Read this before growing tomatoes

Tomato production can be highly profitable, but you need to choose your tomato type and cultivar with care, says Bill Kerr.

- Bill Kerr

Tomatoes, like potatoes, can offer the farmer handsome rewards. But production costs can be high, and there is no guarantee of covering them in a free market where prices can fluctuate greatly. I know a fairly large tomato farmer who was doing very well. Then, for three consecutive years his expenses exceeded his income, and he was forced to sell his farm. If he could have been in production for the fourth year, he would have made a big profit, but the bank would no longer support him.

One of the main input costs is the seed itself. Open-pollinated varieties are very cheap, but are not viable.

Hybrid seed, in contrast, is substantially more expensive but well worth the price, as you are assured of far better disease resistance, a higher yield, firmer fruit, longer shelf life, and a higher grading. Dedicated plant breeders in South Africa and across the world are constantly striving to make this crop more profitable for the farmer.

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