Kilifi's hybrid revolution: How farmers are reviving coconut farming

Standing on his barren palm farm, Johnstone Mbigo, 73, a farmer in Junju Ward, Kilifi County, gazes somberly at a freshly cut coconut stump, a silent reminder of the once-thriving plantation.

Nearby, his son gathers dried palm leaves to weave makuti brooms. “In the 1990s, I earned up to Sh80,000 per season. Now, I make less than Sh20,000 from three seasons combined,” he said.

With 50 trees remaining on his two-acre plot, Mbigo faces an uncertain future, as his eight children rely solely on coconut farming, currently on its knees across the coast region.

“My grandfather had tens of acres of coconut trees. The sector paid well, but today, after land subdivision, diseases and poor prices I’m left with almost nothing,” he added.

The story resonates throughout the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Tana River, and Taita-Taveta, where over 100,000 smallholder farmers rely on coconut farming.

A 2022 report by the Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate indicates a total of 84,906 hectares of land in the coastal counties was covered by coconuts in 2020, compared to 77,556 hectares in 2021. 

Farmers say that ageing East African Tall (EAT) varieties, pests and diseases, poor market linkages, and vagaries of climate change have conspired to rob them of the once thriving sector. 

“For decades, farmers relied on the EAT variety, but its slow maturity and reduced productivity have discouraged many,” explains Kazungu Ngowa, Kilifi County Agribusiness Officer. 

The 2024 Agricultural Productivity Report by the Ministry of Agriculture reveals that more than 2.6 million of Kenya’s 10 m coconut trees are over 60 years old, producing 28 nuts per year. 

Deforestation, rapid urbanisation, and unsustainable farming practices have deepened the crisis facing the sector. However, their efforts in Kilifi are to turn the tide.

In 2019, Kilifi County, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) and the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) introduced the Sampoorna hybrid.

The high-yielding Dwarf Tall variety from India matures in just 2.5 to 3 years, compared to seven years for the EAT, and produces up to 300 nuts per year, triple the traditional yield.

“This variety also yields more coconut water and copra, with an oil content of 68 percent, slightly higher than the traditional type. Its shorter height, about 12 to 15 metres, makes harvesting safer and easier,” said Ngowa.

Mbigo has since founded the Junju Chodari Coconut Farmers Self-Help Group, which now has 30 members and runs a nursery of 10,000 seedlings.

“We realised reviving the coconut sector starts with quality seedlings. We’re training others and expanding local access to ensure sustainability,” said Mbigo

The hybrid seedlings fetch between Sh250 and Sh500 each, turning community nurseries into a profitable venture for farmer groups.

For Mkazaa Yuwi, a member of Mbigo’s group in Kilifi, the change has been transformative.

“I almost gave up, but joining the farmers’ group revived my passion. The hybrid grows faster, yields more, and demand keeps rising. Here at the Coast, people use coconut for everything, and they prepare most of their meals with coconut milk. That alone gives me a reliable market,” she said.

Growing interest from Tanzania is also reshaping dynamics. “Brokers are buying entire farms before harvest,” says Ngowa. “That shows how valuable these trees are again.”

Currently, a mature coconut fetches Sh30 to Sh50 at the farm gate but can go for up to Sh100 in the market. Even small-scale farms are now lucrative, thanks to the new variety.

But challenges remain. Droughts are still a major threat, especially to the hybrid seedlings, which need up to 40 litres of water daily in dry seasons.

Shrinking land sizes from subdivision reduce economies of scale. “Most of us have less than five acres now, we inherited large farms, but times have changed,” said Mbigo.

Pest infestations, particularly the rhinoceros beetle, require active management and farmer education. Meanwhile, value addition is still lacking.

“We sell raw nuts instead of processed coconut milk, virgin oil, or soap; that’s where the real money is,” notes Yuwi.