Well, here is insights on all it takes to grow profitable hybrid tomatoes in kenya on a one acre piece of land and what you should do or not. Product chain action plan tomato production in kenya and tanzania. Kirinyaga county is an agriculturally endowed land with breathtaking rice fields on the mwea plains and dense, lush tea and coffee plantations on the upper sides, which neighbour mt kenya forest. The main varieties grown in kenya are the goldmine, inca red, rothamer, solid gold and ruby red. Simon andys, the founder of premier seeds, is a trained agronomist who left his job in a local seed industry to breathe new life to smallholder farming after a. Characteristics and production constraints of smallholder tomato. Tomatoes will grow moderately well over a wide range of soil types. Pdf tomato is an important crop in mwea west sub county, kirinyaga county, kenya. Most tomato farmers in kenya practice small scale greenhouse farming of popular greenhouse tomato varieties such as anna f1.
In this chapter the current value chain with regard to the tomato production and the logis tic processes from. Provide warm conditions with average humidity to make more money with tomato farming in kenya. As general rule, farmers should observe at least a 3season break from tomato, pepper, potato or any other crop from the solanaceous family. Its one of the key vegetables grown here in kenya as a cash and food crop. Secrets from tomato man with 6,000 plants daily nation. Mapping out a solution for the zambian tomato farmer. Below are some of the recorded tomato prices in september 2018 in leading towns in kenya. Here are the tomatoes were growing this year with a note on any special resistance ive noticed.
Tomato farming in kenya beginners guide urban kenyans. Treetomato farming made easy in kenya oxfarm organic ltd. Peak production is reached after 34 years of growing, and the crop is able to remain in production for about 12 years. This serves as your guideline to perfect planting a tomato and soon harvest them abundantly. Pdf tomato is among the promising commodities in horticultural production in kenya. Without hardening, your seedlings wont be able to adapt to the change in temperature or the exposure to weather, like wind and rain. Also, if you know of a training course, perhaps you would also leave a comment. Microventures market linkages project value chain analysis is an essential tool value chain analysis is a tool that examines the mechanisms and drivers which control the mode by. Drip irrigation pipes run along the roots of tomato plants. It is a hybrid tomato ideal for passive greenhouse and. Not hardening seedlingshardening your seedlings is one of the most important things you can do to help ensure their survival. Pdf profitability of kale and tomato production under. Mrs priscilla muthui is a good example having started a tree tomatoes orchard two years ago. Kirinyaga county is set to build a sh100 million tomato processing factory.
Smallholder tomato production in kenya is characterised by a decline in the area under. Most tomato varieties in kenya perform better in a greenhouse. The fruit has a slightly resinous aroma and the flavor suggests a mild or under ripe tomato with faintly resinous aftertaste. Most tomato varieties in kenya such as the anna f1 reach maturity 6075 days after transplanting. Peak performance known in kenya for open field tomatoes is 4550 tonsha. Tomato production guide in a place with enough of sunlight, prepare a seedbed 50 cm apart. The plant is small, halfwoody, attractive, fast growing, brittle tree. It is grown for fresh market, processing and export market. Set aside ksh15,000 for leasing land if you do not have any available. Hydroponics is a method of growing crops, without soil, using water with mineral nutrient solutions. Mushroom growing resources in kenya agritech kenya. Cherop reaps big from innovative tomato growing method duration. Open up land meant for setting the beds by digging.
Growing instructions for a successful crop of anna f1 tomatoes the grower needs to diligently observe certain practices at each stage. Before you grow the tomatoes, it is wise to test the soil to see which nutrients are missing so that you know how to add the fertiliser and compost. Biotic factors of notable economic value in tomato production in kenya comprise. Pdf product chain action plan tomato production in kenya and. Thiaka believes he is the first farmer in kirinyaga county to begin growing tomato seedlings in polythene paper bags rather than an open nursery. Designing an interview format to support a small survey. Tamarillo best known by the name treetomatoes in kenya is a fast growing tree that grows up to 5 meters. Greenhouse tomato farming in kenya has led to a huge increase in tomato production. This has led to several problems such as contamination of farm produce and pollution of the environment among others.
Here is an updated tomato varieties in kenya chart. Understanding vegetable market dynamics sitting in a. Rono, a onetime large wheat farmer, has found his footing in greenhouse tomato farming, having made the switch in 2016. Examples of indeterminate tomatoes include chonto f1, bravo f1, and mavuno f1. Crops expert carol mutua from the department of crops, horticulture and soils at egerton university explains tomatoes do very well in a dry area provided the farmer is irrigating the crop. The major tomato producing counties in kenya are kirinyaga 14%, kajiado 9% and taita taveta 7% as shown in table 1. Selkoph, a product to boost your poultry digestion for optimum growth. It has a distance of 125 km from robe town and 555km from addis ababa. Participatory variety selection of improved tomato.
Tomatoes are widely known vegetables because of its richness in vitamin a, b and c, antioxidants and dietary fibres. The burning is aimed at killing the soil pests, so leave the bed to cool a little bit. Pdf tomato management practices and diseases occurrence in. This is a highly disorganised collection of resources relating to mushroom growing and training in kenya. Republic of kenya ministry of agriculture, livestock and. Young successful tomato farmer in kenya narrates how he did it duration.
Rono ploughed sh350,000 as he embarked on horticulture farming, with the. These are words of vincent okuku,37, popularly known as kenyatta at kokise village, siaya county. The tree usually forms a single upright trunk with lateral branches. A structured questionnaire was administered to 160 farmers from the kakamega and vihiga districts of western kenya using a purposive random sampling technique to assess the profitability of. The main constraint to tomato production is insect pests with farmers relying heavily on chemical pesticides to control them. Why not start tamarillo farming and watch your money grow. The quality and quantity of tomato fruits are of crucial importance and are greatly influenced by the fertility and nutrient levels of the soil.
A well grown tomato fruit can weigh more than 150 grams and give a yield of more than 30 tonnes per acre. Salvaging tomato production in kenya from the menace of. Tamarillo, best known by the name tree tomatoes in kenya is a fast growing tree that grows up to 5 meters. Technical efficiency of open field tomato production in.
Kenya annually imports about 450,000 tons of milled rice from other rice producing countries. Tamarillo tomato tree care information on growing tree. Kenya is among the africas leading producer of tomato and is ranked 6th in africa with a total production of 397,007 tones fao, 2012. Pdf with the importance of the field vegetable sector for africa in mind and the constraints.
However, excessive nitrogen can cause your plants to put more energy into growing leaves than growing the tomatoes. Pdf characteristics and production constraints of smallholder. Mainly grown in open fields, however green house tomato production is growing in. In kenya rootknot nematodes are widely spread in all tomato growing areas and hence are a major concern to both smallholder farmers and commercial producers. It is good for farmers to control the spread of diseases affecting the plants for the main purpose of ensuring that they gain maximum. Some ways to ensure your seedlings are outdoorready include.
Tylka f1 is an early to medium indeterminate and requires staking. New varieties being introduced into the country give better yields and a shorter growing period. How to profitably grow hybrid tomatoes in kenya on 1 acre. Tomato is one of the most highly consumed vegetable in kenya. Consult the local agriculture experts to be sure you are growing the tomato varieties in kenya that are best for your region. Tomato farming in kenya has shared some strategies in growing tomatoes. This guest post was written by julie baker, a student in the global social and sustainable enterprise mba at colorado state university, and a member of the limalinks team working in conjunction with ide to develop an ict tool for zambia vegetable farmers.
A multistage sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 75 respondents who participated in the study. Numerous varieties exist and ones choice depends on whether the tomato shall be for fresh market or processing, region to be grown, resistance to given diseases, germination percentage among other factors. Farmer makes a fortune from tree tomato farming farming back in kenya, he says. They came originally from central and south america and were brought back to europe by christopher columbus on his second voyage in 1498 the fruits of the numerous cultivated types of tomato are a fiery scarlet, orangered or yellow color and are generally large and often of a highly. These blooms will eventually give way to small, oval or eggshaped fruit, reminiscent of plum tomatoeshence the tomato trees name. Shape the oval saladette shaped tomato is attractive to buyers. Smart tomato supply chain analysis for rwanda bop innovation. Tylka f1 is a particularly good tasting variety without a bitter after taste. Ever wondered how you an venture into tomatoes farming and specifically the farming of hybrid tomatoes in kenya. We have an extensive portfolio of established hybrids under our brand royal seed, including tomatoes, cabbages, onions, peppers, carrots and kale sukuma wiki, and sell a wide. Growing maize for food and fodder kenya agricultural research institute p. Four years later, the company hydroponics africa has installed farming systems in kenya, rwanda, somalia, tanzania, and uganda, and has trained over 5,000 people in how to use them. Kenya highland seed khs was established in 1998 and has been supplying open pollinated and hybrid seeds since 2000.
Greenhouse tomato varieties have higher yield and give heavier fruits. Tomato solanum lycopersicum belong to the nightshade family, solanacea. National rice development strategy nrds developed in 2008 and covering the period up to 2018 aims to increase the domestic rice production by 9. You can make quick money in kenya through greenhouse cultivation of tomato. In essence, it documents african solutions to africas problems. Growing plants in a greenhouse allows for easier implementation of. The smallscale farmers fail to recognize nematodes because they are found in the soil and their above ground symptoms can be mistaken for nutrient. Jomo kenyatta university, kenya mushrooms, mushroom growing, mushroom growing in kenya, necofa, oyster mushrooms. Tomatoes are a major source of income for farmers in kenya and several measures need to be taken to ensure that the fruits are well protected from attack by pests. It offers breathtaking views as seen in the film out of africa, much of which was filmed here. Since he adopted this method between 1990 and 1992. The fruits can even grow in semiarid areas provided there is adequate water to irrigate them in addition to mulching. If some of the information is out of date, it would help everybody if you leave a comment at the bottom. The south american native is a small growing shrub or semiwoody tree reaching heights between 1018 feet.
Berbere district is located in the central western part of bale zone, ethiopia and it has a distance of 100 km from zonal capital robe. A very high level of soil fertility is required for the profitable production of a successful tomato crop. Sterilize the ground by burning rice straw above the seedbed to destroy all the pathogens. Fertilizer provides plants with nitrogen, which is great. To combat this issue of over fertilization, look for fertilizers specifically designed for tomatoes, or opt for a shovel full of natural compost.
This is to say you can plant your tree tomatoes in places like central kenya, western, parts of nyanza, taita taveta and even parts of rift valley. Tomatoes are juicy berry fruits of the nightshade family solanaceae. Indeterminate variety keeps growing while determinate. Seems a bit more resistant to early blight than martinos roma is, but doesnt set as many fruits as early, so. I make kshs 500,000 from sukuma wiki kales farming in. Peak production is reached after years, and the life expectancy is about 12 years. There is need therefore need for alternative methods to control insect pests. Good field soil in the greenhouse floor or packaged commercial growing media composed primarily of composted bark, peat or coir, perlite alone, peatlite mixes, rock wool slabs and straw bales. Kenya has pesticides ready for locust spraying, as swarms threaten on delays. How many days to spend in kenya for safari kenya forum. Kenya jomo kenyatta university of agriculture and technology jkuat p. Delomena district is located in south western part of bale zone, ethiopia.
New varieties can produce up to 800 fruits per tree every year under good management. Tomarillo fruits farmers who are in farming as a business. Second, tomato production in kenya is still very much dependent on rainfall. Yellow roma an indeterminate to extend our roma season. Imagine no more, for a company in nakuru has brought to farmers a high yielding, fast maturing and disease resistant tomato variety that is set to redefine smallholder farming in kenya.