Tree's play a key role in social economic development contributing to a certain percentage of the kenyan GDP, it also supports both the urban and rural population through the provision of charcoal,wood and timber hence providing employment to a bigger potion of the population directly and indirectly.
Demand for charcoal, wood and timber has risen following the logging ban in public and community forest in 2018, which are the main sources of wood products in the country, therefore opening a door for commercial forestry to bridge the gap. Commercial Forestry will also lead to an increase in forest cover hence reducing the pressure on natural forest.
Commercial tree farming entails growing Trees for sale and wealth creation, which comes with several other benefits like helping fight global warming.
On this article we shall look into three ways to make money growing Trees.
1. Growing Trees for their fruits and nuts.
2. Growing Trees for timber
3. Growing Trees for firewood and charcoal.
Growing Trees for Fruits and nuts.
Fruit growing is one amongst the most profitable businesses in kenya,the demand for fruits is high, you will never miss fruits in an open air market in kenya.
Fruit trees are useful for food & wood, managing an orchard can be incredibly rewarding.
You will make profits from fruit trees depending on the type of fruits, season, demand and the current market price for the fruit involved.
Growing Trees for timber.
The initial cost involved and the patience to wait for the trees to mature can be intimidating, but after the long wait, planning and setup are out of the way, profits become steady and predictable, many timber products are valuable with hungry markets looking to buy.
When growing Tree's for timber, you must consider the speed of growth,the quality and value of the harvested timber, you can decide to plant hard wood which take too long to mature but with the best wood quality or soft wood which are fast growing but the quality will depend on the type of tree you invested into.
Approximate cost involved and expected returns( in this case we shall use Eucalyptus/blue gum)
The Approximate cost of Planting and managing per acre is 100,000 ksh(1000 dollars) and the Approximate returns per acre is 6 million ksh (60,000 dollars), this is after waiting for 10 years, this means that you were saving 50,000 ksh (500 dollars) per month.
List of the most profitable timber and fruit trees to grow in kenya.
1. Avocado Trees
Avocado trees, especially grafted ones are very profitable. Grafted avocado trees yield fruits within a short period, usually between 2-3 years. Avocados have high demand both locally and internationally. This means there is a ready market for the produce.
2. Eucalyptus
Also known as blue gum, eucalyptus is a fast-growing tree that is widely grown for timber. It can grow to a height of up to 50m. Its timber is widely loved and fetches good prices in the local market.
3. Mango Trees
Mango trees are one of the best and most profitable fruit trees to grow in Kenya. They are fast growing and produce high yields as long as proper farming methods are practised. Mangoes can earn you good profits as they have a high demand in the local and international markets.
4. Cypress
Cypress is a fast-growing tree that can earn a farmer good profit within a short period of time.
Cypress is widely used for roofing purposes, timber and for fencing.
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| Cypress tree growing. |
Cypress is widely used for roofing purposes, timber and for fencing.
5. Bamboo
Bamboo is a fast-growing indigenous tree that can be used for various purposes such as fencing, decoration, making furniture and construction projects. It takes a short period to mature and has a high demand.
6. Meru Oak
Meru Oak is considered an indigenous tree that is commonly used in making furniture. It is a fast-growing tree and a good source of firewood. It is locally known as muhuru tree.
7. Macadamia Trees
Macadamia trees are mainly grown for the production of nuts. Macadamia nuts have a high demand in the market. The trees take about 7 years to start yielding fruits. Locally, 1kg of the nuts is sold at Kshs 200.
8. Pine
Pine is a fast growing timber tree that grows at a height of 2-3 feet per year. It is a good source of timber. Pine trees fetch very good prices in the country.
Growing Trees for firewood and charcoal.
Demand for charcoal and firewood in kenya has increased while deforestation continues hence the need to plant trees as a business venture which will be both beneficial financially and environmentally.
Charcoal provides more than 70 percent of the kenyan domestic demand for cooking and heating, creating a significant contribution to livelihood of hundreds and thousands of people both in rural and urban areas.
Charcoal is produced by burning wood under limited supply of oxygen( carbonisation) in kilns, the charcoal demand is mostly in urban centres where it is sold to wholesalers, retailers and vendors who in turn sale to consumers in smaller quantities.
Pricing for charcoal depends on the location, in urban areas it can be sold between 1500 ksh (15 dollars) to 2500 ksh(25 dollars) per bag.
While in rural areas it is sold between 400 ksh (4 Dollars) to 1000 ksh (10 dollars) per bag.
While venturing on the business, you must consider the kenyan laws and policies that were created after rampant destruction of forest. In 2018 the government imposed a ban on logging and timber harvesting which is due to end this year if the government doesn't renew the policy, production of charcoal for personal use remains legal, inter County transportation of charcoal is outlawed.