Highhill Agri-business Academy (HABA) support the entrepreneurial ambitions of both intending and pratical farmers. The academy acts as a training provider and networking association.

Making Money from Agribusiness.
Time table for this week interactive crops discussion.

Monday 01/06/2015 - Pineapple
Tuesday 02/06/2015 - Plantain
Wednesday 03/06/2015 - Moringa
Thursday 04/06/2015 - Pawpaw
Friday 05/06/2015 - soursop (graviola)

Please we want contributions, questions and more information from both intending and existing farmers as this gestures will help alot of Nigerians.

Thanks for you cooperation and understanding.
Adeniyi Sola
Director of studies
Highhill Agri-Business Academy. (HABA)
+2348065220074

PROVEN SECRET IN PINEAPPLE FARMING THAT WILL EARN YOU MILLIONS.

A great number of people attribute their low financial status to the current rate of unemployment and economic recession, but there are a few who strive to unearth business opportunities that can change their fortune.

Truth is, there are loads of business opportunities that we walk past on a daily basis, forgetting that these might be gold mines in disguise.

On the surface it might look petty, but many have quietly used the proceed to build their homes.

Pineapple is highly demanded for, both in Nigeria and Abroad. Pineapple farming is a multi-billion Dollar industry and a money spinner for interested investors.

The current total world production is 14.220 million tons as against the Total world demands which is about 467 million tons per year.

It is popularly used as to produce fruit juice and serves as desserts, salads, and in fruit cocktail.

The popularity of the pineapple is due to its sweet-sour taste containing 15% sugar, malic and citric fruit acids.

It is also high in vitamin B1, B2, B6 and C. The protein digesting enzyme bromelin seems to help digestion at the end of a high protein meal.

In the Philippines, pineapple leaves are used as the source of a textile fiber called piña.

Pineapples thrive in light soils with relatively low pH.

Pineapples have a wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves.

The fibrous flesh of pineapple is yellow in color and has a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture

It is has dagger-like leaves (it is a monocotyledon), and it is cultivated as a biennial plant. The first year it undergo vegetative growth where the plant produces the leaves and the second year a flowering stalk arises from the center. On this stalk are produced up to 200 flowers, an inflorescence, which latter forms a solid structure, called a multiple fruit.

Pineapples are mostly planted during the raining season, in an alkaline soil.

In Nigeria it is hard to find people who are interested in farming pineapple in large scales because it is known to take 2 years or more to grow and harvest the plant locally. also the heterogeneous harvesting period per plant further dampens people interest as they only make money harvesting and selling in bits.

But wait a minute, it will interest you to know that recent scientific research has made it possible to grow and harvest the entire pineapple farm at once within a year with much more bigger and sweeter species.

The good news about this development is that you can now grow in commercial quantity, harvest and sell the entire farm at once within 1 year thereby generating fast income for yourself.

You are not alone my brother. Am with you all the way.

This is awesome! Am so in this class!

Nice one

present sir...

Gadgetmobil:
You are not alone my brother. Am with you all the way.

Good

nikaShow:
This is awesome! Am so in this class!

I can see you in the front row.

oluks05:
Nice one

Thanks

Today is another day. Tuesday/02/2015
Let talk about Plantain Plantation Business

Unlike starting other tree farms and orchards, starting a plantain farm and growing plantain are easier and less complicated.

Although growing plantain still require ones attention, the level of skill required is not as intensive as other trees.

The first thing to consider in starting a plantain farm is looking for the right climate. Plantain cannot thrive in an environment that is too hot or too cold.

The ideal climate for plantain is the tropical climate with temperature ranging from 26 to 30 degrees Celsius. Below 14 degrees and the plantain would die. Plantain plants also need good irrigation and humidity.

The plantain plantation must have a good drainage system. A rich, naturally fertilized soil is the ideal for planting plantain. If such is not available, one can create compost and add chicken manure.

Plantains fruit all year round, which makes the crop more reliable all-season staple food, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria with inadequate food storage, preservation and transportation technologies.

In Africa, plantains and bananas provide more than 25 percent of the carbohydrate requirements for over 70 million people.

There is hardly any part of Nigeria that you wouldn’t see plantain, that means it can do well on most Nigerian soil. To cultivate a plantain plantation, you’ll need the following:-

1. Land with good soil - Loamy soils are the best producing soils because they contain a good organic to inorganic ratio. Organic materials, such as decaying plants and insects, provide soil with air, nutrients and water-retaining matter.

This combination of ingredients, when combined with mineral particles, allows soil to remain loose and fertile.

In tropical rain forests part of Nigeria, organically rich soils are shallow. Plantains will thrive for one to three years but then die back because the layer of organic matter is easily depleted.

To avoid depletion, it is necessary to provide soils with compost and mulch.

2. Prepare the soil – Clear the land and cut some of the trees if any, Plantain plants also grow best in bunches or groups because they protect each other from the harsh rays of the sun.

It is important to create an environment where the plantain plants are sheltered either because they are bunched up together or there are other trees to protect them.

It is important to maintain the humidity of the plantain plantation by allowing some of the trees to remain for the purpose of protecting the plant from excessive sun and to enhance the humidity.

3. Get the plantain suckers - Considering that a plantain plant is not a tree but a type of herb, they cannot actually be grown from seeds like most trees. Plantain plants are grown through suckers.

Suckers are those that grow from a dying, mature plantain plant that can be transplanted and re-grown. They may be considered as baby plants that are used to start new plantain plants. Choose suckers from plants that are vigorous.
They should have small, spear shaped leaves and are about four feet high.

There is a corm at the bottom of each mature plantain tree. In transplanting a sucker, it is necessary to cut downwards and get as much corm and root as possible.

Plant these and cut or decapitate the sucker to facilitate good evaporation. Keep around two to five meters between planted suckers. In the early days of your plant, keep them moist but not too wet as they don’t have leaves yet to evaporate the water.

4. Control the weeds – The weeds control is very important if you want your plantain to do well, the cost of weed management could account for up to. 45% of the total cost of plantain plantation management in Nigeria. Use traditional weed control of employing laborer to do the weed cutting.

As the plantain grows, it is important to protect it from strong winds. It is also important to keep it well watered. One can also sprinkle fertilizers every now and then but mostly throwing the plantain dead leaves back into the plant is enough to sustain the rich quality of the soil.

Unlike other trees, plantain do not need complicated pruning. Just remove dead leaves and dead plants near the plantain. Also remove suckers from the plant keeping only one or two that have spear shaped leaves.

If you must use a fertilizer, Use an NPK fertilizer, or a fertilizer mixed with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. Fertilizing the plantains once a month will stimulate growth. The fertilizer should be placed evenly in a circle that is four to eight feet from the trunk.

Within 8-10months your plantain should be ready to produce, and as one is getting matured for harvest, another one is replacing it, they continue in that circle removing any stress expenses of planting again.

All you do is to harvest and reap your profits all year round.

how many months from planting to havest, and can you give us an estimated cost per hectre? And also what is the yield per hectre?

Thanks for the info, I'm realy interested in lantain farming

welldone sir bro word1 pls bro can someone plant cucumber and watermelon why plantain sir welldone been follow ur thread all this while. happy farming sir.

Waiting for today's lectures.

WhoBeThisMan:
how many months from planting to havest, and can you give us an estimated cost per hectre? And also what is the yield per hectre?

Thanks for the info, I'm realy interested in lantain farming

Please contact me.

Johnnyessence:
welldone sir bro word1 pls bro can someone plant cucumber and watermelon why plantain sir welldone been follow ur thread all this while. happy farming sir.

You can plant watermelon inside plantain farm.

aumoria:
Waiting for today's lectures.

Sorry I was out of coverage area.

Let talk about moringa cultivation

There are many ways to plant Moringa seeds. Some Moringa growers soak the seeds for a few days, some plant them in nusery bgs, some sow them directly into the ground. Our best results have come from starting them in small nusery bsgs, in loose, organic soil that has some poultry waste mixed in with it.

Plant them about 3/4 to 1 inch deep, and tamp the soil down on top of them loosely. They do not like compacted soil. Then, water them thoroughly, put them in a warm place with as much light as possible, and wait. You can give them a little water every day, until they sprout - then, every other day, water until the soil on top is moist. Too much water - they will drown!

Once they are about 8 inches tall, we plant them right into the ground or transfer them into larger container.

If you intend to plant them right in the ground, please remember that Moringas are considered to be a tropical tree, and they require sunlight, warmth, and some water to grow properly.

Once they are firmly established, with “woody” trunks, Moringas can withstand drought-like conditions - but, they need the 3 items underlined above, to get off to a good start.

Moringa seeds prefer to sprout in temperatures that are between 70° and 90°F. No matter how you plant them, be sure to allow for good drainage, as their roots will rot in soggy soil. We cannot stress this, enough!

Within 2 weeks of planting your Moringa seeds, you should have seedlings up, sporting healthy, green leaves. Once they put out some distinct branches, water them only once or twice a week. They do not like their roots to be standing in wet soil, so be sure they have good drainage. When they are about 8 to 10 inches tall, we start to harvest a few leaves from each seedling, by cutting the branches in half, which encourages them to "bush" out.

Not too much water, lots of warmth, occasional organic fertilization, some water, and your Moringa seedlings will grow into lovely, valuable Moringa trees!

Moringa is an ideal dietary supplement because it supports balance from both sides:

It provides the body with the nutrients it needs, while helping it to detoxify and get rid of unwanted elements. This combination provides the body with fuel (nutrients) it needs to perform the two important functions: Feeding (adding fuel) and Cleaning (removing unwanted elements)

On the one hand Moringa is FEEDING the body with vitamins, minerals, all 8 amino-acids and protein, and because it is a real food, the nutrients are ‘food-state'; meaning the body recognizes the nutrients and absorbs them easier than most chemically made nutrients.

On the other hand helps DETOXIFYING the body:
Here Moringa introduces elements that make the body an unattractive environment for bacteria and parasites. The anti-inflammatory working supports the cleaning out of excess acids, etc.

Are rich in Vitamin A. Good for eyes.
A rich source of calcium way higher than in milk, naturally combined with magnesium to ensure absorption by the body
Along with potassium, zinc is also found in large quantities in moringa which supports uptake of the high iron content.
Moringa helps in balancing the cholesterol levels in the body.
All Essential Amino acids are also found in moringa and 12 others.
Moringa is also said to balance sugar levels, hence it is helpful in the fight against diabetes.
Are an immunity-stimulant, it is prescribed for HIV afflicted patients.
Moringa leaves can be consumed to stimulate metabolism.
Supports digestion and is a natural laxative when taken on an empty stomach.
A nutrition booster and a non-sugar based energizer.
Can also help in the weight loss process as food when cutting down.
Increase the quantity of breast milk.
It is also famous for its anti-bacterial properties.
The paste of the moringa leaves is a good skin tonic.
It protects the liver and kidneys.
Helps you feel better!

Health Benefits of Moringa

5 Moringa Benefits.

Energize
A Moringa-shot provides energy in minutes and lasts up to 7 hours. The food-state nutrients are absorbed easily by the body.

Detoxify
Moringa contains anti-biotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitical properties. Prolonged daily use supports the body to clean itself, and to “clean the blood”, and the stomach.

Fortify
Supports the immune system by freeing it of much of the burden resulting from eating modern food preparations, filled with toxins or useless food elements.

Feed
One of the most nutrient-rich foods on earth. Provide the body with the minerals, vitamins and (all 8 essential) amino-acids.

Balance
Moringa supports the balancing of hormones, Ph levels and blood sugar (good for diabetics)

Support
The combined working of Moringa supports the body on many levels, lowering burdens here, adding nutrients or medicinal agents there. As a result it is a brilliant way to support the body in healing, or in living with chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, HIV / Aids, as well as while recovering from illness.

Moringa oleifera is believed to be native to sub-Himalayan tracts of northern India but is now found worldwide in the tropics and sub-tropics.
It grows best in direct sunlight under 500 meters altitude. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, but prefers a neutral to slightly acidic (pH. 6.3-7.0), well-drained sandy or loamy soil.

Minimum annual rainfall requirements are estimated at 250mm with maximum at over 3,000mm, but in waterlogged soil the roots have a tendency to rot. (In areas with heavy rainfall, trees can be planted on small hills to encourage water run-off).
Presence of a long taproot makes it resistant to periods of drought. Trees can be easily grown from seed or from cuttings.

Temperature ranges are 25-35 degrees Celsius (0-95 degrees Fahrenheit), but the tree will tolerate up to 48 degrees in the shade and it can survive a light cold.