After working as a truck driver for 22 years, Fredrick Kinyanjui decided to leave employment and venture into farming, a move that has since transformed his life and turned him into a successful fruit farmer.
Kinyanjui says his passion for farming was inspired by his father, who raised the family through proceeds from agricultural activities. Motivated by that background, he initially ventured into coffee farming and planted about 300 coffee bushes. At the time, coffee farming was profitable and provided him with good income.
However, things changed in 2010 when he delivered his coffee to the factory and was informed that deductions would be made from his earnings to settle an outstanding loan. Frustrated by the experience, he returned home and uprooted all his coffee bushes.
He then shifted to fruit farming, planting avocado and mango trees, which he still grows today. Later, he introduced custard apple farming, which has become his most profitable venture.
Kinyanjui currently has 40 custard apple trees sitting on half an acre of land. He says the idea to grow the fruit commercially came from his childhood experience, as his father had a few indigenous custard apple trees that attracted many buyers to their home.
“People used to come from different places looking for the fruits, and that motivated me to start growing them on a larger scale,” he said.
The farmer practices organic farming to maintain high-quality produce suitable for both local and export markets. According to him, the best-performing tree can yield up to 800 kilograms of fruit in one season, while the farm produces an average of 20 tonnes annually.
Despite recording lower production this season due to prolonged dry weather, Kinyanjui says the demand for custard apples remains high. Most of the fruits are sold directly at the farm gate, where buyers frequently visit his farm.
He also revealed that he recently secured an export opportunity to Saudi Arabia, where a marketer is seeking at least 10 tonnes of the fruit. To meet the growing demand, he has encouraged other farmers in the area to venture into custard apple farming.
“This is a profitable venture, and if more farmers join, we can supply both local and export markets consistently,” he said.
Kinyanjui explained that custard apple farming requires minimal management, with the main requirements being adequate water and manure application. However, he emphasized the importance of patience since the trees begin producing substantial yields from the fifth year.
“The tree gives small harvests in the early years, but production increases as it matures,” he noted.
Although the crop is not highly susceptible to diseases, he said cold weather sometimes causes premature fruit drop. Fruit flies also pose a challenge, though he manages them using insect traps.
Apart from generating income, Kinyanjui says custard apples have several health benefits, including regulating blood pressure and controlling blood sugar levels.
To diversify his earnings, the farmer also offers training to interested farmers at a fee of KSh 1,000 per person. In addition, he operates a seedling nursery where each custard apple seedling sells for KSh 300.
Recently, he received an order to supply 1,000 seedlings to a group of farmers in Loitoktok.
Besides custard apples, Kinyanjui also grows plantain bananas and practices dairy farming. He is now encouraging young people to venture into agriculture, saying farming has the potential to provide sustainable income and employment opportunities.
By: Samuel Mwangi
