Six years ago, a horticulture farm along Kiambu-Limuru road in Nairobi county abandoned production of greenhouse tomatoes due to fluctuating market prices.
According to John Macharia, farm manager, Blooming Greene Ltd, they had to find an alternative and Lafayette yellow capsicum presented the best bet.
“We had been trying different varieties of capsicum to get maximum and desirable production. Different varieties of capsicum portrayed different characteristics. When we came across Lafayette yellow capsicum, we observed some attributes and that is why we stuck with it,” says Macharia.
The company produces up to 48 tonnes per hectare from the small areas planted in the greenhouse, compared to the national average production per hectare, which stands at 35 tonnes. They also produce red and green cabbages, broccoli, lettuce, carrots and peas.