CHARACTERIZATION OF MANGO FARMING SYSTEM IN KITUI COUNTY, KENYA By Rashidatu Abdulai 1 CHARACTERIZATION OF MANGO FARMING SYSTEM IN KITUI COUNTY, KENYA Name: Rashidatu Abdulai Number: 860227003090 Study programme: Masters Earth and Environment Internship code: PPS 70424 Academic year: 2019 Chair group(s): Plant Production System (PPS) Supervisor: Esther Ronner 2 ABSTRACT A farm characterization survey on mango production was conducted in Kitui county, Kenya. The main aim of this research was to address the general overview of mango production in Kitui with regards to different types of mangoes (local or grafted), mango varieties, management practices, pests and diseases and prices of mangoes. There were two study locations: Kitui central and Mwingi west (Migwani) sub-counties. A total of nine villages were selected from these sub- locations and interviewed on mango production. Basic household data were also collected (household members, age, education etc.…). A total of 101 farmers were interviewed (50 for Kitui central and 51 for Migwani). Results showed that 36% of farmers in both sub-locations are small scale; 44% and 38% are medium scale farmers for Kitui central and Migwani respectively and 20% and 28% are large scale farmers for Kitui central and Migwani respectively. While 100% of farmers interviewed in both locations grew grafted mango only 40% and 39% grew indigenous mango varieties in Kitui central and Migwani respectively. The Apple mango variety was the most grown variety by most farmers because it fetched the highest price in the market and for its sweet and juicy nature. Respondents said the two most common mode of sales of their mango fruits were through buyers coming to the farm (57% of respondents) and through the local market (33%). Above 80% of farmers were recorded to apply pruning, weeding and pest and disease control in both sub-locations on their mango farm. Over 60% of farmers often have their farms affected by common pests (fruit fly, seed weevil, aphids, thrips, bugs and mites) in both sub-locations. Furthermore, not less than 90% of farmers responded to have their farms affected by some common diseases (Anthracnose, powdery mildew and rots) in both sub-locations. 3 Table of Contents ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 5 General Information about Study area (Kitui county) ......................................................................... 5 Mango production in Kitui County .................................................................................................... 8 Research Questions ......................................................................................................................... 9 Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 10 Data analysis ................................................................................................................................. 11 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Discussion......................................................................................................................................... 20 CONCLUSIONS............................................................................................................................... 21 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................... 22 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 23 4 Introduction Sustainable Transition to Entrepreneurial Production in Agriculture through Upgrading (STEP-UP) is a project that aims to contribute to food security and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. STEP-UP is focused on two main countries in Africa: Kenya (mango) and Uganda (banana). In this study we focused on Kenya (Mango). Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an important fruit as well as a cash crop and plays a potential role in developing agriculture in many countries in sub- Saharan Africa (Lux et al. 2003). It is classified as the third most important fruit in Kenya with regards to total production and area (Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] 2009b). In Kenya, the mangoes are mainly grown by smallholder farmers as a major source of household income and as source of food (Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] 2009b). Furthermore, the mango fruit is not only delicious but also rich in dietary fiber, mineral, vitamins (A, E, K etc.….) and poly- phenolic flavonoid antioxidant compounds. Mangoes also contains small amount of protein, fats, sugar and other nutrients. It is mostly eaten fresh as a dessert and in some cases processed as jams, juice, nectars, jellies as well as mango dry flakes and chips (Hamdard et al., 2004). In 2010, research shows that the total area under mango production in Kenya was 34,371 hectares, which yields a total production of 537,315 metric tons which amounts to US$ 97.6 million (Horticultural Crops Developing Authority [HCDA] 2010). The mango fruit accounted for 29% of the total fresh fruit trading in the export market; mainly to the Middle East when suppliers from India and Pakistan are off season (HCDA 2010). General Information about Study area (Kitui county) Kitui County is one of the counties in Kenya. It is one of the main leading mango production areas in Kenya. Both grafted and indigenous mangoes are grown, and the county has two main mango processing plants in two of its sub-locations: Kitui central and Migwani (Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) quarter 1 progress report, 2014). Kitui has eight sub-counties (Figure 1). The capital town of the County is named Kitui. Kitui is one of the largest towns in Kitui County. Another prominent town in Kitui County is Mwingi. Kitui county has a population of 1,012,709 (County Government of Kitui (CGoK) census, 2009). It covers an area of 24,385.1 km2 (Wiesmann et al., 2014). 5 Figure 1: Map of Kitui County showing various sub-counties The climate in Kitui County is semi-arid with temperatures between 14oC to 34oC. February and September are consisted the hottest months during the year. There are two rainy seasons in Kitui (Figure 2); one which ranges from March to May (long) and another (short) which ranges approximately from October to December (County Government of Kitui, 2014). The short rains are mostly observed to be more reliable, which is the reason that farmers grow their major food crops in this season. Due to the irregular raining patterns (Figure 3) the period of rainfall varies from year to year as well as the amount of rainfall which ranges between 250mm to 1050mm (County Government of Kitui, 2013). The common types of soils in Kitui County are acrisols, luvisols and ferralsols. These soils are well drained, with dark reddish brown to dark yellowish brown in color (KURIA et al.,2011). 6 Figure 2: Rainfall distribution in Kitui County for 2019 (from January to April). Average rainfall since 1982 to 2018. (Source: Kitui Meteorological Department (National draught management authority, April 2019) Figure 3: Annual rainfall in Kitui County, 1985-2015 (Source: Kitui Meteorological Department (Mutunga et al., 2017)) 7 Kamba is the major ethno- cultural group whereas Kikamba is the dialect spoken by people of Kitui County (KICABA Cultural Center, 2013). The people of Kamba practiced hunting, rearing livestock and farming activities since 17th Century (Ikeno, 1989). Since 20th century, the population of farmers living and farming on marginal lands in Kitui have been on rise. In recent times, about 87% of people in Kitui earn their income from farming with the use of an average of two hectares of land. Others make their ends meet from casual labor as well as migrating to cities for greener pastures (County Government of Kitui, 2013). The main crops grown are maize, green grams, cowpea and pigeon pea. These are mostly rain fed farms. Few people do rear livestock and the manure is usually used as fertilizer for farms. Due to the high cost of fertilizers, farmers barely rely on them for better yields (Ralph et al., 2006; Government of Kitui, 2013). Mango production in Kitui County Kitui County is one of the counties that is known for mango production of both indigenous and grafted mango and is the area under study in this research. Research shows that in 2018 the county has approximately a total of 345,207 trees (both local and grafted) which yielded a total of 21,984.4 metric tonnes (Table 1). Despite the fruit’s benefits and importance, mango production is still faced by several constraints such as inadequate processing units, poor infrastructure and bad mango quality, large quantities of mangoes are lost due to spoilage after harvest and lack of good pest management skills. It is therefore important to take steps to upgrade smallholder farmers’ livelihoods as a means of insuring future rural food security (STEP- UP proposal, 2014). STEP-UP approach aims to improve and expand local and regional market participation with suitable (mango) products, produced sustainably in the right quality and quantity.