Maize Farming Business Guide

Cost benefit analysis for maize / corn farming

S/No	Item Descriptions	Quantity	Unity Cost/Ugx	Total
	Variable Costs
1	Land Hire/Acre/Season	1	200,000	200,000
2	Land clearing	1	150,000	150,000
3	Ploughing /Acre/Tractor	1	200,000	200,000
4	Maize seeds/Kg	10	12,000	120,000
	Other inputs
5	Basal Fertilizer/50kg bags	4	175,000	700,000
6	Selective Herbicides/Liters	2	30,000	60,000
7	Foliar Fertilizer – Combination	1	50,000	50,000
10	Insecticide/litters	1	40,000	40,000
14	Labor/One person; Digging holes/planting/Spraying/Harvesting/ Per month	4	150,000	600,000
16	Supervision and Administration	1	200,000	200,000
18	Miscellaneous	1	100,000	100,000
	Total Establishment Cost			2,170,000
	Returns
	Bags/100Kg each	38	100,000	3,800,000
	Net Profit before Taxes			1,730,000

NOTE 1

1. VARIETY – BAZUUKA, DK 9089/777, Longe 10H, DT MAX, CHAMPION, KENYAN HYBRIDS etc,
2. Land Area – Acre. For hectares consider (1 Hectare = 2.4Acres)
3. Spacing considered – 2ft × 2ft, Max plant population – 10000 – 12000 plants
4. Plant a maximum of 2 seeds per hill
5. Varieties that carry double combs are preferred
6. Maturity period – 100 – 120 days
7. Plan to have plenty of water either via irrigation or rain water

Land Preparation

The land should be prepared early, before the onset of rains, for weeds to decompose before planting. The following procedure for planting can be followed:

1. Spray weeds with the appropriate herbicides. (Glyphosate + Amine)
2. Plough the land and make it level with a fine tilth. Considering the size of the land, machines like tractors or ox-drawn ploughs can be used.
3. Mix soil with manure and biochar for efficient and improved nutrient uptake as well as stabilizing soil pH.
4. Make holes at a spacing of 2ft x 2ft.
5. Place 1 or 2 seeds per hole, or alternate 1 and 2 seeds at a depth of about 1 inch if the soil is moist and about 4 inches if the soil is dry.
6. Cover the seeds with loose soil.

Fertilizer application

To achieve maximum yield, fertilizer should be applied on time..

When planting manually, thoroughly mix soil with a teaspoonful of fertilizer into each planting hole to ensure that it doesn’t burn the seeds. Place the seeds on top of the soil and feel for softness.

Grain pulse Maize blend or DAP is recommended for planting because it contains phosphorous, which helps in root development.

Top dressing

Maize can be top dressed with Grain pulse top dress blend of fertilizer or Calicigrow mixed with Urea weeks after planting or when it is 45 cm (1 ft) high. One teaspoon of fertilizer should be applied to the base of each plant, 6inchs away from the plant in a ring or along the row.

Top dress in two stages in areas with heavy rainfall: the first six weeks after sowing and the second 10-15 days later, or just before tussling.

In areas experiencing low rainfall, topdressing is done only once at a rate of 50–100 kg per acre.

Using Calcigrow and urea for topdressing is good because it fixes nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen increases the green color of the leaves to make food for the plant.

Weeding

Remove weeds mechanically, manually, or by using herbicides to prevent them from competing with the crops for nutrients, water, and light.

First weeding, if done manually, should be done three weeks after planting, depending on the intensity of weeds in the field.

Herbicides can be applied in two phases: pre-emergence, which is used before the maize germinates and weeds appear, and post-emergence, which is applied after the maize and weeds germinate

Weeds can cause over 70% loss in yield thus should be cleared timely and properly. When using selective herbicides, they must be applied before the maize is more than 4 to 6 leaves

IMPORTANT DISEASES,

Maize diseases include, smuts, maize streak, spots and these can be avoided by using resistant hybrid varieties.

IMPORTANT PESTS

Fall Army worm

The pest is polyphagous and destructive. In Uganda, FAW has become the major maize pest, causing heavy damage especially on shoots and growing points.

It can be managed if you apply the correct and efficacious insecticides

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NOTE2

1. The first step to getting maximum yield is ensuring you plant healthy, certified seeds preferably hybrids. See examples listed above
2. You don’t have to wait to see the army worm to apply the insecticide, prevention is the best approach. Scouting for the army worm is however mandatory even after insecticide application
3. Avoid using the same insecticide or fungicide over and over again even if its very effective because this shall cause a buildup of resistance among the insect pest or pathogen respectively over time and the thus the insecticide becomes less effective.
4. Avoid under dosing or over dosing during mixing and application of fungicide. This shall lead to resistance of pathogen to the active ingredient overtime. Observe recommended rates as prescribed by the manufacturer and observe post-harvest intervals.
5. Avoid using strong insecticides or fungicide in the early months of your orchard because you shall need them along the way as the garden grows after the insects or pathogens have built resistance and multiplied.
6. Remember to protect yourself and those you are working with on the farm by wearing protective gear on the whole body. Similarly, ensure that you dispose off used bottles and containers properly to avoid contamination of water bodies and the environment.
7. Incase of further consultation on this subject, check out our online platforms on facebook , youtube and Linkedin or reach our senior agronomist on whatsapp +256 704133983.