[size=18pt]Nigeria: Investing in potato farming[/size]


The developed nations are called so because of their ability to be self-reliant. The underdeveloped nations are called so because they are not self-reliant. You have hunger, malnourishment, unemployment, undernourishment, diseases and poverty prevalent in the underdeveloped nations.

To eliminate these undesirable traits in us, we must fight hunger, poverty and diseases. One of the ways of fighting these is by developing our Agricultural base. We must, as a matter of policy, produce enough food to feed ourselves. We must be able to export to earn enough foreign exchange and do a lot of other things. This is the essence of this article.

Investment justification

Potato ranks fourth as one of the important crops in the world, yielding over N80 billion for the World annually. Potato is very rich in essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements. It has high quality protein equivalent to that of yam. The average amount to potato protein required for maintenance of Nitrogen balance in adults is similar to the amount in an egg.

In this regard, production of potato will contribute immensely to our health care delivery system. This project will definitely increase the number of menus available in various homes. It has been known that varieties of food available to us in this part of the World are very limited. Thus, this is one of the steps to reverse this trend.

The price of food items will definitely go down.

This is because potato is a substitute to yam. Production of more potato will reduce demand for yam. This will eventually lead to fall in the price of yam.The land requirement for potato is very small. The problem of land procurement is therefore minimal.

Export market for potato is also abundant. It has been discovered that 80 percent of Nitrogen requirement for baby can be obtained from potato. 100 grams of Potato can supply 13 percent of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily allowance of protein for children and up to seven per cent of allowance of adult.

Potato has a well-balanced protein-to-calorie ratio. If you eat enough potato to supply a significant amount of energy, a significant quantity of protein will also be provided. It can be processed into chips, flakes, starch and other forms. Potato can grow well in Nigeria. The seeds are also available on request.

In this vein, the project is technically feasible. In view of the social and economic benefits stated above, this project is recommended for the consideration of Nigerians.

Production technology

To establish a potato farm, we need a well-drained land. Cultivation process includes land clearing and preparation, procurement of seeds, planting, herbicide application, weeding, cultural practices and harvesting. Maturity is within six months.

Profitability

A well maintained potato farm would yield 10 tonnes per hectare. We therefore envisage 50 tonnes from five hectares. A tonne of potato sells for a minimum of N100, 000. Total revenue of about N5 million is expected from this small venture. Investors can be assisted in terms of preparation of feasibility report, procurement of seeds and other management services as related to this project by the author.


[size=18pt]Some food for thought for the discerning Investor.[/size]

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Assuming there is no oil buried deep down in the soil,where do we get the water?

When its planted and done,how do I control the cursed cows and other predators?

Is there any bank willing to give me the much needed loan?How do i get the herbicides,fertilizers and seedlings?

I'm not making excuses,but we need to start from the scratch,put so many things in place.Btwn,this thread wud make more sense at the business section.

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Assuming there is no oil buried deep down in the soil,where do we get the water?

When its planted and done,how do I control the cursed cows and other predators?

Is there any bank willing to give me the much needed loan?How do i get the herbicides,fertilizers and seedlings?

I'm not making excuses,but we need to start from the scratch,put so many things in place.Btwn,this thread wud make more sense at the business section.

250 members of the house of assembly would be getting $250 million dollars severance pay within the next 4 weeks, some of them might be wondering of what to do with all that cash hence why I posted this article in the Politics Section. The good thing about potatoe farming is you don't have to be a money bag to get started. As you can see from the article a paltry sum of about N3 million and you are in business. There is no reasons why potatoes cannot be a staple food like yam in Nigeria and we all know that there is nothing as good as food business all over the world.

for those interested in this venture how do we reach you, i will like to know more kindly reach me by text first on 08095574441