Do your homework before starting tomato production.

Do your homework before starting tomato production.Producing tomatoes is expensive and can make or break a farmer. If you plan to grow this crop, first do your homework and investigate its economic viability. Establishing a packing facility or refurbishing a shed to accommodate the necessary cleaning, grading and packing equipment can be very expensive. Other major costs include the poles and wire or twine needed to support the plants, as well as the price of seed, irrigation infrastructure, fertiliser and crop chemicals. In other words, you have to reach deep into your pocket before there is even a hint of profit.Then there’s the choice of tomato variety that best suits your purposes. There are two main kinds of tomatoes according to growth type: determinate and indeterminate. Indeterminate These varieties continue growing until restricted. Although they generally produce a higher yield, they are more expensive to cultivate than determinate varieties are. The stakes or poles must be higher and will need more string or wire. You need more labour to train up the plants and for pruning. The crop must be irrigated for longer. Harvesting also continues for a longer period, but this might suit some.