Garlic option for young farmers

After graduating from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) with a diploma in Business Management in 2016, and tarmacking for a while, Lawrence Rotich decided to venture into garlic farming in order to make ends meet. “I have always desired to be self-employed and farming offered a great opportunity,’’ he says.

The farmer reveals that initially, he carried out garlic farming on half an acre land and also potatoes on half an acre farm, whereby he spent approximately Sh60,000 as capital, which catered for inputs and labour.

“One of my neighbors had grown garlic and had done very well. He then suggested to me garlic farming as a viable alternative,’’ says the 28-year-old farmer, adding that the capital was the money he Lawrence had saved after doing some casual jobs.

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Currently, the farmer uses one acre to carry out garlic farming in a place known as Segemian, Narok County.

“Initially, I used 50kgs of garlic which I bought from my neighbor who has been doing garlic farming for some years now. I planted these on half an acre,’’ says Rotich, who grows a variety known as the hard neck.

The farmer, who grows garlic twice a year, reveals that the crop takes between four and six months to mature, depending on climatic conditions.

He explains vividly how he prepares the land for growing garlic. “Before ploughing the land, I mix some organic manure with the soil to ensure optimum yield. Planting is done in rows and I use a jembe to make trenches with a spacing of 30 cm between the rows.’’

Protective mulch

He adds: “After planting the garlic, I apply a thick layer of mulch to protect the growing seeds. When the seeds begin to sprout, the mulch is removed. Weeds control is then done until the garlic is ready.’’

He says that his garlic has ever been affected by early blight and rust. Nevertheless, the greatest challenge to him is weeds control.

“The weeds must be removed by hand on a regular basis. Rains have been generally heavy and this has encouraged the growth of weeds. Also finding a suitable market has been a great challenge,’’ says Rotich.

He mainly sells his produce to small scale traders and also to other farmers who purchase and use them as seeds. “Since I sell mainly to small scale traders, the price ranges between Sh150- Sh200 per kg,” he says.

The father of one uses DAP fertilisers for planting and does not use any fertilisers for top-dressing.

Rotich says that he uses his own piece of land to carry out this kind of farming. He reveals that he has about ten acres of land, but most of it is used for cattle keeping.

The youthful farmer reveals that the venture is a profitable one.

“I make between Sh200,000 and Sh300,000 per season. This is due to the lack of a good market. However, I believe I can make much more with access to a good market. I intend to grow garlic on a large scale if I will have access to a reliable market,’’ says the farmer.

He encourages the youth to venture into farming instead of tarmacking while looking for white-collar jobs.

Furthermore, he urges those who would like to venture into garlic farming to do research on the variety of garlic that will do best in their regions.

“Also, it is important to look for a market before you harvest the produce. Otherwise, garlic farming, if done well, is a very profitable venture,’’ advises the farmer.

He intends to venture into garlic farming on a large scale. “I want to venture into growing garlic in large scale. I believe that with proper marketing, I will be able to access a reliable market for my garlic,’’ he says.

Apart from garlic farming, he also grows maize and keeps cows on the same piece of land.