Kwale Guy Pushed By Landlord from Heaven to Quit Waiter Job and Venture into Tomato Farming Receives a Whopping KES 1.5 Million Profit.
Ndurya's tomato business is thriving, with the farmer utilising profits to buy a car for Sh700,000, build a home for his three workers worth Sh50,000, and dig a well.
Jackson Ndurya’s four-acre rich field is located 1km from Lunga Lunga Road in Kinondo, Kwale County, and has coconut and cashew trees. Visitors would greet him at the farm’s gate, where he grows primarily tomatoes.
Quitting Waiter job
“I started farming to pursue higher returns because my waiter job was not paying well.” “My landlord pushed me to try horticulture farming seven years ago, and I’m glad I did,” he says.
Ndurya, who was confident in his abilities, jumped right into the venture, investing Sh50,000. He spent Sh24,000 on a generator, Sh15,000 on a water pump, and received a donation of 500 seedlings from a friend, all while producing the crop on a rented eighth-acre.
Marvellous First Harvest
“After two and a half months, the tomatoes had developed wonderfully. I gathered 25 crates and sold them for Sh2,000 apiece, netting Sh50,000. This was a motivator since buyers came to my farm to choose the vegetables,” he explains.
Honing Skills
Ndurya is now a skilled tomato grower, a skill he has honed over the years. “I mostly plant the Kilele F1 crop, an open-field variety that matures 75 days after planting. The crop is in five stages on the farm at any given time: nursery, vegetative, fruiting, blooming, and harvesting.”
Ndurya plants the crop on coco peat, a hydroponic system growth medium, at the early stages of growth. He pays Sh1,000 for a 5kg dry block.
Returns on Investment
He collects seven boxes every day and sells them to restaurants and institutions for between Sh2,000 and Sh2,500, depending on the market conditions.
Ndurya’s tomato business is thriving, with the farmer utilising the revenues to buy a car for Sh700,000, build a home for his three workers worth Sh50,000, and dig a well. If he harvests when prices are high, about Sh5,000 to Sh6,000 per acre, he gets roughly Sh1.5 million.
Expenses
To bring an acre of tomatoes to maturity, he spends roughly Sh150,000.
The full-time farmer is also funding his son’s education at Kangaru High School using funds from his agribusiness.
“I have five labourers, three of them are permanent on the farm and the others come as needed.”
Why Mr Ndurya is considered successful in his venture
First, continuous cropping guaranteed a steady source of income for him.
Secondly, only after two and a half months, the tomatoes were fully ripened and he can enjoy the fruits of his sweat.
Thirdly, he harvests seven boxes every day and sells them to hotels and schools for between Sh2,000 and Sh2,500, depending on market conditions.
Lastly, tomato production is capital demanding, yet he made a huge profit.
People on the coast would make a killing with this crop, but their culture and attitude toward agriculture stand in the way of the red delicious money that tomato cultivation would bring them.
Final Thoughts
In Kenya, there is always a great need for tomatoes. This helps to explain why tomato cultivation is such a lucrative economic venture in Kenya. Tomatoes develop quickly.
For more information: https://graduatefarmer.co.ke/2018/03/04/tomato-farming-enjoying-good-returns/
