Tomato
farming is obviously one of the most profitable horticultural activities in
Kenya. This is obviously so because no Kenyan meal is considered complete
without the taste of tomato. Consequently, the market is huge and ready and
this is the fact that has encouraged many people to invest in large scale
tomato farming.
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| Tomato farming in Naivasha, Kenya |
Everyone
knows someone who has made millions with this crop but they also know many
others who have lost terribly while at it. What makes the difference between
the rich tomato farmers and those who lose their money in it is what I am about
to tell you here.
1. Don’t farm tomatoes anywhere
Tomatoes
are very easy to grow; throw a seed anywhere and a few days later you will find
a nice green seedling there. This can easily deceive you into thinking that you
can grow tomatoes anywhere. However, for you to achieve a good harvest and make
money, you have to establish your farm under the optimum conditions.
Tomatoes
thrive in deep well drained soils under warm or hot climate. Rainfall should be
low or moderate, although the crop requires a lot of water to produce well. This
is the reason why most tomato farms in Kenya are located along rivers in Narok,
Kajiado, Makueni, Southern Embu, Laikipia and lower Kirinyaga. These places
have the ideal high temperatures while the rivers provide the much needed water
for irrigation.
Of
course people at the coast would be making a kill with this crop but,
unfortunately, their culture and attitude towards agribusiness stands between
them and the red sweet money they would get from tomato farming.
2. Go for varieties that are high producing and disease resistant
Scientific
research and development has continued to bring us better tomato varieties in
terms of production and disease resistance. Why would you want to stick to those
varieties that give you only a handful after your long wait and hard work? Some
of the best open field tomato verities that we now have in Kenya are Terminator,
Big rock and Zara. Of course Anna F1 still rules the greenhouse space. Well,
you are not limited to these varieties but before you buy any seeds, ensure
check the production potential and the variety’s ability to resist common
tomato pests and diseases.
3. Do not use ancient nursery methods to raise your tomato seedlings
I
don’t know why I didn’t even start with this point. The greatest determinant of
whether your tomato farming project is going to be a success or a failure is
the method you use to raise your seedlings. You see that traditional way of
preparing a nursery bed on the ground; fine soil, 1 metre width, grass mulch on
top, etc? I’m sorry it’s what our agriculture teachers taught us back then but the
truth is that is the source of most farmers’ loses. Let me tell you why:
Seedlings
raised this way are exposed to soil borne diseases at that tender age. You
transplant these seedlings onto your farm and they come already infected and
weak. They will never give you optimum yields even if they grew to maturity.
When
transplanting these seedlings, the roots are severely interfered with; some are
even broken in the process. Therefore you end up with weak seedlings that are
badly affected by transplanting shock. They take more than one week to recover
and never really get to their best. Poor start is equal to poor results.
So
go for those seedlings that are professionally raised using modern technology. These
seedlings are planted in either coco peat or peat moss. These are media that
are disease-free, very light and less compact to allow for faster root
development. The seedlings are raised in trays that make it easy to get the
seedlings out without interfering with the roots. Such seedlings do not even
suffer transplanting shock since their roots are intact. They give you the kick
start you need for a good yield.
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| Tomato seedlings raised using modern techniques |
4. Ensure you do proper staking and pruning of your tomato plants
I
must commend our Kenyan tomato farmers on this because I have seen most of them
put efforts to stake their plants. However, it is unfortunate that most of them
do it a bit too late. Staking should be done early while the seedling is still
young. This helps the plant to receive maximum sunlight throughout its growth
period. Also, if you do staking too late, you will find yourself trying to straighten
some of the bent plants and end up breaking them.
Pruning
is what most farmers have completely ignored, yet, it is as important as
staking. We prune tomato plants to get rid of diseased branches, improve air
circulation and lighting and most importantly to help the plant feed what is of
importance to us – the fruits. If the tomato plant has too many side shoots and
old leaves are left clinging on the stem, a lot of nutrients will be used to
feed these parts yet they are not important to us.
5. Take timely action
Finally,
the most important aspect of successful tomato farming is taking required
actions early enough. Unfortunately, Kenyans will wait until their crop is
heavily infested with pests before they start running from one agrovet to the
other in search for the most powerful pesticide. They end up using a lot of
money and saving nothing since the pest would have already done its damage.
Worse
still are the farmers who will wait for the plants to start weathering before
they do the next irrigation. This takes the plants several steps backwards and
significantly affects production.
So do what you need to do early enough: apply that fertilizer at the right time, strike that pest before it goes through its full cycle and irrigate the plants immediately the top soil feels crumbly if you squeeze it in your hand.
We are always happy to hear from and help you. If you would like help in tomato farming, like getting high quality seedlings, advice on the best pest control methods and more, do not hesitate to call us on 0724698357.
