Garlic farming is among the most profitable agribusiness ideas in Kenya. Although garlic demand has been on the rise over the past few years, not many Kenyan farmers have ventured into it. You need to know garlic farming profit per acre in Kenya so you can spend your hard-earned money knowing what you’ll get in return.
Garlic farming profit per acre in Kenya ranges from Ksh. 761,000 to Ksh. 961,000. This profit depends largely on the production cost and the agricultural practices employed. If you employ excellent farming practices, you should harvest between 4,000 and 5,000 kilograms per acre.
In the rest of this article, I’ll take you through how to calculate garlic farming profit per acre in Kenya. I’ll also cover how to start garlic farming including the best planting season, fertilization, and crop management. Keep reading to learn more about garlic farming in Kenya.
What Is the Profit of Garlic Farming Per Acre
Garlic farming is a profitable business with the demand for garlic onion hiking in May, June, July, August, and September, where a kilo cost ranges from Ksh. 300 to Ksh. 400.
When the price is stable from December to January, the prices decline to around Ksh. 150 to Ksh. 200. However, it’s good to note that despite the price instabilities, it’s unlikely that garlic will cost below Ksh. 150 per kilogram any time soon.
To determine the profit you can make from garlic farming per acre, you must first calculate the production cost. One acre will require 100 kilograms of garlic seeds, costing approximately Ksh. 390 per kilogram. Therefore, garlic production cost per acre in Kenya is (390 x 100) = Ksh. 39,000.
Under good agricultural practices, an acre can produce between 4,000kg to 5,000kg of garlic.
With that in mind, using the table below, let’s calculate the profit you can make from garlic farming per acre.
| Garlic produces | Quantity | Estimated Cost | Total cost | Profit |
| Minimum produce | 4000kg | Assuming the harvesting season is low, 1kg cost Ksh. 200 | Ksh. 800,000 | Profit =Total cost – production cost800000-39000=ksh 761,000 |
| Maximum produce | 5000kg | Assuming the harvesting season is low 1kg cost Ksh 200 | Ksh 1,000,000 | 1,000,000- 39000= Ksh 961,000 |
Even if you compensate for the cost of inputs labor, fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides you’ll still have high returns.
Also Read: 5 Guaranteed Agribusiness Funding in Kenya
Benefits of Garlic
- Garlic is well-known for preventing cold and flu as eating one clove of garlic boosts the immune system, strengthening the body’s natural defense.
- Garlic aids the body in fighting various fungi, bacteria, and viral infections such as acne, cholera, wound treatment, typhus, and candida Albicans. Also, garlic can assist in the prevention of heart conditions and hypertension regulation. Garlic contains aphrodisiac properties and thus can be used in treating impotence.
- Garlic is considered a significant anti-oxidant with components such as diallyl, sallycystein, and disulfide that helps in reducing tumor size and slowing down their growth.
How to Get Started With Garlic Farming
Here is a simple guide on how to get started with garlic farming in Kenya.
Select the Best Planting Season
Garlic onion performs well during cold seasons, mainly in September and November. Garlic takes 4 to 8 weeks to mature. High temperature destroys the production output of garlic.
Choose Farming Area
When choosing the farming area, avoid waterlogged places; instead, select locations that receive sunlight for not less than 6 hours.
If possible, the farming area should be on raised ground. Make simple seedbeds that are 3 feet apart and 10 to 12 inches above the ground. During land preparation, the addition of compost manure and removal of weeds is necessary.
Find a Reputable Supplier
It’s always remendable to avoid buying garlic seeds from the local supplier; instead, order from a reputable dealer to avoid poor quality seeds. Due to the harbor’s capacity to produce healthier and mature bulbs, you should choose sources with a wider range of sizes before planting.
Proper Planting
The appropriate strategy is to place cloves in an upright position 2-inches deep in the soil and 2-inches apart from other seeds. Cover the cloves with loose soil. The rows should be not less than 10-inches and should not exceed 14-inches.
Slightly water your crops after planting. For better results, it’s advised to apply cow or sheep manure during planting.
Proper monitoring
You should ensure adequate drainage and water retention by practicing mulching. If you’re in an area with high temperatures, you should lay up 8 inches of grass or any other mulching material.
Irrigation
Garlic performs well in well-drained soil that prevents waterlogging. Garlic requires little water, and watering isn’t necessary when the seed is mulched. If the season has little rainfall, water your garlic after every two weeks.
Light irrigation that is 1-inch deep is enough. However, if there is enough rainfall, no watering is needed.
Fertilizer Application
You should apply fertilizer as per the manufacturer’s guidelines without sleeping since garlic is a heavy feeder, particularly for nitrogenous fertilizers.
You should also weed your garlic farm, and any flowering in the spring seasons should be highly discouraged by cutting them off to avoid low-quality produce.
Weed Management
One of the field management practices involved in garlic farming is weed management, as you have to remove them to avoid the competition of light, nutrients, and water. One way of suppressing weed growth is practicing crop rotation.
Also, you can remove the weed by cultivation, mulching, hand hoeing, or using herbicides. Early weed control is essential as it will prevent substantial yield loss.
Pest Control
Lack of water makes your plants more vulnerable to pest invasion. Pests that may attack your garlic include nematodes, bulb mites, wireworms, blister beetles, and leek moths. To control pests, you can use copper oxychloride and other soil fumigants to reduce and eliminate nematodes on the farm.
Disease Control
Garlic is as susceptible to diseases as other crops. Most garlic diseases are soil-borne. You need to assess your farm appropriately before planting. Your garlic may be infected by diseases such as basal rot, rust, downy mildew, and penicillium decay. To control garlic diseases, plant disease-free seeds and remove infected plants as you notice them.
Bottom Line,
The intake of garlic onions has increased significantly worldwide. Many believe garlic possesses substances that help reduce unhealthy conditions.
Hence its demand is rising, creating opportunities for Kenyan farmers looking for a lucrative agribusiness. Based on the garlic farming profit per acre that has been calculated, you can rest assured that this is a good venture if you have land.
