24/06/2026
KE KA LEMA ENG SE SE PROFITABLE GO SIMOLOLA NOW? This is the question I always get ke ntse ke thusa my . My answer is provided here, read and share with others. 🙏
FARMARKET COMMERCIAL HORTICULTURE GUIDE FOR 1 HECTARE
1 Hectare: What it takes, what it can return, and what to watch?
You have land, reliable water and capital.
Before choosing a crop, understand this:
«You prepare the hectare once. Then you choose crops according to season, market timing and your management capacity.»
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1. 1-HECTARE FARM ESTABLISHMENT COST
This setup can support onion, cabbage, tomato, butternut and watermelon.
Item| Planning Cost
Land preparation and field layout| P12,000
Drip irrigation system: 10,000L tank, piping, fittings, filters and disposable drip lines| Up to P60,000
Crates, basic tools and harvest handling equipment| P10,000–P15,000
Estimated establishment capital| P82,000–P87,000
Borehole drilling, pump, solar/electric power and borehole equipping are separate infrastructure costs.
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2. SHARED SEASONAL OPERATING COST
Item| Planning Cost per Season
Fertiliser, soil conditioners and agrochemicals| ±P20,000
Labour for one hectare| Up to P30,000
Transport and market delivery| P5,000–P10,000
Contingency| P5,000–P10,000
Shared seasonal operating cost| ±P60,000–P70,000
The crop you choose mainly changes the seed cost, crop duration, pest pressure, harvest method and selling price.
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3. CROP OPTIONS: 1 HECTARE COMMERCIAL VIEW
ONION
Best current commercial crop for the cool season
Why onion?
Daily demand, broad market and longer shelf life after curing.
Onion| Planning Figure
Crop cycle| ±4–5 months
Target yield| 35–45 tonnes
Working yield| 40 tonnes
Selling price| P6–P8/kg
Gross revenue| P240,000–P320,000
Seed cost| P12,000–P18,000
Shared operating cost| P60,000–P70,000
Estimated seasonal profit| P152,000–P248,000
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CABBAGE
Strong cool-season crop, sold mainly per head
Why cabbage?
Broad demand from households, traders, retailers, schools and caterers.
Cabbage| Planning Figure
Crop cycle| ±3–4 months
Plant population| ±24,000 heads/ha
Target head weight| ±4.5 kg/head
High-performance yield target| ±108 tonnes/ha
Average selling price| ±P10/head
Gross revenue| ±P240,000
Seed cost| Depends on variety and supplier
Shared operating cost| P60,000–P70,000
Estimated seasonal profit| ±P160,000–P180,000
Plan for undersized heads, losses and market rejection. The 4.5 kg/head target is a high-performance target, not a guarantee.
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TOMATO
High-return crop — determinate hybrid for open-field startup production
Why tomato?
Strong demand and high earning potential when market timing is right.
Tomato| Planning Figure
Production system| Determinate hybrid, open field
Crop cycle| ±4–5 months
Plant population| ±20,000 plants/ha
Working yield| ±50 tonnes/ha
Selling price| P6–P10/kg
Gross revenue| P300,000–P500,000
Seed requirement| ±20,000 hybrid seeds
Seed cost| P20,000–P24,000
Trellising/staking| P10,000–P15,000
Shared operating cost| P60,000–P70,000
Estimated seasonal profit| P191,000–P395,000
Indeterminate tomato is better suited to protected production/netshade and a longer harvesting programme.
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BUTTERNUT
Warm-season crop with storage advantage
Why butternut?
It gives the farmer more selling time after harvest than tomato.
Butternut| Planning Figure
Crop cycle| ±3–4 months
Plant population| ±16,000 plants/ha
Seed requirement| ±16,000 hybrid seeds
Seed cost| ±P16,000
Working yield| ±25 tonnes/ha
Selling price| P5–P8/kg
Gross revenue| P125,000–P200,000
Shared operating cost| P60,000–P70,000
Estimated seasonal profit| P39,000–P124,000
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WATERMELON
Hot-season crop, commonly sold per head
Why watermelon?
Strong hot-season demand and high cashflow potential.
Watermelon| Planning Figure
Crop cycle| ±3–4 months
Plant population| ±12,000 plants/ha
Fruit target| 2 marketable watermelons per plant
Marketable fruit| ±24,000 watermelons/ha
Average fruit weight| ±6 kg+
Selling price| ±P30 per watermelon
Gross revenue| ±P720,000
Seed requirement| ±12,000 hybrid seeds
Seed cost| ±P12,000–P14,400
Shared operating cost| P60,000–P70,000
Estimated seasonal profit| ±P635,000–P648,000
Watermelon has strong upside, but rain, fruit cracking, fruit fly, transport losses and market flooding can reduce returns sharply.
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MARKET: THESE CROPS SHARE THE SAME BUYERS
- Informal traders
- Retailers and greengrocers
- Wholesalers
- Schools, hospitals and caterers
- Restaurants and hotels
- Direct household sales
- FARMARKET aggregation channels
«Do not wait for harvest to ask: “Ke rekisa kae?”
Secure at least three buyer routes before planting.»
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MARKET TIMING: WHAT TO WATCH
Crop| Best selling approach| Main warning
Onion| Cure and sell into tighter supply periods| Imports and harvest peaks reduce price
Cabbage| Sell continuously as heads mature| Too many farmers harvesting together
Tomato| Plant for market gaps| Prices can crash within days
Butternut| Cure and sell gradually| Bulk supply weakens price
Watermelon| Sell during hot, dry demand periods| Rain, flooding and transport losses
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RISKS THAT APPLY TO ALL CROPS
- Frost, unexpected rain, heat and wind
- Water interruption or pump failure
- Pest and disease outbreaks
- Input price increases
- Labour shortages
- Market flooding
- Poor quality and buyer rejection
- Transport delays
- Good yield but weak selling price
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FARMARKET 1-HECTARE STARTER MIX
Current cool-season production
Area| Crop| Expected marketable output| Expected seasonal gross return
0.50 ha| Onion| ±20 tonnes| P120,000–P160,000
0.25 ha| Cabbage| ±6,000 marketable heads| ±P60,000
0.25 ha| Beetroot| ±6–7.5 tonnes| P31,000–P60,000
Total 1 hectare| | | ±P211,000–P280,000 gross revenue
Expected cool-season planning profit
After seed, fertiliser, agrochemicals, labour, transport and crop handling:
«±P125,000–P200,000 per season»
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AFTER FROST: WARM-SEASON 1-HECTARE MIX
Area| Crop| Expected marketable output| Expected seasonal gross return
0.50 ha| Determinate tomato| ±25 tonnes| P150,000–P250,000
0.25 ha| Butternut| ±6–7.5 tonnes| P31,000–P60,000
0.25 ha| Watermelon| ±6,000 marketable fruit| ±P180,000
Total 1 hectare| | | ±P361,000–P490,000 gross revenue
Expected warm-season planning profit
After seed, fertiliser, agrochemicals, labour, trellising, transport and crop handling:
«±P250,000–P360,000 per season»
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WHAT CAN 1 HECTARE RETURN IN A YEAR?
A farmer who completes:
- One cool-season production cycle; and
- One warm-season production cycle;
can target:
Annual Measure| Planning Range
Annual gross revenue| ±P572,000–P770,000
Annual planning profit| ±P375,000–P560,000
Year 1 establishment capital| ±P82,000–P87,000
«Annual planning profit is before loan repayments, owner salary and tax.»
Year 1 is about establishing the hectare and proving the production system. From Year 2, the irrigation and land-preparation investment is already in place.
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HOW FARMARKET HELPS YOU START
FARMARKET helps farmers move from land and water to a planned commercial production system.
Our core support:
- Horticulture farm advisory and practical training
- Farm visits, crop planning and production budgets
- Drip irrigation system design, supply and installation
- Netshade structure supply and installation
- Borehole equipping and farm water systems
- Site planning, farm setup and technical support
- Fertiliser, pest and disease management programmes
- Harvest and market-readiness planning
«You do not need to guess your way into horticulture.
FARMARKET helps you establish, produce and grow with a plan.»
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READY TO START?
FARMARKET (PTY) LTD
Powering Agriculture
Call or WhatsApp: +267 77875487
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Farmarketbw
