The government rolled out the Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Initiative (KAFACI) project 5 years ago to improve the production of tomato varieties and bridge the current deficit, which is at least 200,000 metric tonnes.
The project, in partnership with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), was to validate improved tomato varieties and agronomic practices and also integrate pest and disease management practices.
The project, which started in 2020 and ends at the end of this year, has been keen on validating appropriate post-harvest handling, processing, and value addition technologies in Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Kajiado, Garissa, Bungoma, and Busia Counties.
Speaking to KNA, Director of Crop Systems at KALRO Dr. Lusike Wasilwa said the production of tomatoes is critical in a country where each household consumes the vegetable in at least two meals every day.
“We have over 300 varieties of tomatoes in Kenya, and KALRO is still improving and breeding new ones and currently working on identification of the best irrigation practices for tomato production,” she said.
She expressed fears that the over 500,000 tomato farmers in Kenya could not meet the local demand due to the poor variety of seeds impacting low yields, which still stand at 8.8 against a potential of 20 metric tonnes (MT) an acre.
Dr. Lusike said the deficit has forced the country to bridge the shortfalls with imports from Tanzania, Uganda, the DRC, and Ethiopia.
“Production of tomatoes is largely constrained by the high cost of certified seeds, limited skills on seed establishment, pests, and diseases, poor post-harvest management practices, as well as a low technology adoption rate among the smallholder farmers who are the majority of producers,” she added.
Dr. Lusike acknowledged the challenges that have been affecting tomato production, especially with the recent invasive pest ‘tuta absoluta’ which has been devastating crops.
“We are doing our best to ensure we have the best technologies for tomato production. We have had lots of pests and diseases affecting this crop and are having different control mechanisms that are organic where farmers do not spray so much,” she said, giving an example of using the hedge system.
She explained about the greenhouse technology where they are currently breeding tomatoes that are resistant to pests and disease by using the button drip irrigation, which requires low maintenance and lowers disease pressure since the farmer is controlling everything from how much water or fertiliser they get. The technology has the capacity of also tripling their output in terms of finances.
“When the soil is dry, the system will send you a warning through your phone, and thus you can act accordingly by releasing water to the plants, and the process goes on all through the day,” she explained.
The Director noted that when it comes to production, a farmer using the greenhouse technology can harvest tomatoes for four months straight, unlike without the technology, which will see them harvest for around two months.
Farmers, Dr. Lusike explained, have for a long time been complaining about their tomatoes being too soft and going bad quickly. She explained that for this, KALRO is working with an Egyptian company and has introduced ‘Cocoly’ a soil amendment fertiliser which is abundant in nutrition and is fully soluble.
“When one grows tomatoes with Cocoly, mixed with fertiliser as a foliar, the tomatoes do not only get very red but are also hardened, and this helps in their durability.
“When the tomatoes are taken to the market, they stay looking healthy and nice, and a consumer can be able to keep them fresh for up to a month without spoilage,” Dr. Lusike said, terming the product as the new kid on the block from KALRO technology that farmers in Loitokitok are using.
James Kimani, from Rombo, told KNA that he has been producing tomatoes on a large scale for the last 15 years.
“I cannot complain since I have been able to raise my children and take them to school using money from tomato farming,” he says, but quickly says it has not been smooth sailing because of pests and disease, besides poor markets sometimes.
He gave a practical example of his 10-acre land when, on a good day, he makes good money, but when the price is very low, he would rather leave the tomatoes on his farm for his domestic cattle to feed on.
“I would want to take my produce to Wakulima Market, Nairobi, but it is not cost-effective. The cost-paying workers in the farm, transport, and CESS for the county government comes to about Sh 45,000, which I cannot make on selling the produce, so I prefer giving my cows to eat, and that is a big challenge for me,” Kimani said.
He said the solution to his and other farmers’ challenge would be for the government to invest in processing and value addition, saying this would assist farmers in cutting down on post-harvest losses.
Maryam Sunte., a small-scale tomato farmer in Kajiado, said that since 2001, when she started growing tomatoes, her biggest challenge has always been pests and disease, poor markets, and post-harvest losses.
She, however, said that KALRO has been training them by equipping them with the necessary skills, tools, and knowledge on improving tomato yields through various varieties, which she confessed has led to increased yield.
“We have gained a lot of technology, but sometimes the market is so bad that we almost give up. The government should stabilise tomato prices and also put up processing plants near us, where farmers can benefit from value-added products such as tomato sauce.
Naftali Chege Kingori, Agricultural Extension Officer, Rombo Ward in Kajiado County, said they have been working with over 2,000 farmers in the tomato value chain, with the County placing a lot of emphasis on tomato production due to its high contribution of revenue to the county.
“Tomato is one of the high-value crops in the county; we have been working and putting emphasis on tomato production, working with KALRO in promoting it through capacity building and training the farmers on tomato production technologies.
The County, Kingori said, is able to achieve 20 tonnes per acre and specifically in Rombo, but noted the major challenge in tomato production is the tuta-absoluta pest, which can cause losses of up to 100 percent to tomatoes.
“Right now, the post-harvest loss is about 30 per cent, and we have been training farmers on how to reduce the loss by controlling pests and diseases using integrated pest management (IPM) and also by timely harvesting of tomatoes.
Kingori noted that they have been sourcing for partners who can help the county set up a tomato processing plant so that tomatoes that are not able to go to the fresh market can be taken to the plant for processing and value addition.
Packaging, he said, has also been key, and that together with KALRO, they have been training farmers on proper packaging and proper handling so that they do not incur a lot of breakages and thus reduce post-harvest losses.
Dr. Alice Murage, the KAFACI focal person here in Kenya, explained that the Country is one of the 37 countries which is being supported in three programs, one of them being Tomatoes, and that Kenyan scientists have been supported with about USD 100,000 for research.
“The tomato programme is ending this year after five years, and the idea behind it was to develop varieties that are high-producing and which are going to give farmers yields that are resistant to diseases,” she said.
Dr. Murage said farmers have been able to use irrigation technology and produce the tomatoes and are currently in discussions with the KAFACE to develop another project that will be looking at climate change.
JI Gang Kim, the Director of Korea Partnership for Innovation and Agriculture (KOPIA) in Kenya and based in Muguga, said they are partnering with KALRO in disseminating improved agricultural technology to rural areas.
Kim said there is a need for improved post-harvest technology and also infrastructure to be able to reduce post-harvest losses and also engage in value addition by investing in a processing plant.
According to a baseline study on the status of tomato production in Kiambu, Kajiado, Bungoma, and Kirinyaga counties, tomato cultivation is dominated by women at farm level, with most of the farms not exceeding 1.25 acres.
Some of the major tomato-producing counties in Kenya include Kajiado, which is at 12 per cent; Kirinyaga, 10.2 per cent; Narok, 9.5 per cent; Machakos, 6.7 per cent; and Kiambu, at 6.3 per cent.
By Wangari Ndirangu
