Strawberry Farming Made Simple: Growing, Harvesting, and Selling

Strawberries may be small, but they pack a big punch in both flavor and profit. Walk into any supermarket in Nairobi and you’ll see them neatly packed in clear punnets, selling at KSh 200–350 for just 250 grams. That’s close to KSh 1,000 a kilo for fruit that can easily be grown on small plots, even a backyard.

No wonder farmers in areas like Kiambu, Thika, and Nakuru are venturing into it. The good thing with strawberries is that they don’t need huge land. A quarter acre, properly managed, can give enough berries to supply hotels, supermarkets, and households around town. For farmers who like crops with quick returns and steady demand, strawberries tick the box.

• Market demand: Hotels, bakeries, juice makers, and households all want fresh strawberries. They’re used in cakes, yoghurts, smoothies, jams, and ice creams.
• Continuous harvests: A well-tended strawberry plant produces fruits for about 2–3 years, giving continuous harvests every few days during the season.
• Light transport: Strawberries are light and can be moved quickly to Nairobi or Kisumu in simple crates or coolers.

Best Climate and Soils

Strawberries love cool to warm conditions.

• Temperature: Best range is 10°C to 26°C. Too much heat stresses them, while frost will burn them out.
• Best Counties: Kiambu, Limuru, Kericho, parts of Nyeri, Eldoret, and Nakuru.
• Soil: Well-drained and rich in organic matter, with an ideal pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Strawberries hate waterlogging—it rots their shallow roots. Farmers often mix soils with compost and sand to keep them loose and airy.

Land Preparation and Planting

• Bed preparation: Raise beds about 15–20 cm high to improve drainage. Beds should be about 1m wide, leaving space for paths in between.
• Manure: Mix in plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure or compost before planting.
• Spacing: Plant seedlings at 30cm between plants and 45cm between rows. This spacing allows airflow and reduces disease.

Getting Seedlings

Strawberries are propagated from runners, the creeping shoots that develop from mature plants. Certified runners cost KSh 60 each from Organicfarm (+254 712 075 915 | oxfarmorganic@gmail.com).

On a quarter acre, you’ll need about 4,000–18,000 seedlings, which may cost around KSh 240,000–1,080,000 for establishment.

It’s a heavy initial cost, but the returns make it worthwhile.

Caring for the Crop

• Mulching: Essential to keep the soil moist, suppress weeds, and prevent fruits from touching the soil (which causes rot). Black polythene mulch or dry grass works well.
• Watering: Strawberries need consistent moisture, especially when flowering and fruiting. Drip irrigation is the best option.
• Fertilizer: Top-dress with CAN or NPK 17:17:17 as the crop establishes. Supplement with liquid organic feeds to keep plants strong.
• Weeding: Hand-weed carefully to avoid damaging shallow roots.

Flowering and Fruiting

Strawberries start flowering within 2–3 months after planting. Pollination is mainly by insects, so avoid spraying harmful chemicals during this stage. Fruits mature in 3–4 weeks after flowering.

Harvesting is continuous—every 2–3 days, ripe berries turn red and need to be picked immediately to avoid spoiling. Handle gently, strawberries bruise easily and lose market value if damaged.

A single plant produces about 250–400 grams per season. With thousands of plants in even a quarter acre, you’re looking at hundreds of kilos.

Yields and Returns

On average, an acre of strawberries can yield 7–10 tonnes a year under good management. A quarter acre can comfortably give 2 tonnes. At current Nairobi prices of around KSh 200–350 per 250g punnet, that translates to over KSh 1 million gross income from a quarter acre in a year.

Costs for seedlings, irrigation, and labor eat into that, but even after expenses, net profits remain attractive. That’s why strawberries are considered one of the best high-value crops for small-scale farmers.

Market Outlets

• Supermarkets and groceries: They take properly packed fruits in 250g or 500g punnets.
• Hotels and restaurants: Always in need for desserts and drinks.
• Processors: Yogurt companies, jam makers, and juice blenders.
• Direct sales: Farmers’ markets, social media advertising, and home deliveries.

Proper packaging matters. Neat, clean berries in sealed punnets fetch better prices than loose berries in buckets. Cold storage or quick delivery helps avoid losses, as strawberries spoil fast if left in the open.

Challenges in Strawberry Farming

• Pests and diseases: Mites, aphids, and fungal diseases like powdery mildew are common. Regular scouting and organic sprays (e.g., neem at KSh 500/litre) help.
• Short shelf life: Berries must reach the market within 24–48 hours of harvest. Delays mean losses.
• High startup cost: Certified seedlings and irrigation setup can be expensive.
• Labor-intensive: Frequent harvesting and sorting require reliable labor.

Strawberry farming is not just about planting berries; it’s about running a well-managed, high-value enterprise. The crop needs close attention, but the rewards are worth it.

A farmer with just a quarter acre of healthy plants can earn more than someone with several acres of maize. For those ready to invest in irrigation, good seedlings, and careful handling, strawberries can transform small plots into money-making ventures.

With Kenya’s growing middle class and expanding hotel industry, the demand isn’t slowing down any time soon. The berry may be small, but in the right farmer’s hands, it delivers big.