How To Start Coconut Plantation Business In Nigeria: Detailed Guide

Coconut plantation value chain has remain grossly untapped in Nigeria, you must note that.  You should know that there is a booming global demand for coconut oil, water, and other by-products. Mr. Sani Dangote, once the chairman of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) said that Nigeria was losing approximately $1 billion every year from the untapped coconut plantation business.

See: How to rake millions from castor seed farming in Nigeria

You can see the vast opportunity that is laying waste in coconut plantation business in Nigeria. It will interest you to know that cash crops like coconut have been building millionaires. Just by hugely investing in coconut plantation farming business, Nigeria can make over $2.5 billion on a yearly basis.

It will also interest you to know what Ojefoh Enahoro Martins who was once the deputy managing director of Peniel Gerar International Limited said. He said that the potential in coconut plantation farming business is huge. Do you know that the export market for the product is on the increase every day?

The objective of this article is to tell you the opportunity in the coconut plantation farming business in Nigeria. In this article, you are also going to be exposed to reliable information regarding:

• How to start coconut plantation in Nigeria
• Coconut market in Nigeria
• Dwarf coconut in Nigeria
• Dwarf coconut tree in Nigeria
• Price of coconut in Nigeria, and
• Origin of coconut

Why You Should Invest In Coconut Plantation In Nigeria

The major reason you should consider investing in coconut plantation is the huge opportunities in the value chain of this cash crop. These opportunities include:

• Coconut oil

This oil is seen by many experts as the healthiest oil for human consumption. The coconut oil is a huge money-making opportunity for coconut farmers in Nigeria. The coconut oil is used for many purposes that will surprise you. They include; improving hair quality and strength, serve as wood polish, and helps improve the cholesterol level of humans.

• Coconut water

You should know that the coconut water contains electrolytes and is enriched with abundant of minerals. These minerals include; potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. This is another reason you should consider investing in a coconut plantation business in Nigeria. The water also contains fewer amounts of calories.

• Coconut meat

It is the thick white lining covering the inside of a mature coconut shell. This coconut meat is enriched with vitamins A and E, polyphenols, and phytosterols that work together to help reduce the level of LDL cholesterol in humans. There are many ways to consume coconut meat. You can eat it raw, toasted, or cooked, combine it with smoothies, use it in the production of ice cream, or combine it with other fresh fruits.

• Coconut flour

This is another enticing reason why you should invest in coconut plantation today, rather than tomorrow. The coconut flour can serve as a substitute to other flours in food recipes. Just two tablespoons of coconut flour give you 5 grams of fiber. For people with wheat allergies, gluten sensitivity, and celiac disease, coconut flour contains no grain and gluten.

In order to make this coconut flour, you must have to separate the coconut meat from the milk so as to produce a dry flour.

• Coconut milk

The coconut milk is a combination of coconut meat with water in order to create a very creamy texture that is similar to cow milk. The milk is lactose and of great health benefits.

The above mentioned great opportunities in coconut plantation make it a very profitable agribusiness investment in Nigeria for you. You really need to pay attention to the great money making opportunities that exist in coconut plantation business in Nigeria.

Varieties of coconut in Nigeria

Before you venture into coconut plantation business in Nigeria, you are advised to look into the different varieties of coconut so that you can make an informed choice. You should know that there are two main subgroups of coconut palms. These subgroups are;

• Tall and
• Dwarf coconut palms

For commercial coconut plantation business, you should make sure to use very high yielding variety to increase productivity.

Also Read: How to start highly profitable palm tree plantation in Nigeria

Genetically improved coconut varieties

The make the coconut plantation farming business in Nigeria more enticing for you, there are genetically engineered varieties that will guarantee you between 100-250 coconuts per tree per year. This leads to the production of up to 17,000 coconuts per acre. With these genetically modified coconuts in your coconut plantation, you are sure of approximately 500 million liters of coconut water, 200 coconuts per tree, and about 60% of coconut oil production.

You should pay the Nigeria Seed Council a visit to know the requirements for accessing these genetically improved coconut varieties.

With the genetically modified varieties, you are certain to have a bountiful harvest from your coconut plantation farming business in Nigeria. For nuts and coconut oil, the Western Tall and Tall X Dwarf are the best choices for your coconut plantation farm in Nigeria.

How To Cultivate Your Coconut Plantation In Nigeria

Here is a laid down guideline on how to cultivate your coconut plantation in Nigeria so that you ensure maximum productivity of your coconut farm. Below are the requirements you need before you start your coconut plantation business in Nigeria.

1. Coconut Plantation Business Plan

Before starting your coconut plantation, it is highly recommended that you have a well-detailed business plan. With your business plan, you can fully understand all that there is in coconut plantation business in Nigeria. Through the market survey you carried out in your business plan, you will greatly understand the coconut market in Nigeria and how to succeed in it.

Aside from helping you understand the coconut market in Nigeria and other vital things that you really need to know about coconut plantation, your business plan comes in handy in many ways. With your coconut plantation business plan, you can attract investors to your coconut farm in Nigeria. It also gives you an edge while applying for loans from the government or other private financial institutions in Nigeria.

Related: 2019 government loans for agriculture in Nigeria

2. Farmland Selection And Preparation

Now that you have your coconut plantation business plan and your startup capital, the next requirement for you is farmland selection and preparation. You should make sure that the farmland you have selected is properly cleared. The compacted soil must be plowed and all stumps in your farm removed to ensure adequate drainage.

It is recommended that you fence your farmland borders, with good access roads, irrigation systems, and other important infrastructure that ensures maximum growth and development of your coconut plantation.

3. The Soil Requirement

Experts say that the ideal soil conditions that guarantee improved growth and performance of your coconut palms are well-drained soil that is between 50-100cm in depth and good water holding capacity. You can also grow your coconut under different soil types like the lateritic, coastal sandy, alluvial, loamy, etc

4. Coconut Planting Season

You should know that coconut palm is largely dependent on the availability of water, so your planting should be carried out at the onset of the rainy season. You are advised to use seedlings grown and nurtured in a nursery for your coconut propagation. Your coconut seedlings should be between 8-10 months old before you transplant them to the permanent coconut plantation farmland.

Once you take your coconut seedlings out of the nursery, it is highly recommended that you transplant them within 3 days in order to avoid the death of your coconut seedlings.

5. Coconut Spacing

For the spacing of your coconut in your coconut plantation, it is recommended that you plant not more than 70 coconut palms in one acre of land in West Africa. A spacing of 7.5 by 7.5 meters will comfortably take in 178 coconut palms in one hectare. You should consider the square system of planting as it is the most preferred.

There are three major coconut planting space patterns that you can select from. You are advised to have all the needed information on the different coconut planting space patterns before you select any of them. These planting space patterns for your coconut plantation include;

• The square pattern
• Triangular pattern, and
• The Single Hedge pattern.

6. Fertilizer Application

For you to ensure optimal growth and development of your coconut seedlings, place the seedlings in the already dug holes backfilling them with topsoil that is mixed with 30g NPK fertilizer. Ensure you handle the seedlings carefully to avoid damaging the sprout. You are highly advised to start irrigation once the planting is over.

As your coconut seedlings grow in your coconut plantation, make sure you backfill soil to the surrounding soil level. According to the Coconut Development Board, a mature coconut palm requires on the average between 600-800 liters of water once in every 4-7 days. It will interest you to know that during the dry season, the death of transplanted coconut seedlings is on a high, there is the shedding of young nuts, the inability of young fronds to open, and the drying and hanging down of older fronds.

You are seriously advised to have a very good irrigation system during this period if you wish to have a bountiful coconut plantation harvest.

7. Coconut Pests And Diseases

You should know that the major pests that attack coconut palms include; Rhinoceros beetle, the coconut eriophyid mite, red palm mite, the red palm weevil, the leaf-eating caterpillar, the scale insect, and the coconut mealybug. There are available pesticides in the market that you can use to control the incidence of these pests in your coconut plantation in Nigeria.

For the diseases of coconut, they include the red ring disease, bud rot, and the lethal yellowing.

8. Harvesting Your Coconut

If you made use of the genetically improved coconut seedlings, you certainly will start harvesting from the fourth year of planting. You harvest the mature nuts immediately you start noticing that at least one of the nuts in the oldest bunch is drying up. Mature nuts are also easy to identify by the brown coloration of their epicarp.

You should know that there are two major methods of harvesting coconut. Though each has its own advantages and disadvantages, these methods are:

• The climbing method, and
• The pole method

9. Coconut Demand And Supply Trends In Nigeria

As stated earlier in this article, there is a high demand for coconut in Nigeria and the world at large. Coconut is a major raw material for industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, beverage, and cosmetics. The coconut market in Nigeria is filled with great opportunity for the cultivation, processing, and sales of coconut.

Coconut is used in the production of fruit drinks in Nigeria like; Chivita, Chi-exotic, etc.

ATTENTION…

Contact us on +2347037281050 for your well-detailed business plan on a coconut plantation in Nigeria or any other business niche of your choice. Once you have placed an order, your business plan will be made available just within 2 weeks. Make that call today.

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