January 11, 2026 | Daily Nation |
A 23-year-old farmer, Musyoki Ndasya, manages a 22-acre mango plantation in Machakos County inherited from his grandfather, with about 2,000 mango trees producing up to 600,000 fruits per season. Although mango farming provides him a gross income of around Sh3 million per season, erratic markets, low farm-gate prices, post-harvest losses, and lack of value addition limit profitability. After deducting costs, his family earns about Sh2.4 million, far below the potential he believes could reach Sh15 million per season with proper processing and market support.
The farm grows multiple mango varieties, including Ngowe, Apple, Tommy Atkins, Kent, and Keitt, to diversify market access. Ndasya highlights challenges faced by smallholders, such as unstable demand, lack of cooperatives, limited pest and disease management knowledge, and use of banned chemicals leading to market rejection. He urges the Machakos County government to support value addition, structured markets, farmer groups, and access to safe agrochemicals, citing neighboring Makueni County as a successful model.
Despite risks like flooding markets and even wildlife threats, mango farming remains central to the local economy, contributing billions of shillings annually, though farmers say its full potential remains untapped.
