An acre of land can accommodate 4000 seedlings of blue gum/Eucalyptus.
Cost of seedling - @5 x4000 =20,000/=
Digging holes+planting @10 x4000 =40,000 /=
Manure 1 tn +transport =3,000/=
6 weedings before the plants forms enough canopy to suppress the weeds I. e 6x2,000=12,000/=
3 prunings x1,000=3,000/=.
Miscellaneous =22,000/=
Plant during the onset of rain so Irrigation cost=0
Wait for 10 Years (the diameter will be >50cms),then dispose each at 5,000/=
5,000x4,000=20,000,000/=(Gross).
20,000,000-100,000=19,900,000/=(Net).
Assuming you are blessed with more than 1 acre of idle land?. Enjoy your Sunday as you brain storm.
I have always considered this as a highly practical way of making millions in a decade. Put also into consideration the multiple benefits you will offer to the environment.
That land thereafter will become non arable completely due to the extreme lowering of the local water table and serious depletion of minerals… Also u need to weed out a good number of those trees for the rest to grow properly and mature (assuming they get to those sizes depends on a lot of variables not least the climate)… Niaje bado umehesabu same same number of seedlings kwa multiplier ya 5K final sale and yet you may have to cull possibly even half not to mention pest control and disease management that are necessary for plantations? Kwa grao vitu are very different from what these rosy pictures paint… Do proper research and see how math plays out mtaona
Boss, plantations are no joke… Sio fire and forget. Google uone ata vyenye supposed experts at forestry find it challenging to raise ‘man made’ forests even with fast growing exotic species such as these… Do your homework and research kwanza, don’t be like bonobos hawa wa kuambia ‘buy land with greenhouse and watch it make money for you’
“That land thereafter will become non arable completely due to the extreme lowering of the local water table and serious depletion of minerals.” I disagree with this statement. It is purely based on propaganda. Falling leaves of trees improve biomass in the soil. The canopy supports microorganisms. After clearing the trees and uprooting the stumps you will have a very fertile shamba. Ask people who clear forests for farming in Mau et al.
I have been growing eucalyptus since my childhood. Supplying Kenya Power poles needs only 7-10 years growing period depending on seeds. You can have trees in various stages of growth to maximise types of clients you will have - timber, construction, fencing posts, firewood, power poles, brick burning.
Those trees thrive in swampy areas with lots lots of water all year round.
But mse si kuna different varieties of trees na Mau my fren ni indigenous apana hii kuku broiler ni kienyeji trees… As with different crops they have different needs in terms of soil moisture and mineral uptake… This particular tree is ideal for reclaiming marshland but sio ya kumwaga arable areas for the sake of money unless that’s your intention but thereafter will that land be suitable for growing anything else… Ni sawa wacha tubaki na ‘propaganda’ yetu. The land will speak for itself
Thanks for your contrbutions. I am a trained Agriculturist and I’ve witnessed it personally. The variety I am talking about has ratoons(regrowth after harvesting). After harvesting, the kisiki will regenerate a lot of new shoots. You must proon to allow a single or double strong shoots per kisiki depending on your target market. Then the cycle repeats itself but for this time you will save on the cost of seedlings, manure & weeding since the roots will have developed.
Yes the decomposition of its leaves takes a bit longer but eventually decomposes and improves the soil texture, structure & fertility (after minimum 20 yrs).
Even if the land becomes unfertile(according to the conspiracy), it is easier to do land reclamation. You only need a maximum of 10tonnes(fertility issue) of manure to grow any crop afterwards.
To aproot the visikis after >20 yrs
1- You can invite the kuni suppliers to uproot free of charge.
2-You can hire the uprooters at a fee then sell the produce.
3-you can hire a mechanized equipment to do the work then sell.
In short, the uprooting will cater for itself when the right time comes.
I am talking from a practical experience from my employer. Try or observe those in progress.
It is a good longterm investment. Shida tu ni forest fire. It can wipe out your investment in a day. As for post harvest usefulness, I’ve seen the trees regenerate at no additional cost to the investor. As for me, if I were to change land use, I would rake away the leaves and refertilize the soil with animal waste manure and probably fallow for a while. But huyu jamaa amepost amesahau kudiscount production to about 60% due to losses over the years. There is also the risk of change in government policy over the years as was recently experienced when they suspended logging even in private forests
Your numbers are on the higher side & best case scenario
Per acre you should plant 700 trees for maximum girth. Lots of seedlings will be lost if your soil isn’t well drained. You may be forced to replace many times.
As they grow, some will fail to achieve straightness required. Zinakua kombo kombo yaani. Others will be stolen etc
Price? My friend who farms in the same area as I do sold his 1000 trees for 2500 a piece. He didn’t haggle much with the broker-buyers but I doubt he’d have gotten better than 4000. Good thing though, he was paid fully before they went to harvest!
By and large though, I’ve found it as a good investment though it takes from you without return for a decade. I wonder sometimes why I didn’t do avocado or macadamia. Cashflow advantage!
With a spacing of 1x1 metres from plant to plant & row to row. You will achieve with approximately a meter wide path walkway on east-West-north-south orientation at maturity stage.
On prices, it can fetch more than 5k per tree depending on your level of market research.(don’t depend entirely on brokers as your final client. They are middlemen who have discouraged many farmers) .
Due to continuous competition for light, they grow to maximum height hence compensating for their girth.
Try it on 0. 1 of an acre kisha ujionee.
Survival rate is very high so long as the Land is fenced.
Prune on time to avoid any upinde.
Looks beautiful with a dense canopy if not pruned on time. But for business purposes, try to alight at any organized woodlot, get close then pretend to be stretching yourself while observing. You will see the beauty @ 3 years