6) Greenhouse farming
A greenhouse is what some people would call an almost perfect farm. This is because a greenhouse provides a controlled environment that best suits the growth of crops. They are an enclosure in which moisture content and temperatures can be regulated. Your crops are also protected from the outside menace of insects, rodents and other animals. This means greenhouse farmers can farm all year round in and out of season. The most popular greenhouse crops are; courgettes, tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers, cabbages, and other vegetables which are high value crops. Yields in a greenhouse are higher compared to open field farming for the same space utilized.
Green houses come in different sizes as small as 20M by 6M which you can fit easily on your ¼ acre piece of land. This will cost you around Ksh100,000 to Ksh150,000. The starting capital may look much but considering you will be farming all year round with reduced risks, it’s totally worth it. Before you rush in, plan ahead and consider the full cost of setup, crops you’ll grow and after- sales support from the greenhouse vendor.
7) Dairy farming
Now, dairy farming can be very profitable but there is a certain fear when it comes to keeping dairy cows. It can be done and there are successful farmers making millions out of dairy. Dairy farming can be practiced in both high and low lands. Varieties common in Kenya are; Jersey, Freshian, Ayshire, Guernsey and cross breeds. What you need is patience with your cows, a good setup, good feeds, proper cow management and technical support from a good vet and nutritionist. The feed alone accounts for about 40–60% total cost.
With ¼ an acre you can keep more than 3 dairy cows. 3 cows producing an average of 30 litres of milk a day can give you Ksh1 million in a year selling milk at a price of Ksh30.
Good breeds will give a farmer 30–50 litres of milk a day. Be very attentive to details when it comes to dairy and get good support. The demand is there from cooperatives who give low prices but guaranteed. You can also market your milk to other institutions at a better price.
8) Bee keeping
According to NAFIS, only 20% of the potential 100,000 metric tonnes per year of honey production has been tapped. Demand for honey and other bee products is high. 80% of Kenya’s land is arid and semi-arid, which makes it perfect for bee keeping and has abundant flora.
Bee keeping requires a small space compared to other crops. You can have 50 colonies of bees in only ¼ acre of land and the best thing is, it doesn’t need to be fertile or need rain. There are good available beehives that can give you about 9–13 kg of honey per harvest and can be harvested 6–10 times in a year.
Keeping bees is actually cheaper in terms of labor and is less competitive bearing in mind it doesn’t compete for the same resources with other types of farming.
A quarter acre of land can do much when it comes to farming, so don’t limit yourself and start small.
