QUARTER LAND UNDER PEPINO MELON

PEPINO MELONS

In the recent times the demand of pepino melons has continued to rise due to their many health benefits. Pepino is a herbaceous fruit mainly grown for its juicy nature. The fruits is typically a bright green or yellow green and often has some red or purple stations. The flesh is golden yellow when ripe with a narrow seed cavity. The melon is entirely edible skin, flesh and seeds. The fruits are very sweet and juicy. It should be eaten only when ripe.

Planting

The plant requires well drained loan soils with a pit of 6.5- 7.5. The plant should be well watered and weeded. Spacing of 2 to 3 ft is recommended, manure should be applied in plenty at least 2kg per hole. Mature plants reach a height of about 1.2 meters. Once they mature the fruits are harvested every week. One plant can produce more than 150 fruits per year and a minimum of 50 fruits per year. The current market price at the farm gate is between sh 10 – sh 30 or a kg sh 80 – 150 depending on the size. The fruits has a ready market due to their many health benefits. Some of the many health benefits include;

• Breaking down into glucose for great energy to get you through your day and increases stamina.
• It helps with liver disease, lower blood pressure, helps those that suffer from strokes to heal faster and promotes cardiovascular health.
• The fruit helps to prevent cancer and diabetes (tends to regulate blood sugar levels because of the high fiber content) plus it lowers cholesterol.
• Pepino melon is anti-inflammatory in action helping to sooth away your aches and pains.
• Pepino melons has lots of vitamin A,C,K and also B vitamin, proteins, plus iron and copper which are essential for a healthy immune systems and calcium for bones, potassium which is needed for relaxing and lowering blood pressure and pepino is a good diuretic.
• Pepino melon has soluble fiber similar to act meal which also helps to lower cholesterol and it’s easy to digest. The fiber also helps with constipation and it tends to sooth away gastric ulcers too.
• The pepino melon is also sodium free decreasing your daily intake of sodium lowers your blood pressure and reduces your risk of developing illness related to high blood pressure, such as heart disease and kidney disease.

Cost analysis of ¼ an acre

At a spacing of 3ft by 3ft accommodates 1000 seedlings;

Cost of seedlings                                –           100,000

Cost of preparing the land                  –           5,000

Cost of planting                                  –           5,000

Cost of manure                                   –           20,000

Misleneous for 3 months                     –           30,000

TOTAL COST                                  –           160,000

Expected output

After 3 months for the next one year

After 3 months of maturity each pepino melon can produce a minimum of 150 fruits per year. If we work with the minimum you can get 150,000 fruits per year. If you sell the fruits with the least price of Sh 10 -30 per fruit you will get good return every year. The life span of the pepino melon is more than 2.5 years.

CONCLUSION

Pepino melon is one of the profitable fruit we have in the country. If you can’t plant them for commercial purposes make sure you get some for family consumption. We have certified seedlings from our nursery.

To learn this practically we established a demo farm with 2000 pepino melon under drip irrigation here at ridge ways Kiambu road where you can visit for free to learn and buy some seedlings.

Visit Our demo farm at ridge ways Kiambu road. Learn about pepino melon farming.

Call/Text/WhatsApp 0706222888

About Post Author

OxfarmAg

kahurodickson@gmail.com

http://www.oxfarmorganic.com/

Happy

0 0 %

Sad

0 0 %

Excited

0 0 %

Sleepy

0 0 %

Angry

0 0 %

Surprise

0 0 %