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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Newspaper article birthed profitable tree tomato venture

Crop

By WILLIES MWANIKI | Oct 24, 2019

**Joseph Wanderi Njuguna, popularly known as Mawiko, checks the condition of his tree tomato fruits in his farm in Kabazi, Nakuru County. [Willies Mwaniki]**

Located about two kilometres West of Kabazi Centre in Nakuru County is Joseph Wanderi Njuguna’s farm that holds more than 250 tree tomato stems.

Popularly known as Mawiko, Njuguna says he got the idea to venture into tree tomato farming last year after reading a newspaper article. Out of curiosity and practical application of the advice from the article, he managed to establish the farm.

He started with one seedling tree that he grafted with a bug weed tree seedling locally known as “muthakwa”.

“After reading the article, I was able to perform a successful grafting and planted the seedlings as a trial. In grafting, the bug weed seedlings take the bottom side and the tree tomato plant the top. The seedling did very well and motivated me. I have since planted 250 grafted tree tomato stems. I have mastered the art and I am good to go,” he says.

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The advantage of grafting the plant with bug weed, he says, is that it enhances more absorption of water and nutrients by the crop: “The bug weed plant has extended roots ten times than the tree tomato, thus grafting improves the root system of the tomato tree, enabling it to overcome prolonged dry seasons. The phenomenon enhances productivity as the plant can carry more fruits since it does not abort flowers due to lack of water and plant nutrients.”

The grafted tree tomato takes about ten months to produce the first harvest of the fruits, as Mawiko tells. “I planted mine last year in August, and by June this year, I harvested the first harvest of 30 kilograms, which was a good start.”

“The fruit yields have increased greatly, with each tree producing one kilogram per harvest weekly, totaling about 250 kilograms. I am expecting that soon; each tree will produce two kilograms weekly. For now, I am selling my fruits locally for Sh80 per kilogram,” he says.

With proper tending of the grafted tree tomato, they can maintain their production up to eight years. Mawiko is optimistic that he will significantly benefit from this agribusiness venture and even expand it.

“The good thing about tree tomato is that they produce well when properly taken care of. As you can see, each tree plant has many fruits in different stages, and still, the plants are producing flowers, an indication that the harvest can be available even daily.”

He has also ventured into grafting of the tree tomato seedlings and selling them locally at one hundred and fifty shillings per seedling. “I have already mastered the skills of grafting.”

“The plants are easy to manage as they don’t need many inputs. For example, my 250 fruits occupy only half of acre of land; hence, the size of the land is not a big issue. I have not experienced a challenge of pest or diseases attacking the plants but only common challenges such as aphids and early/late bright diseases which are effectively controllable.”

“When all goes well, I will acquire a piece of land and expand my agribusiness. This is an eye-opener to a profitable venture, and I have the zeal to expand it to gain more profit. I urge all the farmers to read farming articles and newspapers to know the current trends of farming, which are profitable so that one can practice profitable farming.” He concludes.

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