Young farmers have opportunity to grow Wambugu apples

Executive Director of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Peter Thomas, says youth farmers are interested in things new and are innovative, and producing Wambugu apple is one of them.

He said the apple can generate great wealth and presents a great opportunity for growth in the agricultural sector, as Jamaica consumes thousands of apples, most of which are imported, and this is causing significant depletion of hard currencies.

"There is no apple that you can get in the market for under $100. So, this is an excellent opportunity for us to develop our own industry. We are at the embryonic stage now, and what we need to do is to invest in planting material and then we springboard from there," he told JIS News, while attending a training session on Wambugu apple production and seedling distribution, at the Ebony Park Agro Park in Clarendon.

Wambugu apples are a variety developed in Kenya that is known for its ability to grow in warm, tropical climates where most other apples cannot. These apples are crisp, sweet, and juicy, with red and yellow specks. They can start producing fruit as early as nine months after planting, with mature trees yielding hundreds of apples per year.

Jamaica imported more than 1.4 million kilogrammes of apples last year, costing more than $260 million. One acre can hold up to 500 Wambugu trees, and the apple can thrive in hot or cool conditions. When mature, it can yield up to 500 apples per tree within a five-year period, and with proper care, it can produce as much as 30 to 40 tons per acre annually.

Meanwhile, CEO of the Agro-Investment Corporation, Vivion Scully, said that "we spend so much money importing apples, that it is nice to finally have one that can take root in Jamaica, not just in the supermarket or in the refrigerator but for export".