Why Not Start Tamarillo Farming and Watch Your Money Grow on Trees
A practical approach to fulfill your desire to eat the produce of your labor is to cultivate tree tomatoes, also known as tamarillo or matunda ya damu.
Supermarkets are searching for growers to assist them in meeting the increasing demand for oval-shaped fruit, which is progressively taking over the market.
One benefit of this crop is that, once you plant a few seedlings, you won’t need to tend to them daily. This means you can establish a farm as a side project close to your existing place of employment and manage it from a distance.
The most intriguing aspect of it is that, with only a tiny plot of land, you may start with your meager resources and earn up to Ksh. 133,000 a month.
However, there are a few things you should do before you jump into investing.
Why Not Start Tamarillo Farming and Watch Your Money Grow on Trees
Step 1: Locate Land
Of course, you need land to plant anything. However, you are not required to purchase one. These days, leasing land from farmers across the country is a simple process.
Fertile and well-drained land is the perfect combination. ideally situated in an area with a sufficient quantity of water and generally calm winds.
In addition to mulching, the fruits can even thrive in semi-arid regions if there is enough water to irrigate them. If you are not able to lease land, set aside Ksh. 15,000.
Step 2: Get the land ready
In addition to prepping the holes and tilling the ground, you will need to purchase a water tank. Tree tomatoes need to be properly watered at least once a week, therefore this will be helpful during dry seasons.
You will pay roughly Ksh. 15,000 for a high-quality water tank with a 1000-liter capacity.
Step 3: Locate Quality Seedlings
Not every seedling of a tree tomato is good. Certain plants develop slowly and produce ugly, bitter fruits.
Thus, you now need to find grafted seedlings of superior grade. The red otaria family, which matures in about eight months, is a good breed.
The red otaria variety is well-liked since its seeds are absent and 97% of its fruit is edible.
Nurseries across the nation that are recommended by KARI and HCDA charge Ksh.50 for seedling.
It will cost Ksh 60,000 (i.e., 1,200 seedlings) for an acre of land.
Never forget that you may always start small. For example, you could plant 300 seedlings on 1/8 of an acre, which would demand a reduced budget of Ksh. 15,000 instead.
Step Four: Sow and Watch
Plant the seedlings, continue to tend to the farm, and give it a good eight months. That’s usually how long it takes to start bearing fruit.
And one last thing: while aphids can occasionally be a pain, don’t forget to allocate a modest amount for insecticides.
But Is There a Market?
The market for premium fruits is constantly open. As your first crop reaches maturity, you will start getting calls from interested purchasers.
Apart from that, though, you may hire a few young unemployed people to sell the fruits at local bus stops and shopping malls.
As an alternative, you might carry them to Nairobi County’s Wakulima Market or Kiambu County’s Githurai 45 Market. or perhaps Mombasa’s Kongowea Market.
Additionally, you may package your products neatly and get them on the shelves if you have relationships with stores.
Additional Instruction
For a little charge, some farmers who are already in this profession are always eager to train others.
We connected with Mr. Wambugu from Githiru Village in Nyeri County for the sake of this study. Normally, he charges each farmer Ksh. 200 for a day of instruction on his farm.
For those who are eager to begin, he also sells grafted seedlings.
The Amount To Invest
Starting a modest farm, such as the 1/8-acre one, will cost you roughly Ksh. 20,000.
For planning purposes, we will provide you with estimates for an acre of land, though, as we always think large.
- Land Leasing: Ksh. 15,000
- Investing Ksh. 60,000 on seedlings
- Work on farms: Ksh. 20,000
- DAP and Manure: Ksh. 20,000
- Ksh. 20,000 for a water tank, etc.
- Insecticides, etc.: Ksh. $5,000
- Other items: Ksh. $10,000
- Budget for One Acre: Ksh. 130,000
How Much You Should Anticipate
Naturally, the returns increase with the size of the land. A single tree yields 20 kg of fruit annually on average (harvested once a week).
We can therefore base our reasonable expectations on a least of Ksh. 1,600,000 in revenue, using the example of a 1-acre farm and assuming that only 1000 of the 1200 trees mature.
1000 trees times 20 kg times 80 (price per kilogram) equals Ksh. 1,600,000 annually. That is, Ksh. 133,000 a month.
Recall that this is a fairly low-key strategy, and if you’re serious about it, you can even increase your income.
For example, the price per kilogram is now ranging from Ksh. 100 to Ksh. 150. Furthermore, there is extremely little chance of losing 200 trees.
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Why Not Start Tamarillo Farming and Watch Your Money Grow on Trees