Iga earns 30m from growing onions on one acre

By Evelyn Murungi

Like other vegetables, onions are an important vegetable that cannot be missed in any sauce or meal at any time.

Most of the time onions are used as spices in the sauce and can also be an addition to spice up salads.

Patrick Iga who owns FACOM, earns his income from growing onions. He said he ventured into the field after getting an idea from his friends and various people who had succeeded in it.

“There are two seasons in the year, that is the rainy season and the dry season, but I always use the off season."

He noted that he does that in order to beat competition in the market because other farmers plant their crops and harvest at the same period leading to a surplus on market.

 Iga uses the irrigation scheme to manage the late season.

“I start by making a nursery bed where I break soil into small particles, make ridges and then I add soil boosters and wait for 45 days before transplanting."

He gives them space of  six by six inches to get a clear picture and know the number of onions I he has planted in each acre.

Iga applies fertilizes mostly, Nitrogen phosphorus potassium ( NPK) since it is important for the growth of onions.

“I weed any time when it is necessary, but most likely after 3-4 weeks after transplanting, so I normally weed two times in the season."

He adds that onions do not need a lot of water so he waters them when need a rises. His produce has a ready market since he produces when the demand is  high on market.

“I have both local and foreign market where some of my produce is exported to nearby countries like Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda and sometimes in Europe."

Planting season

Onions are produced twice a year. The first season is from March to June while the second season runs from September to December. Farmers wait for three months for the onions to mature

Market

It is during the rainy season that supply is high and around this time, the prices drop low. Currently, he sells a kilogram at between 1,000 and 1,500.

Challenges

“Onions are affected by an infection commonly known as bacterial rode’s. If I donot deal with it very fast it can destroy all the crops,”Iga said.

He cited poor quality seed, fluctuation of prices and lack of storage facilities as major challenges.

Benefits

“I use my profits to invest more in the project for instance I constructed my storage facilities and I’m able to grow other crops like maize, pineapples, sweet bananas and vegetables,” he said.

Weed management

Since onions’ growth is  slower than other vegetables , they are more susceptible to weed especially during the early.

However, weeds can be controlled successfully through either pre- or post-emergence herbicides, using only registered products.

 Pest and disease control

Trips are the major pest in onions, if not controlled, they can cause reduction in quality and quantity of produce.

A number of diseases do attack onions but the major ones include; downey mildew and purple blotch.

Most diseases that occur in onions can be controlled through management practices, by growing resistant cultivars and chemical sprays.


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