Kenya’s Bomet farmers turn to avocado farming for better income
Farmers in Bomet are switching from maize to avocado as they seek better earnings and climate resilience.
KENYA – Farmers in Bomet County, Kenya, are finding fresh hope in avocado farming after years of struggling with maize.
One such farmer, Grace Mutai, says a simple conversation she overheard changed her life.
“My entry into avocado farming was more of an accident. I overheard people discussing its potential in this region so I decided to try it. I bought four seedlings and planted them just to see what would happen. I haven’t looked back since then,” Ms Mutai said.
For several years, Ms Mutai leased land across the county to grow maize. Today, she is part of a growing number of farmers who have embraced avocado farming to improve incomes, household nutrition, and adapt to changing weather conditions.
Her early days were not smooth. Out of the first four seedlings she planted in 2020, only two survived. Rather than giving up, she bought ten more seedlings from a certified nursery supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Mulot, Narok County — and all survived.
“It was encouraging to see them thrive. That gave me the motivation to expand,” she said.
It took three years for the trees to bear fruit. When they finally did, she sold her harvest for KES 9000 (US$69.36) to a hawker who paid her on the spot. However, Ms Mutai soon learnt that proper harvesting, grading, and weighing are important for better returns.
County and national support
To support the shift, the county has distributed 200,000 Hass avocado seedlings under a subsidy programme. Another 80,000 seedlings were supplied by the national government and the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLoCA) programme.
Dr Kibet Sitienei, the Bomet County Agriculture Chief Officer, said they are working with WWF and FLoCA to boost production.
In Bomet East, Biofarms Company has set up an aggregation centre that collects fruits for export, helping farmers access better-paying markets.
Bomet’s growing influence
WWF Greater Mara Sub-Landscape Coordinator, Mr Peter Muigai, said Bomet has the right conditions for avocados and that farming is improving both incomes and the environment.
“Avocado farming supports environmental conservation, addresses nutrition challenges, and provides income. We’re working with local and national governments, communities and cooperatives to scale up the enterprise,” Mr Muigai said.
The expansion supports President William Ruto’s plan to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. Bomet Governor Prof Barchok said farmers will continue to get technical help.
Kenya remains Africa’s leading avocado exporter and ranked tenth worldwide. In 2023, Kenya exported 123,000 tonnes of avocados, up from 103,000 tonnes in 2022, bringing in Sh18 billion (US$138.98 million) in foreign exchange earnings.
Dr Bruno Linyiru, Director-General of the Agricultural and Food Authority (AFA), said maintaining quality is key.
With counties like Murang’a leading production and Bomet fast rising, Kenya’s avocado story is expected to grow even stronger.
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