I agree.
I am a potato farmer. I once tried mobilizing people to form a coop. I wanted us to register a group, but a Canter, employ some guys to take the produce to marikiti and some to run the office. Wakakataa.
ebu tuchanue how this farming works(rather how u went about it).
I’m thinking of going into potato farming but I know zilch!
if I was to lease land, say 10 acres what would the cost of production be etc. @mukuna ur input will also be highly appreciated.
Ha ha ha pole. Inaonekana yours was based on mutual consent by members and not on structured rules and guidelines/ law. How did the chairlady get all the money on her own?
10 acres unaweza kufa juu ya highblood pressure at maximum jipee 5 acres
i do mechanised farming in most operations so my cost is only fuel land
hiring land here is relatively cheap 3k per acre in a year
land preparation
-if its virgin land 7500 per acre if not its half the price
-hallowing is 3250 per acre for first hallow the second round is half of the first so forth
-ridging this will be determined by gradient of the land. However it will be good to use manual labour an acre will require 4 people in put them contract at say 8000 planting inclusive
-fertiliser 1800 per 50kg bag at ministry of agriculture, 3250 per 50kg bag from the shop (hapa itabidi uongee na mimi vizuri)
planting tubers an acre will require 8-10 bags depending on size price is determined by cost of potatoes but lets cap it at 2500 however certified tubers cost 3000 per 50kg bag remember production is greatly affected by the quality of planting tubers crop maintainance
my friend hapa ndio maneno iko
you need to spray on weekly basis one knapscak is charge at 40 bob an acre requires 16+ pumps
-half kg of mistress (dawa ya bacteria wilt na maneno kama hayo) ni 1500 you need 1 and a half kg
-kulimia peana contract ya 8k an acre
harvesting
this is the most stressing part mtakosana na watu and also remember you need a large number of people lets put it at 16 people 300 each
Naona mukuna ashakupea most info. What we do for virgin land is first spray moto ( modern day roundup) and give it a month. That’s like 2k per acre. Leta plough @8000 per acre. Then leta Rotorvator (3k per acre). The land is now lady for planting. Tengeneza ridges approx 60cm apart. Let them be like 15cm deep. Put some manure (lorry ni 20k, can cover 4 acres), then plant potatoes. Don’t buy mbegu, but usual fat potatoes and germinate them. They give better yields. 5 bags per acre. Lay them 40cm apart. Funika kidogo tu. One month later, with appropriate rain, they should have grown to 10cms. Sasa funika na mchanga, creating moulds along the ridges. A month after, do the weeding and spray against baridi. A month later, harvest. You should get 60+ bags per acre.
Tip: Plant in Feb, June and Oct. Hapo itapata pesa. You may need to irrigate though.
Nb: where I farm, you lease land at 10-15k per acre. Huko kwa 3k sijui ni wapi.
sande mwami! huko ni wapi land ni cheap hivyo??
when I do all the above, 1 acre itanipatia approximately how many bags??
juzi I saw on tv a new harvesting machine, do u know anything about it?
how long does it take from land preparation to harvesting?
if you use certified tubers and the weather is good 100 bags is possible. Yes i have seen the machine you can hire one from the county but it is only applicable if you used a ridger. It takes 4 months
You need to have a thick skin to engage in farming. it is capital intensive thus you need a steady cash flow for like two-three seasons. Get your market facts right and time good season where premium price prevails.
uphill yes, impossible no. All it needs is good roads & farmers to come together or have large-scale farming
(so they can build support infrastructure like warehouses, coldrooms)
10 acres unaweza kufa juu ya highblood pressure at maximum jipee 5 acres