Onion Farming In Kenya

Grekkon Limited supports onion farming in Kenya through provision of onion irrigation systems that make farmers optimise maximum yields, and income. These irrigations systems are distinct for the 2 main stages of onion; seedling and after transplanting. We provide 3 irrigation systems options for onion production. They are;

1. Sprinkler irrigation systems

• small plastic impact sprinklers for small acreage. They range from 1/2″ to 1″
• large metallic rain gun sprinklers for large acreage. They range from 1″ to 2.5″

 

2. Rain hose kit

This is a pre-perforated 100M long HDPE pipe that is laid on the ground to irrigate vertically and horizontally. Our diameter sizes are; 1″, 1-1/4″ and 1-1/2″

 

Both the sprinkler and rain hose irrigation systems share these common characteristics

i. They consume large amounts of water

ii. They are easy to install and operate

iii. Both require high pressure for optimum water flow

iv. Both work well in onion nurseries

v. They water everywhere in the farm, so weeding costs are high

vi. They are inexpensive to install

vii. Material and installation cost per acre is Kes 65,000

 

 

3. Drip irrigation

We provide 16mm diameter drip lines with double emitter spacing of 15cm, and a flow rate of between 1.5L per hour for onion farming in Kenya. There is a choice of 0.3mm, and 0.4mm wall  thickness. All are treated to last for 4 -6 years in the farm

• drip irrigation has the least water consumption
• works under low gravity pressure
• it delivers the crop directly to the crop, so very low weeding cost
• it is expensive to procure and install

Onion drip kit prices

Acreage	Cost In Kes
Kitchen garden	20,000
0.125	27,500
0.25	45,000
0.50	85,000
0.75	130,000
1	165,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onion Farming In Kenya

Summary

We provide 4 months of free agronomy support to new onion farmers in Kenya. This is after installation of an irrigation system from us. A detailed onion production manual is provided to the grower showing;

• soil management
• seed selection
• a nutrition program
• chemical spray program
• pest and disease management