Yam Production Business Plan in Nigeria
Our sample yam production business plan in Nigeria can be used to access bank loans, proposal writing and grant applications. This business plan was complied after a proper feasibility study on yam production in Nigeria was carried out. Furthermore,this article will be answer the following questions for you in yam production in Nigeria:
Also Read: Cassava Farming Business Plan in Nigeria
- When is the best yam planting season in Nigeria?
- What is the best fertilizer for yam?
- What is yam staking?
- How long does yam take to grow?
To get your own Yam Production Business Plan in Nigeria, pay N50,000 to:
BANK NAME: FIRST BANK PLC
ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3066880122
After payment, text your full name, email address and title (business plan on yam production) to 07033378184. Your business plan will be sent to your email within 15 minutes.
Taking a good look at the kinds of food eaten by Nigerians and indeed Africans, you will notice that yam is one of the most common staple foods consumed in these parts. There is hardly a home in Nigeria that does not consume yam or any of its products at least once a week. This means that yam is of enormous economic importance and thus its production is a very profitable business to indulge in. asides the consumption of yam on a family level, yam is also recognized in most cultures as a major delicacy of the gods and thus plays a major role in rituals and sacrifices. In fact on yearly basis, there are several tribes that organize festivals to mark the arrival of new yam, of note is the NEW YAM FESTIVAL celebrated by the Igbos.
Statistics show that Nigeria is the number one producer of yams worldwide as she produces an estimated 6 million metric tons of yam on a yearly basis. This huge volume is known to cater for both internal consumption and export to other countries of the world. Most of these other countries are found in West Africa as about 70% of the world’s yam consumption originates from this region.
Studying these figures and comparing them to the demand for the product, you will realize that there is still a great deficit in terms of what is produced. There is a wide chasm between the amount of yams produced yearly and the amount of yams needed within the same period, the question that begs to be answered is, how come this opportunity is not fully harnessed? If you have followed the economic trend of Nigeria closely, history has it that after the discovery of crude in the 1970s, commercial agriculture was abandoned for a long period of time. This has contributed largely to the lack of vigor in the agricultural sector of which yam production is a major part. Things began to change recently however, with the government driving a major return to the agricultural sector as therein lies a major source of income.
You do not need to wait for anyone to inspire you at this point, the figures speak for themselves, there is a lot of money to be made in this business, all that is required from you is get up and put in your investment. You have a choice to meet the need of the local market or launch out to become a major exporter to nations like the United States of America, United Kingdom, Asia countries, etc. Several opportunities abound as we will see. I can guess that you are already calculating how you can start your yam farming business, well you are reading the right article. This article promises to provide necessary information with respect to this topic, it promises to be exciting.
Steps to Take in Starting Your Yam Farming Business
The class of yam focused on in this article is the White Guinea Yam, also known as Dioscorea rotundata. This class of yam can be majorly found in West Africa. Here are a few steps to take in starting your own farm:
- Find a suitable farmland for your yam cultivation. Studies show that yam grows best in an upland region which has good drainage, you should ensure to take cognizance of these when seeking out your land. The land should be sandy loam or silt loam in terms of makeup and it should possess a lot of organic matter. This will ensure that your yam yields optimally.
- Preparation of the farmland for cultivation. The first step in preparing the land involves the farmer clearing the bushes and burning them. Once this is done, you should make heaps or ridges which should be about one meter high and one meter apart. The best period for yam planting is between the months of February and April, when the rainy season is just starting.
- Preparing the setts for planting. Setts are the healthy tubers which are to be used in cultivating the yam. The tubers can be left whole or they can be cut into smaller pieces, it advisable however to cut the tubers especially if they are too big. A major rule in selecting setts is that the setts must be chosen from very healthy stock, the kind of parent stock the sett is chosen from will determine the yield when it is time to harvest. Setts can be classified into four major classes which include head sett, middle sett, tail sett and whole sett or tuber. The cut surfaces of the sets are to be treated with ash or fungicide or simply just air dried. Consequently they can be pre-planted and transplanted later or just planted directly.
- Planting of the yams and weed control. As stated earlier, the planting season for yams is advised to be between February and April. Best planting practices prescribes that you plant 10,000 setts on half a hectare of land for optimal productivity. There is really not specific prescription for weeding, as we know it weeds compete with the plant for nutrients so it is necessary to remove them as soon as they are visible. It is most advisable to use hand tools when carrying out weeding to avoid causing damage to the plants. Herbicides may also be use howbeit the farmer should be extremely careful when doing this as it could be detrimental to the plants.
- Mulching of the ridges. Mulching is a farming practice which helps to reduce loss of soil moisture, suppress weed growth and add nutrients to the soil. It one of the most advocated for practices among yam farmers as it is very beneficial to yam farming. You can make use of rice straw, dry coconut fronds, corn stalks and other similar products for this process. The process entails just covering the top of the ridges or heaps with the mulching materials for a period of time. The process also works to reduce the soil temperature.
- Replacing of dead yams. This process is also known as replanting. Just like in any other agricultural process, some form of mortality of setts is expected. It is more common in white guinea yam when non-presprouted setts are used. When this is noticed the farmer is expected to carry out the farming process the second month after initial planting. It is quite easy to know which setts are affected, just check the yam ridges that do not show any sign of sprouting and if the setts are dead, remove them and plant new ones.
- Staking the vines. It is advised that the vines are staked before they start to crawl on the ground. The recommended stake height is about 5 to 10 meters high. There are three major methods employed in staking the vines, they include:
- Trellis method. This method is not really reliable but it allows for the easy carrying out of other farming activities like weeding and fertilizer application. The stakes usually require some extra form of support.
- Modified trellis method. The stakes in this method are more stable and require no extra support. They however do not allow for other farming operations to be carried out under the arches.
- Pyramid method. This is the embodiment of all the advantages and disadvantages of the modified trellis method. However it requires the use of sturdier stakes and less labor in construction.
- Fertilizer application. Yam plants are known to draw a lot of nutrient from the soil as they have the ability of removing about 17kg phosphorus, 128kg nitrogen and 162kg of potassium from a hectare of land. Due to these facts it is evident that when planting yam, no matter how fertilie the land is, the use of fertilizers should be inculcated. You could either apply organic fertilizer also known as compost manure or use inorganic fertilizer. It is recommended however to run your farm on organic materials as much as you can because after harvesting, traces of the fertilizer used remains in the crop depending on how much of the fertilizer was used.
- Harvesting of the crops. You can tell that the yams are ready for harvesting when the foliage begins to get yellow or dry up. This occurs within November and February of the next year. The time of harvesting depends on what the purpose of the yam is, if they are to be sold for consumption, they should be harvested early and if they will be used as setts, they should be harvested later. Hoes or other hand tools can be used to loosen the top soil and then the tubers are pulled out of the soil. The healthy tubers should be separated from the diseased ones.
- Marketing your produce. There are a plethora of selling methods, you can visit the local market to sell or send it to areas of the country where there is low yam production. You may further decide to export your produce to other countries, if you are going to do this you should ensure that you fully grasp all the necessary rules binding the process to avoid embarrassment and confiscation of your produce.
What are the major challenges that affect yam farming business in Nigeria?
This one question I think will be going through your mind at the moment. In all sincerity, there is no business that is not saddled with its own challenges, if you only focus on the challenges, you may likely never start out and therefore lose out on all the accruing benefits. Let’s take a look at some of the major challenges that affect yam farming in Nigeria:
- Lack of experience of the farmer. Most farmers just stumble upon the idea of yam farming, develop some interest and jump in without seeking professional help, even when they have no experience. To solve this, it is necessary that farmers that fall into this category seek knowledge from professionals or visit practicing farmers for advice.
- Pests and diseases. There are several pests and diseases that could be of detrimental effect to the crop. It is therefore suggested that the farmer seeks more pest and disease resistant varieties when preparing for planting.
- Weed control. Weeds are a menace and could drastically reduce the crop yield. The farmer should therefore seek out ways to efficiently deal with weeds on the farm, especially while the crops are in the initial stage of growth.
- Financial challenges. Getting money to run ideas is one of the major challenges plaguing businesses generally the world over. Low finance will mean that a major part of the business will suffer. It is therefore suggested that the intending farmer develops a business plan which will guide him on how much he needs for the business. It will also help in attracting the attention of investors and banks who might provide loan facilities.
- Other challenges include, marketing challenges, low purchasing power of customers, crowded supply chain, etc.
How profitable is the yam farming business?
No entrepreneur wants to be involved in a business that will yield little or no profit, in fact most people indulge in certain businesses rather than others because they believe they are more profitable. As stated earlier, the demand for yam all over the world, not just Nigeria, is very high. This means that boundless opportunities abound in this business. Presently a tuber of yam sells for about #300, a 500 meter square piece of land will produce about 50,000 tubers of yam. If you multiply these figures, you should be making about #15,000,000 from your farm at least in a year. Yams can be eaten directly or can be processed into flour that can be used for several purposes. Several industries also make use of yam and its by-products.
In conclusion, it is evident that yam farming is a very lucrative business that can yield huge amounts of profit in just a year. If you are interested in agribusiness, I can boldly suggest to you yam farming.
Get your Yam Production Business Plan in Nigeria today. To order the business plan, pay N50, 000 to:
BANK NAME: GUARANTY TRUST BANK (GTB)
ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0044056891
OR
BANK NAME: FIRST BANK PLC
ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3066880122
After payment, send your full name, email address and topic (i.e. business plan on yam production) to 07033378184. Your business plan will be sent to your email within 15 minutes.
Yam Production Business Plan in Nigeria © www.businessplan.com.ng
I am interest in yam plantation n other relevant crops but the amount of 50k is much to pay for a starter what can u do to help us to grow tnk u
I really love yam plantation, can you pls help me more. I’m just starting tho