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Onion Farming

This document provides a beginner's guide to onion farming in Kenya. It outlines that Kenya imports 50% of its red onions from Tanzania, presenting an opportunity for local farmers. The best areas for onion farming are Karatina, Oloitoktok, Naivasha, Kieni, Emali and Mai Mahiu. Bulb onions take 3-4 months to mature and can be profitably grown during the short rains between January and February. Spring onions grow more quickly but bulb onions are more popular due to their longer shelf life and sweet taste. The document discusses ideal growing conditions, challenges like disease and pests, and harvesting onions at the right time of year.

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710 views

Onion Farming

This document provides a beginner's guide to onion farming in Kenya. It outlines that Kenya imports 50% of its red onions from Tanzania, presenting an opportunity for local farmers. The best areas for onion farming are Karatina, Oloitoktok, Naivasha, Kieni, Emali and Mai Mahiu. Bulb onions take 3-4 months to mature and can be profitably grown during the short rains between January and February. Spring onions grow more quickly but bulb onions are more popular due to their longer shelf life and sweet taste. The document discusses ideal growing conditions, challenges like disease and pests, and harvesting onions at the right time of year.

Uploaded by

karanijoel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

ONIONS
petercaleb68@gmail.com
Dept of crops horticulture & soils
Egerton university

A beginners guide to onion farming in


kenya
BY AIAP SECRETARIAT · OCTOBER 30, 2020
50 percent of the red onions in Kenya are imported from Tanzania, as indicated by
Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) 2014 report. Kenyan Farmers have been
doing their best to address the demand and close the gap, but there is still more supply
to be achieved. This makes the Red Bulb Onion a very attractive commercial
investment for the Kenyan market at the moment, since local production is not
enough.

Major types of onions farmed in Kenya are bulb onions and spring onions. The best
areas suited for farming being Karatina, Oloitoktok, Naivasha, Kieni, Emali and Mai
Mahiu.

Bulb onions take 3 to 4 months to reach maturity. Short rains are great for bulb onions
since they can be harvested between January and February. Local farmers are able to
benefit during this time period, since there is low supply of onions from Tanzania at
this time of the year. After the long rains of March, the price of these onions hike and
farmers who harvest after these period make good profit margins.

Our recent market analysis, shows red onion prices in Mombasa are going at Ksh
1,174 per 15 kg bag while the highest prices are in Eldoret, at Ksh 1,491 per 15 kg
bag. Heavy rains experienced in the months of May and June in these areas have
contributed to the price hikes.
Spring onions are easy to plant. You can even plant them at your kitchen garden. They
are commonly used in vegetable salads or as seasoning in soups. Some of the health
benefits of spring onions include lower blood sugar and decreasing blood pressure and
cholesterol levels.
Of the two types, bulb onions are more popular than the spring ones due to their long
shelf life and sweet taste. Currently, there are two different varieties of bulb onions in
the market. There is the small, thin and firmly layered onion that has a strong pungent
smell from Tanzania. The second one is the big loosely held variety that is grown
locally, in Kenya.

Conditions for Onion Farming


Onions perform well in well drained, fertile, sandy loam, non-compacted soils. The
ideal pH is 5.8 to 6.8. Onion farming is a worthy venture since it’s possible to grow
onions throughout the year via irrigation. Soil test with accredited laboratories is
advised.

The ideal temperatures onions need to grow are between 13 – 35 degrees centigrade.
This means that onions can grow in most parts of Kenya. However, to maximize
production in areas such as Ukambani and some parts in the Coastal area, one needs to
invest in a greenhouse and drip irrigation. This is because greenhouses will optimize
the temperatures since these areas are hot and irrigation will provide the much needed
water. Onions are a cool season crop. Most areas in Ukambani and the Coastal region
are extremely dry.

In terms of requirements, apart from land that is an obvious fact, other requirements
are DAP Fertilizer and seedlings. 1 kg of seedlings can be used in 1 acre while 20
grams of DAP Fertilizer is applied per square meter.

You should note that there are different seed varieties and they perform differently
under different conditions. Common hybrid varieties available in Kenya include Red
Creole, Red Pinnoy, Jambar 1 and Red Bombay. The most popular seed variety in
Kenya is the Jambar F1 since it produces high yield and the size of its onions are
bigger.

Challenges facing Onion Farming in Kenya


Rains or Excess Watering: Too much rains or excess watering can water log the
crop. If the rain in your area is too much, focus on growing the crop during the short
rains. You can also raise the beds to ensure the water flows out of the field. Avoid
excessive watering of your onions. The best type of irrigation on onions is drip
irrigation. Overhead irrigation should be avoided as it causes fungal diseases.
Diseases: Common diseases that affect onions include Downy Mildew, Bacterial Soft
Rots, Pink/White Root, Botrytis, and Rusts. Use herbicides to get rid of the diseases.
Pests: Common pests that attack onions include maggots, thrips, nematodes and the
leaf miner. Use pesticides from accredited brands to get rid of the pests.
Weeds: Weeds can also destroy your crop and should be removed occasionally either
physically or through the use of herbicides. In one season, there should be at least 2 –
3 weeding sessions.
Harvesting onions
The best time to do the harvesting is during the dry season. Keep a calendar and
record the essential dates to ensure you harvest at the right time. Bulb onions are
ready for harvesting once they form a shiny membranous cover around the bulbs or
when the foliage withers. Spring onions are ready for harvesting when they are 15
centimeters tall and 1.5 centimeters thick.

Harvesting is done by pulling the bulbs and then chopping off the leaves. You then
dry the bulbs in the sun before storing the produce.

Nairobi is experiencing the lowest prices at the moment at 825 kshs per 15 kg bag.
This can be attributed to Nairobi being the capital city and many farmers who produce
the vegetable are in areas closely bordering it, such as Karatina, Mai Mahiu, Emali
and Kieni having easy access to the market. Get more market analysis from our Price
trends to always get updated on the Onion trends.
Image source: www.agrifarming.in
article sourced from: https://www.mfarm.co.ke/blog/post/a-beginners-guide-to-onion-
farming-in-kenya

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