By Felix Ochieng Akech

Lineah Adhiambo has more than doubled her pepper income by sun-drying her harvest rather than selling it fresh, preventing rotting fruit on slow sales, and bypassing low prices from brokers  during peak harvests.

“Production was not my problem, selling was,” said Lineah from Migori County. “I was growing 8–9 tonnes per acre per season, but I depended entirely on brokers buying fresh peppers. Prices ranged from Sh25 to Sh40 per kilo, and during peak harvest they dropped sharply because supply flooded the market.”

“When rains came or buyers delayed, peppers softened quickly. On average, I lost about 30 percent of my harvest to rotting or forced low prices. I could not plan income because every harvest depended on the market mood that week.”

But one rejected load finally made her rethink. “Buyers rejected 400 kilos of ripe peppers because they were slightly soft,” she said. “Instead of dumping them, I dried a small portion. From that batch, I sold 40 kilos of dried pepper at Sh450 per kilo. That is when it clicked drying removed the urgency. Fresh peppers force you to accept whatever price there is. Dried peppers mean you can choose when to sell.”

Drying also changed her buyers. “Fresh peppers went to brokers and open markets,” she said. “Dried peppers go to spice traders, small processors, and bulk buyers supplying hotels and exporters. They care about colour, cleanliness, moisture level, and uniformity. Once I met their standards, repeat orders started coming.”

Meeting those standards began with seed choice. “Yes, variety matters a lot,” she said. “I now grow one uniform large red cayenne-type variety. Earlier, I planted mixed varieties, which dried unevenly. Thin-walled peppers lost colour, while very thick ones trapped moisture and developed mould. Standardising the variety made drying predictable and improved buyer confidence.”

Harvesting also changed. “Previously, I harvested at breaker stage to rush peppers to market,” she said. “Now I leave peppers on the plant until they are fully red about 90 to 95 percent maturity. Fully ripe peppers have higher dry matter, better colour, and better flavour after drying. This alone increased my dried yield by about 15 percent without adding land or inputs.”

But “drying only works if it is controlled,” she said. “I wash and drain the peppers for two to three hours, slice them lengthwise, and dry them on raised mesh racks about one metre from the ground. They dry for six to eight days depending on sun. I turn them once daily and cover them with polythene at night or during rain. Before, I lost around 20 percent to mould. With this method, losses are below five percent.”

She also avoids direct sun. “My first dried peppers turned brown and buyers rejected them. I learned strong direct sun burns pigment. Now I dry under light shade for the first two days, then move to full sun. I also stopped drying near smoke or fires. Now my peppers stay bright red, which gets me top buyers.”

Drying also forced her into better pest management. “Drying shows every defect,” said Lineah. “Thrips scars that were acceptable in fresh markets became very visible once dried. I now scout twice weekly, spray only when thresholds are reached, and rotate chemicals properly. I stop spraying well before harvest to avoid residue risks and my rejection rates dropped significantly.”

“I store the dried peppers in airtight polypropylene bags, raised off the floor,” she said. “Moisture control is everything. I test dryness by snapping if it breaks cleanly, it’s ready. With good storage, I can hold stock for six to nine months and sell when the prices are highest.”

“From one acre, before drying, my revenue was Sh180,000 to Sh220,000, with high losses and unpredictable profits,” she said. “After drying, my fresh equivalent is about 9 tonnes, giving me 900 to 1,000 kilos of dried pepper. I sell at Sh400 to Sh550 per kilo, earning Sh400,000 to Sh520,000 per acre. My costs have risen a bit, but my profits have more than doubled.”

“Farmers often focus only on production and complain about prices. But the market rewards quality, timing, and consistency. Drying needs care, but it gives you control. Once you master it, peppers stop being a gamble.”

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