STARTING A POTATO BUSINESS IN ZAMBIA 🥔

Irish potato farming can give you between 20-70 tonnes of yields per
hectare (100M×100M). For example,if you harvest 15 tonnes per hectare
and a 10kg bag is being sold at K100 then the 15 tonnes in monetary form
is going to give you K150,000 and from their you can deduct your
expenses and normally the profit is going to be around K130,000 per
hectare (This profit is just for 15 tonnes, the more tonnes you harvest
above 15 tonnes the more profit)

✓Potatoes can thrive in virtually any type of soil, with the exception of
soils whose salinity and alkalinity are too high. The ideal soil should be
loose enough to allow the growth of tubers. The soil should essentially be
loam or sandy soil with good drainage and aeration.A soil pH of between
5.2 and 6.4 is most suitable for potato farming. Poor and abnormal tuber
growth, whilst higher pH will lead to problems with common scab.

✓If you're on a tight budget you can go with animal driven implements or
hand-held tools such as hoes.However, for much bigger potato farming
businesses, there’ll be a need for machinery and equipment such as
tractors, fertiliser spreaders, sprayers, diggers, harvesters, irrigation
equipment, ridgers etc.You might not necessarily have to purchase all this
equipment; most of it you can simply hire.

✓Potato seeds are one of the most important and obvious inputs in this
business. There are many different varieties available in Zambia. The
varieties differ in shape, colour, skin texture, size, yield, and days to
maturity however the best potato variety is the jelly-yellow variety and it's
the best friend for many improved and commercial potato farmers.In
potato farming,seeds are the most expensive.Buying potato seeds is very
expensive.But you can reduce seed costs by 70% if you can make your
own potato seeds.
Fertilizers are required to ensure soil fertility and support potato growth.
For effective growth, potatoes require plant nutrients like nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients should be provided via
fertilisers and manure to promote the growth of the potatoes. Herbicides
for effective weed control are important when carrying out potato farming.
You can use herbicides like gramoxone and frontier depending on the
type of weeds at your potato farm. Fungicides and insecticides are
essential for the protection of your plants against insects and fungi. The
chemicals you can use include Chloroflo, Mancolax, Tebuconazole, and
Fastac, just to mention a few.The cost of acquiring all these inputs should
be included in your potato farming budgets.

✓Zambia's potato market is massive and rapidly expanding.Zambia

consumes more than 1 million tonnes of potatoes per year.The Zambian
processing sector uses potatoes primarily for three main processed
products, namely potato crisps, frozen and fresh French fries and chips.

✓You can supply your potatoes to individuals, fresh produce markets,

supermarkets, wholesale marketers especially Women, civil servants,
food processors, restaurants, hotels,wholesalers, hawkers,
college/university students in your area.