Looking for ways to make money in Kenya? Grow the Anna F1 tomato in a greenhouse. Anna F1 tomato variety is perhaps the most profitable of all greenhouse tomato varieties in Kenya. The hybrid tomato matures fast and has higher yields.
The Anna F1 tomato variety can be grown outdoors as well but it performs best in a greenhouse. It is a fresh market tomato variety whose fruits have a deep red color, are oval shaped and are firm even when ripe. Being a hybrid tomato variety, Anna F1 is more resistant to common tomato diseases, including the Alternaria stem canker and Fusarium wilt.
Anna F1 tomato has higher resistance to nematodes than other tomato varieties in Kenya. Nematodes that attack tomato plants are small microscopic worms (about 0.01 inches long) that hide and live in the soil. These nematodes attack the roots of your tomato plants and reduce the speed of water and nutrients intake from the soil. This causes poor growth and low quality tomato fruits.
Anna F1 tomato variety is resistant to common tomato nematodes that include the Root knot nematode. If nematodes are a problem in your region, get the advice of your local Agrovets on which soil fumigation products to use before planting.
High Yield and Faster Growing Tomatoes
The Anna F1 tomato matures fast, reaching maturity just two and a half months (75 days) after transplanting. With good management and when planted in a greenhouse, the hybrid tomato variety produces a huge yield of 74 tons per acre (about 85 kg per square-meter).
You can expect to harvest over 35 kg of tomato fruits from each Anna F1 plant in its entire lifetime.
How to Make Money in Kenya with Anna F1 Tomato
Follow these tips to make money in Kenya with greenhouse tomato farming of Anna F1 variety:
Practice Crop Rotation
Do not plant a new Anna F1 tomato crop in the same greenhouse immediately after your previous plants have ended their life span. Do not plant any tomato varieties in land that was recently used to grow potatoes, pilipili hoho (capsicum), eggplants and other plants of the Solanaceae family.
In addition, eliminate weeds that belong to the Solanaceae family. This is because these crops and weeds are affected by the same pests and diseases. Use fast growing non-host crops such as black-eyed peas and alfalfa to crop-rotate.
Beans, maize (corn) and cabbages are also good for crop rotation. Regularly check the leaves and roots of the crops you use to rotate. This is because it is better to identify and plan to control tomato pests and diseases before you plant your tomatoes.
Greenhouse Tomato Farming
Anna F1 tomato variety can be grown outdoors but is most profitable when planted in a greenhouse. Greenhouses provide a constantly warmer environment that most tomato varieties in Kenya need, and require less labor. It is also easier to control weeds in a greenhouse. Here are more benefits of greenhouse tomato farming in Kenya.
Use Drip Irrigation
Anna F1 tomato requires well drained soil. It does well in uniform clay and silty loam soil. Good drainage is not a problem with drip irrigation systems because they deliver a constant and regulated supply of water to the plant’s roots. Drip irrigation also reduces wetness on the foliage of tomato plants. Wet foliage encourages tomato diseases such as the Early blight and Late blight fungus that causes lesions on tomato fruits.
Good Land Preparation
Well prepared land has better drainage and is pest free. Most greenhouse crops require deep soil that does not have hard pans. Add manure to increase aeration of the soil and improve its water retention capability. Manure also improves the soil structure.
Locally available manure will do, so long as it is well formed. It should not carry diseases associated with the Solanaceae/ Nightshade crop family. As a result, avoid applying manure that has been made using potatoes, potato vines and capsicum/ pilipili hoho.
Adjust Soil PH using Agricultural Lime
You can take a soil sample for PH testing to the nearest soil fertility testing center such as SGS. Agricultural lime is readily available at local Agrovet stores. Anna F1 tomato does not perform well in soil that has low PH (acidic).
Add lime to raise the PH. Soil with PH below 7 is acidic, while those above 7 are alkaline. Very low and very high soil PH affects nutrients intake. Most crops perform best in neutral PH soil (7.0) or slightly acidic soil. If your soil is very alkaline, add gypsum to reduce the PH.
Make Money with the Anna F1 Tomato Variety
Anna F1 tomato farming is one of the best business ideas in Kenya. Grow fast maturing plants such as watermelon outdoors. Pilipili hoho and tomato farming in small scale greenhouses are good ways to make money in Kenya.
Tomatoes have high demand all year-round. This is because they are a necessity in every meal, not just in Kenya. Download the Anna F1 tomato variety growers handbook for more tips on how to make money in Kenya by growing Anna F1 tomato variety.
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