One of the options under vegetable production is cabbage farming. Cabbage is produced in over 150 countries. This makes cabbage farming a good business venture both for domestic and export markets. There are many cabbage varieties to choose from; over 400 of them. Cabbage farming business has lucrative returns. Advantages of farming cabbages include: they produce high yields, can adapt to a wide range of climates, high profit margins, and need less chemical inputs as compared to other commercial crops. Many people are making money all over the world by farming cabbages. However, to build a successful, sustainable cabbage farming business, you require sufficient knowledge of how to efficiently grow the cabbages, good business management skills, and a good cabbage farming business plan. This article will outline how to start the cabbage production business, and the cabbage farming business plan – PDF, Word and Excel.
Cabbage farming is a lucrative business, providing income for millions of people, but there are some essential decisions you need to make before you venture into the business. You have to make a decision on how many hectares you want to farm, which type of cabbages you will farm, which season you are going to plant your cabbages, and your target market. These choices will be affected by the amount of capital you have, and the needs & size of your target market. If you do not have a lot of capital, you can always start small and grow your cabbage farming business overtime. You also need to carry out market research (Who are you going to sell the cabbages to? At what price?) and write a cabbage business plan before you venture into the business.
Business Model
Understanding the uses of cabbage helps you know where the money is. The bottom line is there is lots of money to be made from the cabbage farming business. Consider the fact that you can yield between 25 000 to 45 000 heads of cabbages per hectare. The biggest use of cabbages is to make coleslaw – almost half of all cabbages produced. That gives you a hint; selling cabbages to food processors. Second to coleslaw, is selling the fresh cabbages. Some of the uses can be to make salads and to prepare stews. Customers range from individuals, families, to a wide array of food outlets e.g. supermarkets and restaurants. Overall, you can sell your cabbages as individual heads or per kilogram. Even damaged or low grade cabbages can be sold for use as livestock feed.
Land for Cabbage Farming Business
Good cabbage production starts with good land selection. Cabbages can be grown on a wide range of soils but they thrive on well drained, moisture-retentive loamy soils which are well supplied with organic matter. Cabbages do not grow well on highly acidic soil. They are moderately sensitive to soil salinity. Prior to field preparation, soil and water samples should be taken and sent for analysis. The ideal soil pH ranges from 5.5 to 6.5 and it should not be allowed to fall below 4.5. In soils with pH above 6.5, the leaves become dark but leaf margins die back. Plants in saline soils are also highly susceptible to blackleg. Under salt stress, cabbage heads are generally more compact, and leaves are fleshier than under nonsaline conditions. Thus before you start farming cabbages on your farm, its essential that you check whether the soil is suitable for cabbage farming. Cabbage farming also involves extensive ground preparation. The soil needs to be harrowed until completely free of weed roots. Your business plan for cabbage production should take into account the cost of purchasing or renting the land.
Machinery and Equipment
Machinery and equipment which are required for your cabbage farming business will depend on the scale of your operations. Machinery and equipment needed include tractors, harvesters, boom sprayers, fertilizer spreader equipment, irrigation equipment, spray equipment, diggers, ridgers, bins etc. Most farmers usually hire big machinery like tractors when they want to use them, rather than purchasing them as they are expensive. There may also be need of grid hydroelectricity energy for the irrigation systems, standby diesel generators for use during power outages, or solar powered irrigation systems. Farmers especially in the rural areas who do not have the modern farming equipment use animal drawn equipment in cabbage farming. The higher the level of mechanization at your cabbage farm, the higher the efficiency of your operations, and the profitability of your cabbage farming business. The cabbage farming business plan should include the costs of acquiring and hiring the various machinery and equipment.
Farming Inputs
You require various farming inputs when doing cabbage farming. Most importantly you need the cabbage seeds or seedlings. There are several different varieties of cabbage cultivars which are used in different parts of the world. The vary in their shape, texture, pest and disease resistance, colour, yield and days to maturity. Thus before you start your cabbage farming business you have to decide which cabbage cultivar you want to use. That choice will be determined by the availability of the seeds, the yield of the seeds, the resistance to diseases of the cabbage seeds, and your target market.It is important that you purchase your cabbage seeds from certified cabbage seed suppliers. If you buy poor quality cabbage seeds, your cabbages will not grow to their full potential and you will have poor yields. You can start cabbage farming using seeds or seedlings. If you buy seeds you will have plant them in a nursery and then transplant the seedlings into the field after 4 weeks. Alternatively you can buy the seedlings from nurseries and just start by transplanting them into the field. From transplanting to maturity, cabbages take 10-18 weeks, depending on the cultivar and season. You can get a yield of 26 000 to 40 000 cabbages per hectare.
Other farming inputs required for cabbage farming business include herbicides, for effective weed control at your farm. Pesticides and fungicides are required for protecting your cabbages against insects and fungi. Fertilizers are required to support the efficient growth of your cabbages, by providing all the nutrients needed by cabbages to grow to their full potential. The costs of acquiring all these inputs should be included in your cabbage farming business plan.
Pests And Diseases
Pests
Some of the common cabbage pests are worms, maggots, beetles, aphids, moths, and slugs. Most eggs of pests are laid on the underside of the leaves. Regularly inspect your cabbage crop to detect their presence sooner. As much as weed control is essential make sure you do it properly. You must never leave weeds or any sort of debris lying around the cabbage crops. That creates an enabling environment for pests to grow and multiply. Proper drainage is vital in cabbage farming; it helps avoid an environment perfect for pests to thrive.
Pests thrive in humid environments. Your watering approach must not cause excessive splashing of mud onto the leaves. Most eggs of pests are laid on the underside of the leaves. Once a cabbage is now infested with a pest, quickly remove it and destroy it. One infested cabbage plant can be all it takes for the whole crop to get infested. Regular crop inspection is imperative. Do not hesitate to use chemical methods; the earlier is always the better.
Diseases
The most common cabbage diseases are downy mildew, clubroot, black rot, bacterial leaf spot, and blackleg, amongst others. Upon disease emergence there usually is no option but to use chemicals e.g. fungicides. However, there are certain things you can and must do as a matter of principle. You must choose seeds or seedlings of cabbages varieties that have disease resistance. Often time hybrid cabbage varieties possess such qualities. Crop rotation is instrumental in suppressing disease emergence. Always maintain high sanitary standards in your day to day farming activities. Effective weed control is another area that needs rapt attention.
Harvesting And Storage Of Cabbages
When Is Ideal?
Depending on the cabbage variety, cabbages take between 3 and 5 months to mature. Firmness of the cabbage heads is the biggest indicator of maturity. Firmness here suggests that if you try to poke the cabbage head, your finger should not easily get through.
How To Harvest The Cabbage Heads
You can get one or two cabbage heads per plant. If you want just one head you cut the cabbage head off right at the base. Ideally you want to cut at bottom-most part of the stalk. It is best to use a sharp implement; sharp knives typically suffice. If you want two heads, remove the first one whilst leaving some leaves on the plant in situ. Gauge the cabbage head size you want, pluck from inside and leave the outer leaves in place. After some time, another cabbage head will grow and you can harvest it later. You can even repeat the process but the heads will get smaller after every iteration. For large scale cabbage farming businesses, harvesting can be done using machinery – cabbage harvesters.
Storage Of Cabbages
The best storage environment for harvested cabbages must be cool and humid. The most basic is storing them in a cellar-like room. You can place dry dirt on the floor and cover the cabbage heads with paper material. For longevity you must store them whole and without any prior washing. Refrigeration is an option just as long as you place them in plastic bags (zip-top ones if you can find them). With refrigeration, you can effectively store your cabbages for roughly 60 days. If intended storage is for a stretch then freezing can be considered. With freezing, you can store cabbages for roughly 1.5 years.
Farm Workers
When doing cabbage farming business, you will need to hire part time farm workers as and when necessary. The duties which they will do include line marking; sprouting; ploughing; planting; grading and packing; reredging; top dressing; discing ; herbiciding and pesticiding. The part time farm workers will be paid according to the number of days worked. You also require supervisors, farm manager, finance & accounting staff, and logistics staff depending on the scale of your cabbage farming business. The wages and salaries of your workers should be included in your cabbage farming business plan.
Capital for Cabbage Farming Business
The amount of capital required for cabbage farming business depends on the scale of the project. You can get a loan from the bank, or funding from investors, to use as capital to start your cabbage farming business. If you plan to raise capital from investors and a loan from the bank, you need a good cabbage farming business plan. If you don’t have access to investors and bank loan, you can use your personal savings and start small, and grow your business overtime. Cabbage farming is very profitable, so if you reinvest the profits you get, you can quickly grow. Even if you are not planning to get a loan, you should still get a cabbage farming business plan to guide you in starting and operating the business. It is essential for you to have a cabbage farming business plan before you venture into the cabbage farming business, so that you know all the costs involved and you make an informed decision.
Marketing Plan
Storage of cabbages for the long haul can be hectic. That is why it is best to sell them as soon as you harvest. It is wise to start marketing your crop before it reaches maturity. You can notify potential customers via social media. You can also physically go to farm produce markets. Join strategic online marketplaces for farm produce. You can also post on the many online product listing platforms available. Another way is to find a strategic high-traffic spot where you can display your cabbages.
Market
The market for cabbages is very huge and is ever increasing. The annual global demand of cabbages is 75 million tonnes. That’s a lot! You can supply your cabbages to individual households, fruit and vegetable markets, schools, restaurants, hotels, companies, supermarkets, organizations, events etc. The cabbage business plan ought to include a proper marketing plan to use in your cabbage farming business.
Keys To Profitability
Ensure to use sandy loam soils, laden with adequate organic material. Cabbages thrive with adequate moisture – sprinkler or drip irrigation is ideal. Be vigilant with disease and pest control to avoid losses. It is smart to explore cabbage farming during off-season. This will significantly minimize your competition and increase your pricing flexibility. Targeting the export market is also a sure way to tap into more profits.
Pre-Written Cabbage Farming Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel): Comprehensive Version, Short Funding/Bank Loan Version and Automated Financial Statements
For an in-depth analysis of the cabbage farming business, we encourage you to purchase our well-researched and comprehensive cabbage farming business plan. We introduced the business plans after discovering that many were venturing into the cabbage production business without enough knowledge and understanding of how to run the cabbage farming business, how to farm the cabbages, lack of understanding of the financial side of the business, lack of understanding of : the industry, the risks involved , costs and profitability of the business; which often leads to disastrous losses.
The StartupBiz Global cabbage farming business plan will make it easier for you to launch and run your cabbage farming business successfully, fully knowing what you are going into, and what’s needed to succeed in the business. It will be easier to plan and budget as you will be aware of all the costs involved in setting up and running the cabbage business.
Uses of the Cabbage Farming Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
The cabbage business plan can be used for many purposes including:
- Raising capital from investors/friends/relatives
- Applying for a bank loan
- Start-up guide to launch your cabbage farming business
- As a cabbage farming business proposal
- Assessing profitability of the cabbage farming business
- Finding a business partner
- Assessing the initial start-up costs so that you know how much to save
- Manual for current business owners to help in business and strategy formulation
Contents of the Cabbage Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
The cabbage business plan include, but not limited to:
- Marketing Strategy
- Financial Statements (monthly cash flow projections, income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, break even analysis, payback period analysis, start-up costs, financial graphs, revenue and expenses, Bank Loan Amortization)
- Risk Analysis
- Industry Analysis
- Market Analysis
- SWOT & PEST Analysis
- Operational Requirements (Including technical aspects of how to farm the cabbages, fertilizer requirements etc)
- Operational Strategy
- Why some people in cabbage farming business fail, so that you can avoid their mistakes
- Ways to raise capital to start your cabbage farming business
The Pre-written cabbage farming business plan package consists of 4 files
- Cabbage Farming Business Plan – PDF file (Comprehensive Version – 78 Pages)
- Cabbage Farming Business Plan – Editable Word File (Comprehensive Version – 78 Pages)
- Cabbage Farming Business Plan Funding/Bank Loan Version- Editable Word File (Short version for applying for a loan/funding – 42 pages)
- Cabbage Farming Business Plan Automated Financial Statements – (Editable Excel File)
The business plan can be used in any country and can be easily edited. The financial statements are automated. This implies that you can change eg the number of hectares, selling price of the cabbages etc, and all the other financial statements will automatically adjust to reflect the change.
Click below to download the Contents Page of the Cabbage Farming Business Plan (PDF)
Get the Cabbage Farming Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
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We wish you the best in your cabbage farming business! Check out our collection of business plans , and more business ideas.
