Ngorika Village in Nyandarua County is a place where dreams take root and flourish, and it is here that the Chiira family’s agricultural journey began.
Led by the wise 90-year-old agronomist, William Chiira, and his ambitious grandson, William Chiira Jr., this family embarked on a venture that would transform their 80-acre farm into an expensive orchard, blossoming with life and prosperity.
Here is their story as told by WoK.
Background
The journey to this thriving enterprise began in 2012 when William Chiira Jr. stumbled upon an article detailing the success of an avocado farmer in the then Kisii District.
At that time, Chiira Jr. was working in a market research and procurement company, but the article ignited a newfound passion for trees within him.
Inspired and eager to explore this newfound passion, he shared the article with his grandfather, William Chiira Sr., who was equally captivated by the idea of farming.
Their curiosity led them to visit Kakuzi farm in Murang’a.
“At Kakuzi we found out that the farm had replaced coffee bushes with Hass avocado.” Chiira Jr said during an Interview with Daily Nation.
The Chiiras sought advice from agricultural researchers and invited them to their farm to suggest suitable avocado varieties for their region.
The ambitious duo began preparations in January 2015 and planted their first batch of Hass avocado seedlings.
They imported scions from the United States, developed by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO).
Starting with 2,000 seedlings spread across 12.5 acres, the Chiiras expanded their orchard to 4,000 trees on 25 acres.
To protect their hard work and profits, they established a marketing firm and signed contracts.
William Chiira Sr. had acquired the farm in 1983 during his time as a civil servant.
Upon settling in Ngorika village in 2000, he engaged in potato, dairy, and horticultural farming while also leasing part of the land.
However, with the introduction of the orchard, he soon realized the immense potential of fruit production compared to traditional crops like maize.
Macadamia nuts caught the attention of the Chiira family in 2016.
After careful research, they selected the cultivar Kiambu 3, suitable for their ecological zone.
“We got the cultivar Kiambu 3 for our ecological zone. We planted 500 trees on about three acres the following year. The farm now has 1000 macadamia trees on six acres and we hope to plant an additional 1,520 next year,” the elderly man told the Daily Nation.
Their ambitious plans aimed to plant an additional 1,520 trees the following year.
Macadamia cultivation required specific conditions, primarily well-draining land to prevent root rot.
Planting during the start of the long rains, along with proper pest control, contributed to the success of their macadamia orchard. Unlike avocado farming, macadamia required less labor and could be inter-cropped with other horticultural crops.
On the Chiira farm, they practiced inter-cropping with Kikuyu grass to support sheep farming, which in turn provided valuable manure for the fruit trees.
The first year of macadamia tree growth focused on root development, with watering and pest control being of utmost importance.
Gradually, as the trees matured, the yields increased significantly.
A young macadamia tree could produce around 30 kilograms of nuts annually, but when fully mature at 10 years, the yield soared to approximately 140 kilograms.
