Strawberry farmer shares insights on the crop's cultivation

Strawberry farmer Raymond Kayombo is among the few young people who have seen opportunities in agriculture and decided to seize them.

He did not want to complain that the government had failed to employ its young people.

Kayombo, who lives in Mbarali District, Mbeya Region, decided to engage in the cultivation of the crop while being an upcoming stakeholder of the crop. Apart from cultivating the crop, he sells its seedlings and provides services for strawberry farming.

As a farmer, he says, he will be investing massively in the farming of the crop by observing its best practices because, he believes, it will economically liberate him.

In an exclusive interview with The Citizen recently, Kayombo gives the insight of the strawberry farming. Excerpts….

When did you start to engage in the cultivation of strawberry and what influenced you?

I started to cultivate strawberries some five years ago after realising that it is a crop with a lot of opportunities, despite various challenges facing fruit farming.

Within the five years you mentioned, you seem to be making big strides in selling seedlings to farmers, what can a farmer do to be successful in this farming?

In order for the farmer to be successful in the strawberry investment, he needs to first listen to the relevant experts, secondly to use the best seedlings from the best fruit seeds. The seeds should be protected from pests before germination and after germination use organic water or flour. That is to say, use only natural fertilizers.

Third, it is important to know the market first before engaging in production. It is important to know for whom you are producing and for what purpose.

Fourth, it is important to know the type and character of the fruit you produce as there are many varieties with different characteristics. You need to cultivate the type of crop that will give you a profit rather than causing a loss in the market.

Let me insist that crop cultivation needs to follow the relevant farming guidelines, because if you that, you can even cultivate in a very small area of your own yard and see its productivity. It is not a crop that needs a lot of land.

Anyone who needs to invest in this agriculture, should be careful such as having reliable water, good seedlings and effective management. If he does this, he will succeed in the goal he has set for himself.

It is also important for him to open an account for the project so that all the money goes there, keeping records of investment and sales costs as well as to help him see the profits he makes every day for three consecutive years.

Once you have made an investment, you should have some cash for your farm operation for the next three months and you should remember when you will start harvesting, there is no money to return the farm from your pocket as you need to make your operation under strict supervision.

Is strawberry farming commercially viable and where is the market?

Yes, this crop can be grown commercially. It is a fruit that if a farmer decides to invest in it commercially, he will succeed in its harvesting after every two or two days.

The strawberry market is huge, thank God for that. The domestic market exists as well as the foreign one. For the domestic market, the challenge is transportation that has to meet all the criteria to deliver the harvested crop safely from the farm to the customer.

There are very few farmers who freeze strawberries and add more value. One kilo of this crop sells for no less than Sh5,000.

In areas like Mafinga, Njombe, Kilolo, Mbeya, although they do not grow very large, the farmers have seen productivity. There are those who have reached the point of completely abandoning their jobs and focusing on this crop.

Today if you go to the market and do some research on this opportunity, you will see how we, as Tanzanians are lagging behind,as the products from this fruit are very plentiful, but its quantity or availability is still very low.

Just imagine, today Dodoma is the capital of the country and the headquarters of Parliament, but there is no special centre for strawberry products.

There is a feeling that this crop is cultivated by wealthy people and its buyers are also wealthy people especially the rich, so its market for most Tanzanians is uncertain. How do you explain this?

No. This opportunity is not only for the rich, the common man is able to produce even at home or on a small piece of land and take good care of it and earn an income that he did not expect. As for who uses the fruit, you do not need to be rich, its qualities and the nutrients contained in the fruit, do not take into account a person’s ability.

That is why right now even in street shops there are many products that use the taste of this fruit. I say it is a fruit for everyone who cares about their health. And its flavor has been used in various brands here in the country.

Is it true that this crop only does well in cold weather regions?

Not really, strawberry can grown in various areas especially if you follow the instructions of experts and experienced growers. In areas where it cannot grow well, such as areas with high fog all the time, you can use a green house. In tropical areas, there are varieties of these fruits that you can grow, but depending on how you have prepared your farm professionally. So, now you can see this is a crop that a farmer in every corner of the country can grow.

What advice do you have for your fellow youth about agriculture in general?

Personally, I would advise young people to embrace agriculture because we may find ourselves having made even greater strides than we have now. Let us not despair in any way.

Let me give you the example of a strawberry, if you cultivate it you can make juice and sell it, you can make jam, biscuits, lip balms, flavors in various products, perfumes and other things.

If you do all this, you will earn money. What is important for you is to prepare yourself and believe that one day agriculture will deliver you.