By MaryAnne Musilo

Michael Wang’omb, a pomegranate farmer had nearly lost his entire market to the destructive leaf-footed bug, before discovering neem oil,  The pest pierced immature fruits, ruined the arils, and cut his harvest almost in half. Today, however, his trees are back to producing market-ready fruits, and his earnings have recovered.

Michael, the director at Orchard Kenya, in Makuyu, Murang’a County, said the beginning was so good, before the pest outbreak.

“I started farming Pomegranate in 2017 after we saw a market. The demand was high locally due to it medicinal benefits and I decided to farm this ornamental tree. The first season the return was good. I harvested around 20 fruits per tree, but the second season, pests invaded reducing my fruits in half,” said Michael.

“I decided to use neem oil because I farm organically, I don’t like using chemicals. Also I spray neem oil on my plants when there is other pests like aphids, and it has worked,” he said.

“Now, I mix neem oil with water and mild dish soap and spray during the evening when the trees start fruiting, but it is a lot of work, for an acre and a half piece of land,” he said.

Nonetheless, after consistent spraying and regular scouting, he has managed to stop the leaf-footed bug damage, and restore his pomegranate fruit sales.

“I have around 300 pomegranate trees, and sell fruits at Sh300 per kilo. People like them because of their antioxidants nature that protects against heart disease, cancer, and inflammation. They also lower cholesterol,” he said.

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His biggest business now, however, is in supplying seedlings, mostly to farmers from Northern and Eastern Kenya.

“With the demand for this fruit growing, many people want to farm it. I sell seedlings at Sh300. The trees do well in warm climates, and takes only two years to mature,” he said.

He grows two varieties, Wonderful and Parfianka, which fruit at different times, with Wonderful fruiting first, making the seasons longer and more months when the fruit can be sold.

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