10 Most Profitable Crops to Grow in Kenya

1. Dragon Fruit

The dragon fruit is a unique crop that is quite new to the Kenyan agricultural sector but also very profitable. Even though this unique fruit originally comes from the Americas, it has adapted to Kenya’s weather conditions.

This means farmers in Kenya are now getting into a market where a lot of people are looking for this fruit. There is a high demand for these fruits both locally and internationally due to their nutritional benefits. Let’s say you have a small one-acre farm, where you intend to grow dragon fruits. Dragon fruit plants are big, spiky cacti, and thus need strong support pillars to help them grow straight.

If you plant them with enough space, about 2 meters around, the small farm can have about 1,000 pillar supports. Each support can sustain two dragon fruit plants, so that means we have 2,000 plants on the 1-acre farm. Now, here is the exciting part – each dragon fruit plant can give you around 30 fruits every year, and each fruit weighs about half a kilogram. So, in one year, your small farm could produce as much 30,000 kilograms of dragon fruit!

This year (2023), the price for one kilogram of dragon fruits is an average of Ksh 1000 per kg if you can sell directly to consumers on Upmarket Agribaazar.

However, if you wish to sell at the farm gate, the price is Ksh. 800 per kg which what big farmers like Bofar Farm are selling currently. That means, for your one-acre farm, you could earn up to a whooping Ksh24 million every year! Even if the price goes down a bit because more people in Kenya have started growing dragon fruit, you could still make a good profit.

Let us say if the price settles at around Ksh400 per kilogram, which is similar to what other locally grown fruits like strawberries sell for, you could still make a cool Ksh12 million per year from your small dragon fruit farm.

You can sell your dragon fruits at the best prices in Kenya at Upmarket AgriBazaar; sign up as a vendor here.

This means that dragon fruit qualifies as one of the most profitable crops to grow in Kenya. Arguably, dragon fruit is the crop with highest profit per acre in Kenya at Ksh. 24million per year from just one acre. It is good to note that the dragon fruit plant can continue producing fruits for more than 30 years!

2. Mushrooms

Recently, mushroom farming has become a big deal for Kenyan farmers, and many of them are making impressive profits from it. The cool thing about mushrooms is that they don’t need a lot of land nor depend on rain, so they are a great choice for people who want to make good money from their small land.

Even if you don’t have much space for a farm, you can still make a nice profit by growing mushrooms. Some mushrooms, like oyster and shiitake, can be grown indoors without soil. All you need is a house, some substrate, and taking care of them.

Houses with mud thatched roofs can create the perfect environment for growing mushrooms. Right now, there’s a substantial demand for mushrooms in Kenya, but we are only producing 500 tonnes while the demand is 1,200 tonnes every year.

You can grow mushrooms using different things like leftover crop parts (maize stalks, bean stalk, wheat straw), coffee pulp, paper waste, and even banana leaves. Upmarket AgriBazaar can help you get the “seeds” for mushrooms easily.

Let us get into the numbers, oyster mushrooms can produce about 10 kilograms in a space the size of 10 feet by 10 feet in a year. If you sell them at the current price of Sh400 per kilo, that’s Sh400,000 worth of mushrooms from a small space! In supermarkets, oyster mushrooms are usually the first to run out.

Mushroom farming seems a bit complicated, needing a lot of science and attention. However, there are many channels where one can learn mushroom farming including YouTube. Some mushroom varieties in Kenya mature very fast and thus they are some of the 1 month crops in Kenya. Other varieties like the button mushrooms take 2 months.

3. Strawberries

Strawberries, known for their delicate flavor and appealing appearance, are a lucrative crop with high demand in Kenya and abroad. But how profitable is strawberry farming in Kenya?

An acre piece of land can yield between 240kg and 400kg of strawberries every week. A kilo goes for approximately Ksh200 at the current market prices. If you can produce an average of 300Kgs of strawberries per week it means that you can make Ksh 60,000 per week which translates to Ksh. 240,000 per month from just one acre! This makes strawberries another profitable crop. Strawberries just require well-drained, slightly acidic soils, and consistent irrigation. They mature in about 70 days which makes strawberries one of the best 3 months crops in Kenya.

4. Hass Avocado

Avocados especially the Hass variety have gained global demand for their rich nutritional benefits and diverse culinary applications.

For one acre in Kenya, one can plant 150 Hass avocado trees which starts to yield about 30 fruits per season per tree after the 2nd and 3rd  year. By the 6th year, the trees will be producing about 800 fruits per tree per season. This totals to about 120,000 fruits per harvesting season. The average price per fruit is Ksh. 10 to Ksh. 40 depending on whether one is selling locally or exporting. If we take an average of Ksh. 25 per fruit, this means that one acre will earn you Ksh. 3,000,000 per season. Which makes Hass avocado another profitable crop to grow in Kenya. By the 10th year, a Hass avocado tree can produce up to 1000 fruits per tree per season.

5. Passion Fruit

Passion fruit, a tropical fruit native to South America, has gained popularity in Kenya due to its unique flavor and export potential.

With an average yield of 28,000 kgs per acre, and a market price of KES 90 per kg, passion fruit farming can generate profits of around KES 2.5 million per acre. Passion fruit thrives in warm, humid climates with well-drained soils.

6. French Beans

They are also known as haricot beans, are a valuable source of protein and vitamins, making them a popular choice among Kenyan consumers. French beans have average yield of 8000 kgs per acre, and a market price of Ksh. 25 per kg. This means you can earn an average of Ksh. 200,000 per acre.

During the high season the price can go as high as Ksh. 100 per kg of French beans at the farm and thus one can earn up to Ksh. 800,000 per acre making it very profitable. French beans require well-drained soils, adequate moisture, and support structures for climbing varieties.

7. Capsicum

Capsicum, commonly known as bell peppers, is a versatile vegetable with a wide range of culinary uses. This crop yields about 25,000 kgs per acre, and the market price of Ksh. 50 per kg on average, capsicum farming can generate profits of Ksh. 1.5 million per acre.

Such retailers as Naivas and Quickmart sell capsicum up to Ksh. 200 per kilo which means if one can supply to such outlets they can earn even more.  On Upmarket AgriBazaar some vendors are selling Capsicum for Ksh. 100.

If you have been wondering what agricultural crop is most profitable per acre in Kenya, Capsicum is next on the list after dragon fruits and mushrooms. Capsicum prefers warm, sunny climates with well-drained soils.

8. Garlic

Garlic is a widely used culinary ingredient in Kenya and a valuable export commodity. In Kenya, garlic has an average yield of  4000 kgs per acre, and a market price of Ksh. 100 per kg. Garlic farming in Kenya can generate profits of up to KES 400,000 per acre. Garlic thrives in well-drained soils with moderate rainfall or irrigation.

9. Carrots

Carrots are a highly valued vegetable in Kenya, commanding an average price of KES 60 per kg. With an impressive yield of 17000 kgs per acre. Carrot farming can generate substantial profits, of about from Ksh 1million per acre. Carrots just require fertile, loamy soils and consistent irrigation for optimal growth.

 10. Maize

Maize is a staple food in Kenya, and its cultivation offers promising profits. With an average yield of 40 bags per acre, and a market price of KES 5,000 per bag (90kg bags).

Maize farming in Kenya can generate fairly good earnings of Ksh. 200,000 per acre. Maize thrives in well-drained soils with adequate rainfall or irrigation.

Final Verdict

You can see why dragon fruits, mushrooms, strawberries, Hass avocado and passion fruits are some of the most profitable crops to grow in Kenya. They have huge returns for small pieces of land.

Remember they yield of any crop varies depending on various factors including climatic, soil, and others. It is thus to note the figures in this guide are just average and can vary from one farmer to another. To enjoy the best prices for your produce, remember to sign up and sell on Upmarket AgriBazaar,  sign up as Vendor here.