Read the next few paragraphs to find out the truth about this ageold business idea. Hannahs love for potato farming began more than a decade ago when she got the inspiration from her husband, who convinced her to turn their one. Starter guide to profitable potato farming cropnuts. Onion farming in kenya can be done in greenhouses and open gardens. The demand for and commercial price of clean potato seed tubers is far higher than potatoes for the food market. The county has the potential of being in the league of other irish potato powerhouses like the netherlands and poland, only is an integrated market based approach to potato farming is given a priority. Planting periods in zimbabwe summer rain fed november first winterfeb april.
Nyandarua county is therefore the place to invest in without any hesitation. It is widely grown on a small scale, mainly in subsistence farming. Before he ventured into sweet potato farming, he did his research to establish the market availability. Tomato anna f1 has excellent fruit quality for the market, oval shaped, deep red in colour, and firm with good gradeout. Tomato anna f1 hybrid tomato anna growing instructions for a successful crop of anna f1 tomatoes the grower needs to diligently observe certain practices at each stage. Sustainable potato production food and agriculture. Why ill never leave my sweet potatoes daily nation. We source our kenya sweet potatoes from family growers. The article examines the impact of adopting these innovations on enhancements of yields. Despite more acreage being dedicated to the crop, annual production has not improved. Farmer practices and constraints in potato production differ from region. Mutunga stephen laititi school of business and economics, kenya methodist university, nairobi, kenya. I understood that many supermarket shelves were stocked with vegetables. Prewritten potato farming business plan pdf, word and excel.
You can get good returns provided you are willing to learn how to navigate your way up or you can literary burn your whole investment in less than 3 months. Hi i live in koster, in the north western province of south africa. Potato seed tubers should be the size of an egg and having at least 45 sprouts. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are planning to venture into sweet potato production in kenya. Though farmers have little they can do about some of the constraints facing potato farming, they are not oblivious of the demands made by the market. Comprehensive version, short fundingbank loan version and automated financial statements for an indepth analysis of the potato farming business, we encourage you to purchase our wellresearched and comprehensive potato farming business plan. Jul 31, 2015 why ill never leave my sweet potatoes. Use of tubers is the best method for potato production. This is mainly to prevent outbreaks of diseases like early blight, which has the potential to devastate the commercial potato industry. Jul 31, 2017 spinach varieties in kenya spinach farming in kenya. Guidelines for estimating potato production costs 2018. Sweet potato originated from tropical central america. The first ever stak seed trade assocaition of kenya congress and expo took place in nairobi from the th 15th november.
Nov 23, 2017 every farmer looks for tricks to better potato farming in kenya. Care should be taken to the dugout the tubers without injury. Certified seed will produce 15 20% higher yields than standard seed. How to farm finger millet in kenya finger millet farming in kenya is an important agricultural activity in western kenya and uganda. Potato farming is one of those businesses that can either make or break you. It is done with the help of kudali or potato digger or by plowing with deshi plow. Kenyas low yields have been blamed on a failure to use clean seeds, fertilizers, fungicides and irrigation.
It also includes a minidirectory with contacts which will prove to be helpful in launching and running your potato farming business. The root tuber is long and tapered with a smooth skin whose colour ranges between red, purple, brown and white. Fmc corporation has been serving agriculture for more than a centurylong enough to know that new threats are always on the horizon. In kenya there is a very large commercial opportunity in the production of certified seed potatoes. Multiplication of seed potatoes in a conventional potato. Starting potato farming business plan pdf startupbiz. Root and tuber crops, including cassava, sweet potato, potato and yam are the most important food crops for direct human consumption in africa. Earn ksh118,000 in 3 months from potatoes graduate farmer. The country is therefore vulnerable to food insecurity exacerbated by absence of substantive diversification in food production and consumption. Cut the plants at ground level eight days prior to the date of harvesting. Potato farmers in kenya turn to mechanization to meet rapidly. If you stick to the above suggestions on how best to grow your potatoes, then you should estimate your yield to be about 80 bags for one acre. Other varieties include king of denmark, new zealand, bloomsdale long standing, giant noble and early hybrid no. From tomato to sweet potato farming, the profitable switch of.
This budget outlines the cost of producing processing potatoes under irrigated conditions. Potato farming, planting, care, harvesting a full guide. This article will outline how to start a potato farming business in south africa, and the potato farming business plan pdf, word and excel. Podcasts sunday magazine todays paper tenders jobs in kenya. Ford hook giant is the best variety as it can do well in a wide range of environmental conditions and is also the most common variety of swiss chard in kenya. Buy certified seeds to avoid infections that can destroy the potato crop. This means that some farmers may have to learn how to produce clean or disease free seed tubers on farm. From tomato to sweet potato farming, the profitable switch of embu farmer. Potato yields in kenya are less than half the amount obtained by some developed countries. We have about two hectares of land and dont have any farming equipment,we would like to start a potato farming project so that we can provide for ourselves and sell the rest to earn a decent living. Potatoes are highland crops and they grow well in most major parts of the nation including molo, kinangop, taita hills, yatta, timboroa and parts of laikipia. You can supply your potatoes to individual households, schools, restaurants, hotels, companies, supermarkets, organizations, events etc. Starting potato farming business plan pdf startupbiz global. Molo woman digs up gold after venturing into potato seeds.
Mar 01, 20 potato farming will continue to be popular among kenyans with fast foods restaurants and potato processors increasingly raising the demand for a healthy high quality crop. Getting the best from your jambar f1 monsanto africa. Irish potato farming in kenya is gaining ground as demand for the potatoes grow due rapid urbanization and the good price the crop fetches. Kenya is one of the richest agricultural countries in the world today.
The socioeconomic factors that affect sweet potato production in the study area were household size, level of education, farming experience and farm size. The crop produces food per init area and per unit time than wheat, rice and maize. Apart from growing its food for subsistence use, kenya has heavily relied on its agriculture sector to grow and. Total gross yield per acre was estimated at 305 to 395 cwtacre with marketable yield estimated. Seed potato farmers in kenya s potato growing regions are adopting a new technology with potential to boost quality seed availability the farmers are using rooted apical cuttings as starter material for seed production as opposed to certified seed the cuttings technology has been introduced by the international potato center cip through feed the future, kenya accelerated value chain. Kenya sweet potato company quality sweet potato supplies. Potatoes are grown from specially produced seed potatoes and not from actual seeds. In kenya, it is one of the most consumed produce, acting as a staple food as well as a cash crop, and its production has been growing rapidly due to increased urbanization and fast food industries. Crop by crop, region by region, were dedicated to meeting these challenges headon with innovative herbicides, pesticides and fungicides that add value to your operation. In tropical areas, potato should be grown where the climate is tempered by altitude 1 500 4 200 m or at lower altitudes provided the crop is grown during the cool season.
The first step is to find land in one of the high production areas. Miriam mbiu, research officer karlo, tigoni explains to ktn farmers tv the different. When targeting specific markets, grade before selling by sorting out according to size, colour, or weight. Rachuonyo and kisii counties are the main producers of sweet potatoes while central kenya produces only a small fraction. Kenya agricultural livestock and research organisation karlo launched kenspot1 variety in njoro.
Can you please help me to start a potato farming business. Mid 2010 it was established that kenya only produces about 1% of the potato seeds needed every year by potato farmers countrywide. Molo woman digs up gold after venturing into potato seeds cultivation. The owner of the farm we rent said we can do whatever we want as he only.
Spinach farming, how to grow the best varieties in the market. One of the produce they are being encouraged to embrace is sweet potato because it is tolerant to drought and diseases and the yields are high. The potato is essentially a cool weather crop, with temperature being the main limiting factor. What is the right seed for different areas and whats the harvest period.
Our farmers usually sell the largest potatoes for cash, eat the mediumsized ones at home, and keep the smallest as future planting material. Plant and harvest potato seeds in just three weeks daily. Potato is one of the most consumed produce in kenya, coming second to maize. The most common type of sweet potato found in us markets is the moist. Sweet potatoes are drought tolerant perennial vines, with one main season. Collect the exposed tubers and cleaned off by removing soil, roots, stolons, etc. Last season, scarcity of potatoes was evidenced and as such the cost skyrocketed with demand being higher than supply. Select the best positive selection to improve farm saved seed potatoes farmer field aid ministry of agriculture kenya peter gildemacher, paul demo, peter kinyae, mercy wakahiu, moses nyongesa, thomas zschocke c a farmer trial demonstrating select the best, narok, kenya select the best positive selection to improve farm saved seed potatoes. The potato business plan ought to include a proper marketing plan to use in your potato farming business. Seed potato quality improvement through positive selection by. Potato can be grown from true potato seed tps, plantlets or tubers.
Potato is the second most important food crop in kenya and is grown by about 800,000 smallholder farmers. Garlic farming in kenya kitunguu saumu and all you need to know. Root and tuber crops cassava, yam, potato and sweet potato. Government regulations regarding the production of seed potatoes for sale in south africa are very strict. These four crops are grown in varied agroecologies and production systems contributing to more than 240 million. Sweet potato varieties grown in kenya kenya sweet potato. Investment opportunities and challenges in the irish. Before you start the potato farming business, there are some important decisions which you have to make. In africa, east africa leads in the production of the crop especially in populous regions of kenya. Mr wambugu, who is a school dropout, says he is able to bank more than sh80,000 from tree tomato farming. Jun 30, 2017 she used to practice smallscale potato farming until she was invited for a training on seed production in limuru organized by kephis and kalro. Ways to raise capital to start your potato farming business in zimbabwe the potato farming business plan includes technical aspects of how to plant and to take care of the potatoes. Analysis of the key challenges facing potato farmers in. Kenya sweet potato hello and welcome to the kenya sweet potato company.
It represents the first interpartner effort, post2008, aimed at producing technical guidelines that can be used by decision makers in developing countries to improve the sustainability of potato production and boost the potato subsectors contribution to social and economic development. Sweet potato production kenya sweet potato is an important root crop in the north rift valley it provides food in april and may when there is little other food, and can provide vines for animal feed. Irish potato solanum tuberosum is a cool weather crop which belongs to the solanaceae family, whose other members include tomatoes, capsicums and egg plants, among others. Patterns and key issues peter t ewell regional representative for subsaharan africa, international potato center cip, po box 25171, nairobi 00603, kenya p. There are some farmers who venture into sweet potato farming in kenya without even knowing how to do the actual planting in itself. Manoa has every reason to smile because a new high yielding sweet potato has been introduced.
After that discovery, i invited an agricultural extension officer who advised me on the basics of sweet potato farming. The irish potato is a prominent food security and cash crop in kenya currently second to maize in importance as the largest consumed staple in the country. List of potato seed producers in kenya farmlink kenya. Getting the best from your jambar f1 24 c 57 y 50 c 100 y 59 c 100 y 7k 68c 100y 24k 95c 100y 27k 100c 61y 61k continued on pg. Potato is a high yielding productive vegetable jobs millions of people in kenya. Potato farming in kenya revenues what farmers reap based on the statistics of potato farming in kenya 2017, farmers are able to make good money when they decide to focus on commercial production of potatoes.
Everything you ever wanted to know about sweetpotato. In 2006, almost 75 percent of working kenyans made their living by farming, compared with 80 percent in 1980. In some african countries there is a shortage of certified seeds. New technology promises quality seed for potato farmers. The national potato council of kenya npck is a public private partnership ppp and a multistakeholder organization that has the responsibility of planning, organizing, and cocoordinating value chain activities of the potato subsector and developing it into a robust, competitive, and selfregulating industry. Other than being free of diseases, another advantage of potato cuttings is that they are. The major constraints to sweet potato production in the study area were poor access to creditl, high cost of transportation and vine shortage. Innovation opportunities in sweet potato production in kenya. Potatoes herbicides, insecticides, miticides, and fungicides.
Tomato anna f1 hybrid tomato anna is an indeterminate hybrid bred and developed by the monsanto vegetable seeds division for greenhouse production. The crop rotation was based on growing potatoes no more than 1 in 3 years. Most kenyan farmers started with potato farms having been told of the huge profits in the market. A potato land base of 780 harvested acres was assumed in developing this budget. Sweet potato producing areas in kenya 12 taxonomy of sweet potato nutritional value of sweet potato 14 agroclimatic conditions and soils suitable for sweet potato production 15 sweet potato varieties released and grown in kenya 17 sweet potato production 18 planting site 18 preparation of planting materials 18. Farming systems and production constraints article pdf available in the journal of agricultural science 55. Potato farming statistics indicate that production around the globe has risen steadily over the years 267 million metric tons in 1990 to 377 million metric tons in 2016. The selection of the seed potato is very important, but in kenya it is given little attention. Status of potato farming in kenya and its contribution to the. Perimeter shamba group members plowing a plot for dry season, organic vegetables at nyumbani village, kitui.
Kenya is a net importer of food especially for the major staples like maize, wheat, rice and potatoes. Mar 23, 2016 potato output can be increased to 20 to 30 tonnes per acre by addressing these factors. Nov 22, 2017 home farmlink articles farm inputs list of potato seed producers in kenya. It acts as a staple food crop as well as cash crop for many rural and semi urban dwellers playing an important role in improving national food security and income generation for those involved in its value chain development. Poor seed potato quality is a major yield reducing factor in potato production in kenya gildemacher et al. It has a short and hi flexible cycle, and is ready for harvesting within 34 months of planting. The truth sometimes is hard to bear given the fact that despite potato having high yields, that is not always the case in every harvest. The annual global demand of potatoes is 390 million tonnes. The perfect starting point is to choose a suitable for tomato farming place. Material and methodology the study area was oljoroorok division, nyandarua county situated in the central part of kenya. Among all tubers that are available in the world, the sweet potato is the most abundant despite having less varieties than, say, yam with its 400 species.
Starting potato farming business in zimbabwe and the. Next you will learn how to correctly choose the tomato breed, plant, maintain and harvest your tomato farm. The national potato council of kenya npck is a public private partnership ppp and a multistakeholder organization whose responsibility is to help plan, organize and coordinate potato value chain activities with the aim of developing the subsector into a robust, competitive and selfregulating industry. Nov 22, 2011 the fiveyear strategy described in this roadmap document for ethiopia, kenya, rwanda, tanzania, and uganda targets business investments in key areas along the seed potato value chain to increase the availability of highquality seed potatoes from less than 1% to at least 5% of demand except kenya, where the target is 10% and promote improved seed management. The fruits are accepted in the local market, supermarkets, and other consumption institutions because of their quality.
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