This article shows you the cost of planting beans per acre in Kenya. Its not too much, you can afford to start farming today and make money. All beans farming tips you need to get you started are here.
Beans farming is one of the most lucrative businesses in Kenya. The beans mature fast, require a low capital of investment, and may need a small area of large but the harvest is huge.
Cost Of Planting Beans Per Acre
The cost of planting beans per acre in Kenya farmers can spend an average of approximately Ksh. 6000 and Ksh. 7,000. Production cost is often very low making bean farming attractive to many farmers.
Nonetheless, famers in the Beans farming sector may only incur extra costs in seasons affected by natural calamities. The Kenyan government has played a significant key role in helping subsidize the seeds prices to profit the farmer and reduce overburdening the consumers.
Beans Seed Rate Per Acre
Beginner farmers in beans farming may want to know how many beans per acre they may need to purchase. A single acre of land costs the farmer a bean seed of 24- 25 kg. However, soya beans require 20 kg due to adequate spacing.
A single acre can successfully manage to maturity over 200 plants. A single bean plant can produce about 20 pods after flowering apart from climbing beans, producing even more pods on several occasions.
Bean farming in Kenya is done well in the cool and warm seasons on soils with a sound drainage system. Farmers are encouraged to top-dress the beans for areas with poor soil fertility to enhance yield.
Spacing Between Beans When Planting
A farmer may need to space the beans appropriately during the planting phase to enhance production. Beans are usually planted in rows to make it easier for the farmer to navigate the field while attending to the plants.
The spacing between the rows should be about 45cm, 20cm space between the seeds, and the seeds should be planted not less than 5cm deep to secure them from being washed away or eaten by animals.
The ministry of agriculture has emphasized the early planting of beans as it lengthens the productive phase of beans. Farmers are encouraged to plant the beans at intervals of at least two to enhance crop yield.
Harvesting Beans In An Acre
On average, beans may take up to take 2 months from the period of planting to harvest. However, some beans may take a shorter time to mature, while others may extend their maturity.
The reason being, bean production is highly affected by climatic conditions and environmental changes.
Only the ready beans are harvested during harvesting, while those that are still maturing are left to grow. By so doing, the farmer can prevent losses and add to the yield in a given season.
Continuous harvesting enables the farmer to maximize the bean s productive season.
Dry Bean Yield Per Acre
Dry bean production has been rated lowest at 500kg per acre. A large number of farmers have successfully reaped up to 900kg per acre. Even so, there has been a moderate case of farmers experiencing a harvest of up to 1200kg, especially farmers in Soya beans.
How To Increase Bean Yield Per Acre
1. Prepare You Farm Well
Farmers can increase the yield of beans farming by making sure the farms are prepared before the planting season. The farms should be fed by compost manure and mixed well with soil to enhance the fertility of the land.
2. Optimum Elimination Of Weeds And Pests
Weeding the beans after at least 4 weeks is encouraged as weeds are removed, allowing proper sunlight and nutrients from the soil. Alternatively, large-scale farmers may opt to use specific chemicals to dry up the weeds.
3. Fence To Reduce Predators
Proper fencing is encouraging to prevent animals and birds from feeding on the bean plantation. Small-scale farmers are encouraged to cage their poultry birds during the flowering bean season.
Profitability Of Beans Farming
If you are wondering how profitable is beans farming in Kenya? Know that beans farming is very profitable since you can make at least Ksh. 150,000 per month from one acre of French beans a month. A varying supply and demand fluctuated the French beans prices between Ksh. 50 to Ksh. 180 and there is ready market.
Reasons You Should Invest In Beans Farming
Fast Money-Making Business.
Serious bean farmers with a good planning system can enjoy handsome harvests with reasonable profits per season. Good financial management can drastically increase the farmers’ financial strength.
High Demands For Beans
Most farmers in soya bean variety production have had the privilege to secure contracts with food production companies. The companies use soya beans to produce edible soya oil rich in nutrients and mineral salts.
More Opportunities To Intercropping
Farmers in bean farming have an added advantage as they can grow beans and other plants such as maize. The bean plants have a minimum height which enables them to survive among other plants such as maize.
Furthermore, bean plants have a natural way of fixing oxygen in the soil by root nodules. As a result, other plants benefit during their growth period. At the same time are relieves from double costs of production.
High Nutrition Value
Apart from the financial establishment, farmers can benefit from proteins from beans. The ministry of health encourages healthy eating habits such as supplementing animal proteins with plant proteins which should be eaten chiefly.
Beans are one of the best sources of plant proteins readily available and affordable across the country.
Bean Refuse/Waste
Mixed farmers can use bean plants to supplement animal feeds after harvest. Plant refuse can be feed on domesticated animals such as cows, sheep, goats, among others.
Farmers can collect the bean plant refuse in one place for decomposition. Together with other liters, the refuse can help the farmer make compost manure for the next planting season.
Benefits Of Ash From Beans Refuse
Local farmers from rural areas do not waste the bean plants after harvest. Instead, they dry up the refuse, then burn them to collect ash. Water is added to the ash to drain ash solution that can be stored used local vinegar for instance;
- Added to food during cooking to lower cholesterol levels in meat.
- Added to food during cooking to soften then and add flavor
- Can be used for baking
- Small amounts of the solution mixed with drinking water can be used as a remedy for stomach upsets.
- The ash is used as pest control on crops by sprinkling on the leaves.
Conclusion
The cost of planting beans per acre is affordable compared to other forms of production. The ministry of agriculture has rated bean farming in Kenya as one of the most productive and independent sectors. The Kenyan economy has beans farming as one of the backbones the country relies on. Farming in Kenya is highly encouraged to meet basic needs and meet market demand.
