Kabondo Sweet Potatos Blog

The process of harvesting and delivering your sweet potato vines

2020-05-15T07:11:00.003-07:00

We are now the leading supplier of sweet potato vines throughout the republic of Kenya. We sell both yellow-fleshed and the orange sweet potato varieties. The yellow fleshed is still the most widely consumed variety in Kenya while the orange fleshed variety is fast growing in popularity thanks to its high nutrient content and fast maturing period.

A bag of yellow-fleshed sweet potato vines goes for Ksh.1500 while that of the orange fleshed sweet potato vines goes for Ksh.2,500. Depending on your spacing (25cm to 30cm), you need anywhere from 15 to 18 bags to plant an acre of sweet potatoes. To order your sweet potato vines today, call 0725 772524 or email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com.

Below is the process through which we harvest and deliver sweet potato vines to our customers throughout Kenya.

Download Our Sweet Potato Production Guide

2017-03-17T15:08:00.003-07:00

Download Our Sweet Potato Production Guide

Sweet potato is one of the leading superfoods and in Kenya and much of Africa, it is increasingly growing in popularity as a cash crop, too. Many farmers are moving into sweet potato farming without adequate knowledge on what this really entails.

With that in mind, we have created a simple and easy to understand guide or manual on sweet potato farming. Some of the information that we have covered on the manual include the following:-

·    The varieties of sweet potatoes that you should plant
·    Sweet potato vines multiplication
·    Sweet potato vine storage and preservation
·    Land preparation
·    Mound preparation
·    How to plant your sweet potatoes
·    Proper spacing for your sweet potato crop
·    Post planting procedures
·    Weeding your sweet potato
·    Sweet potato harvesting
·    Bulking and packing your sweet potatoes etc

Grab your copy of the sweet potato farming guide and venture into sweet potato production from a knowledgeable standpoint:-

We have migrated to KenyaSweetPotato.com

2017-03-17T15:00:00.001-07:00

If you have not been seeing lots of updates here on sweet potato farming in Kenya in Kenya and the larger East Africa, it is because we have migrated to a new website. You can now catch up with us on the latest updates and developments in sweet potato farming in Kenya at www.kenyasweetpotato.com.

If you need regular updates and fresh news feeds, check out our new blog located here http://www.kenyasweetpotato.com/index.php/blog/.

For orders or inquiries, check out the numbers that we have listed on our website.

In case you haven't noticed yet, we now have a sweet potato production guide available for farmers who need to learn more about sweet potato farming. We are selling it at an affordable price for interested farmers. Feel free to grab your copy today for hands on tips on sweet potato farming.

Happy farming!!

Update on Sweet Potato Vines Prices in Kenya

2015-12-13T05:27:00.003-08:00

CONTACT DETAILS: 0725 772524

Due to the shortage of sweet potato vines in Kenya currently, we have updated the prices of our sweet potato vines to Ksh.1500 per bag. A single bag contains more than 1000 vines and is enough to plant several lines. We sell the yellow fleshed variety of sweet potatoes which are currently the most commercially viable property for many Kenyan farmers and fetch up to Ksh.7500 per 90kg in the Kenyan market right now. To place your orders for sweet potato vines, Email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524 now. We deliver within 2-3 days after you place an order and pay a deposit that should be at least 60% of the total price. The remaining 40% is paid upon delivery. Happy planting!

Top 8 Reasons Why Sweet Potatoes are Good For You

2015-09-02T00:20:00.003-07:00

CONTACT DETAILS: 0725 772524

Many people in Kenya invest in sweet potato production for quick cash or consume sweet potatoes without knowing the numerous benefits that they could derive from this superfood. There are many reasons why many nutritionists advocate the consumption of sweet potatoes. The most obvious is that they packs lots of nutrients. Sweet potatoes contain some of the most important nutrients including a high Vitamin A Content, a factor that gives them their orange color.

There are plenty of reasons why you should love sweet potatoes and include them in your diet. Here are 10 of them:-

1. Sweet Potatoes will offer you life-saving nutrition:- Sweet potatoes generally come in many colors including white, yellow, orange and purple fleshed varieties. The white ones do not have any Vitamin A while the yellow fleshed ones are packed with lots of Vitamin A. This is particularly important in Kenya and Africa where millions of kids suffer from Vitamin A deficiency. Consuming lots of these orange fleshed sweet potatoes will help kids to avoid diseases, blindness and other health conditions caused by vitamin A deficiency.
2. Sweet potatoes are good for food security. When other crops fail, sweet potatoes will be available at times of famine to help you supplement your diet.
3. Sweet potatoes can be planted to help you in generating an income. In a previous post, we have shown that you could make as much as 100,000 per acre of sweet potatoes.
4. Sweet potatoes have been a valuable sources of Vitamins A, B, C and E. It even contains iron and zinc. Just a little scoop of sweet potatoes can meet a child’s need of these vitamins.
5. Sweet potatoes can also be used for animal feeds. They can be used as feeds for chickens. Farmers who have fed sweet potatoes to their chickens have reported that the hens are able to produce better quality eggs. Dairy cattle that have been fed on high-protein sweet potatoes will produce less methane gas. Unlike other grains and plants commonly grown in Kenya, sweet potatoes require less rain.
6. Sweet potatoes grow in almost any condition: Sweet potatoes are a very versatile crop. They will thrive in any hot and moist condition. They can be used in making numerous sweet potato recipes.
7. Sweet potatoes are generally sweet and delicious to taste. It is one of the sweetest way to take up vitamins.
8. You can intercrop them with other crops such as maize and beans in order to prevent build up of pest. This is because from a different plant family and the plants that attacks maize will not attack sweet potatoes.

Need sweet potato vines? Email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725772524.

Sweet Potato Farming in Kenya: Let Us Do the Planting for You

2015-09-01T00:50:00.003-07:00

CONTACT DETAILS: 0725 772524

There are people who want to engage in sweet potato farming in Kenya but they are afraid to take the risks or are completely unfamiliar with how to go about with the process the first time. We now make it very easy for you. We are now offering a new kind of service for the hesitant agribusiness investor: the sweet potato planting service.

What does the sweet potato planting service entail?

If you are interested in the service, simply send us a call in order to discuss the particulars. You can email us on freerangefarming.info@gmail.com. We will send you a quote per acre and once you have agreed to work with us and we have signed a legal contract, we will basically take over your farm for one week and do the tilling, re-tilling, preparing mounds, securing the vines and planting sweet potatoes for you. We come with our experienced team of planters and make sure this is done the right way in order to maximize your harvests.

When it is ready to invest, we can also assist you with washing, bagging, and transporting to the market in Nairobi for a small fee. This is a risk-free agreement where you are able to put more of your land into productive use for a very small price and make it profitable with expert management. If you are interested in this kind of arrangement, email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com.

How to Ensure Massive Sweet Potato Harvest in Kenya

2015-09-01T00:41:00.003-07:00

In a previous article, we had done the complete cost breakdown on what it could cost you to plant an acre of sweet potatoes and how much you would earn from such an investment. It was a complete cost breakdown that shows brief point by point information on the costs and potential revenues. As an experienced sweet potato farmer, I have seen that sweet potato farming could potentially make you rich but it could also make your poor depending on how and where you approach the farming business.

An acre of sweet potato could make you anywhere from Ksh.80,000 to Ksh.120,000 but that if you deploy the best practices when planting your sweet potatoes. There are certain useful steps that you will need to undertake in order to guarantee a good harvest. These include the following:-

· Plant your sweet potatoes on land where no sweet potatoes or root tubers have been planted in the past year. If you plant your sweet potatoes frequently, it is good to plant once a year and then rotate it with other crops such as maize, beans, groundnuts etc.

· Prepare land during the dry seasons and let it settle. Give time for all the weeds to dry up before the rainy season begins. Prepare fresh ridges or mounds just before the planting begins. This will prevent them from “hardening” and allows planters to insert the vines deep into the soil which will allow for the formation of sweet potato tubers without exposure. Exposure of sweet potato tubers to sunlight over a long duration of time generally damages them over time.

· Procure good quality sweet potato planting materials: Buy good quality sweet potato vines from a reliable sweet potato supplier. It is good to plant young vines that are two to three months old. Only vines that are healthy and free of diseases or pests should be picked for replanting.

· Plant your sweet potatoes at the onset of rains. Hire experienced planters who know how to plant the sweet potato vines for maximum yields.

· Weed the sweet potatoes two months. You may need to replant the mounds or ridges where the vines might have withered. Wait for your harvest in three to four months time.

Need sweet potato vines? Email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524

Kenya Vines: Best Time to Buy Sweet Potato Vines is Now

2015-08-29T19:57:00.004-07:00

As the sweet potato planting season approaches, this is the best time to purchase your sweet potato vines and begin planting as soon as possible. We are currently giving our farmers the best rates for sweet potato vines so do not fail to make your orders in time. Farmers will get vines for Ksh.1 per vine or Ksh.1500 per bag of sweet potato vines.

Cost of delivery will vary based on the location of the farmer. To order your vines, drop us an email at freerangefarming.info@gmail.com. You can also make payments for the number of bags you wish to purchase via our MPESA Till (LIPA Na MPESA) Email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524 to order your sweet potato vines today.

Buy Sweet Potato Vines from Kabondo Farms: Pay via MPESA

2015-08-27T21:18:00.001-07:00

Email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524 for more information on sweet potato vines orders.

Sweet Potato Profits: How Much Will You Earn From an Acre of Sweet Potatoes in Kenya

2015-08-27T20:54:00.001-07:00

How much profit will you earn from an acre of sweet potatoes in Kenya? Here is a simple calculation on the potential profits from sweet potato farming in Kenya based on average produce in our farms in Kabondo.

Cost of the Preparation of Land

Tilling of Land :-Ksh.2500
Re-tilling of land:-Ksh.2000
Preparation of Ridges/Mounds: Ksh.2000

Cost of Vines:

To plant an acre of sweet potatoes, you need an average of 20 bags of vines.
Cost of vines per bag: Ksh.1500
Cost of 20 bags: Ksh.30,000

Cost of Planting

Cost of Planting One Line: Ksh.50
One acre can have 90-110 lines. Average of about 100 lines.
Cost of Planting One Acre: Ksh.5000

Cost of Weeding

One Line Costs Ksh.50
Cost of Weeding an Acre: Ksh.5000

Cost of Harvesting:

An acre will yield an average of 20 bags on medium to large sized sweet potatoes the lower side and at least 20 bags of tiny to small sweet potatoes which are still marketable.
Cost of Cutting Vines in One Acre of Sweet Potatoes: Ksh.2000
Cost of Digging Up Sweet Potatoes in an Acre: Ksh.3000 using ox-ploughs
Cost of Picking Sweet Potatoes and Bagging: Ksh.200 per person. You need about 10n people for quick labor. Total Cost is Ksh.2000 at most
Cost of bags for bagging in the shamba: You need about 50 bags. Cost per bag is Ksh.50. Total Cost is Ksh.2500
Cost of transporting to the roadside: Ksh.1000
Cost of Washing: Ksh.50 per bag. For an acre Ksh.1000
Cost of Bagging: Ksh.50 per bag. For acre Ksh.1000
Cost of Loading onto lorries: Ksh.50 per bag. 20 bags is Ksh.1000
Cost of transportation from Nyanza to Nairobi per bag: Ksh.600. Cost of transporting 20 bags is Ksh.12,000
Cost of Unloading from lorries in Nairobi: Ksh.100. Cost of unloading 20 bags is Ksh.2000
Rates Charged by City Council of Nairobi: Ksh.200 per bag. Cost of 20 bags is Ksh.4000

Sweet Potato Marketing

Current Market Price of Sweet Potatoes (Medium Sized to Large): Ksh.7500 per bag Total Cost for 20 bags: Ksh.150,000
Current Market Price for small sweet potatoes: Ksh.1000. Total Cost for 20 Bags: Ksh.20,000

Revenues

Total Revenues: Ksh.170,000
Total Expenses:Ksh.78,000
Profits: Ksh.92,000 per acre

The Minimum Profits that you could get per acre if you plant well is Ksh.92,000

NB: Profits could go down if you harvest at the "wrong time" when price per 90kg bag can go down as low as Ksh.4000. Always watch the market price before harvesting. Sweet potatoes can stay in the soil fresh and in good condition for another two months so do not be in a hurry to harvest if markets are not favorable.

How to Maximize Your Profits When Planting Sweet Potatoes
There are several ways in which you can maximize your profits right from the onset of planting. These include the following:-

Prepare land early and start planting just at the onset of rains
Secure good planting materials or sweet potato vines from reliable supplier.
Negotiate rates for the sweet potato vines: Currently, we sell sweet potato vines for Ksh.1500 but for bulk orders, we can offer farmers generous discounts on sweet potato vines.
Weed the sweet potato in time after two to two and a half months
Negotiate cost of labor at various stages of the planting and harvesting
Put more acreage under sweet potatoes: If you can make Ksh.92,000 per acre within five months then you could make as much as half a million if you put 5 acres under sweet potatoes.

Looking for additional information on sweet potato farming? Email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524.

Clean Vines for Sweet Potato Farming in Kenya

2015-08-21T05:10:00.006-07:00

Looking for fresh, clean and healthy sweet potato vines ready for planting? Kenya Sweet Potato Farms is offering the sweet potato vines for Kenyan farmers ready to venture into farming. Our sweet potato vines are of the yellow-fleshed variety. They are sweet, hardy, mature faster and produce great yields. These are the most popular sweet potato varieties with Kenyan consumers and with the price per bag now going for as high as Ksh.7500, these are the varieties that will give you solid yields and good money within a relatively short period of time.

We sell the vines in bags with each bag going for Ksh.1500. Each bag contains over a 1000 vines and will be sufficient to plant several lines on your farm. The sweet potatoes mature within five to six months although they can remain fresh in the ground for several months as you look for a good market. You wouldn’t look far since there is a ready market already for the sweet potato produce in Nairobi.

To place your orders for the sweet potato vines, give us a call. Most orders will take us two days to deliver although for the large orders, we might need 3 days to fulfill. Email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524 to order your sweet potato vines today.

Facts About Our Sweet Potato Vines

2015-08-20T14:57:00.011-07:00

We are the biggest supplier of sweet potato vines in Kenya. We supply our sweet potato vines to farmers, nonprofits and businesses across Kenya.
None of our sweet potato vines or genetically modified or GMOs. We sell 100% organic or natural sweet potato vines that will produce sweet potatoes as it is supposed to look and taste. Our sweet potato produce are typically medium to large in size and are mostly elliptical in shape although some are also round. When harvested, they are very easy to pack in the 90kg bags due to their elliptical shapes.
You do not need to use pesticides or fertilizers when planting our sweet potato vines. We supply clean vines free from pests and diseases from our farms and multiplication centers and these do very well even without the use of fertilizers.
We ship the sweet potato vines within three days upon the placement of orders. For orders of less than 20 bags, we can ship within a day or two.
We harvest the strongest stems of sweet potato vines and you can keep them for several weeks before planting.
Our yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes are the most commercially viable in Kenya. Buyers recognize them instantly and they go fairly quickly in the Kenyan market. A 90kg bag of the yellow fleshed sweet potato is currently going for as much as Ksh.7500 in Gikomba and Marikiti market.
A bag of the sweet potato vines can contain as many as 800 or even 1000 sweet potato vines which is sufficient to plant several lines depending on the length of the lines. To plant an acre, you need 15-20 bags depending on your spacing.
We sell our vines for Ksh.1500 per bag.
A bag of sweet potato vines, when planted in good soils and conditions, can yield several bags of sweet potatoes.
To make orders, Email us on freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524.

Sweet Potato Vines for Kenyan Farmers

2015-08-20T14:41:00.006-07:00

Our sweet potato vines are now ready for harvesting. We will be harvesting these and shipping around the country from the month of August through to December. If you make an order, we try as much as possible to deliver within a maximum of 3 days after the order depending on your location. Smaller orders below 20 bags will be shipped within one day.

We harvest sweet potato vines with very healthy stems and shoots which means with good rainfall, they will begin sprouting within one week. Our sweet potato vine shipments in Kenya come with a guarantee. They are fresh and still very strong and can, therefore, withstand shipping across the country. Additionally, we send you a sweet potato planning guide along with sweet potato vines shipments.

The varieties of sweet potato vines that we will ship to our farmers are the yellow-fleshed sweet potato variety. These are some of the sweetest and most nutritious sweet potato varieties in Kenya. The sweet potato vines from Kabondo are a hardy and high yield variety that can grow and perform well almost anywhere in Kenya so long as there is adequate rainfall and good soils.

The advantages of shipping the vines as they are is that it reduces disease transmissions. We already take precautions with our sweet potato multiplication process but if you need additional protections, you can buy our vines which will have most of the pests. Farmers who buy our sweet potato vines are assured of clean high yielding sweet potato vines that will grow very fast and do very well.

When planted, the sweet potato vines will root quite fast. If you are not prepared the planting area, you can sprinkle water on them and then keep them in a shade in order to prevent rapid wilting. You can even bury them in shallow soil in order to preserve them for a longer period of time before the planting begins. If kept for many days without planting, some of them may look totally withered but do not be bothered. Once you plant them, they will bloom very quickly back to life. As long as the stem is healthy, the vines will grow very fast and we take every precaution when harvesting in order to ensure we harvest the healthiest and strongest of stems for replanting.

To make orders, please email us on freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524. A bag of sweet potato vines currently goes for Ksh.1500.

The Growing Popularity of Sweet Potatoes in Kenya

2015-08-20T13:40:00.002-07:00

Many Kenyans increasingly want to eat healthy and this has seen a soaring in the demand of sweet potatoes. Sweet potato production in Kenya offers farmers several advantages over other crops due to the fact the cost of production is very low and there is a vast and ready market for farmers. Currently, a bag for sweet potatoes goes for about Ksh.7500 which means if you are planting a massive acreage and using the right vines for production, you could make a lot of money. Prices generally fluctuate depending on the availability but it varies from Ksh.4000 up to Ksh.7500 for the 90kg bag of sweet potatoes. Wholesalers who buy sweet potato farmers will pay Ksh.3500 to Ksh.4500 at the current market rates and then have to wash it, pack it in bags and then transport it to Nairobi.

In order for farmers to reap the maximum benefits from sweet potato farming in Kenya, they need to invest in good sweet potato vines that are highly marketable. These vines should be clean and free from viral diseases so you must make sure you are buying from multiplication centres that offer you a guarantee of quality vines through top quality sweet potato vine multiplication processes.

The demand for sweet potatoes is driven by the trend towards health consciousness by many urban Kenyans. Additionally, many farmers are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of sweet potatoes as a supercrop. The main areas of sweet potato production in Kenya is Homa Bay county which used to account for up to 60% of the production. Currently, its market share has reduced a little bit as more regions in Kenya take up sweet potato farming. One of the areas where new sweet potato production is increasingly taking route is in Sirare border and Northern Tanzania. Many farmers from Homa Bay have leased land in the areas in order to shift to more large scale sweet potato production. Other growing areas that are fast emerging as leading sweet potato production centres include Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Nakuru and a few counties in Central Kenya.

Most of the sweet potato varieties grown in Kabondo in Homa Bay will mature within five and six months and you can begin selling them. The good thing with sweet potatoes is that the market is always there. Nairobi County has an insatiable sweet potato market and no matter the amount of produce, you can always sell it within a very short period of time.

If you are planning to venture into sweet potato farming, land is the most important resource that you will need. If the soils are fertile and the area receives some moderate rainfall, your sweet potato crop will do really well. The yellow fleshed sweet potato variety is the most popular variety with many Kenyan consumers and over 95% of the sweet potatoes grown in Kabondo are of the yellow fleshed variety. They are not only sweet to the taste, they are less watery when cooked and they can be preserved for a very long time even when cooked. They do not spoil easily compared to the white fleshed sweet potato variety.

In the recent years, there has been the introduction of the purple fleshed sweet potato variety but these have not taken route with most Kenyan consumers who are more familiar with the orange fleshed variety of sweet potatoes.

The Advantages of the Yellow Fleshed Sweet Potato Variety
We have covered this variety in great detail on this blog because it is the sweet potato variety which we grow. Apart from the fact that it is very sweet, it is also very rich in vitamins, various minerals and antioxidants.
You can order our sweet yellow fleshed sweet potato vines by emailing freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524.

High Yielding Sweet Potato Vines for Farmers in Kenya

2015-08-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

Sweet potato cultivation in Kenya has been on an upswing in the past few years due to soaring demand. A lot of Kenyans are now embracing healthy living lifestyles and the sweetpotato is at the centre of this due to its great nutritional value. Sweet potato is regarded as one of the superfoods and it is recommended for people suffering from a variety of conditions including the diabetics, people with HIV amongst many others. It is also a good immune booster.

Our yellow fleshed sweet potato variety matures fast, grows big and is very sweet. It is not "watery" inside and this is very popular with buyers. In the local dialect, this quality is called "omwogo" meaning when cooked, it is so dry and unga-like inside. You can eat it with a variety of foods. Very healthy.

One of the main reasons for the popularity of sweet potato cultivation in Kenya is that you do not need a huge amount of capital or farm inputs to do cultivate it. All you need is lots of land. Once you have cultivated this and made the ridges or mounds, you can order your clean sweet potato vines from Kabondo Farms and we will deliver for you the best planting materials to enable you get a good produce.

Our sweet potato vines are of the yellow fleshed variety and these are quite popular with most Kenyan families. Although there has been a promotion of the purple fleshed variety in the past few years, they have not proven as commercially viable as our yellow fleshed variety which is sweet, grows fast and big and is highly marketable. It is also a highly nutritious variety that is 100% organic and which has been grown in the Kabondo area for the past two decades. Most of this variety is what is sold in major Kenyan markets in Nairobi and elsewhere.

The Most Vigorous Sweet Potato Vines

By buying our sweet potato vines, you are assured of a variety that is clean, high yielding and disease resistant and which will give you a great harvest within only 5-6 months. These do not need any fertilizers to plant and you only need to weed them once. They are very robust and once you grow them and weed them once, you only need to wait for the big harvest. In some places, you may need to weed twice if the land was not adequately prepared prior to planting.

For all your orders of sweet potato vines, email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524. We currently sell a bag of sweet potato vines for Ksh.1500 and deliver throughout the country.

Clean Sweet Potato Vines for Sale in Kenya

2015-08-20T11:26:00.005-07:00

Buying poor quality sweet potato vines could spell doom for your produce. At Kenya Sweet Potato, we have specialized in delivering clean, healthy and high quality sweet potato vines to farmers throughout the republic of Kenya. We multiply top quality sweet potato vines for sale in our Kabondo farm and sell them to farmers during the planting seasons. Our vines are for the yellow fleshed sweet potato variety which is the most commercially viable in Kenya right now.

Yellow fleshed sweet potatoes have a massive market and they are 100% organic. They can do well in any fertile soil areas with minimal rainfall. You do not need to add fertilizers if the soil is fairly fertile. Once you plant them, you will weed them once after two months and harvest after 5 to 6 months. The potatoes are sweet and are almost powdery inside. They are not watery like other potatoes grown elsewhere in Kenya, a factor which has contributed to their popularity in Kenya.

We are a family run business that has been in the business of sweet production for the past three years. We have built a fairly good knowledge and expertise in sweet potato vines multiplication, and how to select the best sweet potato vines for planting in Kenya that will give you maximum produce. August the best time for planting although if the conditions, you can also plant throughout September, October, November and December; crops which will be harvested from February through May next year.

With a bag for sweet potato currently going for between Ksh.6000 and Ksh.7500, this is the crop that will get you great yields with minimal input.

Order our sweet potato vines today by calling 0725 772524 and let us deliver for you in the shortest time possible. A bag of sweet potato vines goes for Ksh.1000 and we are able to deliver vines throughout the republic of Kenya.

Selecting Your Sweet Potato Vines

2015-08-20T10:23:00.003-07:00

Here are some useful tips on selecting the best sweet potato vines for planting:

It is important to select your sweet potato vines from the crops that look clean, healthy and vigorous. These should be crops that are relatively youngish at 2-3 months old after planting. When you select your vines from healthy and vigorous crops, you will be guaranteed better yields and even more vigorous sweet potato crops. When you harvest the sweet potato vines from crops which look unhealthy or virus infested, you can certainly expect the same from your crop.

When you cut the sweet potato vines from the crops that are older-in the range of 5-6months-just before the harvesting of the sweet potato crop, you will likewise produce very poor sweet potato yields and a less vigorous crop. In the older sweet potato crops, the food that is stoned in the vines and which is needed for the growth of the crop in the early months has been channeled to the roots and tubers of the plant in order to enlarge the roots. To order the best sweet potato vines, email Kenya Sweet Potato at freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524. We will sell you best sweet potato vines at the cost of Ksh.1500 per bag plus cost of transportation. We deliver vines all over Kenya and the minimum number of vines that you can buy is 1 bag.

The tip of the stem vine with the shoots on top makes the best planting material although where there is shortage of vines, you can also harvest the stem branches when the tips have been harvested. When cutting the vines, cut the top 30cm of the vine and ensure that this vine contains several nodes that will grow faster once the vine has been inserted into the soil. The reason why the top tip is harvested is because it grows very fast and recovers very fast from the planting shock. It will give you the best results compared to the lower parts of the vines which grow with some difficulty, particularly in the drier conditions.

Another reason why the tip of the sweet potato vines is chosen is because it generally has less a likelihood of infestation by the weevils or the stem borer eggs due to its exposure to the sunshine than the lower branches which are concealed from the sunshine. You should only use the middle parts of the sweet potato stems or vines when there is a shortage of vines. This occurs in cases where you are harvesting the sweet potatoes from a tiny farm and you need many of them. But it is best practice to avoid the lower or basal parts of the stems as much as possible as they are generally infested with eggs, larvae as well as the adult weevils.

When cutting off the vines, ensure that you make a clean and slanted cut on the vines you are harvesting. So it is always important to use a sharp knife when you are harvesting the vines. Hire a large labor force in case you need to harvest a large amount of sweet potato vines within a very short time.

This is why it is important to purchase vines from verified sources. Ensure that all your sweet potato vines are purchased from trusted sources in order to ensure that you have quality guarantees. They should be healthy visually and also free from many of the pests and diseases which afflict these vines. The person cutting the vines should examine the shoots in order to ensure that it is free of larvae, eggs, pests or even dark spots on the foliage of the vines. Curled or shriveled leaves are also a sign of poor health on your vines.

Even in cases where there is an infestation of the vines, you can de-infest them by dipping the sweet potato vines in some water and ash mixture which will eliminate the larvae and other forms of pest infestation. This should be done before the vines are planted. The desired length of the vine should be 20cm to 30cm.

Ensure that the field is adequately prepared 2-3 days before the planting of the vine. This will ensure that you don’t hurt your nails and fingers when inserting the vines into the mounds. In the rural areas, this process is done with bare hands and this can really bloody your nails as the tough soil will peel off the skin surrounding the nails. It would be advisable to buy gardening gloves that you can put on when planting the vines in your shamba. It is important to buy these for your workers too. If they hurt their fingers and nails the first day, they fingers will be too painful the following day that will not be able to deeply burrow through the soil and plant the vines deep inside the soil. This will in turn result in these “floating” on the mound and they can either be washed off by heavy rains or will result in exposed sweet potato tubers which are rapidly destroyed by months long exposure to sunshine. Planting the vines early in your garden will also prevent their rapid deterioration. Here is an example of sweet potatoes being planted with gloves:

Sweet Potato Vines for Sale in Kenya

2015-08-20T10:15:00.003-07:00

We at Kabondo Farms would like to be your sweet potato vines providers when you are planting next time. Out vines have been professionally picked by professional planters, making sure we fully preserve the buds that will grow very fast and save you from the headache of replanting.

We pick our vines from healthy farms free of diseases and ship them fresh and ready for planting. We have been growing and selling sweet potatoes for close to 25 years in our family farms in Kabondo. WE know the vines that will give you the best yields and which are commercially viable for Kenyan farmers. Currently, sell our farmers the sweet potato vines for the yellow fleshed sweet potatoes, the most commercially viable sweet potato variety in Kenya which are consumed by almost 90% of the households in Kenya.

The Kabondo Sweet Potatoes which have yellow flesh

Whether you are a first timer or an experienced sweet potato farmer, you will certainly love our sweet potato vines which are healthy and quick sprouting and which will give the sweet potato that most Kenyans love. They grow big and straight and are also export quality.

Kabondo sweet potatoes being packed ready for shipping to Nairobi

We harvest our sweet potato vines, package them and ship them to you within the same day or within two days in order to ensure they arrive at the destination fresh and ready for planting. Our vines are so fresh that you can even preserve them for two weeks or even a month before planting if you store them in favorable conditions. We sell our sweet potato vines wholesale and you can order any amount from one bag to 1000 bags. Free transportation available for orders of 20 bags and above. We pride ourselves in offering our farmers the lowest rates on sweet potato vines including a fairly low cost of transportation ensuring we keep your cost of production low.

A bag of sweet potato vines costs Ksh.1500 inclusive of transport. For orders, email freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524.

Sweet Potato Vines for Sale in Kenya

2015-08-18T04:54:00.003-07:00

Looking for sweet potato vines for sale in Kenya delivered within two days? Welcome to Kenya Sweet Potato. We are a leading sweet potato producing company based in Kabondo that supplies sweet potatoes throughout Kenya along with the sweet potato planting materials, known as the sweet potato vines.

Our sweet potato vines are of the yellow-fleshed variety. This is the most commercially-viable sweet potato variety in Kenya and is much preferred by most Kenyan families. We harvest the sweetpotato vines from our farms as well as the sweet potato multiplication centres based in Kabondo in Homa Bay County.

If you are planning to plant soon, order your bags of sweet potato vines today and let us deliver within two three days based on the size of your order and location. One bag of sweet potato vines is available for Ksh.1500. Transport costs vary based on your location.

To order your sweet potato vines in Kenya email us freerangefarming.info@gmail.com.

Buy Sweet Potato Vines in Kenya

2015-08-18T04:49:00.006-07:00

We sell fresh sweet potato vines for the yellow-fleshed sweet potato variety which is the most widely consumed variety in Kenya. It is sweet, grows big and straight and easily fills up a bag of sweet potatoes. It fetches top price in the Kenyan market so you can easily recoup your rewards after 5 months.

The sweet potato vines are harvested from healthy farms in Kabondo, Kenya's leading sweet potato growing region, sprayed with a little water and packed in bags within a day or two. They are delivered to the customer/ farmer while still fresh ready for planting. When stored well, these vines can last for up to a month before planting. We, however, advise that you order the sweet potato vines once you have prepared the mounds and ridges ready for planting.

To order your sweet potato vines drop us an email. Email us on freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524.

Sweet Potato Vines for Sale: Delivery Throughout Kenya

2015-08-18T04:40:00.003-07:00

We supply fresh sweet potato vines for aspiring sweet potato farmers throughout Kenya. These are the vines for the yellow fleshed sweet potatoes, the variety which is most preferred by Kenyan farmers. Once you place your order, we deliver within two-three days depending on the quantity of the vines ordered.

1 sack of sweet potato vines goes for Ksh.1500. Each bag contains over 1000 vines sweet potato vines.
For orders, drop us an email at freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0725 772524.

How Do You Export Sweet Potatoes from Kenya to Europe?

2015-04-09T16:34:00.004-07:00

This is an article I published two years ago on how you can get certification to export sweet potatoes to Europe.
"Europe is the largest export market for sweet potatoes so producers all over the world are jostling for a share of the European potato market. As previously noted, the largest sweet potato market in Europe is the UK followed by the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. Other European countries also consume small amounts of sweet potatoes.

In order to join the EU market, producers must get a EUREPGAP certification for Good Agricultural Practice. EUREPGAP was developed by retailers in the EU in the late 90s and has since been adopted as the global standard or certification for good agricultural practice, hence the name GLOBAL G.A.P."

I will be producing a comprehensive manual on sweet potato farming in Kenya that will also touch on the process of certification in detail and give you contact details of some of the compliance bodies which are in charge of the certification process in Kenya and East Africa. So keep your eyes open for the release of the first ever Kenyan sweet potato manual for farmers. For more on the article above, check out http://kabondopotatos.blogspot.com/2012/01/get-to-know-globalgapeurepgap.html

Sweet Potato Farming Manual for Kenyan Farmers

2015-04-09T16:11:00.002-07:00

I have been receiving lots of phone calls from farmers interested in undertaking sweet potato farming but since I have since moved on to other ventures, I am unable to offer as much personalized assistance like I used to do a year or so ago when I was engrossed in sweet potato farming and marketing in both Kabondo and in Nairobi. It has been a great journey and I have made some great contacts with interested individuals and organizations interested in more information or investments in sweet potato farming.

Since I am not in a position to assist, I will create a new guide that will help you with all the information that you need about sweet potato farming including the sweet potato varieties, where to plant, when to plant, planting techniques for the sweet potato crop, weeding, harvesting, transportation and storage, packaging and even marketing in markets such as Marikiti and Gikomba market in Nairobi. As a bonus, I will offer a comprehensive guide on how you can obtain a GLOBAL GAP certification to enable you export your sweet potatoes to Europe. This manual will be in the form of an eBook and I will be selling it for a small fee since I will invest some time and creating the content for the eBook based on my experience as a farmer and businessman who once specialized in sweet potatoes.

Price may range from Ksh.300 to Ksh.500 but nothing has been decided yet until we get the book completed in a months time. So watch this space if you are interested in sweet potato farming.

Top Five Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

2014-07-26T20:31:00.002-07:00

The sweet potato tuber and leaves are a nutritional powerhouse and “superfood” which is highly recommended by many nutritionists. It packs numerous minerals and nutrients that will contribute to your overall well being. The biggest advantage of this superfood is that it is readily available and inexpensive so it is something you can afford on a very regular basis. The deep orange fleshed sweet potatoes are considered amongst the most nutritious. Here are some of the top reasons why you should consider adding sweet potatoes to your daily diet:-

Superior Fibre Content
The sweet potatoes have much higher fiber content per serving compared to other potatoes and even yam varieties. They therefore make the best starchy addition to your diets. The high fiber content in the sweet potatoes also contributes to their slow burning quality which leads to the more efficient usage of the caloric energy compared to other low fibre carbohydrates that you are probably more used to in your diets.

Heart-friendly
The sweet potatoes are very good for the heart. This is due to the abundance of the Vitamin B6 in the sweet potato tubers which helps in breaking down the homocysteine. The homocysteine is the substance which makes the arteries and blood vessels to harden thus leading to various pulmonary conditions. The intake of Vitamin B6 will help in keeping enhancing the flexibility of the blood vessels thus leading to smoother flow of blood. Healthy consumption of sweet potatoes is therefore very key to stopping heart attacks.

Sweet potatoes also contain a large and healthy amount of the potassium mineral. This element plays a crucial role in the body by lowering body pressure and regulating the balance of fluids in the body. It is also serves as an electrolyte in the body which will help in ensuring the natural heart rhythm and the normal functioning of the nervous system and the brain.

High beta-carotene content
Sweet potatoes, particularly the orange-fleshed or OFSP varieties, are very rich in beta-carotene or the Vitamin A which serves as an important anti-oxidant in the body. As a potent anti-oxidant, the Vitamin A is also very important in preventing various forms of cancer. Internally, the beta-carotene will help in protecting your skin from the sun damage. More consumption helps you in maintaining your skin’s youthful elasticity. It is also important for the eye-health. But it is its antioxidant property which is most critical to your overall well being.

A rich source of Manganese
Apart from the potassium, sweet potatoes are also a very rich source for Manganese. And how is Manganese important for your health? It is a trace mineral with innumerable health benefits. It is crucial for the carbohydrate metabolism and therefore helps in supporting healthy and balanced sugar levels in the body. More consumption of the sweet potatoes therefore helps in stabilizing your appetite for a longer period of time compared to other carbohydrates.

Rich source of Vitamins C and E
Sweet potato plays an important role in longevity and disease protection thanks to its rich reservoir of the Vitamins C and E. These Vitamins contribute not just to your bodily health but also to the good health and beauty of your skin as well as hair. Sweet potatoes are sometimes regarded as “beauty foods”!

Sweet Potato Funding for Marketing Institute

2014-07-26T18:06:00.002-07:00

The Kabondo Farms Group is seeking funding to build a sweet potato marketing institute in Kenya which will be based in Nairobi with subsidiaries in Homa Bay, Trans Nzoia, Kakamega and Kiambu amongst other sweet potato growing areas in Kenya. These funds will go towards the promotion of the Kenyan sweet potato farming and consumption in both the local and international markets.

The marketing agency will focus on the generic promotion of fresh and processed sweet potatoes. Our promotional activities will target the retailers, consumers, farmers, food services as well as food manufacturers in order to increase the intake of nutritious sweet potatoes in Kenya and beyond. In this regard, the Kenyan sweet potato marketing institute will also represent the interests of Kenyan sweet potato growers in the international trade by ensuring consistent market access and adherence to export standards in the EU market.

Part of the funds will go into building the marketing group website while the rest will be used in promotional activities including agricultural shows, online marketing, educational materials, management overheads, creating marketing linkages and funding the offices and logistical operations in Kenya. Farmers and farmer groups interested in participating in the program will be required to make annual membership contributions of Ksh.500 per farmer or Ksh.1500 per farmer group.

The perks of membership will include regular market linkages for your sweet potato produce, being featured on our website where clients from across the world can access your profile, advise on sweet potato export requirements, access to the desired varieties of sweet potatoes , regular updates via SMS on sweet potato prices in Kenya and much more.

The farmers and companies interested in participating in our program are advised to contact the team at the latest opportunity for expression of interest and the payment of membership fee for the marketing institute. We are a work in progress and will in due course appoint a steering board with members drawn from all the leading sweet potato growing areas.

Ongoing work

We are currently in the process of filing applications for funding for the Kenyan Sweet Potato Marketing Institute for the year 2015/2016. For more information about this latest initiative or to express your interest in partnering with us, please send us an email to freerangefarming.info@gmail.com or call 0717444786.