How To Start Butternut Squash Farming Business In Nigeria: Your Guide
This is the right time for you as a farmer to invest in butternut squash farming business in Nigeria. If you are looking for a low capital agricultural farming business to invest in, butternut squash farming is your answer. Butternut squash is a member of the gourd family of fruits typically cultivated in tropical regions of the world. The sweet taste of butternut squash makes it possible for you to add them to pies, salads, stew, etc.
Read: How to become a millionaire with cassava farming business in Nigeria
With the numerous health benefits of butternut squash, cultivating it will certainly make you very rich. This butternut squash crop contains varieties of vitamins and minerals. You should know that this crop is not very common in Nigeria at the moment, and very few people know about it. There is no better time to invest in butternut squash farming business in Nigeria than right now. It will interest you to know that presently in Nigeria, people only by butternut squash from shopping malls.
This tells you about the shortage in supply of this vine crop in Nigeria. The very few farmers that are into the cultivation of this crop in Nigeria cannot even meet up with local demand. You can imagine what happens to the supply in the international market. The objective and focus of this article is to provide you with the requisite information about butternut squash farming business. You will be provided with information that will improve your chances of success in this business.
Such information includes answers to questions like:
- When should I plant butternut squash?
- How do you grow butternut squash in a container?
- Is butternut squash easy to grow?
- How do you germinate butternut squash seeds?
The answers to these questions and more will be made available for you in this article.
Why Should You Start Butternut Squash Farming In Nigeria
There are lots of crop farming businesses one can venture into in Nigeria; why invest your money in butternut squash farming? What you have to understand is that butternut squash farming is very cheap to start. It also has the potential to yield huge profits for you. You should know that butternut squash has great market value both in Nigeria and abroad. This means that investing your money in butternut squash farming guarantees you tremendous profits.
See: How to start tiger nut farming business in Nigeria
You just have to pay attention and follow all instructions here in order to succeed in your crop farming business. As a farmer, once you have secured land for this purpose, you only need a very little amount of capital to begin. You should know that butternut squash farming in Nigeria is not capital intensive unlike other crops like beans, cowpea, etc.
The health and nutritious benefits this vine crop cannot also be overemphasized at this point in time. The crop contains very low calories as 100g provides only 45 calories. Butternut squash is a very rich source of dietary fiber and contains no cholesterol or saturated fat. Just a cup of cooked butternut squash provides you with approximately 582mg of potassium; more than what you can get from a banana.
The time of maturation is also what you need to put into consideration as well. Butternut squash can be harvested within three to four months after planting. This means that you will get your returns on investment within a short period of time.
Requirements For Starting Your Butternut Squash Farming Business In Nigeria
-
Good butternut squash farming business plan
For you to excel in your butternut squash farming business, your business plan is very necessary and important as well. Just as you know that every business needs a plan, butternut squash farming is not an exception to this rule. You need this business plan to guide you in the course of your business investment.
Aside from being your guide, your business plan also improves your chances of assessing loans for the business. So, you can see that butternut squash farming business plan is very indispensable to the success of your business.
-
Get good site location
Once you have your business plan and your startup capital, the next step is to select your farm location. Your selected farmland should be well drained with high organic matter. Butternut squash performs very well on soils with the pH range of 6.0-7.5. This simply implies that you don’t just select any farmland; there is the need for you to observe it for the aforementioned indicators.
After you have selected the farmland for your butternut squash farming business, the next step is to clear the land for planting your crops.
Also related: How to start and succeed in garlic farming business in Nigeria
-
Select good butternut squash variety
Your ability to choose a very good variety will impact the productivity level of your crops. Before venturing into butternut squash farming business in Nigeria, you should identify the good varieties for your farm. Some of the well-known breeds include
- Dark green
- Papaya pear, and
- Butter stick
-
Butternut squash planting
There are certain things you need to put into consideration while planting your butternut squash on the farm. You can raise the seeds on a nursery in order to improve growth. It is very important that you transplant on time before the crops get root-bound on the seed trays. The holes to plant the seeds should be about 1-2cm in depth with a spacing of 40cm between crops.
After planting, you should water frequently to slightly dampen the ground in order to quicken seed germination. One acre of butternut squash if properly managed can yield up to 10 tonnes of butternut squash.
-
Pest and diseases
You have to be very careful when it comes to pest and disease prevention and control on your farm. When it comes to butternut squash farming, the most common pest is the fruit fly. The fruit fly can lead to the abortion of butternut flowers on the farm. You can control this pest by making use of water bottles with pheromones which attract the male insects to drop in and drown to death.
Read: How to start earning in millions from walnut farming in Nigeria
The most common disease is the powdery mildew which you can control through good cultural practices.
-
Marketing your farm produce
The butternut squash matures within 3-4 months after planting. Before the crop is due for harvest, you must have contacted potential buyers like the malls and vegetable shops. This will help you to sell your produce almost immediately after harvest.
ATTENTION…
For your well-detailed business plan on butternut squash farming or any other business niche, contact us on +2347037281050. Your business plan will be ready within 2 weeks of your order. Give us a call today, and be glad you actually did.
