For over two decades, Fredrick Kinyanjui, 57, led a life on the road as a truck driver, tirelessly ferrying goods across long distances to support his family.
As a resident of Kamahuha village in Maragua subcounty, Murang’a county, Kenya, he observed how the coffee industry thrived, bringing substantial profits to his employers.
Inspired by his upbringing on a farm, Kinyanjui decided to venture into coffee farming in 2003 to supplement his income and secure a better future for his loved ones.
With 333 coffee bushes, he enjoyed good returns, as coffee prices were favorable and the crop attracted significant demand.
For several years, Kinyanjui prospered in coffee farming, until the sector encountered a downturn, and farmers faced difficulties repaying accumulated debts.
As his payments were deducted to cover these debts, his enthusiasm waned, leading him to make a difficult decision – cutting down all his coffee bushes.
In a bid to regain his farming spirit, Kinyanjui turned to his roots, remembering the success his father had with custard apple farming.
Intrigued by the prospect of cultivating this fruit that had funded his education, he embarked on a journey to grow custard apples in his farm, hoping for a more promising future.
“I remembered my father would tell me it was custard apples that paid for my education,” he recalled during a candid Interview with the Star.
Land constraints limited Kinyanjui to planting only 40 grafted custard apple trees, but he patiently tended to them for three years before they began bearing fruit.
These trees required five years to yield fruits suitable for commercialization, demanding meticulous crop husbandry practices.
Nevertheless, Kinyanjui’s persistence paid off, as he discovered that the custard apple fruit commanded a higher price per kilogram compared to coffee and necessitated less intensive care.
Each tree had the potential to produce up to 800 kg of custard apples per season, with the harvest period spanning from May to September.
On average, Kinyanjui successfully harvested between 10 and 20 tonnes of custard apples per season, selling each kilogram at approximately Ksh60.
“This year, we are expecting the price to go up to Sh80 per kilogramme, though the production is lower because of the drought we experienced last year.”
Despite facing challenges such as climate change affecting moisture levels, fruit flies, and false codling moths, he maintained purely organic practices, making his produce attractive to both local and international markets.
Kinyanjui’s dedication and effective crop management led to a remarkable achievement when some of his fruits weighed over two kilograms each.
Such outstanding quality garnered attention, and an exporting company recognized the potential of his custard apples.
The company sampled the fruits and sent them abroad, where buyers marveled at their superior taste, even compared to fruits sourced from Mexico.
Buoyed by the successful export venture, a buyer from Saudi Arabia expressed interest in purchasing at least one tonne of custard apples per week until the end of the season.
With a surge in demand, Kinyanjui embraced the opportunity and rallied his neighbors and relatives to join him in planting more custard apple trees, consolidating the produce for the burgeoning export market.
Seeing the potential in sharing his knowledge and expertise, Kinyanjui transformed his farm into a demonstration center, offering custard apple farming training to aspiring farmers.
For a nominal fee of Ksh1,000 per farmer, he passed on valuable insights, attracting enthusiasts from all corners of the country.
To facilitate wider cultivation, he sourced indigenous seeds from different regions and skillfully grafted them to improve production.
Recently, Kinyanjui received an order for 1,000 seedlings from farmers in Loitoktok, eager to venture into custard apple farming themselves.
He welcomed the opportunity to promote this fruit’s cultivation and enhance its market presence.
Amidst the challenges and uncertainties of farming, Kinyanjui remains committed to custard apple farming and diversified agriculture.
While maintaining his custard apple orchard, he also cultivates plantain bananas, keeps dairy cattle, and grows mangoes and avocados on his farm.
“I would not leave farming for anything else. The returns I am getting from it are satisfying,” Kinyanjui declared with contentment, epitomizing the success that comes with perseverance and a willingness to adapt to new opportunities.
