what is happening to cocoa farming now, is it still in the hand of aged villagers, if yes, why? pls comments, I want to know why no body is talking cocoa here.

noblefarm:
what is happening to cocoa farming now, is it still in the hand of aged villagers, if yes, why? pls comments, I want to know why no body is talking cocoa here.

Cocoa takes quite some years to yield harvest except maybe newer breeds I'm not aware of. It's also a very sensitive plant. Rain, sunshine, cool weather, soil type, all have to be just right. Otherwise they die, blackpod fungus ruin it, underyield etc.

Village grandpas are perhaps those left with the patience and passion for cocoa. Who can commit acres of excellent land, weed and maybe even pump with chemical for some years without harvest.

Younger ones can make more money if they apply similar effort growing other plants. Don't forget the price fluctuations too. Any year there's bountiful harvest in Ghana & Ivory coast, Brazil, prices plunge.

So cash crop prices can be unpredictable, it depends on international markets. Cocoa is a "supercash crop" because unlike oil palm or cashew that can give you palm oil/edible fruit before you sell the kernel/seeds as cash, cocoa is entirely cash crop.

And unlike cassava, maize, plantain that you can sell in markets all over 9ja and are consumed widely on daily basis.

But Cocoa is a wonderful plant. You can use the fresh young leaves as efor (best soup for amala I have ever tasted), young sprouting pods as okro, the burnt waste pods to make native soap, dead trunk is excellent fuel. Very versatile plant I tell you.

AreaFada2:


Cocoa takes quite some years to yield harvest except maybe newer breeds I'm not aware of. It's also a very sensitive plant. Rain, sunshine, cool weather, soil type, all have to be just right. Otherwise they die, blackpod fungus ruin it, underyield etc.

Village grandpas are perhaps those left with the patience and passion for cocoa. Who can commit acres of excellent land, weed and maybe even pump with chemical for some years without harvest.

Younger ones can make more money if they apply similar effort growing other plants. Don't forget the price fluctuations too. Any year there's bountiful harvest in Ghana & Ivory coast, Brazil, prices plunge.

So cash crop prices can be unpredictable, it depends on international markets. Cocoa is a "supercash crop" because unlike oil palm or cashew that can give you palm oil/edible fruit before you sell the kernel/seeds as cash, cocoa is entirely cash crop.

And unlike cassava, maize, plantain that you can sell in markets all over 9ja and are consumed widely on daily basis.

But Cocoa is a wonderful plant. You can use the fresh young leaves as efor (best soup for amala I have ever tasted), young sprouting pods as okro, the burnt waste pods to make native soap, dead trunk is excellent fuel. Very versatile plant I tell you.

Nice.... @Areafada... you know so much about cocoa, is that what you do?

olayemifisayo:


Nice.... @Areafada... you know so much about cocoa, is that what you do?

No but I remember going to grandpa's farms during long holiday those day to help pump cocoa against blackpod disease and harvest it sometimes. Those days in Edo State, popular antifungals were Didimac 25, Gamalin 20, Copper sulphate, Perenox. Excellent medicines then. Pretty much like in neighbouring Ondo State. No, am only involved in poultry n plantain for now. Like I said, one needs to really have time to dedicate to cocoa.

AreaFada2:
No but I remember going to grandpa's farms during long holiday those day to help pump cocoa against blackpod disease and harvest it sometimes. Those days in Edo State, popular antifungals were Didimac 25, Gamalin 20, Copper sulphate, Perenox. Excellent medicines then. Pretty much like in neighbouring Ondo State. No, am only involved in poultry n plantain for now. Like I said, one needs to really have time to dedicate to cocoa.

Come and invest in plantatain in Ogun state

Pleases I need someone to enlighten me more on cocoa plantain and casava farming and business aspect of it .

For your Business plan, Seedlings and Plantation establishment on Plantain, Cocoa, Citrus, Cashew and Oil palm. Kindly contact SKILL CONSULT on 08123916545

AreaFada2:
No but I remember going to grandpa's farms during long holiday those day to help pump cocoa against blackpod disease and harvest it sometimes. Those days in Edo State, popular antifungals were Didimac 25, Gamalin 20, Copper sulphate, Perenox. Excellent medicines then. Pretty much like in neighbouring Ondo State. No, am only involved in poultry n plantain for now. Like I said, one needs to really have time to dedicate to cocoa.

Hello could pls tell me more about plaintain plantation
I have 4acers of land in delta asaba,2 each in diffrent places
I have about 20 thousand pounds to invest,
Could you give me ur experiences as a plaintain farmer
Every single detail and cost break down please

Thanks

Stephendinma:


Hello could pls tell me more about plaintain plantation
I have 4acers of land in delta asaba,2 each in diffrent places
I have about 20 thousand pounds to invest,
Could you give me ur experiences as a plaintain farmer
Every single detail and cost break down please

Thanks

Dude plantain farming is fairly easy. Especially if you can monitor it yourself. Soil in many parts of Delta is likely to retain moisture even in dry season, so good for plantain. From my little experience, it is best to farm it on forest land, more nutrients. But clearing costs more money. So most now use bushland.

Ensure good soil. Clear bush & get good quality suckers and plant by May latest. Though many plant even in August or later even.
Space ideally 3m x 2 (IITA standard) or 2.5m x 2.5m. Some do 3 x 3m if inter-cropping. Depending on spacing an acre should take about 650 suckers. Although some squeeze in up to 1000 suckers.
Check for bad suckers and replace by around July (when it will be evident they are not growing well).

Control weed. Mellon can be used to do that partly. We have used both weedicide & manual weeding.
Keep an eye on disease.
We have never used fertilisers.

Never used irrigation. But I think it would be really helpful around January/February, but for the costs/logistics.

Heavy winds can be a challenge at times.

Harvest is modest in first year. Year 2 is the real deal.

Bump

....

Cocoa farming is very beautiful; it is an agribusiness you can harvest money from all the days of your life.

Although it is capital intensive; but there are ways you can raise cocoa farm with ease when you follow the steps laid down on this post....

http://www.enibest.com.ng/cocoa-farming/

Any update on new variety of cocoa

All I know is that if u have to sell in metric tonnes, let me know..customers yapa
1. Maize
2. Soybean
3. Sesame seed
4.cocoa
5. Sorghum
6. Palm Kernel
7. Rice Paddy
8. Cassava
9. Hibiscus
10. Cashew

U also want to buy..DM me now
Baban Trading got u covered