Onions planting guidelines.

The potential yield for Red Passion F1 is about 23,000 kgs ((23 tonnes) per acre with a seed rate
of 1.5 kg per acre approximately costing Ksh 19,200. The benefits of Red

Passion F1 are: fast maturityof 120 days, after transplanting; resistance to pink rot diseases
and purple blotch tolerance to downey mildew and blights; medium sized bulbs with a
very striking red colour and ideal shape; long shelf / storage life of up to 6 months without
sprouting, rotting or losing weight ; fitted to wide climatic range from very hot to mildly cool
areas (like endarasha in mweiga)

Cultural activities

Onion requires being planted in a nursery for about a month and then transplanted at pencil
thickness. Depending on weather, onion is mainly grown with rain fed conditions
although one of the best crops for irrigated farming.

Diseases and pests vary with weather although to watch out is the downey mildew and serious
pests of thrips.

Onion equires a dry period at harvesting to ensure good curing and reduce rotting.

labour is equal for all onions including the open pollinated varieties.

By James Nderitu, sales officer

Best harvesting period

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Onions fetch good prices between October and January when the local market highly depends on
imports from Tanzania. The pick harvesting season, which is characterised by glut and low
prices for major local producing areas such as Taveta and Loitoktok is February. You
should therefore plan your production avoiding this time of the year. It is
advisable to focus on harvesting when the prices are good; compared to storing of onions in
anticipation of better prices as this reduces your profit margin due to costs associated with
storage.

There are two major ways of preparing onions to improve on the storage quality. First, there is a
process known as curing. Curing involves bending the “necks” once they have attained maturity.
The onions with bent “necks” should be left in the field for a period of 7 – 10 days before
harvesting. This allows a compound know as melaic hydrazine to
flow from the leaves into the bulb to prevent sprouting during storage. Secondly, you can spray
just before harvesting (up to 10
days) with some antisprouting agents that prolong shelf-life.

Despite curing and spraying the onions with antisprouting agent, onions should be stored in a
well aerated place to avoid rotting and sprouting. To achieve this, special structures are designed
for storage of onions. The design of the structure can be obtained fromthe HCDA or Ministry of
Agriculture Offices.

A word of caution!!!. Cultivation of onion is labor intensive and expensive. It is therefore

By Arim Ogolla, Horticultural Crops Development Authority

Onion Growing in Kenya: Red Bulb Onion Farming Business Plan

onion farming guide in kenya

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Red bulb onion growing in Kenya is one of the small business ideas one should consider. While
many farmers in Kenya prefer to farm common plants like maize which take more than half a
year to be harvested, onions only take four months. The return per acre is equally high compared
to maize farming in Kenya. There are many reason why a farmer should consider growing onions
in kenya. Onions are used for preparing almost all the food that we eat on a daily basis. This
confirms to you the demand that is associated with this produce.

Read: Commercial Pig Farming in Kenya Manual for Piggery Business

According to Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) report, half the red onions used in
Kenya come from Tanzania. A number of farmers have ventured into red onion farming in
Kenya but there is still a big gap to be filled locally. This is the reason why red onion farming in
Kenya is still one of the attractive and lucrative businesses to venture into.

in Kenya, bulb onions and spring onions are the common types of onions grown. Research shows
that Karatina, Oloitoktok, Naivasha, Kieni, Emali and Mai Mahiu are the best suited areas for
bulb onion farming in kenya. However, one can venture into growing onions in Kenya even from
other parts of the country.

Read: How to Start Poultry Farming in Kenya and Make Money

onion growing in kenya

Onion Market timing

Since the onions in Kenya cannot supply the ever growing market, the best time to grow onions
is during short rains so that you can harvest them between January and February. This is because
during this period, there is low supply of onions from Tanzania. The prices of onions in Kenya
usually rise around this time. Therefore, if your timing is right and you manage to harvest your
onions when there is low supply in the markets, you will make huge profits.

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Current onion prices in Kenya

The current onion prices in Kenya vary from one town to the other. At the moment of writing
this article 15 kg bag of red onion in Mombasa was going for Ksh 1,174. Eldoret town recorded
the highest price of Onion in Kenya. The 15 kg bag of red onion was sold at Ksh 1,491. This was
due to heavy rains in the areas.

Read: Egg Incubators in Kenya: How to Hatch Your Own Chicks

Current onion prices in Kenya is estimated at Ksh 25 per Kilogram. Once Acre of bulb onion
farming in kenya will produce 20,000 Kilograms of onions. Therefore, if you multiply Ksh 25
per Kilogram x 20000 Kilograms = Ksh 500,000. You will get a Gross Income of half a million.
If you deduct your costs for farming which can be anywhere between the range of Ksh 100,000 –
200,000 you are still left with good profits.
Growing onions in Kenya

If you are a farmer who want to start onion growing in Kenya, I would recommend that you
consider the red bulb onion farming. While the Spring onions are easy to plant and many people
have them in their kitchen garden, they are hard to store. This gives them a short shelf life
compared to the bulb onion which has a longer shelf life. It’s also very tasty and a key ingredient
in making Kachumbari.

The onions that come from Tanzania have a strong pungent smell. They are small, thin and
firmly layered. While the Onions grown in Kenya are the big ones with loose layers.

Read: Kienyeji Chicken Rearing: Guide to Purchasing Day Old Chicks Locally

growing onions in Kenya

Health benefits of Onions

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The green spring onions which are known for vegetable salads or as seasoning in soups are
known for some health benefits. Major health benefits of spring onions are:

 Decreasing blood pressure

Onion farming guide in Kenya

The best variety for onion growing in Kenya that yield best results are Jambar F1, Red Pinoy F1,
Red Passion F1 and Red Comet F1.

If it’s your first time growing onions in Kenya, it’s advisable that you research well and if
possible visit farmers who are engaged in onion growing in Kenya.

Ensure the land that you want to use for onion growing in Kenya has pH of 5.8 – 6.8. if your pH
is below 5.8, apply calcitic lime at the rate recommended by your soil test results. If you are not
sure about your soil, make sure you conduct Soil test with accredited laboratories. Another thing
you need to know is that growing onions in Kenya requires a well drained, fertile, sandy loam,
non-compacted soils.

Read: Kuroiler Chicken Farming in Kenya Important Facts

bulb onion farming in Kenya

Make sure you prepare your land about a month before planting. Use about three tonnes of
chicken manure to loosen the soil deeply and prepare the land to a fine tilth.

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If you can afford the irrigation drips, then you will be able to do bulb onion farming in Kenya via
irrigation. This will enable you plant onions all year around through irrigation.

Read: Kenchic Layers Rearing in Kenya: Feeding & Vaccination Programme

onion production in Kenya

onion growing in Kenya

Its recommended that you plant your Onions in a nursery seed bed before transplanting them to
the field. This will ensure that you get good onion production in Kenya. Make your seed bed 4ft
wide with eight rows 10 to 15cm apart. Then make 1cm deep furrows along the rows.

For good practice on onion growing in Kenya, you will need about 1kg of seeds Per acre. With
this you will use 20 grams of DAP Fertilizer per square meter. Mix them with the same amount
of sand. Then fill the furrows evenly with the sand-seed mix.

Jambar F1 is the popular onion Variety in Kenya because it produces high yield and the size of
its onions are bigger. However as recommended earlier, don’t forget to visit an onion farmer near
you before you start bulb onion farming in Kenya. This is because there are different seed
varieties of onion in Kenya which are suitable for different parts.

Onions take between 3 – 4 months to be ready for harvest. You need to ensure there are no rains
prior to harvest time.

Read: Kenchic Broilers Rearing: Where to Sell Broilers in Kenya

onion farming guide in kenya

Tips on onion production in Kenya

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Before transplanting your onion seedlings from the nursery seedbed. Make sure you water the
seedbed thoroughly to avoid damage to the seedlings during this process. By the way it takes 6
weeks for the onions to be ready for transplanting. Only transplant your seedlings when they
have gained the size of a pencil and show four to five leaves on them.

A liquid fertiliser from comfrey leaves, which contain Vitamin B12 will help your seedlings
recover quickly after transplanting. Dip them in this mix until the roots are covered in it.

Put together 50 seedlings together and cut off 50 per cent of the green tops. Now you can plant
them in your ready farm. Make sure the farm is well irrigated a day before planting the onions.
Remember 200,000 seedlings if required per acre.

Read: Rainbow Rooster Chicken Farming in Kenya Information Guide

Always plant in rows one foot apart and leave 8cm space between plants within the row, planting
closely reduces the sizes. IF possible, the field should be covered with plastic mulching between
the rows to avoid moisture losses and to suppress weeds to enable the onions grow healthier.

Avoid overhead watering as it promotes fungal diseases.

arn Ksh. 800,000 from one acre of Onions in 3 months

When you want to cook Managu what do you use? Onions. When you want to cook meat, what
do you use? Onions! Nearly every meal of the average Kenyan has to have onions as part of the
ingredients.

This tells you something about the market out there. There is a high demand for onions! Here is
how you can tap into that demand and make a profit from it.

In 3 months an acre of Hybrid bulb onions will give you an income of Ksh 800,000. After 3
months of transplanting the onions it can produce a yield of 20,000 Kgs bulbs.

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 1 Kg of Onions at market price goes @ Ksh 40 i.e 20,000 Kgs × 40 Shillings = Ksh 800,000
minus average cost of production which is Ksh150, 000 per Acre = Ksh 650, 000 Net income
(Cool stuff right?).

High yielding varieties in Kenya today include, Jambar F1, Red Pinoy F1, Red Comet F1, Red
passion F1.

How to Plant:

To get the best results with onions you need to start them in a Nusery. Here is how to do this;

 Make a raised nursery bed 1 metre wide and any desired length.
 Apply well decomposed manure at a rate of 15kg per square metre.
 Mix and Apply DAP fertilizer at a rate of 20 grams per metre square
 Make shallow furrows 15 cm apart. Mix the seeds with dry ash, sand or soil at a ratio of 1:3 to
help spread the small seeds.
 Plant the seeds and cover lightly with soil and apply mulches ( Grass or Polythene cover
spread over the soil on the nursery bed)
 After planting irrigate the nursery bed liberally for the first 10 days and continue watering
regularly.
 Germination of seeds will take about 7-10 days after which the mulches are removed and used
to make a shade above the tender plants which have not fully developed.
 Transplanting of the seedlings takes place 6 weeks after planting seeds in the nursery.
Transplant when the seedlings have pencil thick base and a height of approximately 15cm.
 Seedlings should have 3 to 5 well formed leaves at transplanting time. Two weeks before
transplanting reduce the shade to improve seedling survival rate in the field.
 It takes about 4 months for onions to mature
Onion farming in Kenya can be done in greenhouses and open gardens.
NB:
Before you begin onion farming you need to check and confirm Market availability, Price of the
onions and the variety of the plant.
Small scale onion farming in Kenya is gaining popularity. It is also becoming popular because it
is affordable to start and its returns are high

Onion farming in Kenya can be done in greenhouses and open gardens. The most commonly
used onion is the bulb onion. It is locally consumed and available from roadside sellers to
supermarkets.

Before you Start

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A few things to know about onion farming in Kenya would include price, market availability
and variety to plant.

A hectare of red creole onions would ideally produce 17 tons. Average market prices for a kilo
of onions are at around 50 KS. This means that one would make at least 850,000 KS from the
harvest. The cost for planting the one hectare is around 100,000 KS.

The onions take five months from planting to harvest. Currently most Kenyan farmers average 3
tons of per month from small scale onion farming. The yield can be double by simply cutting
extra effort and using appropriate methods and doing proper research on onion farming.

Planting

You can grow onions using transplants, seeds or sets. Transplants are seedlings that usually are
started in the growing season; they usually form good bulbs within a short time 60 days or less.

Sets are bulbs that are not yet mature from the previous season. They are very easy to plant,
harvest and are quite resistant to diseases. The only downside they have is they may bolt (shoot
up a flower stalk prematurely)

If you plant onion sets, the sets may be identified only as white, red, or yellow, rather than by
variety name. Most growers prefer white sets for green onions. Growing onions from seed offers
one a wide variety of choice. The only disadvantage is that you have to wait up to 5 months for
the onions to mature.

Watering

In onion farming in Kenya where climatic conditions vary it is important to consider watering.
Very dry conditions cause bulbs to split. It is a good practice to water them moderately weekly.
Onions do not do well with weeds and it is a good practice to do weeding.

You can use a sprinkler or pipe to water your onions. A good time to water them is early in the
morning. If you water them in the heat of the day a lot of water is lost to evaporation. A good

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practice when watering the onions is to avoid watering them from above in the evening as
moisture settling on leaves easily cause diseases.

Harvesting

Knowing when your onions are ready to harvest is not hard. Their leaves will lose color, weaken
at the top of the bulb and hang low. There is nothing wrong with that it just shows that they have
stopped growing. Onion farming is at its last stage, harvesting.

Let most of your onion tops fall over by them – maybe 80% or 90% of them – then bend over the
rest of the tops. Once they’re down, leave the bulbs in the ground for another 10 days to two
weeks to mature fully. It’s not good to leave the onions in the ground for longer than two weeks
after the tops die because they become open to organisms that can cause rot in storage, or they
might even start growing again.

Let most of your onion tops fall of naturally. Once this has happened let them stay in the ground
for another 10 to 12 days to allow them to fully mature. Do not let them stay in the ground for
more than 14 days, they may be exposed to diseases. Harvest on a sunny day this allows for the
roots to dry and die.

Picking a good day to harvest in onion farming will determine how well the onions will keep. If
you harvest them in moist conditions they won’t dry out so well. Remember they have a shelf
life of up to 4 to 6 weeks

When you want to cook Managu what do you use? Onions. When you want to cook meat, what
do you use? Onions! Nearly every meal of the average Kenyan has to have onions as part of the
ingredients.

This tells you something about the market out there. There is a high demand for onions! Here is
how you can tap into that demand and make a profit from it.

In 3 months an acre of Hybrid bulb onions will give you an income of Ksh 800,000. After 3
months of transplanting the onions it can produce a yield of 20,000 Kgs bulbs.

10
1 Kg of Onions at market price goes @ Ksh 40 i.e 20,000 Kgs × 40 Shillings = Ksh 800,000
minus average cost of production which is Ksh150, 000 per Acre = Ksh 650, 000 Net income
(Cool stuff right?).

High yielding varieties in Kenya today include, Jambar F1, Red Pinoy F1, Red Comet F1, Red
passion F1.

Onion Farming in Kenya – How to Plant:

To get the best results with onions you need to start them in a Nusery. Here is how to do this;

1. Make a raised nursery bed 1 metre wide and any desired length.
2. Apply well decomposed manure at a rate of 15kg per square metre.
3. Mix and Apply DAP fertilizer at a rate of 20 grams per metre square
4. Make shallow furrows 15 cm apart. Mix the seeds with dry ash, sand or soil at a ratio
of 1:3 to help spread the small seeds.
5. Plant the seeds and cover lightly with soil and apply mulches ( Grass or Polythene
cover spread over the soil on the nursery bed)
6. After planting irrigate the nursery bed liberally for the first 10 days and continue
watering regularly.
7. Germination of seeds will take about 7-10 days after which the mulches are removed
and used to make a shade above the tender plants which have not fully developed.
8. Transplanting of the seedlings takes place 6 weeks after planting seeds in the nursery.
Transplant when the seedlings have pencil thick base and a height of approximately
15cm.
9. Seedlings should have 3 to 5 well formed leaves at transplanting time. Two weeks
before transplanting reduce the shade to improve seedling survival rate in the field.
10. It takes about 4 months for onions to mature

NB:

Before you begin onion farming you need to check and confirm Market availability, Price of the
onions and the variety of the plant.

11
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

12
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

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