar and trace elements every 3 months.
Crop Rotation - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
The crop should not be planted more than 5 years in the same plot to avoid the accumulation of pathogens and pests on the crop.
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Diseases That Affect Passion Fruit - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Diseases that affect passion fruit are:-
Fusarium Wilt
When infected with Fusarium wilt, the plant wilts and dies. Vascular tissues will have brown discolorations. To prevent Fusarium wilt, use yellow passion rootstocks, grafted at more than 45 cm. Use sterile culture media.
Blight
Dark, water-soaked lesions appear on leaves when passion fruit is infected with the pest. They then spread to the rest of the plant as the infected tissues die. The pest affects mature plants and young shoots. Rust can be prevented with good field hygiene. To treat the pest, use Polyram or Dacomil.
Brown Spot
Brown spots attack leaves and fruit, causing brown rings with dead spots. The infection begins on the leaves and can move to the axils and leaf tips. To prevent brown spot disease, thin the vines to allow aeration. You can treat brown spots with fungicides like Dacomil/Milraz, Antacol or Ridomil
Woodiness Virus
Woodiness Virus disease is characterized by deformation of leaves, wood of fruits. The plants are stunted, with reduced yields, and the vines will die. To prevent wood viruses, sterilize pruning tools with sodium hypochlorite (Jik bleach) or formaldehyde. Control any organisms that may be carrying the virus and remove any weeds.
Die Backs
The vines begin to die back at the ends or in the middle of the branches. In later stages, branches die back regressively, drying out the cortex and branches. If your passion fruit orchard is hit with death, cut off any infected branches and treat them with copper-based fungicides.
Pests That Affect Passion Fruit - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Red Spider Mites
Red spider mites are found on the love surfaces of the leaves between the veins and cause the leaves to dry out. They can be controlled by pulling up the infested plant and keeping the field free of weeds. Pesticides such as Mitac and Dynamec can be used.
Mealy Bugs
Mealybugs are pink oval stationery tacks covered in a thread of wax. Mealybugs can be controlled by pruning and destroying infested plant parts, removing heavily infested plants, and using pesticides such as karate.
Fruit Fly
Fruit flies lay eggs on fruit, causing sunken brown spots as the eggs hatch into white larvae and burrow inside the fruit. Fruit flies can be controlled with pesticides such as Decis, Bestox, Fastac, Karate and Labaycid.
Aphids
Green and diseased sap of tissue aphids. They transmit viruses like wood virus. Aphids are usually controlled by natural enemies such as ladybugs and by the use of broad spectrum pesticides such as Decis
Thrips
When thrips attach to passion fruit, the affected parts wilt, flowers and young fruits drop prematurely. There are lesions on the fruits and deformation of the leaves and young shoots.
Stink Bugs
The green vegetable bug, then the yellow edge bug and the brown bug infest passion fruit. They sting and suck the young fruits. Perforated areas are sunken resulting in poor fruit quality. Bed bugs can be controlled manually or with chemicals like Decis
Nematodes
Nematodes live in the soil, causing knots or galls to form on the roots. This causes yellowing of leaves and stunted growth. Affected plants eventually die. To prevent roundworms, alternate with cassava, cereals, sweet potatoes, cabbage and kale. Use yellow passion fruit rootstock for grafting. Use clean hygiene in the field and use clean planting material.
Harvesting – Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
It begins 8 to 12 months after the transplant. Choose yellow passion fruits when they turn yellow and purple passion fruits when the color changes from green to purple.
Passion Fruit Yield per Hectare in Kenya - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Production ranges from 10 to 20 tons per hectare per year for purple passion fruit and 40 to 50 tons per hectare per year for sweet yellow passion fruit.
Passion Fruit Yield per Acre in Kenya - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
The average productivity of passion fruit is one ton per acre.
The economic life of the growth medium varies from 3 to 5 years.
Post-Harvest Handling - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Classify fruits in terms of size and color. Sort out any fruit that looks bruised. Pack fruit in boxes ready to ship. Store fruit at temperatures of 3 to 50°C.
How Profitable Is Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Most Kenyan farmers are nervous about trying a new crop because they are not always sure of the profit or loss that will be made in the whole process. The reality is that in Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya, yields of over 15-20 tons are possible.
In a year, a farmer can earn up to 1 million shillings per acre, compared to 35,000 to 60,000 shillings earned by growing wheat or maize. A ¼ acre can produce 350 or more passion fruits. A well-maintained plant can produce 10-15 kg of fruit per year. Passion fruit is sold at 40–100 Ksh/kg, while export grade 1 can be around 70–100 Ksh/kg.
Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya has become popular in Kenya, for example farmers in the North Rift are moving away from passion fruit maize, which has better yields, is cheaper to maintain and has a ready market to reach the market. 'Uganda.
Exporting Passion Fruit - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Kenya is the main producer of passion fruit in Africa. It exported a total of $14 million worth of fruit last year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The main export market is Europe and Asia, but there are other markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, allowing Kenyan farmers to profit from their crops. .
Companies That Buy Passion Fruit in Kenya - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
The demand for passion fruit in Kenya is increasing with an increasing number of companies buying the fruit.
Kenyan farmers benefit because they can sell their produce at a higher price and make more profit than if they sold in local markets.
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Most companies that source passion fruit from Kenya are juice processing companies like;
• Kevian Limited.
• Limited Delmonte juice.
• Limited garden.
• Jetlak foods.
• Premium food industries.
• Free fresh juice.
• Squeezed limited fresh
Profits from Passion Fruit in Kenya
Passion fruits are the most profitable of all fruits due to their sweet and sour taste and high demand. This makes it a very good investment when starting your own farm.
The average price of passion fruit in Kenya is around Ksh 60 per kilogram (Kg). Its price has been steadily rising for the past few years, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Exports - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
According to the National Farmers Service, the demand for fruit on the local and international market is not yet covered.
Kenya exports the fruits to Brazil, Colombia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, France, UK, UAE, Germany and Belgium.
Conclusion - Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya
Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya is a great business opportunity for those interested in agriculture and has the potential to become an income generating industry for many as it is a profitable business.
The Passion Plant Is A Vine; This means there can be creative ways to maximize what little space you have. It is high time for more farmers to start Passion fruit farming in Kenya. It is an area where you can definitely harvest a lot during the harvest season.
Kenya has a perfect tropical climate for Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya, which makes Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya relatively easy and profitable.
The plant is hardy, tolerant of a variety of soil and climatic conditions, and drought resistant, making it an ideal agricultural crop for developing countries with unstable environments.
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