Greenhouse Gains
As Joel Kirui transplanted tomato seedlings on his 1-hectare farmland in Nakuru County, 160 km northwest of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, he recalled how proceeds from his small-scale farming helped to fund his education.
“Through the sale of tomatoes produced on my field, I managed to pursue my studies,” Kirui told ChinAfrica. “I could earn enough cash every three months after sales, which enabled me to pay tuition fees for my three-year course.”
The production of tomatoes is critical in Kenya, where each household consumes the vegetable in at least two meals every day, according to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO). Tomato consumption in the country is forecast to reach 632,000 tonnes by 2026, an increase of 8.4 percent from 2021’s figure of 583,000 tonnes. In 2021, the country ranked 34th in the world for tomato production, figures from the Kenya Tomato Industry Outlook 2022-2026 show.
However, pests and diseases associated with climate change have wreaked havoc on tomato production in the East African country. According to KALRO, even 500,000 tomato farmers in Kenya could not meet the local demand due to pests and diseases causing low yields, which still stand at 8.8 tonnes (against a potential of 20 tonnes) per acre. This has forced the East African country to bridge the shortfall with imports from Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia. Tomato prices double whenever there is a pest or disease outbreak.
“Production of tomatoes is largely constrained by pests and diseases, the high cost of certified seeds, limited skills on seed establishment, and low technology adoption rates among the smallholder farmers who are the majority of producers,” said Lusike Wasilwa, KALRO director of crop systems.
“I was distressed after the invasion by pests decimated almost 50 percent of my plants. My hopes to complete my studies were dashed!” Kirui, a teacher by profession, lamented. His tomato field was not spared as the notorious pest Tuta absoluta, also known as the “tomato leaf miner,” devastated tomato crops in the country.
Horticulturists say Tuta absoluta, a pest that damages tomato plants, potatoes, eggplants and green peppers, is mostly resistant to insecticides. It originated in South America and has been spreading in African countries of late.
Innovative solution
A Chinese innovative technology called “tomato grafting” has emerged as a saviour amid the intensifying attacks of pests. It was introduced by Egerton University based in Kenya’s Nakuru County in partnership with Nanjing Agricultural University of China.
The Confucius Institute at Egerton University invited the first batch of agricultural experts from Nanjing Agricultural University to Kenya to provide training on tomato grafting.
The introduction of the Chinese technology is enhancing crop yields and improving livelihoods. More than 4,000 local farmers have been trained in using tomato grafting technology for greenhouse farming, and a reliable company has been identified to supply the grafted tomato seedlings.
“The grafted seedlings help farmers to realise a 50 percent increase in their yields, something they could not achieve previously when they were using traditional farming methods,” said Liu Yutao, director of the Confucius Institute at Egerton University.
Liu explained that tomato grafting technology has the advantage of better growth, higher yield, early maturity, and a longer duration of tomato production.
According to the Confucius Institute, the state-of-the-art technology was introduced to scale up local small-scale farmers’ productivity as part of a project funded by the China-International Fund for Agricultural Development South-South and Triangular Cooperation Facility.
Sources from the institute show that plans are underway to expand the technology to other regions in Kenya in order to improve food security. “We are also eyeing innovations in the tomato value chain to empower more rural youth and women as a way of creating a decent household income,” Liu added.
Bumper harvests
Smallholder farmers in parts of Nakuru County have reported a bumper harvest after adopting grafting technology and have described the innovative idea as a game-changer due to its ability to raise yields of the traditional varieties.
Angela Kimani, one of the beneficiaries and among those trained in greenhouse farming with tomato grafting technology, is optimistic that her tomato field will be saved again so that she can cash in on the high demand and higher prices of the commodity.
Maria Wangari, a small-scale tomato farmer in Kirinyaga County, said that since 2001, when she started growing tomatoes, her biggest challenges have always been pests and diseases, and post-harvest losses.
“With the arrival of Chinese know-how, we have been trained in key skills, tools, and knowledge which have led to increased yield in my field and reduced post-harvest losses,” Wangari said.
