Tomato Farming in Kenya – How to Profit from This Veggie

Kenyans love their tomatoes! Almost every meal on our menu features tomatoes – be it sukumawiki (kales), kachumbari, madondo, you name it.

The fact that this veggie is constantly in high demand makes it an excellent crop to farm. One thing you have to know about tomato farming though is that the crop itself is quite delicate. You need to be proactive with everything from choice of land to agrochemicals and watering.

Fortunately, if one gets the basics right, the returns from this versatile fruit (yes, tomatoes are botanically considered fruits) can be highly rewarding.

Here is a detailed guide that walks you through everything you need to know – from site selection and variety choice to planting, crop management, and marketing.

Tomato Farming 101: A Guide for Upcoming Farmers in Kenya

With an ever-rising demand from local markets, mama mbogas, and even processing companies, tomatoes are a high potential investment for agripreneurs. Let’s break down the facts and figures for you.

Cost Estimates for a 1-Acre Setup

Site Selection

Your choice of land i.e., site selection will make or break your tomato farming venture. When choosing land, be sure to keep the following factors in mind:

• The slope of the land – Ideally, your site should be gently sloping to reduce water logging.
• Nearness to water – Consider a site with a permanent source of water for irrigation purposes.
• Accessibility – Pick a site that can be easily accessed for transportation.

Choose a site with well-drained fertile soils, with a pH of 6.0 – 7.5. The area should have ample sunlight for at least 8 hours a day and be protected from strong wind by windbreakers. It should not have been previously planted with Solanaceae family crops (e.g., potatoes, eggplant, capsicum) for the last two years to avoid soil-borne diseases affecting the family. Carry out soil analysis to be sure of pH and appropriate nutrients.

Variety Choice

After establishing the ideal site, it is imperative to pick the right tomato variety based on your area. Key parameters you should consider when choosing the variety include:

• Shelf-life – Pick a variety that is immune to deformation and remains fresh through transportation until it gets to the final consumer.
• Productivity – Consider high-quality varieties that are more productive like the F1 series.
• Disease resistance – Varieties that can tolerate blights should be considered.

Some of the popular tomato varieties in Kenya include: Ansal F1, Kilele F1, Anna F1, Asila F1, Milele F1, Rambo F1 and Bravo F1. Other varieties include Rio Grande, Money Maker.

Planting and Crop Management

The best way to avoid a lot of issues when it comes to tomato farming is to make sure you source your tomato seeds from a KEPHIS-accredited dealer.

And when it comes to farming the crop, you want to make sure that you raise your seedlings by preparing a 1-meter-wide nursery bed. The soil on the nursery bed should be mixed with well-composted organic manure for optimal yields.

The seeds should be planted at a rate of 100 grams per acre – singly and covered lightly with soil. Water and mulching should be done afterward – alternatively, you can use seed trays.

The germinated seeds should be transplanted at 4-weeks of age (ideally the nursery should be watered a day before to ensure easy lifting of the seedlings).

What about the seedbed? Well, this should be carefully prepared by disc ploughing (using a tractor) followed by harrowing to create a smooth and consistent soil structure

The holes in which to plant the soil should be spaced by 60cmx60cm apart for non-drip irrigation method and 45cmx60cm for drip irrigation set ups.

Fertilizer should be applied at a rate of 80KG/acre but ideally this should be mixed with well composted manure for optimal yields.

Watering should be done regularly – ideally early in the morning hours. The land should be kept weed-free to reduce competition for key soil nutrients.

Top dressing should be done twice – first using C.A.N fertilizer and then N.P.K at the flowering stage.

Maturing crops should be supported through staking e.g., through the use of sticks (fitos) or wire support.

Pruning should be done to remove extra leaves and branches to encourage optimal yields.

When Is the Best Time to Plant Tomatoes in Kenya?

Wondering when the best time of year to plant your tomatoes is? Well, being an annual crop, tomatoes can be cropped whether rain-fed or irrigated and depending on your choice there is an off-season for each. Consider the following key drivers;

• Market – Plant your tomato to coincide with high market demand e.g., you could plant in January to harvest in May when the market prices tend to be at their peak. Irrigation might be needed in this case since January tends to be a dry month in Kenya.
• Weather Patterns – Utilize long rains (March – July) and short rains (October – December) for higher productivity if doing rain-fed farming, but be keen on pests and diseases. Unfortunately, this might mean your harvest will coincide with periods of excess supply and lower market prices (although that’s not always the case as it also depends with how well manages pest and diseases).
• Pest and Diseases – During rainy seasons the incidence of disease is higher than during dry seasons.

Pest and Disease Management

Tomatoes are affected by many diseases, therefore, calling for caution and care during the plant’s entire lifecycle. Among the diseases include early and late blight (most problematic) Alternaria Leaf Spot, Blossom End Rot, Powdery Mildew, Septoria Leaf Spot, Bacterial Canker, Damping Off, and Grey Mold only to mention but a few. You can surmount the problems by;

• Using certified seeds
• Planting resistant varieties
• Maintaining field hygiene like pruning
• Proper crop nutrition
• Consistency in watering
• Crop rotation
• Use of fungicides like Gold Cap ® and/or Ridomil Gold ®

Among the pests of economic concern include thrips, Tuta absoluta, American bollworms, red spider mites, hornworms and white flies. They can be mitigated through field hygiene and use of synthetic chemicals like Lambda-cyhalothrin or the use of yellow tapes.

Harvesting and Post-Harvest Management

Tomatoes are ready for harvesting at 105 days onwards depending on the variety, this is signaled by a colour change from green to yellow. Harvest when 90% of the tomatoes have turned pink-red. Pick your tomatoes early morning or late evening to avoid heat stress due to high temperatures. The tomatoes are then washed or wiped to remove dirt before being sorted to remove any disease-infected fruits from the final pack.

Afterwards, grading follows with small tomatoes (<100gms) being separated from the medium (100-255gms) and large ones (>255gms).

Packaging is typically done in wooden or plastic crates for the local market and in specialized boxes for the export market.

Marketing

Tomato is a highly perishable crop therefore you should seek the market for your fruit way earlier before harvest. While that is the case, tomatoes have a wide range of markets right from direct consumers, supermarkets, local mama mboga vendors, grocery stores, and fruit processing companies among others. The quality, size and supply of fruits determine the prices.

Under good management tomatoes can produce over 15 tonnes per acre. With a farm gate price of Ksh 60 during low supply seasons, a return of over 0.9 million per acre can be reasonably expected.

Dennis Shikuku

With a BSc in Agricultural Biotechnology, Dennis is a results-oriented author who draws extensively from his farm management experience. When he’s not working on the farm or contributing to the Bizsasa platform, he enjoys watching soccer with friends.