Hay farming profit per acre
Finding a solid profitable farming venture is usually a hard task. With all the risks that come with farming most beginner farmers in Kenya shy away from investing from farming after losing an investment. The good thing about farming however is the many opportunities it presents. One of these opportunities is hay farming.
Hay farming (Boma Rodhes Hay) has slowly risen to be a very profitable business in Kenya. With the increase of zero grazing dairy farms, hay farming profit per acre as been increasing over the years.
Lets do the math.
one acre of hay will give you 200-250 bales per season. You get to harvest the grass twice a year (maximum three, if the rain is on your side)
one bale costs Ksh 200.
Gross returns comes to 200 (bales) x 200 (Ksh) = Ksh 40,000. The cost of production of hay per acre comes to around Ksh 16,000.
Even with a worst case scenario of getting 150 bales per acre and selling at Ksh 200 per bale you will still get a reasonable amount for your investment.
If you have 20 acres thats Ksh 40,000 x 20 = Ksh 800,000. If you harvest twice that comes to Ksh 1,600,00.
Prices sometimes go up to 350 per bale during dry seasons.
You should also factor in storage and grass cutting/baler equipment which are always a pain in the neck when it comes to harvesting. Hiring the equipment is usually expensive and most farmers who don't have cash pay using bales instead of cash. This might temporarily get you out of a financial challenge during the harvesting period but it will always eat into your returns. The best solution is to get your own equipment or share a cooperative/group equipment which is a cheaper option.
The upside is that the main production cost is incurred during the first sowing.
Happy farming!
