Be ready to know the cost of farming onions per acre in Kenya, capital for onion farming in Kenya, onion production per acre, yield of onions per acre in Kenya, neptune F1 onion yield per acre, red creole onion yield per acres, and many more.
The cost of onion farming in Kenya varies with the type of onion the farmer chooses to invest in. Some types of onions are more costly than others. However, farmers can practice onion farming according to their pocket.
Farmers can practice onion farming either on large scale farming or small-scale capacity. Beginner farmers may want to try farming from a small-scale point of production as they expand with time. In this manner, they can comfortably plant at any capacity since they have the familiarity.
Cost Of Farming Onions Per Acre In Kenya
Majority of farmers state the cost of farming onions per acre in Kenya is approximately Ksh. 115,000.
Onion production per acre will largely depend on the cost of the onion seed in the market. Using a rough average estimation of around Ksh. 500 per kilo per acre, let’s determine the cost of onion production from the table below.
Keep in mind that the cost is an estimation and can even be lower if you get the requirements at a much cheaper price.
| Requirements | Quantity | Total charges |
| Onion seeds | One acre can require about 100 kilos of seeds One kilo costs approximately Ksh. 500 | Ksh. 50,000 |
| Fertilizer | We can estimate considering garlic is the heaviest consumer among other onions. One 25kg bag at approximately Ksh. 500 | Ksh. 500 |
| Pesticides, fungicides, insecticides and any other | Approximately Ksh.1000 | Ksh.1000 |
| Miscellaneous | These would include; single labor, transport, irrigation and other emergencies, | Ksh.50,000 |
| Total cost | Ksh. 115,000 |
Yield Of Onions Per Acre
Onions can give a total yield of about 2000kg if the performance poor and 5000 kg at their best. So, let’s find out the output per acre on an average estimate of 3,500kg of onions from the table below.
Remember, depending on the type of onions, the market price varies. Cost of garlic onions is Ksh. 350 per kg, red creole onions is Ksh. 150 and spring onions is Ksh. 30, which gives us an average of Ksh. 180 per kilo.
| Onion production | Quantity | Estimated amounts | Total returns | Gross profit |
| Average production | 3,500kg | 1 kg can be sold at an average price of 180 | Ksh. 630,000 | Ksh. 515,000 |
Neptune F1 Onion Yield Per Acre
Neptune F1 onions is a co-variety of red creole onion. The Neptune F1 is an early maturing type of onion, appears flat bottom shaped and bright red at maturity. The yield is nearly between 60 tones to 100 tons per acre.
A slight delay of harvest can lead to more wastage due to rotting. Farmers in Neptune1 production are to give a lot of attention to the harvest to avoid low-quality production.
Red Creole Onion Yield Per Acre
A well-maintained red creole onion farm worth one acre can give a total yield of about 75 tons of onions on a low season’s production and 120 tones on a maximum harvest. Farmers with a yield of fewer than 75 tones should consider factors that might have caused the low productivity to improve on their next harvest.
Factor Affecting Starting Capital For Onion Farming
Farmers can determine capital for onion farming in Kenya by identifying the basics requirements that are inevitable. Some determinants farmers can consider to know the exact capital for onion farming in Kenya include:
Types Of Onions
When considering onion farming, the farmers should understand that different onions have different cost of production. The spring onions are cheaper than to farm than Red creole onion and garlic onion, whereas the red creole onion has a lower production cost than the garlic onion.
Type Of Farming System Used.
The size of capital to be invested in onion farming would primarily base on the farming system the farmer chooses to practice. Usually, small-scale farming would cost lesser than large-scale farming. The larger the farming is, the more the cost of production.
Labor
Capital amount in the business would greatly be determined by the kind of labour to be employed. If the farmer is using free labor (household members) or cheap local labor, production costs would be low.
Nonetheless, if the type of labor required trained personnel and modern technological machines, then the labor would be expensive due to the higher salary demand for equipped personnel to run and maintain the machines.
Farming Land
The farmer can incur extra cost if the farming land is rented or purchased. If the farmer owns the pies of land already, they are exempted from purchasing the land on the monthly rental cost. Meaning the capital to be invested is lower.
Distance To The Market
Nearness to the market from the point of production reduces the transportation cost. Farmers that are located in the interior part with poor infrastructure incur more transport.
Conclusion
The farmer can use the cost of farming onions per acre in Kenya to estimate the cost of production on a larger piece of land. Onion farming has boosted the market status of the country. More farmer is urged to consider onion farming to reduce on the importation rate.
