Tomato farming is the most profitable business venture for many farmers in Kenya. To start tomato farming, you must budget for the project before beginning farming. Therefore, to run this farm successfully, you need to have enough capital to start it. This article explains more about what you need to have to begin tomato farming in Kenya.
To start tomato farming in Kenya on an open field, for instance, an acre piece of land, you need to have Kshs 10,000 for leasing the land and preparation. In addition, approximately 50 to 75g of seeds (10,000 seeds) at Kshs 3 per seed is needed. After that, you need to purchase fertilizer, which costs about Kshs 30,000.
You will need to budget for labor costs, which will entail land preparation, planting, weeding, and post-harvest totaling Kshs 25000. You also need Kshs 5000 for chemical spraying on tomato plants.
Furthermore, you need Kshs 10,000 for transport costs and Kshs 15,000 for any other expenses that may arise when you practice tomato farming in Kenya.
Tomato Production in Kenya
The total production cost for tomatoes by small-scale farmers on an acre farm is about Kshs 250000, on a medium scale is about Kshs 500000, and on a large scale is around Kshs 800,000.
In Kenya, the cost of producing tomatoes on an acre of land ranges from Kshs 150000 to Kshs 250000. This includes the cost of irrigation and other farm implements.
Depending on the variety of tomatoes, the average production of tomatoes per acre is between 30000 and 35000 kg. These yields will be perfect only if a farmer maintains the farm accordingly.
The cost of tomato vary with the type of tomato therefore farmers can obtain tomato seeds from Simlaw seeds with 25g retailing Kshs 5960, 10g at Kshs 2390 and 5g at Kshs 1220.
Kenya’s best and most popular tomato seeds are the Anna F1, Faulu tomato, Mavuno F1, Moneymaker tomatoes, Marglobe, and Nyota F1 varieties.
5 Tips to Start Successful Tomato Farming in Kenya
The following are five tips to starting successful tomato farming in Kenya:
1. Ensure the land has deep and well-drained soils under a warm climate and receives moderate rainfall
2. You should choose a suitable variety with high production and resistance to pests and diseases.
3. When raising a nursery bed, ensure you acquire a modern method like the use of a tray to raise the nursery bed to make it easy to get seedlings out without interfering with the roots.
4. Take timely action, like applying fertilizer at the right time, striking the pests before it goes through a complete cycle, and irrigating plants if necessary.
5. Do proper staking, especially when the seedlings are young, and prune tomato plants like diseased branches, too many side shoots, and old leaves.
