Coriander production in Kenya:
Thinking of growing coriander? You have come to the right place.
In this blogpost we are going to discuss:
- The opportunity presented by growing coriander,
- Ease of management and why its production makes sense to small scale farmers,
- The popularity of coriander production in Kenya.
- And much—much more.
This is the last blogpost you’ll need to have to start producing coriander in Kenya.
I know that this is a tall claim to make.
However, when you read the post to the end, you’ll become a coriander farming expert even if you’ve never grown it before.
So sit back and relax.
Ready?
Continue reading…
Coriander is one of the common herbs in Kenya.
It is more popular than chives, catmint, rosemary and bay leaves combined.
This popularity means that you’ll always have a market for your product regardless of where you live in Kenya.
And that is just a tip of the iceberg.
Will I Make Money Growing Coriander in Kenya?
To answer that question, let us look at why growing coriander is the best deal for small farmers in Kenya.
1. Enjoy Great wholesale and retail market price for Each Kilo of coriander herb
Can you imagine earning over KES 350 for a Kilo of coriander?
Well, this is the price that coriander farmers in Kenya get daily.
They do not have worries of depressed earnings like farmers who grow sugarcane, maize, and other widely grown crops.
That’s pure joy for those specializing in its production.
The sweetest part is, “You need small space to start your coriander farming business.”
A 10 feet X 10 feet garden patch is enough.
2. Short Waiting Period from Sowing to Harvest
Just imagine this:
From sowing to harvest, you need only 40 days—or 50 days max.
That cannot be said about crops like:
- Maize that need 5 months,
- Watermelon 180 days,
- Beans 3 months,
- Onions 5 months,
- Cassava 8 months.
Do you know see how coriander can save you cash flow problems?
3. Compared to maize, beans, watermelon, sugarcane, wheat, and many other crops, fewer farmers grow coriander.
That fact does not mean that fewer people like coriander.
It simply means that there is less competition for those growing coriander when compared to other crops.
Low competition means stable and profitable returns!
Don’t take too long to start your coriander farm.
4. Coriander is the most popular herb in Kenya
- People (including picky eaters like children) love the herb’s aroma.
For that reason, it is widely used in salads, vegetable juices, sauce preparations, as an accompaniment of meat, fish, pork, and many other dishes.
Wide applicability and use means stable market prices both in the rainy and dry seasons.
- That’s not all. Wholesalers and retailers readily stock herb in their groceries. They don’t need coercion so that they can accept to buy the herb.
As it flies off the shelves as soon as they restock their goods.
this accepted as a vegetable stock by wholesalers, retailers, so you’ll have ready market for your produce.
- Widespread use of the herb in Kenya. People in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Mombasa, and many other parts of Kenya readily recognize the herb and willing to use it in preparation of various dishes.
- Used to garnish food of different types.
5. Coriander Can grow in Many Regions and Areas in Kenya
This is a major advantage because it doesn’t matter the county where you are located.
If you are located in western, central, or Nyanza Kenya—you can grow coriander without any disease problems.
If you are in hotter parts of eastern, rift valley, coast—you may need to use shade netting to protect your coriander from the hot sun.
6. Certified coriander seed is available in farmer shops across Kenya.
Seed companies like the Kenya seed company, Royal seed, Continental seed company, Amiran Kenya distribute certified seeds to their regional stockists around Kenya.
Once you decide to grow coriander, everything will fall in place.
That includes your ability to make handsome profits from coriander farming.
7. You Don’t need Special skills or a Diploma in Agriculture to Grow Coriander
Growing the herb is not complicated.
Anyone can do it.
All you need is to:
- Prepare the growing beds,
- Apply well-rotted farmyard manure on the beds,
- Sow the seeds in rows,
- Cover them using grass mulch for 7-10 days,
- Irrigate
- Once the seeds germinate, remove the mulch and continue irrigating and managing the beds until they reach marketable size.
Not able to find customers for your coriander herbs? Don’t worry.
Here’s why…
In the rare event that you fail to get suitable buyers, you don’t need to panic at all.
What you need is let the coriander produce flowers, which will in turn produce seed.
Coriander that has been let to flower so that it can produce seeds
This seed will then be used as a spice.
You won’t have lost any money.
The coriander spice is also in high demand.
One kilo of coriander seed for spice making sells for KES 1,000+
Surely. You can’t go wrong with coriander farming!
Conclusion
If you’ve never tried growing coriander, I urge you to do so.
You’ll never lack income.
What are your thoughts on this topic coriander production in Kenya?
Share them below.
Coriander products on Jumia
