By MaryAnne Musilo

Ruiru farmer Ben Ahiro has created a future S300,000 a year earner on 1/8th of an acre in Kiambu, planting Wambugu Apple seedlings that have produced their first two fruit crops within two years.

The investment has set him on a path that is expected to deliver over 11,000 apples a year as the trees move to maturity.

“Initially, I used to farm maize on the plot just for the family,” said Ben. “One day, I got knowledge about Wambugu Apples from a television programme, and I was very interested.” 

He reached out to Wambugu Apple Farm and invested Sh30,000 in 30 seedlings. He lost two trees early on, but, planted with organic fertiliser, the other 28 grew rapidly.

 “It took nine months for the trees to flower, but then they aborted the flowers,” he said.

He contacted Wambugu Farm, who told him to  remove some leaves to stimulate fruiting. This saw his trees flower at one year and seven months and fruit successfully.

In late 2024, Ahiro made his first sale, earning Sh28,000, followed by Sh30,000 more in the first season of 2025. 

In his first two years, he found “one tree can give you 30 to 40 fruits.”

Yields climb sharply from there. The Wambugu Apple,  developed by Peter Wambugu in Nyeri County, is tailored to thrive in Kenya’s diverse climates.

Each mature tree can produce 300 to 500 fruits a year, across three harvests, achieving yields of up to 30 tons per acre 

However, water is critical. Ben irrigates his trees, with each tree needing around 20 litres of water a week.

The trees also attract aphids and whiteflies, which Ben stops with diluted rabbit urine. He uses shiny decorations and scarecrows to deter birds from attacking the fruits.

This set-up delivers organic apples, which helps sales, said Ben, with the Wambugu Apple gaining rapid popularity with Kenyan buyers, and increasingly across East Africa.

Are you a farmer looking to grow the most profitable crop on your farm, with or without irrigation. Use FarmBizAfrica’s HarvestMAX on https://harvestmax.farmbizapps.com and it will tell you in less than a minute what the highest income-earning crops are for your weather, soil type and this season, based on your seasonal weather forecast. Don’t make weather losses ever again, and more than triple your income.