Seed companies’ introduction of three new hybrid okra varieties into the Kenyan market has doubled the per acre yield for farmers from three to six tonnes.
When Joseph Nthuli a Greenlife Crop Protection Africa Limited agronomist based in Kilifi landed at the Coast in 2020– the heart of okra farming in Kenya– the Pusa sawani which yields three to four tonnes under good management was the only okra variety available to farmers. “Ridhika F1, Naiya F1, and OH 102 hybrids which entered the market in 2022 are now being embraced by commercial okra farmers thanks to yielding five to eight tonnes an acre in two to two and a half months,” Joseph said.
This high-yielding ability is thanks to their being able to hold several branches, which Pusa cannot, and having closely growing internodes which means farmers pick three fruits a day as compared to one in Pusa sawani.
“Right now if you are looking to make money from okra in every season you have to be growing the hybrid varieties,” he informed.
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On top of being high yielding, these hybrid okras also mature in just 38-40 days compared to Pusa sawani which takes 45-50 Days. They are also able to keep fresh for a longer time compared to the previous varieties, avoiding shrinkage which mama mbogas at the coast refer to as kusinyaa.
According to Kevin Onsongo who has grown all the varieties on two acres of his farm in Madunguni, Malindi, OH 102 distributed by Syngenta is the best of the hybrids as it has the best yields and its fruits have a sharp green colour and longer shelf life. “Though the field officers from Syngenta told us we could get eight tons from it, we’ve been able to push its yield to eleven tons a season under heavy feeding,” he said.
This he says is because OH 102 produces a fruit from its main plant and its six branches under heavy feeding. Ridhika produces a maximum of three branches.
Most farmers however prefer to grow Naiya and Ridhika FI as they both cost Sh3,400 a kilogram compared to OH 102 which costs Sh6,000 a kilogram. This price difference is because the variety is only distributed in 250-gram packs and its pricing is done in dollars. For Pusa sawani, a kilogram costs Sh1,600.
While two kilograms of okra seeds are required for an acre of land, for Pusa, you require four kilograms an acre.
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Thanks to their ability to mature in under 40 days, okra is a fast-earning crop that is grown in both long and short rains, The seeds are planted one per hole 30 centimeters apart in a double row. Currently, a kilogram of okra is selling for Sh55 at the farm gate.
Photo Courtesy: Joseph Nthuli