How To Start Cassava Farming Business In Nigeria (2024)
In this post, we shall be looking at how to start cassava farming business in Nigeria 2024. Cassava is an important crop in Nigeria seeing that the country is the world’s largest producer of the crop. It serves as a staple food in this part of the world, as well as one of the cash crops through which the country generates revenue in the international market.
Apart from the fact that this farm produce is a major source of food in the country after it is processed to make garri/eba, fufu, starch, etc, which can be eaten with a wide variety of soups in Nigeria, it is also a very important raw material in making other products that are beneficial to man, and animals, and as such, its demand is really high.
Cassava cultivation can be done in many parts of the country that are blessed with adequate rainfall, and for those parts that are not so blessed with rainfall, irrigation can help go a long way in doing this farming business. The crop is very drought tolerant and can grow well even in the north. That said, officially, about 24 of the 36 states in Nigeria produce cassava in abundance either for subsistence or commercial farming purposes.
Many States in the south-east and south-south geopolitical zones in Nigeria such as Anambra, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Delta and Edo are the leading producers of cassava in the country. This crop takes a period of about 6-7 months or more to harvest depending on the variety, and because of that, many people can plant more than once in a year and make great returns on investment.
Cassava farming business in Nigeria is very lucrative but it requires time, energy, resources and patience before returns on investment can be achieved. If you are interested in farming cassava and you need a guide on how to go about it, the information below will give you insight on the various processes involved in doing this business.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO START CASSAVA FARMING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA 2024
The following are the various processes involved in starting cassava farming business in Nigeria this 2024:
MAKE READY THE CAPITAL FOR YOUR CASSAVA FARMING BUSINESS
You will need to make available your capital for this business as is the case with other business ventures. Consider the cost of buying or renting a land, the amount to pay labourers for clearing your land and preparing it for planting your cassava, the cost of your cassava stem cuttings, fertilizers, and other expenses.
FIND A GOOD SITE FOR PLANTING YOUR CASSAVA
For you to do your cassava farming business in Nigeria properly, a good site selection is of utmost importance. You should look for a good land to either buy or rent depending on your financial capability where you can plant your crops unhindered. Cassava does well in a land that has an abundance of loamy soil. The crop needs adequate rainfall and sunlight to thrive so you should do well to find a good place that best fits your business before you proceed.
APPLY MANURE/FERTILIZER TO IMPROVE SOIL FERTILITY
It is very important to improve soil fertility to make the land suitable for cassava farming by adding manure or fertilizer to the soil. Although loamy soil is very good for planting most crops, it is not a bad idea to improve its fertility by applying manure and fertilizer in the right quantities after making good seed beds or ridges on your land in preparation for planting your cassava stems.
GET THE BEST CASSAVA VARIETY TO PLANT
In order to get the best crop yield, you should ensure to find the best cassava variety to plant. Different varieties of cassava exist but you should do a thorough research to know the one that is widely acceptable in your locality so that you don’t run at a loss. You should also know which varieties grow fast, and are resistant to pest and diseases before proceeding to plant.
MAKE HEALTHY CASSAVA STEM CUTTINGS AVAILABLE FOR PLANTING
After identifying the variety of cassava to plant, the next thing to do is to get healthy cassava stem cuttings from the particular variety you have chosen. Healthy stem cuttings can be gotten from trusted markets where they are sold, after which you can keep cultivating and getting healthy stems from your own farm following a bountiful harvest.
PLANT YOUR CASSAVA
Once everything is in place, you can then plant your cassava using the right land tillage method. Consider the time of the year, the seed bed type for planting, the method of preparation, etc before eventually sowing your crops. If you plant your cassava stems while making sure the conditions are favourable, you will reap a bountiful harvest.
HARVESTING YOUR CASSAVA
Cassava is ripe for harvesting when you notice that the leaves have changed colour from green to yellow, and that the leaves have started to fall off from the stem. When harvesting, the stems are first cut off and prepared either for sale or for the next planting season after which you dig the cassava roots out of the ground either for direct sales or for processing into other products such as garri, fufu, starch, bread, etc, which you can also sell.
MARKET YOUR CASSAVA/CASSAVA PRODUCTS
After a successful harvest, the next step is to market your cassava to those in need of them. Ensure to know your target market before setting out to market your farm produce. You can sell the harvested cassava in a large market or you can target large factories in need of cassava as raw material for processing into other finished goods.
