SMALL SCALE CAPSICUM FARMING GUIDE AND TIPS. (HORTICULTURE)

-
If you perform a simple Google search for the keyword “Capsicum Farming in Kenya” or “Pilipili hoho farming” I am sure you will come across dozens of articles hailing this agri-business as one of the best investments one can possibly make. 

Some call it a low-cost, high yield investment. Others describe it as one of the few farming products with a ready market. 

But just how true are these claims? Is capsicum farming as profitable as they describe it in blogs; is it a good business idea for a small investor? 

Here are the answers.

*Requirements for Farming Capsicum*

There are two ways to farm capsicum. The first way is through open ground farming and the second alternative is through greenhouse. The greenhouse option is more popular because it yields better harvests and minimizes on usage of pesticides and fungicides although it’s a bit expensive to set up. 

Open ground farming on the other hand isn’t all that bad either, it’s cheaper to set up and productivity can still be improved by tweaking a few things here and there.

*Open Ground Farming*

To practice open ground farming you will require a fertile piece of land preferably in an area that receives adequate rain and is neither too hot nor too cold (20 – 25 degrees centigrade). 

Most parts of Central Kenya, Central Rift Valley, Western and Nairobi meet these conditions. 

Then you will till the land. Get some seeds from the agrovet and plant them in a nursery before transferring them to the farm. 

You will need to have a consistent supply of water and labour to ensure that your farm is well taken care of and that production is optimized.

Capsicum Seeds – 0.5Kg/Ha - Cost: Ksh.2,000

DAP Fertilizer – 25Kg - Cost: Ksh.2,500

NPK/CAN Fertilizer – 50Kg - Cost: Ksh.4,000

Manure Compost – Ksh.200 per Bag

Pesticides and Fungicides – Ksh.5,000

Water supply and drip irrigation – Ksh.30,000

Labour and Others – Ksh.10,000

RECOMMENDED BUDGET: Ksh.50,000

This arrangement can yield 120 Kilograms of healthy capsicum per week on less than a quarter acre of land or up to 800 Kilograms over the entire harvesting season.

*Greenhouse Farming*

Greenhouse farming is hailed for its benefits particularly in improving the quality of produce and maximizing on value per acreage. 

To use this strategy you will need to invest in a good 8 meters by 15 meters greenhouse with drip irrigation pipes incorporated. You can order one from Amiran or other local contractors. 

Under this formula your spending will be something like this:

Capsicum Seeds – 0.5Kg/Ha - Cost: Ksh.2,000

NPK/CAN Fertilizer – 50Kg - Cost: Ksh.4,000

Manure Compost – Ksh.200 per Bag

Pesticides and Fungicides – Ksh.5,000

Water storage and supply – Ksh.20,000

Labour and Others – Ksh.10,000

Complete Greenhouse – Ksh.180,000

RECOMMENDED BUDGET: Ksh.230,000

A greenhouse will boost production, reduce water consumption, prevent most of the common capsicum diseases and most importantly enhance quality. 

A capsicum fruit from a greenhouse is easy to distinguish and it easily finds market both locally and internationally. 

A well maintained greenhouse structure of 8 meters by 15 meters can yield 180 Kilograms on average per week or 1,250 Kilograms per harvesting season.

*Is Capsium Farming In Kenya A Profitable Venture?*

Capsicum farming’s returns like in any other business depend on how well you manage the farm. A well managed open farm (1/8 acre) can produce Ksh.64,000 per season while a smaller greenhouse structure can produce Ksh.100,000 per season.

The secret to succeeding in this business lies in maximizing the available space. For instance, you can put two greenhouses on a 1/8 th acre plot and that will give you about Ksh.200,000 per season. 

You can keep adding more greenhouses as your investment grows and as you seek to tap into crop rotation.

In short, the success or failure in this business depends on how big your dreams are. You can start small with an open farm and then scale up to greenhouse after the first one year. As with any other business, the secret is patience.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WAYS TO MAKE MONEY INVESTING IN RAW LAND.

-
Image
Investing in real estate is a wise investment decision to make due to high returns associated with it. You can buy real estate e.g land for investment purposes and leave it vacant for its value to appreciate.  If you are one of such people, here are some of the things you could do to earn some income from that vacant land as you wait for it to appreciate. *1. Beekeeping* Beekeeping or honey farming has huge untapped potential. Whether a small or a large chunk of land you can reap big by starting this kind of farming. It is simple and relatively cheaper to start. An ideal location would be one away from noise and human disturbance. *2. Dig a Borehole* Water is important in almost everything that we do. Digging a borehole is an easy way of getting some extra income from your land. If your land is closer to a town, you can set up a water kiosk and earn money from it. *3. Camping ground* If your land is in close proximity to a tourist area such as a lake, a park, or a mountain,
Read more

TIPS TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL STRAWBERRY- GROWING SEASON

-
Image
HOW TO MAKE KSH.100,000 PER MONTH ON 1/8TH ACRE LAND Strawberry farming has huge income potential and can easily turn you from a job-seeker to a job-creator or from an employee to an employer in less than 12 months.  Would you like to find out how? Keep reading the next few paragraphs. Strawberries can grow in almost every part of our country provided there is constant water supply and stable temperature in the range of 10 – 30 degrees Celsius. *Step 1: Getting Started* Of course, you need some land to plant your strawberry crop. 1/8th of an acre would be adequate for a beginner but if you are in an urban setting you can invest in a few containers (which you can then put in your backyard) and start farming. Once you have secured a good piece of land in a place that has adequate water supply start looking for seedlings. The best variety to go for is “Chandelier Strawberry” which is perfectly suited for the Kenyan environment. You will require about 3,000 seedlings for a 1/8t
Read more

2 THINGS YOU MUST SACRIFICE TO BE RICH QUICKLY.

-
Have you ever paused for a moment and thought to yourself “I must be doing something wrong with my life, how comes I don’t have a single profitable /successful investment running under my name despite working diligently for all those years?” Yes, you have the zeal and willingness to invest…but somehow, things seem not to be going your way. May be you even have a job, with a steady monthly salary and you do your best to save something at the end of the month. But still somehow you’ve not been making any meaningful progress. If you are in business, despite toiling and moiling all your life, you still can’t narrate any success stories worthy of a gossip blogger’s attention. It’s a painful reality that most of us prefer not to talk about. It yields a sense of hopelessness and can easily make you wonder what your purpose in life is. As it turns out, making it in Kenya (or Africa) is not as easy as it may sound on paper. Despite the fact that Africa is on the rise, we still face subtle probl
Read more