Tamarillo Farming Agribusiness Plan
One of the best business fields one may enter in Kenya is agribusiness. People must eat, but they must eat healthful foods instead of simply anything. Eating fruit is one of the best ways to keep healthy. The fact that starting an agribusiness makes so much sense is demonstrated by these two and many other aspects. This easy-to-implement Tamarillo Farming Agribusiness Plan is based on that, after all.
The idea of planting tree tomatoes, also known as tamarillo or matunda ya damu, is a literal approach to achieve your desire of enjoying the benefits of your labor. Retailers are looking for farmers to help them meet demand for the oval-shaped fruit, which is quickly taking over the market.
One benefit of this crop is that, once you plant a few seedlings, you don’t need to take care of them every day. As a result, you may set up a farm nearby your current workplace and manage it from a distance as a side business.
The most intriguing aspect of it is that you may start with your little money and profit from a small plot of land by earning as much as Ksh133,000 each month. Here are certain procedures you need to take before you invest, though.
Tamarillo Farming Agribusiness Plan- steps to take
Step 1: Locate Land
Obviously, you need land in order to plant anything. However, you are not required to purchase one. Land is now easily leased from farmers all around the country. A fertile, well-drained plot of land is the ideal one. ideally situated where there is a sufficient supply of water and relatively quiet winds.
This means that you can grow tomato trees in regions such as Central Kenya, Western, sections of Nyanza, Taita Taveta, and even the Rift Valley. If there is enough water to irrigate them, the fruits can even grow in semi-arid regions (in addition to mulching). If you don’t have any land available, set aside Ksh. 15,000 for land leasing.
Step 2: Get the land ready.
You’ll need to purchase a water tank in addition to prepping the holes and tilling the soil.
As tree tomatoes need enough watering at least once a week, this will be helpful during dry seasons. You will spend roughly Ksh15,000 on a nice water tank with a 1000-liter capacity.
Step 3: Get Quality Seedlings.
All tomato tree seedlings are not created equal. Some have ugly, bitter fruits that take too long to mature. Therefore, at this time, you should search for grafted, high-quality seedlings. The red otaria family, which matures in just 8 months, is a good breed. The red otaria kind is well-liked because there are no seeds inside and 97% of it is edible.
From the nation’s HCDA and KARI recommended nurseries, a seedling costs Ksh. 50. It will cost Ksh 60,000 or 1,200 seedlings to cover an acre of land. Keep in mind that you can always start small, such as on 1/8 of an acre, which only requires 300 seedlings and a Ksh15,000 budget.
Step 4: Planting and caring for the plants
Plant the seedlings, look after the farm as usual, and then wait for about eight months. That is typically how long it takes to see the initial results. One additional thing: keep in mind to budget some money for insecticides because aphids can occasionally be a pain.
How about the market?
There is always a market for fruits of excellent quality. In fact, you’ll begin to get calls from prospective purchasers as soon as your first crop is fully grown. However, if you want to sell the fruits in stores and at bus stops close to your home, you can hire a few young unemployed people.
You could even bring them all the way down to Kongowea Market in Mombasa or Wakulima Market in Nairobi County. Githurai 45 Market is located in Kiambu County. Additionally, if you have relationships with supermarkets, you can get your goods in attractive packaging to the shelves.
How much money to put in.
To start a modest farm, such as the one on an eighth of an acre, you will need about Ksh. 20,000. I will give you estimates for an acre of land for planning purposes, though, as I usually try to think large.
- Land Lease: Ksh. 15,000
- Seedling Purchase: Ksh. 60,000
- Farm Workforce: Ksh. 20,000
- Water Tank, etc.: Ksh.20,000 -Manure and DAP: Ksh.20,000
- Insecticides, etc.: Ksh. 5,000
- Other items: Ksh. 10,000
- 1 Acre Total Budget: 130,000
How much returns to anticipate
Of course, the returns increase with land size. A single tree typically yields 20 kilograms of fruit each year (harvested once a week). We can therefore put our realistic expectations at a minimum of Ksh. 1,600,000 in revenue using the example of the 1 acre farm and assuming that only 1000 out of 1200 trees mature.
1000 trees x 20 kilograms x 80 (price per kilogram) = Ksh. 1,600,000 annually. (Or Ksh. 133,000 monthly).
Keep in mind that this is a really simplistic method, and if you are sincere about it, you can even make more money. For example, the cost per kilo now ranges from Ksh. 100 to Ksh. 150. Additionally, there is extremely little chance of losing 200 trees.
Challenges
Finding suitable land is a challenge; as a result, the market may become oversaturated and prices may drop (But for now prices are very stable).
During the dry season, the fruits must be watered at least once a week.
Last Word
In our world, how many ventures allow you to invest Ksh. 130,000 and earn Ksh. 1,600,000 annually? Well, not many. However this Tamarillo farming agribusiness plan shows that it’s possible. Matunda ya Damu planting is therefore a timely idea. You can make a tiny step today and progress to bigger goals. If you succeed, you may be able to quit your job and concentrate on other potential sources of income, such as selling seedlings and adding value by creating tree tomato juice.
Important to note:
- The above figures of the Tamarillo farming agribusiness plan are estimates done a few years ago and might not reflect the real expenses you might incur. The prices of the prices of labor, leasing land, seedlings have probably gone up.
- Also note that the market prices of the ripe fruits might have gone up or down which is often the case with food produce due to market dynamics of demand and supply. More supply means less prices.
- Always do your research to get the actual figures and demand/supply of the product. This will help you avoid sinking money in a project that doesn’t give you returns.