Kenyan farmers are renowned for being early adapters to change. This is evident in the fast switch many have made to the use of hybrid tomato varieties. Tomatoes are regarded as a high-value crop, and the increased productivity of hybrids has convinced most of their value. For many years, sub-optimal yields, variable fruit size, quality issues and disease incidence held back the development of tomato production in many regions of Kenya. The Starke Ayres hybrid variety STAR 9065 has offered solutions to many of these challenges and is now becoming widely planted in the country. The two success stories related here illustrate how the variety has helped growers become more profitable. The first instance involves a farmer in the Narok region. This is an area which experiences high disease pressure, particularly from bacterial wilt and Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV). Important characteristics highlighted by this grower are the ability to produce large fruit even towards the end of the production cycle, top yields and the strong leaf canopy, which protects developing tomatoes from sun-scald. The vigorous growth and resistance to bacterial wilt and TMV give the ability to produce a crop under harsh conditions. At harvest, fruit size and colour both satisfy market preference. A harvest period of around 2 months is expected, with 2 picks per week at peak production. This results in yields of over 50t/Ha, which is excellent for the region. The good returns realised have encouraged this grower to increase his area under STAR 9065 production to over 20 ha. Starke Ayres strives to provide solutions to farming challenges and be part of growing agricultural production. Rift Valley Sales Agronomist Jennifer Kimani has shown how to do this with STAR 9065.
The second case of STAR 9065 success comes from Mr Jackson Nzioka Mutinda, who farms at Wote in Kenyas’ Makueni county. He is a mixed farmer, but tomatoes are an important component of his operation. He first tested STAR 9065 in 2019, and his planted area has increased every year since then. In common with other farmers he identified certain key traits which set the variety apart from others:
• Large fruit size which is maintained throughout production.
• Extended shelf life allowing supply to distant markets.
• High yields.
• Attractive, deep red ripe colour which consumers demand.
• Strong leaf growth to protect fruit from the sun.
The ability of STAR 9065 to deliver profitable crops under varying conditions make it a solid variety choice for any grower planning to produce tomatoes in Kenya.
