Farming is a way of life. You can become a millionaire in doing farming with passion. In this guide, I will show you how to become rich through farming in Kenya. Stay connected and read to the end.
Agriculture is not only agriculture but also a business. We found that agriculture uses strategies similar to those of other industries across the country to increase profits. Farmers strive to maximize labor, cut costs and maximize income so that the business can retain as much profit as possible. Aside from simply raising prices, there are several strategies that farmers can use to increase their profits without compromising the quality of the products supplied to the market.
READ ALSO: Easy ways To Start Farming At Home.
How To Make Money Through Farming In Kenya
Sell to local businesses
Selling in local public markets and grocery stores can help farmers reduce transport costs for production and increase profit margins. A farmer selling produces to local supermarkets and markets does not need to hire transport to reach remote delivery points, which reduces fuel costs and the burden on delivery equipment. The farmer is also cutting down on the payroll through shorter delivery routes for drivers. Local supermarkets value local produce due to a growing number of consumers seeking to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing locally sourced produce.
Investments in alternative energies
Investing in alternative energy solutions, including solar energy, can allow the farmer to reduce energy costs and increase profits. Solar energy can provide a cheaper form of energy to power agricultural equipment than conventional electricity.
Crop rotation habits
The correct crop rotation strategies can help reduce a farmer’s fertilizer costs, enrich the soil, and increase profits. For example, planting beans when corn is out of season increases the nitrogen content of the soil. These strategies can also help kill harmful insects and slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Integrated pest management can help a small or large farmer bring a higher percentage of produce and other foods to market. Higher yields, combined with healthier soil, allow the farmer to retain a greater percentage of his income as profit.
Improvement of agricultural equipment
Purchasing more efficient farm equipment, including tractors, combines, and grain separators, can help lower a farmer’s equipment costs in the long run and generate higher profits. The farmer incurs higher start-up costs by purchasing more energy-efficient equipment, but the savings the farmer makes by reducing fuel and maintenance costs over time can exceed these start-up costs. The acquisition of new fixed assets that are expected to generate income for the farm also allows the farmer to recoup these costs over several years through depreciation. This ensures that the farmer is entitled to tax deductions for the useful life of these items.
Farmers must increase irrigation
With the increasing impact of climate change on weather conditions, more irrigation will be required. The average yield on irrigated farms is 90% higher than on neighboring rainfed farms.
Increase fertilizer use
As soil fertility deteriorates, fertilizer use should be increased. Kenyan National, in collaboration with local governments, must ensure that the right type of fertilizer is available at the right price and at the right time. Fertilizer training reduces environmental impact, and an analysis of such training programs in Kenya found that they increased average income by 61%.
Improving market access, regulation, and governance
Improving rural infrastructure such as roads is critical to increasing productivity by reducing transport costs and the loss of perishable goods. Meanwhile, providing more effective incentives for farmers, including cutting food subsidies, could boost agricultural production by nearly 5%.
Better use of information technology
Information technology can promote better choices of crops, fertilizers, and pesticides. It also improves land and water management, provides access to weather information, and links farmers to sources of credit. Simply providing farmers with information on crop prices in different markets has increased their bargaining power.
READ ALSO: List Of Farm Tools and equipment
What is the most profitable farming in Kenya?
Despite stable earnings for farmers in Kenya, the profession is mostly associated with older people living in rural areas.
However, in recent years a new crop of young farmers has emerged. Armed with the knowledge of best practices, technology, and access to information on the best markets, they earn millions.
When it comes to agriculture in Kenya, the land is a major issue. The problem is that farmers do not have clear ownership of the land.
Research and consultation with farmers, along with government data, point to emerging crops that have the highest profit potential per acre in Kenya.
Avocado
Avocado Hass is a new goldmine for modern farmers. Before the regulation of the market, farmers sold fruit for only 1 shilling. Now they sell one for Ш8. Hass avocado exporters sell fruits for up to 30 KSh.
Last year, Muranga County farmers produced 500 million shillings from Hass avocado, according to Governor Mwangi Wa-Iriya.
A well-watered avocado tree can give you 1000 fruits per year, which is the equivalent of 8000 Ksh.
Avocado trees are very productive and can bear fruit all year round. At its peak, one mature tree can produce 70 to 100 kg of fruit per year. Kenya has seen a sharp increase in the number of countries interested in Kenyan avocados, including Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Iran, Libya, and Egypt.
Growing passion fruit
Passion fruit is one of Kenya’s largest export commodities. The demand in the local market is also quite high. They are eaten fresh or made from pulp, juice, and other products, for example. For example, yogurt.
Passion fruit is one of Kenya’s largest export commodities. The demand in the local market is also quite high. They are eaten fresh or made from pulp, juice, and other products, for example. For example, yogurt.
There are two popular types in Kenya; a purple variety that grows at high altitudes and a yellow variety that has higher yields and is resistant to disease.
About 350 or more passionflower plants can be grown on one acre. A plant with good care can produce 10 to 15 kg of fruit per year. Passion fruit sells for 40-100 Kenyan shillings per kg, and Export Grade 1 can cost around 70-100 Kenyan shillings per kg.
Mushroom farm
Mushroom cultivation in Kenya is not that old. Growing mushrooms used to be a challenge, but research, training, and farm visits made it easier for farmers to start growing mushrooms.
A quarter-acre of land is enough for hatching and poultry houses. You can also use the vertical space as the mushrooms do not grow too large. If you have 1000 bags in a harvest area, you can get around 2 tons of mushrooms at an average price of 600 Ksh per kg.
According to the National Farmers Information Service of Kenya (NAFIS), the average demand for mushrooms is 1,200 tonnes per year.
FURTHER READING: How To Start Mushroom Farming
Garlic cultivation
¼ acre of this valuable horticultural crop can provide you with about 2.5 tons of garlic bulbs, which sell for about 150 Ksh / kg.
Surprisingly, garlic requires proper skills, training, and good research to be successful.
You will need to understand local varieties, get certified seeds, good soil, and a better environment. Organic garlic cultivation is especially preferred in the export market.
READ ALSO: The Secret To Garlic Farming Revealed
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the most lucrative crops to grow in Kenya. While yields vary by season, there is a good chance that regular farmers will make a lot of profit from the sales.
Tomatoes can be harvested twice a year. One acre of land is profitable up to 3 million shillings a year if done correctly.
Research on the right seeds and the right environment in terms of temperature and water is vital here.
READ ALSO: How To Make Money In Tomato Farming
Strawberry
The demand for strawberries is about to skyrocket, but the supply is small. This is due to the strawberry flavors of yogurt, ice cream,m, and jams.
For a beginner, an eighth acre is enough. The harvest ripens and gives the firstfruits for about 70 days.
A farm of this size can produce between 30 kg and 50 kg of strawberries per week, and for every kilogram on the market, there is an average of 200 CZK.
Lettuce
Salad is one of the most popular vegetables in Kenya and around the world due to its high nutritional value.
It is considered the best because of its high vitamin C and dietary fiber content. Ahead of broccoli salad retails from Ksh70 to Ksh100.
In a good month, you can profit from 100,000 to 150,000 Ksh from growing lettuce.
Bulb onions
It is practically served in all Kenyan dishes at home or your local hotel. Onions grow in simple climates.
Its health benefits and nutritional value are much higher, making it a unique vegetable that farmers should always strive to grow. It is for this reason that onions are in such great demand in Kenya.
Onions take three to five months to ripen. Vegetables require well-drained soil with a pH of 6 to 7. They are first planted in a nursery and then transplanted into the field.
They require a long dry maturation period with less pest control costs. From one acre of land, 20,000 kg of onions can be harvested, which on average ranges from 100 to 200 shillings per kilogram.
READ ALSO: How To Start Onion Farming
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