How to grow wheat in Kenya

This is the wheat farming in Kenya guide with all details on how to grow wheat in Kenya, information and answers to guide you on wheat farming in Kenya. Be it you want to start commercial wheat farming this guide is prepared specifically for you. Before venturing into wheat farming in Kenya there are some of the questions you have been asking yourself we intend to answer all of these questions on this blogpost; How to grow wheat in Kenya

Areas where wheat farming is done in Kenya?
How many bags of wheat can one acre of land produce?
How to start a wheat farming
How profitable is wheat farming in Kenya
Wheat pests and diseases in Kenya
What is the best fertilizer for wheat farming?
Which is the best month for growing wheat
How long does it take for wheat to mature
wheat seed rate per acre in Kenya
What is the market for wheat in Kenya

HOW TO GROW WHEAT IN KENYA

PLANTING

After maize cereal, wheat is the largest grown cereal crop. Wheat does well in places of high altitude, relatively warm temperature of about 15-22 degrees centigrade for at least 3 to 4 months and deep well drained fertile soil. Areas in Kenya favoring wheat growing include; Narok, Kitale, Nakuru, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin-Gishu, and Laikipia

Wheat varieties grown in Kenya

Durum
KS-Chui
Kenya eagle
Kenya kingbird

Before planting of wheat you should first prepare your land correctly. Land to plant wheat should be ploughed and harrowed to a fine uniform planting bed free from weeds. Use herbicides to kill off weeds.

After your land is ready and you’ve got seeds and fertilizers ready this is always 200-250kgs of DAP per Ha and seed rate of 120-140kgs per Ha. Planting of wheat is done using a seed drill. The seed drill can use spacing of 15cm between rows.

After 4-7 days germination of wheat seeds should have OCCURRED. Regular farm practices should be done to ensure maximum production this include, weeding between the 3^rd leaf and tillering stage, FERTILIZER APPLICATION can also be done by using granular fertilizers.

PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL

To reduce hindrance of pest and diseases to your wheat ensure you practice crop rotation and use the necessary pesticides and insecticides. Pests and diseases affecting wheat farmers in Kenya include;

PESTS

Wheat aphids
Thrips
Nematodes
Cutworms
Stalk borers
Birds

DISEASES

Brown leaf rust
Powdery mildew
Barley yellow dwarf
Black stem rust
Loose smut

WHEAT HARVESTING

Wheat is ready for harvesting after about four months but this varies according to varieties and ecological conditions of an area. Harvesting is best done mechanically using a combine harvester, where wheat heads are harvested threshed, dried and winnowed. In Kenya 1 acre of wheat farm can produce approximately 20 -100 kgs sacks of wheat proving to be a very profitable venture

WHEAT MARKETTING

Some of the best performing market for wheat from Kenya was exports to USA, Serbia, Canada, United Kingdom and Ethiopia. Locally wheat in Kenya is bought by millers at a price of 3300 per 90kg bag but this varies.