Wheat Farming

I have been asked about wheat farming many times and how I have  managed to survive farming for years despite the ups and downs. Farming remains one of the most viable business for youth to engage in, this is simply because its a quick start up and requires low capital depending on the size of your venture, but did you know that with the current advances in agricultural methods and growing population (demand for products) this could be a very profitable venture.
I will  briefly take you through my journey of six years . In a group of three armed with capital from the Youth fund and personal savings we ventured into wheat farming in Mau Narok. Wheat farming is a big industry in the country but run by a  few people.This is because it is most profitable when done in large scale, few people have the capacity to engage in large scale. There exists two types of farmers, the large scale farmers well organized with farm machinery, practicing modern farming methods and farming large tracts of land and small scale farmers who mainly own the land, practice mixed farming. But there exist another group of farmers, for lack of a better word they are the medium scale farmers, they visit wheat growing areas rent land, farm, harvest and sell produce I fall in this class, I have practiced this since 2007, missing two years 2008 and 2009 for obvious reasons and drought.
But did you know, Wheat production done in the country annually does not meet consumption demand to an extent of the country importing wheat?
To farm wheat you have to get your budgets well from the onset, the key to success is planting at the right time, spraying and harvesting at the right time. Wheat is not affected much by lack of rainfall, its a member of the grass family and with adequate rain for the first two and a half months during growth the production will be good.
Currently the biggest challenge to wheat farming is wheat rust. KARI is aiming to produce resistant varieties, together with use of sprays the disease can be fairly controlled. The other danger is doing the right thing at the wrong time, when you plant late then the rains are erratic your production will be low, if you dont spry your harvest is affected by disease, if you harvest late and the short rains find your grains in the farm, the grains germinate while in the stock!
 The average and fairly profitable land size is 10 acres and more, you still make money with lesser land but don't enjoy the economies of large-scale production. this include during spraying the 3,000ksh mentioned bellow and seeds go paltry more than one acre, with this excess you have more acres done almost free..

An Acre of land produces an average of 15-23 bags of wheat. A bag goes up to 2,900ksh to 3,300ksh
Cost of production per acre this year (2014) was 21,500 ksh  see break down below. At an average return on 19 bags per acre and selling a bag at an average price of 3,100ksh per acre you have a gross return of 55,000ksh per acre on a good harvest.
Narok is currently the undisputed bread basket.

Costs Break Down...................................................................................................
Procedure
Identify a farm: visit your target area and identify a farm and pay rent fees. Due to demand for good land this is done an year before the farming year. This is the starting point, with a good point man on the ground you can get good and genuine land. Good land does not flood and is not on a water path. Get an experienced farmer to advice you or share his contacts, the cost of land rent per acre in a year is 4,000 to 5,500ksh.

Farming;  land preparation starts in January, this includes ploughing and farrowing. Ploughing costs up to 3,000ksh per acre, harrowing costs 2,500ksh.

Planting:  this is done at the onset of the long rains in march planting at the right time is key because of unreliable rainfall patterns. A bag of seeds goes for 3, 000ksh for an acre of land, a bag of fertilizer goes for almost the same amount 3,000ksh, there are always rumors that the government would subsidize the costs its always wise to prepare with all amount. Currently the government agencies are improving the seeds due to the wheat rust disease its always wise to buy packed seeds as opposed to the previous years harvest for seeds.

Spraying: due to diseases spraying is done on signs of infection, spraying per acre costs up to 3,000ksh.

Harvesting: this costs 2,000kshs per acre.

You can get back to me for a detailed proposal for individual or group fund raising, on how to venture and succeed in wheat farming and also why some tried and run never to look back...........centerprises4@gmail.com or through facebook