Dragon fruit, known as a "super fruit" has significant growth potential in Kenya, according to an agricultural researcher and horticulture expert, because it fits in so well with the soils and climate there.
Monica Waiganjo has a farm in the mid-highland settlement of Kithimani in the southeast Kenyan lowlands. Her 2-acre farm has recently developed into a role model for the nation's expanding segment of dragon fruit growers.
According to Waiganjo: "the fruit is highly nutritious but the least grown among fruits in the country; nearly 99 percent of dragon fruit in the county is imported from either Vietnam, Israel, or South Africa."
Waganjo believes there are no more than 100 Kenyan farmers growing the fruit. She claimed that after harvesting the fruit for the first time last month, her orchard produced 30 kg of it. She also stated that if more farmers plant the crop, the local price will increase.