it is economically viable, a maize plantation 50acres harvesting maize twice in a year in lower eastern sides coz of the climate. Lower eastern maize is harvested twice/thrice in a year not like in the rift valley.
Nifanyieni mahesabu ya Pesa and disadvantages elders
Not worth it. When you guys expect ksh.4000 a bag, wanaleta from UG at ksh.2000 a bag. Market gets flooded and boom you count your losses
It doesnt work like that. If it did, a farm boy like me wouldnt be washing dishes in a first world.
In some parts of Trans-Nzoia and Uasin gishu, where there is one harvest as you have said, they plant the 614,6213, sometimes katumani variety that produces 3-4 combs of heavy shelled corn grain which is very sweet and nutritious for both man and animal. All military farms-Soy na zinginezo they go for this specific ones.
Some other higher altitudes produce corn twice, sometimes even thrice a year, the variety of course doesn’t carry all the above mentioned advantages. For instance Panna produces a big maize comb, light, and not sweet, meant for commercial uses, ukiuziwa hii kwa street utajua tu hii sio ya Cherangani, thou its resistant to diseases.
The only advantage you got with Eastern province is the warmth, panda mahindi yoyote ile inamea faster faster and dry it.
He’s asking about profitability not viability mzito…unajibu za kwako
Whats viability bila profits?
All Highland areas plant 6series (6months) during long rains and 5series (5months) during short rain. Lower attitude guys plant the dwarf katumani maize that takes 3-4months mature since the rainy season is short. So in high attitude areas you can only plant two seasons as in you only have 12months in a year. Some places like Nakuru they plant 5 months maize for only one season in a year since it is in between High and low attitude areas. The longer the maize variety takes to mature the higher the yields and quality of the grains produced. Therefore you can increase yield seriously in low attitude areas if you have irrigation water as you can have even 3 seasons in a year which is not possible in Highlands.
To break even in maize, you should target to sell green maize during Off season.
Using a spacing of 75cm by 25cm( rows & seed to seed) , plant 2 seeds per hole.
This will give you a plant population of 42,000 plants/ acre. Double cobs will compensate the few lost plants.
42k × 5/=( farm gate price) = 210k .
Cost of production per acre depends on many factors e.g own land or lease hold, type and means of irrigation, labour in your region. Mine I use drip irrigation so basically very low labour cost.
Even if you use 80k/ acre , you’ll still make 130k as profit per acre.
Dry maize, you’ll harvest, carry to the store, shell, dry daily for several days, treat with actellic, buy gunny bags for storage, load to the store again waiting for the correct price then sell a bag at 3500/= maximumly.
3500× 25 bags= 87, 500/=. If you minus the cost of production, utajipata na kitu kidogo sana au negative.
1500
Planning to go with mahindi faster faster 3 harvests per year
I have water in place for irrigation throughout the year. Am not planning to depend on rain
So if an acre give about 25 bags, 50 acres equals 1250 bags
Selling atleast @3,000ksh per bag = 3.75M per harvest
With this am i not able to cover production cost for labour and irrigation since the land i now own?
This is a good thread… let me ask :
How much is a bag of maize say In Tz, Malawi and Zambia?
Prices fractuate don’t go with the 3k per bag when even NCPB is buying for a lot less
I do maize farming for two reasons, its a hobby and makes feed for cows. Is it profitable if i choose to shell, hell no…but napanda tu, its feed for the drier months ahead.
:D:D:D:D
@Demakuvu @Shaka @Billy Drago @livefire
In making Silage the maize does not reach seed bearing stage, normally around after 3 months. Which maize is best for Silage in Highlands?
Does maize that takes 6 months better than maize that takes 3 months?
Varietiea depends on the seed company. Select late maturing varieties.
For Kenya seed company any variety beginning with 6 is for higher altitudes eg 614, 6213 e.t.c
Harvest at milk stage( ukifinya punje latoa maji meupe.
Highlands var produce more than lowland var in terms of height & weight.
Iko viable, "SO LONG AS YOU ADD VALUE TO THE END PRODUCT"… Na Maanishaje??? Naomba uko na wanyama (ngombe, kuku, na kadhalika). Kulingana na wafiti, mazao ya mahindi ni muhimu sana kwa kutentengeza vyakula vya mifugo (maize germ, na kadhalika which naaarifiwa tuna export sana, juu ndio ingredient kuu kwenye vyakula hivyo)… I have seen some farms huku Kgd Rd that grow their own maize, thereafter make their own animal feeds (which reduces animal feeding costs)… FIKIRIA MKUU na TENDA…
Very dope thread.
Learning.
Following… thanks guys.