Kenyan farmers are realizing how profitable avocados can get.At the peak of production, a single mature avocado tree can produce 70 to 100 kg of fruits per year.
The Hass variety is particularly preferred mainly for export market as the prices and demand are higher. In 2019, Kenya exported 60,000 tonnes of avocadoes with Holland being the chief importer hauling over 13,000 tonnes[MC1] . [MC2]
Though native to the Americans, the avocado (Persea americana) is a great source of income for farmers as an important export crop. This is mainly due to its great health benefits and high protein and oil content. Avocados are rich in potassium dietary fibre and vitamin B6, C, D and E. They are consumed as fresh fruit, in salads, spread on bread both for fortification and flavor purposes, mixed in stew and are also used to make avocado oil.
The Hass grows well from altitudes of 800-2100 m above sea level in many different types of soil that are deep, hold water well with an optimum pH of 5.5-6.5.
Avocados flourish in temperatures between 16-24 degrees centigrade with the maximum temperature for avocado at 33 degrees centigrade.
Even though avocados are highly adapted to different rainfall conditions, a well distributed annual rainfall of up to 1600 mm is good for production.
The Hass variety does especially well in central Kenya, Eastern, Central rift valley, Lower Nyanza and all western Kenya counties. These regions have the best climatic conditions for hass-Avocado cultivation.
Certified Hass Avocado seeds are easily available in Government research institutes such as Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) or Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) with offices across the country. The seedlings are also available from certified roadside tree nurseries and both International and local non-Governmental and community based organisations. An acre can take an average of 150 seedlings at a good spacing.
The Hass avocado is mainly propagated through grafting. Grafting is done where rootstock is soft, and the scion should be dormant at the time of grafting and should match the size of the stock.
The grafting point is then wrapped tightly to exclude water from the union and to prevent it from drying out.
When ready for planting, holes of about 60cm x 60cm x 60cm are prepared. The general spacing for pure stands of avocadoes is 9m x9m.
Steps to follow when planting.
- Fill the holes with topsoil mixed with manure.
- Water the holes unless the soil is wet enough.
- Plant the grafts in the holes, to the same depth as they were in the nursery. The bud union should be about 300mm above the ground.
- Water the seedlings immediately after planting especially if you are planting during the dry season.
- Shade the young plants, and if planted in a windy area, a windbreak is also necessary to protect the plants from leaning to one side and to help prevent leaf shedding and bruising.
In light soil, the spacing is 25 x 25 ft while in deep, rich soil, a spacing of 30-35 ft. is recommended.
If trees are planted so close that they ultimately touch each other, the branches will wither off.
During pruning, all suckers and dead branches are removed from main trunk branches. The canopy is then pruned to keep the tree to a height of 5-8 m and for ease of picking. Pruning should however be minimized because the tree is very susceptible to sunburn.
Avocados are ready for harvesting at 5-10 months after flowering. This depends on the ecological conditions of the region.
Clippers are used for low hanging fruits and for those higher up, a long handled picking pole with a sharp “V” on the metal rim is used to cut the stem and a strong cloth bag to catch the fruit. If allowed to remain too long on the tree, the fruits may be blown down by wind and they will be bruised or broken by the fall. Immature fruits do not ripen but become rubbery, shriveled, and discolored. Fully grown avocados ripen in 4-5 weeks at room temperature.