WhatsAppThis page is for farmers deciding whether a full acre of Dasheen nduma is worth the cash outlay. Figures use our live sucker price and standard spacing. Other costs are indicative - confirm labour and water in your county.
1. Planting material (the fixed starting bill)
At 50 cm × 40 cm, plan about 20,000 Suckers per acre. At Ksh 10 per sucker:
| Item | Calc | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Dasheen suckers/seedlings | 20,000 × Ksh 10 | Ksh 200,000 |
Source suckers from our acre packages or shop. Smaller plots scale down linearly (e.g. 5,000 suckers = Ksh 50,000).
2. Other establishment costs (indicative)
| Cost item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Land prep & holes (20–30 cm) | Hole quality drives tuber quality |
| Goat / cow manure | 500 g well-decomposed manure per hole + top-up at 2 weeks |
| Mulch (grass) | Cuts water loss |
| Irrigation (6+ months) | Critical - weak water can erase ~30% of yield |
| Labour & weeding | Weed-free fields protect suckers |
Use goat or cow manure only for serious bulking. Chicken and pig manure suit vegetables better and give poor tuber returns on arrowroots. Full method: Dasheen farming guide.
3. What drives profit after planting
- Water discipline - about 30% of potential yield disappears with insufficient irrigation.
- Maturity patience - harvest only after full 6–8 months; the last two months harden tubers for cooking and sale.
- Buyer fit - Dasheen’s ~0.5 kg tubers suit large-scale buyers.
- Clean start - rot-resistant variety still fails if water sits and suckers were weak.
We sell suckers/seedlings only. Your harvest revenue depends on your market (local, hotel, or trader). We do not publish fake “guaranteed million” returns.