Post by Trade facilitator on May 9, 2022 12:12:11 GMT 1
Melon is one of the commonest crops that Nigerians are used to when it comes to crops to be used in preparing soups, and numerous other traditional dishes.
Almost all tribes in Nigeria use melon to cook soup and prepare other traditional dishes.
But one funny thing many people in Nigeria are not aware of is that most of the melons you consume in Nigeria today are imported from neighboring West African countries.
The very day an importer of Melon and Ogbono told me that she was expecting her cargo from the neighboring country I was shocked and took some time to understand her.
But I have found out that this is true. What our farmers produce in the country is not enough for our citizens; therefore we have to import in order to augment what we are producing.
In this article we are going to follow a step-by-step guide of how to start and profit from Egusi farming in Nigeria.
I can authoritatively tell you that melon farming in Nigeria today is a very lucrative business because of the scarcity of the product in the market; therefore if you are a farmer you can make a lot of money by farming egusi without much stress.
But unfortunately in Nigeria today a lot of people do not bother to engage in this type of business, it is neglected for a reason I am yet to understand.
A lot of farmers are concentrating on watermelon but running away from Egusi that is a gold mine.
Because of this, even those that venture into the business do so on subsistence basis or just for personal use. But you have not asked yourself where the ones that majority of Nigerians eat come from.
How do you get your inputs to start melon farming?
You need to get the egusi seeds which are gotten from melon pods that have matured and have been harvested.
The planting of melon is not different from the way other crops like watermelon or maize is planted.
You can plant your egusi in nursery system but some people prefer planting the seeds direct into the field because it can be fragile and can sustain injury and result to shock and eventually can lead to death of the crop or it can cause low growth.
Land preparation:
Any time we are discussing planting of crops we always try to look at the land preparation first as this is very important, it is the first thing to consider because if you get it wrong here you have missed it.
Get the site that is suitable for planting the crop, clear it of rubbish and unneeded plants and till the soil. If the land is hard make ridges and beds.
Ridges and beds will enable you to use soil that has been loosened for the planting.
The best soil to use as usual is sandy- loamy soil rich in organic matters. If you feel that the soil still needs some additional manure you can add manure two (2) weeks before the planting.
You should never plant on waterlogged areas because the plant will not survive.
Pesticide treatment:
Treating the soil with pesticide two days before planting is very important.
Egusi plant needs at least pH of 6.0 to 7.00 to do well.
Method of plantation:
Make a hole of 2 cm deep and drop two to three seeds and cover lightly with soil.
Give a space 2 cm by 2 cm.
The good thing is that you can inter- plant melon with cassava, be sure to plant the cassava first; with this you can avoid overcrowding.
Note: keep the soil area free of Egusi seeds to avoid rodents, birds and other reptiles from visiting. They can dig up the seeds and eat them up.
Do not plant watermelon there too. If you plant the two together it can result into cross-pollination making you have bitter watermelon as they are of the same family.
Time to plant melon:
Your Egusi can be planted during the early rains, March-May is alright. It does not need too much water to do well, don't plant melon under a canopy, and plant it in an open field.
Use dried and matured seeds only, do not soak the seeds overnight in water, melon germinates quickly on its own within 3 to 4 days.
Thin your crops after 10 days of germination, if you are using nursery transfer to the main field after 10 days of germination.
Thinning of plants means removal of some parts of the plants or whole plant to make room for others to grow well.
Stay with us for more.
Our company is one of the best companies in Agro-Export Business in Nigeria today, we train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
Almost all tribes in Nigeria use melon to cook soup and prepare other traditional dishes.
But one funny thing many people in Nigeria are not aware of is that most of the melons you consume in Nigeria today are imported from neighboring West African countries.
The very day an importer of Melon and Ogbono told me that she was expecting her cargo from the neighboring country I was shocked and took some time to understand her.
But I have found out that this is true. What our farmers produce in the country is not enough for our citizens; therefore we have to import in order to augment what we are producing.
In this article we are going to follow a step-by-step guide of how to start and profit from Egusi farming in Nigeria.
I can authoritatively tell you that melon farming in Nigeria today is a very lucrative business because of the scarcity of the product in the market; therefore if you are a farmer you can make a lot of money by farming egusi without much stress.
But unfortunately in Nigeria today a lot of people do not bother to engage in this type of business, it is neglected for a reason I am yet to understand.
A lot of farmers are concentrating on watermelon but running away from Egusi that is a gold mine.
Because of this, even those that venture into the business do so on subsistence basis or just for personal use. But you have not asked yourself where the ones that majority of Nigerians eat come from.
How do you get your inputs to start melon farming?
You need to get the egusi seeds which are gotten from melon pods that have matured and have been harvested.
The planting of melon is not different from the way other crops like watermelon or maize is planted.
You can plant your egusi in nursery system but some people prefer planting the seeds direct into the field because it can be fragile and can sustain injury and result to shock and eventually can lead to death of the crop or it can cause low growth.
Land preparation:
Any time we are discussing planting of crops we always try to look at the land preparation first as this is very important, it is the first thing to consider because if you get it wrong here you have missed it.
Get the site that is suitable for planting the crop, clear it of rubbish and unneeded plants and till the soil. If the land is hard make ridges and beds.
Ridges and beds will enable you to use soil that has been loosened for the planting.
The best soil to use as usual is sandy- loamy soil rich in organic matters. If you feel that the soil still needs some additional manure you can add manure two (2) weeks before the planting.
You should never plant on waterlogged areas because the plant will not survive.
Pesticide treatment:
Treating the soil with pesticide two days before planting is very important.
Egusi plant needs at least pH of 6.0 to 7.00 to do well.
Method of plantation:
Make a hole of 2 cm deep and drop two to three seeds and cover lightly with soil.
Give a space 2 cm by 2 cm.
The good thing is that you can inter- plant melon with cassava, be sure to plant the cassava first; with this you can avoid overcrowding.
Note: keep the soil area free of Egusi seeds to avoid rodents, birds and other reptiles from visiting. They can dig up the seeds and eat them up.
Do not plant watermelon there too. If you plant the two together it can result into cross-pollination making you have bitter watermelon as they are of the same family.
Time to plant melon:
Your Egusi can be planted during the early rains, March-May is alright. It does not need too much water to do well, don't plant melon under a canopy, and plant it in an open field.
Use dried and matured seeds only, do not soak the seeds overnight in water, melon germinates quickly on its own within 3 to 4 days.
Thin your crops after 10 days of germination, if you are using nursery transfer to the main field after 10 days of germination.
Thinning of plants means removal of some parts of the plants or whole plant to make room for others to grow well.
Stay with us for more.
Our company is one of the best companies in Agro-Export Business in Nigeria today, we train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
