Papaya fruits are important for farmers, traders and consumers as they are sources of vitamins. These are usually grown using well drained pasteurised potting mix when still in the nursery bed.
During the sowing process place 4- 5 seeds per pot at depth of 1 cm and then moist using chlorinated water if available. They should be placed n raised ground and transplanting should be done after 8 – 10 weeks.
When picking always use elevated platform as they make picking faster and easier. Also the harvested produce should be placed in single layer during parking to avoid damaging fruits.
Growing and storage
At the beginning disc plough the land 2 times to loosen the soil and incorporate organic matter after which rotary hoe for proper plant growth. Then form mound along beds 50 – 75 cm high along rows 4 metres apart to improve water drainage and control root rot.
Additionally transplant, gently press seedlings 1.5 to 1.8 m apart after which are thinned after flowering close to ground to reduce nutrient competition.
When they are ready harvest clean grade, park and label produce once or twice a week and stack them in cartons on pallets and binned for easy transportation and storage however these should be placed in cool rooms to control harvest losses.
