How to start tomato farming in Uganda: Tomato farming in Uganda is one of the most lucrative farming business anyone can do. It lucrative because tomato is one of the most important cooking ingredient in Uganda. Ninety percent of Ugandans food is never complete without tomato. We use it in cooking stews, soups, salads, portages, and virtually every food imaginable in Uganda. It goes with everything. This report explains how to start lucrative tomato farming in Uganda.
To start tomato farming in Uganda is very simple. Anyone can do it in any capacity, either in the backyard or in commercial quantity. Growing tomato is much more rewarding than you could ever imagined.
Tomato can be grown round the year, especially where there is irrigation system specifically made for it. In other places, it is best cultivated during the rainy season.
How to Start Tomato Farming in Uganda: Best Ways To Grow Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in home gardens, and with good reason! They’re easy to grow, delicious, and versatile. Plus, there’s nothing quite like a freshly picked tomato straight from the vine. If you’re thinking about growing tomatoes this year, here’s what you need to know about planting them.
Tomatoes can be planted as early as two weeks before the last frost date in your area. If you’re starting your plants from seed, plant them indoors six to eight weeks before that date. Here’s how to grow tomato and start tomato farming in Uganda:
1. Pick up the best varieties
The improved yield varieties is the best choice for farmers, do not pick the local species. Apart from Assila, there are several other high-yielding tomato varieties that are suitable for growing in Uganda. Some of these varieties include Money Maker, Tengeru 97, and Rio Grande. These varieties are known for their high yield potential, disease resistance, and good fruit quality.
2. Prepare the nursery
This can be done when the rain is just beginning in the country. You can use your backyard for the nursery or any other piece of land suitable for it. Tomatoes does very well in most soil types in Uganda but better in a black loose loamy soil. Prepare the ground by clearing the grasses and rubble, loosen the soil.
Remove the seeds and spread it on the prepared soil. You can cover it with dry grasses to prevent the lose of moisture from the soil and prevent birds ants fowls from eating off the tomato farming seeds.
Within 5-7days you will see it germinating. Wait till about another five days before you remove the dry grasses to allow for proper growth. Leave it for another one month before transplanting.
3. Transplant to the farmland
The final journey will be moving it into the permanent farmland where they would grow to maturity and production.
If your farm is too big that you can’t do the transplanting alone, hire laborers according to your need. You need to be careful with the tender plan to avoid breaking it. Transplant is best done with hands for better results.
Open the soil with piece of small wood, insert the seedling into the hole and cover it with lose soil. Tomato plan is very tender and fragile, it is best transplanted the same day you uprooted it from the nursery to avoid dehydration and fatigue.
4. Weed and apply fertilizer
After two months from transplant, it will be time for weeding. Hire laborers to do the weeding while you supervise to ensure that your tomato plants are not damaged during the process of removing weeds.
After the first weed, it will be time to apply fertilizer to help replenish the soil nutrients taken by the weeds. To grow successfully, tomatoes need nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, potash, calcium, and magnesium, along with other trace minerals. It’s always best to have your soil tested to check for nutrient levels and pH level.
Use fertilizer that supply those vital nutrients – N-P-K ratio fertilizer can be very good for tomatoes. You can consult an expert to know the types of fertilizers that are very good for tomatoes.
5. Harvest your tomatoes
Tomato is harvested in matches, the moment you starts harvesting, you’ll continue on weekly basis till the end of the season, usually it will keep producing till the dry season when the plant will die off due to the scorching heat. The first harvest starts within three to four months after planting.
6. Market your tomatoes
It is important to prepare your marketing well ahead of harvesting. Look for who or where to supply the product. This is because, tomato is a perishable product unless you have built storage system.
