Strawberries can grow in almost any part of Kenya as long as there is a constant supply of water and the temperatures are optimal. The crop does well in both hot and cold weather. Some of the parts in which strawberries have proved to work well include Kiambu, Nyeri, Kitale, Nairobi, Kericho, Naivasha, Molo, Embu, Kinangop, Sagana, Athiriver, and Kitengela. You, therefore, need to learn how to grow strawberries.

There could be many suitable places for strawberries but farmers could be lacking awareness about this bright red-colored, aromatic, sweet, and juicy fruit. Other farmers are aware but reluctant to grow it, claiming that the industry is yet to develop.

Testimonial

Those who have invested in strawberry farming smile all the way to the bank because of the huge incomes. Benson Maina, a farmer who harvests 180kg weekly from his 2-acre farm and sells at 350 per kilo says strawberry farming is a venture worth getting into.

Benson did not try other farming activities. He thinks that strawberry farming is one of the best agricultural projects to make money. He goes ahead to justify the venture saying that it will only take you three months after transplanting for the plant to mature then you will start harvesting, throughout the year. The most amazing thing is that you continue harvesting for three years before replanting.

What to Know

One main thing farmers should be very keen on is where they buy their seeds if they want good yields. Most farmers will take cheaper seeds, which are fake, and it turns into a disappointment.  

“Seedlings are a big issue because everyone is now propagating and selling them. It, therefore, becomes a big challenge identifying genuine from fake ones,” says Gitau, a licensed government seedlings propagator and a certified strawberry breeder who runs Rogita Plants Care. He insists that a genuine seedling will go for at least ksh.30 warning farmers not to buy the cheaper ones that go for as low as ksh.3. However, they are affected by post-harvest losses.

Photo credit: Greenlife Crop Protection