Unlike many university graduates who seek white-collar jobs after completing their studies, Kimutai Maselus chose a different path—agribusiness—proving that farming can be incredibly profitable.
At just 28 years old, Kimutai runs a thriving fruit farm in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, cultivating a range of fruits including apples, passion fruit, and avocados.
Sharing his agricultural journey, Kimutai said his interest in apple farming began after thorough research revealed a gap in local apple supply despite strong market demand. His venture includes both growing fruits and selling seedlings. He says apple seedlings are especially lucrative due to the plant’s profitability. “Apples bring in more income for me because I sell each seedling for Sh800. A farmer can earn up to Sh30,000 per tree after just two years,” he explains.
Kimutai adds that apple trees begin to mature in about eight months, depending on the variety, and he harvests the fruits twice a year—earning him an estimated Sh3.8 million annually.
Each tree, he says, can yield up to 50 kilograms of apples, which he sells at Sh350 per kilo. With a total of 1,200 apple trees, he makes between Sh15,000 and Sh20,000 from each tree. However, he notes that such high yields typically start coming in after about two and a half years, as production is minimal in the early stages.
In addition to apples, Kimutai also grows avocados, passion fruits, macadamia nuts, and pixie oranges. His 192 Hass avocado trees each produce between 600 and 800 fruits, which he sells for Sh100 per kilo.
“I expect to earn between Sh8,000 and Sh10,000 from every avocado tree,” he notes.
Kimutai sells his harvest locally, supplying several companies that buy directly from his farm. He also highlights the high profitability of passion fruits, saying he earns around Sh3 million per acre annually.
“One major benefit of growing passion fruit is the frequent harvest. I collect produce every week, which can bring in roughly Sh70,000 weekly—or about Sh250,000 a month,” he adds, pointing out that the purple variety yields the highest returns.