Case studies

Case study: a six-month tunnel tomato cycle, from funding to payout

3 September 2026 6 min read

Farmer and investor reviewing yield figures on a tablet beside crates of vegetables

This is a composite of tunnel tomato cycles run on FarmInvest-managed land, with the figures rounded. It is written to show the shape of a cycle rather than to promise a number, because every cycle prices differently.

The setup

Two tunnels, one hectare under cover, drip irrigation from a borehole with a diesel backup pump. Funding required before nursery stage. Investors were shown the input budget, the planting and picking calendar, the deductions and the profit split before any money moved.

Working capital raised: R220 000 across three investors
Funds held through conveyancing and released at four milestones
Agronomist visits scheduled at transplant, first truss, mid-season and pre-harvest

What went right

Transplanting happened inside the planned window, the feeding programme was followed to schedule and photographed weekly, and rejection at grading stayed under 8% because trusses were picked at colour rather than by the calendar.

What went wrong

In week five of picking, market prices dropped sharply on a national glut. Instead of dumping volume at that price, picking was slowed on the later tunnel and part of the crop was sold to two local retailers and a school feeding contract at a fixed price. That decision recovered most, but not all, of the shortfall.

The outcome

Gross sales came in about 9% under budget, deductions came in as budgeted, and the distributable profit was roughly R190 000 against a budget of R210 000. Investors received their share about three weeks after the last pick, with a statement showing every deduction. Two of the three reinvested into the next cycle.

The lesson for investors

The cycle that earns money is not the one with the best brochure — it is the one where somebody can change the selling plan mid-season because they have accurate daily records. Ask any farming project you are offered how they would handle a bad price week. If there is no answer, that is your answer.

Ready for the next step?

Farming and investing both go better with clear numbers. Start where it suits you.

Track a proposal in the investor portal Contact us