Samuel Tirimba, a farmer from Itumbe area in Kisii County, has glowing praises for Hass Avocado trees.
He bets with his life, that there’s no farming that is as profitable as Hass Avocado farming.
Here is his story of how 5 Hass Avocado Trees made him over 165,000 shillings.
Samuel Tirimba at his Farm In Itumbe Looking at one of His Hass Plants
My experience with Hass Avocado dates back to the year 2012.
I had just retired as an auditor with Telkom Kenya, and was trying to find a bearing in my new role as a retiree.
So I decided to muddy my hand by getting into farming.
I tried growing many crops.
However, out of the farming ventures I started, I think Hass avocado farming has had the most profound outcome.
It all started when I bought my first 5 Hass Avocado seedlings.
3 of the 5 Hass Avocado Trees that Tirimba Planted in 2012
When I arrived at my home—in Itumbe, excitedly I planted the trees just around the compound of my house.
My interest at the time, was to grow a few trees—just enough to give fruit for my family and me.
Little did I know that those 5 trees will give me tons of EXTRA cash 4 years later.
If I knew in advance that would happen, “I would have ventured into Hass avocado farming in a big way.”
May be, I would have planted 100, 200 or 1,000 Hass avocado trees in 2012, instead of the five.
Back to the story…
When I planted those 5 seedlings back in 2012, I was VERY doubtful about the prospect of earning ANY money from them.
Why?
- The Hass variety was new to the Itumbe—Kisii area,
- People preferred the local Avocado variety that produced big fruits, unlike the Hass that produced smaller fruit.
Therefore, by planting the five Hass avocado seedlings, I wasn’t thinking at ALL about earning money from them.
I was doing it as a hobby and an experiment.
Some of the Hass Avocado Trees In Tirimba’s Farm At Itumbe–Kisii County
Hass Avocado Gives Me Handsome Returns 4 Years Later
Four years later, when the trees had finished fruiting, something unexpected happened.
In my mind I knew ALMOST everybody in Kisii has one or several avocado trees…
so nobody would be willing to buy my fruit.
As the fruits grew slowly and silently, every morning, I would gaze at them.
Oh my… they were beautiful.
They looked like green pearls suspended on trees.
I couldn’t wait for the day they were mature and ready to eat.
Little did I know somebody else was watching their progress.
When they were finally ready, out of nowhere a buyer came.
He asked me, “Mzee can you consider selling your Hass avocado fruit?”
“I am in the business of exporting Hass avocado.
From the appearance and quality of your fruit, they qualify for export.”
That statement jolted me.
I hadn’t thought of that idea before.
All I wanted was my family and I to eat the fruits —as I enjoyed my retirement years.
Therefore, selling the fruits felt like giving away my children, and wealth to strangers.
I told the buyer, “I will think about it.”
My intention was to dilly-dally so that the man forgets about our conversation and moves to something else.
Then days passed, then one week…
I still hadn’t made the decision to sell the Hass avocado fruits.
My hesitation did not stop the buyer from contacting me several times after our conversation.
He kept pressuring me.
“Sell me the fruits” he said.
“I will give you a good offer that will change how you think about Hass Avocado farming” He assured me.
Since this man was so persuasive, I eventually gave in to his persistent buying offers.
The 5 Avocado Trees Yield 12,700 Fruits
The day the buyer came to harvest the fruits finally arrived.
I remember it like yesterday.
He came early on a Monday morning accompanied with 5 men whom he told me were his harvesting crew.
After exchanging morning greetings—like real Africans, the men got to work.
3 hours later, they had harvested almost all the fruits.
What was left were those that were small or still immature.
“Mzee I think we are through with our work.”
Come closer so that we can count the number of fruits we’ve harvested—then I pay you.
After about 1 hour, the five men were through with counting and packing the fruits into crates.
The Price of One Hass Avocado was 13 Shillings by Then
After the counting was over, he said…
“Mzee”
“I am going to give you 13/= shillings for every fruit.”
Quickly I did the math.
“Sir that’s Kenya shillings 165,100/=” I told the avocado buyer.
The guy casually pulled a bundle of brand new 1,000-shilling bank notes from his jacket.
He counted the cash, and out of it, gave me 165,000/= plus another 100-shilling note which he got from his trousers side pocket. I couldn’t imagine my luck that day!
That was the highest amount of money ever received in one day in Itumbe by an avocado farmer.
It was unheard of as being payment for avocado fruit in the Itumbe area and the larger Kisii region.
The common earnings were a paltry 400 shillings for a 105 kilo bag of avocado.
From experience, a farmer could sell a maximum of 10 bags and all his avocados would be over.
That means most farmers received 4,000 shillings for their fruits.
A Chief Campaigner for Hass Avocado farming.
I took this role because I want others to benefit as I did.
Whenever I have time and circumstances allow it, I encourage farmers in my locality, around Menyikwa, Igare, Nyamache, Nyanchogochogo, Mwembe and other towns in Kisii County to seriously consider growing Hass avocado.
Almost every two weeks, visitors come to my small 2-acre farm.
They visit to learn about Hass avocado farming.
When they see what I am doing, and the opportunities available, they get excited.
I get excited and joyful too…
because I am inspiring others to be wealthy.
Farmers from Nyamira During a Visit At Tirimba’s Farm
One more thing:
The demand for Hass Avocado fruit is so high.
Personally, I can’t meet the demand. I can only do much.
“More people should join this movement,” Is my prayer.
As we speak, buying prices have skyrocketed from 13 shillings per fruit back in 2012 to 23 shillings right now.
That’s why I insist that…
“There has never been a better time to plant Hass Avocado plants than right now.”
Prices will get even higher as the demand for Hass avocado soars due to the opening of the Chinese export market.
Why wait?
PS: If Samuel’s experience has excited you, and you want to start Hass avocado farming today, contact Haron Mogeni on 0715609418 and you’ll get all the Hass seedlings you need.
Hurry! Money loves speed.
