I hope that everyone had a great Labor day weekend to officially end the summer here in the states. Just think Christmas is just around the corner. I am starting to get really hyped up about my upcoming trip to Kenya and Uganda in a few weeks. It seems like an eternity since my last visit a year ago. I received a few more pictures and an update from the passion fruit orchards in Kamakoiwa at the base of Mt. Elgon near Bungoma. Last year we had planted about four hundred seedlings on four orchards. Out of the four hundred we lost slightly more then fifty percent due to a variety of reasons. I do not have a complete count of the total amount of vines lost of the six thousand or so that were planted. But from the looks of it up to half of the vines have died.
Of these four orchards in Kamakoiwa some passion fruits have started to be harvested. It seems that we have a slight problem with the volume of fruit harvested. So far the stakeholders have been able to sell their fruit at local markets and hotels. However there is not enough fruit being harvested at each area to warrant a pick up from the USAID truck. Once I arrive in Kenya later this month I will look at what it is going to take to get the fruit to a more secure and profitable market. By the looks of the pictures of the surviving plants they are healthy and appear to be full of still green fruit. I also added a picture from each orchard as it was six months ago during the height of the drought. Maybe if the vines had been a little more mature they could of withstood another couple of months of no water. Anyway the last six to seven months have been a blessing. Thanks be to God.
Doricus's orchard this last February
Doricus and her passion fruit now
Doricus's passion fruit orchard today
Pastor Augustine's orchard this last February
Pastor Augustine's passion fruit orchard today
Another view of Pastor Augustine's passion fruit orchard
Pastor Jeremiah's orchard this last February
Pastor Jeremiah's passion fruit orchard today
Pastor Paul's orchard this last February
Pastor Paul's passion fruit orchard today
I am beginning to feel a bit more optimistic of our ability to grow passion fruit. Once I get on the ground I will want to review where we are and what we are going to do about getting each of these orchards back to where they started. My assumption is that once some income starts to come in on each orchard the orchards will be able to be somewhat self sufficient even with half the vines lost. I did notice in one of the pictures above that Pastor Augustine has a chemical feeder on his back so there must be some level of income coming in to help with the treatment of the vines.
Please continue to pray for my friends in Kenya and the harvesting of these fruits. This will most likely be my last update on the orchards until I arrive in Western Kenya later this month. In the next couple of weeks I should be able to speak to what the agenda is for this next trip. Stay tuned.
Thank you all and God bless
Dave
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