Mixed farming method does it for Kirimi’s farm

Kirimi displays his pepino melon harvest. He has diversified fruits vegetables and trees to earn maximum value from his farm.

When you walk into the homestead of Joseph Kirimi, you cannot fail to notice the small plots that he has planted different kinds of horticulture crops.

There is already ripe tomatoes, capsicum, potatoes, kales, and cabbages. The tomatoes are ready for market.

“I am selling the tomatoes at Sh50 per kilo and I have done it for a number of days,” Kirimi says.

The potatoes and all the other crops growing on the slightly above one acre of land are in open field. “I hear people say most of the crops do well in green houses but I wanted to prove them wrong. Open fields are good enough if a farmer is able to understand the diseases that could affect their crops,” he says.

With the continued threat to tuta absoluta and bacterial wilt affecting other tomato farmers in the country, his farm looks free of those diseases.

“I was trained at the National Youth Service although I did not take agriculture I got an opportunity of working at some farms doing horticulture for export at Mlolongo in Nairobi.

It was at Mlolongo that I learnt a lot of farming techniques,” Kirimi revealed.

Back in his Mpakone village of North Imenti, Joseph Kirimi found a person willing to take his para-military training and agriculture background on board.

“I got this job of managing this farm from a pilot who doesn’t live here and he gave me the leeway to decide what would be the best crops for the farm,” Kirimi said.

“I opted to first do trials in small plots like a researcher which I can say has yielded a lot. We have done a lot of crops but to me, the best is Pepino melon,” Kirimi says.

He would learn of fruit trees from a nursery nearby from where he sought an assortment of fruit trees. On the farm, the Hass variety avocado is at the flowering stag, apples, pears and yellow passion growing.

Surrounding the farm is an assortment of agro-forestry trees, the Grevillea robusta, murkhamia lutea, vitex kiniensis, and the Cordia Africana are standing tall looking imposing on the farm.

“I have a touch with all the trees and vegetation here and I know they are all important to my farming and the community,” Kirimi says.

He is luck that a fresh water spring is on his farm which he pumps to irrigate the various crops. But with so much diversity, why would he now decide on Pepino melon? “After doing my research and planting many crops and after studying the market trends, I decided Pepino melon was my fruit. Pepino is not locally available in Meru and fetches a lot of money. I have secured a market in Makutano where we shall be selling each piece (fruit) of Pepino at Sh30-Sh50 a kilo depending on the size,” Kirimi says.

With 115 bushes of the crop already planted and with each giving between 15-20 fruits per harvest, Kirimi targets making Sh60,000 per harvest and hopes to sell the fruits at Sh40.

Pepino melon is a rare fruit in Kenya and it is considered to be one of the most nutritious fruits. It said to have lots of Vitamins A, C, K and B. It has proteins, iron, and copper which are said to be essential for a healthy immune system.

The fruit also known as the super fruit or magic fruit has anti-cancer properties, reduces cholesterol, boosts liver growth and promotes cardiovascular health.

It is easily propagated and does not need spraying from any pests or diseases. “Pepino melon will grow without any diseases affecting it all you need to do is apply enough farm yard manure and you are good to go,” Kirimi advises.

It will take 6 months for a farmer to harvest the Pepino fruits.

“Farmers must ensure the fruit is grown in the open without any tree shading because the shade is not good to the fruit. It should always receive enough sunlight,” Kirimi says.