@dayqunlay1 wrote an excellent agro-centric post HERE. This one is equally good. Leaf through it:
In Lagos and many cities all across Africa, there is a steady and continuous demand for vegetables due to the large number of people residing in these places. Farming vegetables in the urban area is often overlooked but it truly creates an amazing business opportunities for farmers and prospective farmers alike. A lot of entrepreneurs are making use of the large demand in the city markets to their advantage by making quick profits through vegetables in the ever growing cities.
One of the cheapest sources of vitamins and essential
minerals to humans is through vegetables. They have always been a common
ingredient for many African stews, soups and sauces.
This article will try to shed more light on the
opportunities that abound in the vegetable business and how you can personally
take an advantage of it, but first let’s consider how vegetables are grouped.
VEGETABLE TYPES
Vegetables can be categorized into three;
- Leafy vegetables: Leafy vegetables are vegetables farmed mainly for their leaves. Examples in this group includes, lettuce, Amarantus (efo in Yoruba), Corchorus (ewedu in Yoruba and Rama Ayoyoin Hausa), water leaf, bitter leaf, Celosa spp. (sokoyokoto in Yoruba) etc
- Fruit vegetables: these are vegetables planted because of their fruits. Examples include tomatoes, garden egg, okra, pepper etc.
- Root/tuber vegetables: These are vegetables that are planted because of their roots. Carrot and onions are examples of root vegetables.
WHY IS THERE AN INCREASE IN
VEGETABLE DEMANDS IN CITIES?
Unlike
cassava, yams and grains which are usually planted more in rural areas and
transferred to the cities for sales, vegetables are regarded as ‘perishables’ as
such, they need to remain fresh to preserve their nutritional value and also
importantly the market value.
As the
population and size of these cities grows, and people migrate from the villages
to the urban centers, farming vegetable in the city were the consumers resides
has become the best alternative.
A report
by UN estimates that Africa’s urban population will treble by 2050. Over the
last decade or so, Africa has had one of the fastest rural-urban migration
rates. Lagos for instance, had less than 80,000 inhabitants in 1940 but today
has more than 13 million people and the growth is expected to continue.
Due to the
absence of good roads and adequate refrigerated storage device in many rural
locations, the vegetable needs of many cities is now being supported by
vegetable farms present in the city. One major advantage of urban vegetable
farming is the ability of farms to provide vegetables all year round due to the
availability of irrigation (wells, pipe-borne water and bore holes). It should
be noted that vegetables command a much higher
price in the dry season.
URBAN VEGETABLE FARMING MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
The
demand for vegetables in many cities is huge and continuous. With the growing
awareness of people to ‘healthy eating’ and a lot of Africans acquiring foreign
tastes (such as coleslaw and salads), the need for vegetables will always be
there.
If
you currently reside in the city, you can make some space in your backyard. Do
you have a piece of fallow and undeveloped land within the city? If you do,
please stop wasting that space and try vegetable farming!
HELPFUL TIPS FOR PROSPECTIVE URBAN VEGETABLE FARMERS
One
major advantage in this business is gaining access to a land with a close
proximity to the city markets. Also, water availability should be considered.
You should ensure you have a close water source and an alternative to rain
(wells, bore holes, pipe-borne water etc.) especially during the dry season so
as to ensure all-year round vegetable farming.
The
income generated from the sales of vegetable in the dry season is usually up to
three times compared to that of the rainy season prices. Thus, farmers should
target more of their products to coincide with this period. The market is
usually flooded with vegetables in the wet season (due to availability of water
through rain and just anyone can farm vegetables during that period), thus
prices tend to be low and this leads to marginal profits.
Vegetables
such as lettuce and other leafy vegetables which require a short period of
growth can be grown in the wet season for immediate returns while waiting for
the dry season.
Selling
your vegetables beyond your farm is another successful strategy you can employ.
Market women and vegetable vendors who buy from farms and sell in the markets earn
up to four times more than the actual vegetable farmers. Gaining direct access
to consumers is important in order to increase your profit potential.
Households,
caterers, supermarkets and restaurants should be targeted as they are usually
willing to do business with you considering you will be supplying them at a
lower price compared to that of the open market.
FEW FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING URBAN VEGETABLE
FARMING
Like
it has been mentioned earlier, closeness to the city is a major advantage in
vegetable farming. However, the land to be used must be a fertile land. Chicken
waste has been proven to be a very good source of manure.
The
topography of the land to be used too should be considered. A land that is steep-sloped
in nature is not ideal for vegetable farm because it can easily be eroded. A
sloppy land will also run off water easily when been irrigated.
You
are also expected to decide the type of vegetables you will be producing. The
trends, popular diets and custom of your targeted city will help you decide
this.
Pests
and nematodes can be a problem on your farm due to continuous farming. Safe and
environment friendly pesticides and nematicides should be applied so as not to
have any residual effects on the consumers.
CONCLUSION
All form of farming is one sure way to revive the
Nigerian economy. Agriculture provides immediate employment opportunities, and
can actually produce millionaires, if given the chance and support needed.
Adeniran Adekunle is an Agriculture graduate and is
the CEO of His- eminence farms. He’s a farmer and agroconsultant.
@dayqunlay1
