How To Start Garden Egg Farming In Nigeria: Your Complete Guide
Garden egg farming in Nigeria has taken a great turn towards commercial production for economic purposes. You need to know that virtually all ethnic groups in Nigeria consume garden egg, thus making garden egg farming very profitable. The name is either eggplant or garden egg as they come in different varieties and forms. The green and white varieties are only differentiated by the presence of chlorophyll in the green variety.
See: How to start a vegetable farming business in Nigeria
The green variety is more beneficial to the liver while the white eggplant is more easily digestible. You can decide to consume garden egg raw or cook it as a sauce for eating yam. Try eating a garden egg with pepper mixed with blended groundnut, the feeling is out of this world. The garden egg is very rich in vitamins and therefore good for your health as well. The purpose of this article is to is to equip you with the requisite information to succeed in garden egg farming business in Nigeria. In this article, you will get information regarding the following:
- Nigerian garden egg
- Garden egg seeds
- Species of garden egg
- Cultural practices of garden egg
The above information only tells you that this article is packed with important information to help your garden egg farming business. The name garden egg is as a result of the shape of this very profitable and lucrative vegetable.
Why You Should Start Garden Egg Farming In Nigeria
The profitability of garden egg farming business is very high, and you can more than 50% returns on investment. There is also a high demand for Nigerian garden egg as it is consumed by all the ethnic groups in the country. The health benefits are also numerous and the time of maturity is very short. This means that you can get the returns on your investment.
Guidelines To Starting Your Garden Egg Farming Business In Nigeria
Below are the important guidelines that will improve your chances of succeeding in garden egg farming business in Nigeria.
Read: How to start a profitable cabbage farming business: A complete guide
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Well-detailed garden egg farming business plan
Gone are the days when garden egg farming is limited to just subsistence cultivation. The increasing rate of consumption has made it very necessary for commercial garden egg farming in Nigeria. There is no way you can succeed in commercial garden egg production without your business plan. Your business plan is like a roadmap that you will use to achieve your goals in the business. You will be operating your business blind if you fail to put up a business plan to drive your business.
The business plan also helps you to access loans from both government and private institutions for your garden egg farming business. It is quite obvious that your business plan is an indispensable part of your garden egg production business in Nigeria.
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Site selection and preparation
After you have made available your business plan and the capital for your garden egg farming business, the next thing is to choose your farming site. When selecting your farmland, it is advisable that you go for sandy loam soil as it has proven to be best suited for garden egg farming business. Once you have selected your farm site, proceed to clear it of all tree stumps and debris. You can also mix organic manure with the soil in preparation for planting your garden egg.
The use of tractor is important for commercial garden egg production in Nigeria. You need to be careful not to completely displace the topsoil. It is important that you did not till the ground lower than 20cm.
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Planting your garden egg
When starting garden egg farming business, it is very important that you select good species of garden egg. The species of garden egg that you cultivate in your farm will greatly impact your harvest. So, before you decide on the species of garden egg to plant, make sure you have done your due diligence. You can decide to plant your garden egg directly onto the farmland or you can nurture them in a nursery.
Also Read: How to start ugu farming business in Nigeria
When planting your garden egg, it is advisable that you do it in the morning period. You plant two garden egg seeds in a hole or just spread them on the farmland and thin later on. If you are nurturing them on the nursery first, still plant two garden egg seeds in a hole on the nursery tray. Before you transplant the Nigerian garden egg seedling from the nursery to the farm site, it should have developed 2-3 seed leaves. On the farmland, you should make use of 90cm by 90cm spacing between the ridge beds.
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Fertilizer application
For optimal growth and development of the Nigerian garden egg on your farm, there is a need for quality fertilizer application. You can apply 400g of potassium nitrate on one hectare of land.
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Mulching and weeding
Mulching helps in the conservation of soil moisture for your garden egg farm plantation. You can make of grasses or straw to cover the surface of the soil. This mulching prevents the growth of weeds and reducing the direct intensity of sunlight and rainfall on the garden egg seedlings. You need to carry out proper weeding of the garden egg farm in order to allow good and proper development of the garden eggs. When applying herbicides, you need to be careful not to damage the garden eggs.
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Harvesting your garden egg
The Nigerian garden egg starts flowering within 6-8 weeks after transplanting. You can harvest your garden egg after about 2-3 months after planting depending on the species of garden egg. Harvesting your garden egg can be done in the morning once they have reached marketable size. You should not pull the garden egg with your hand while harvesting as it can damage the stem. While harvesting, you should be careful not damage the garden egg by abrasion, compression or puncturing.
The average yield per hectare of garden egg is between 30-40 tonnes.
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Marketing your garden egg
The good thing about garden egg farming business in Nigeria is that it is consumed all around the country. You can sell wholesale to vegetable sellers in the market.
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