Groundnut farming is another income source in agribusiness space, as it can be done on a part time or full-time basis.
A notable groundnut farmer and seller, Mrs Salisu Sule, in a chat with me, explains that groundnut farming is a lucrative investment, adding that one can start groundnut farming by using the backyard of his/her compound.
“My groundnuts, to most customers are cheaper, but unknown to them I use to harvest from my own farm. One cannot compare the peanuts they will buy from a person who will buy from middle men or buy from public market with mine. I have no middlemen. I sell what my husband and children always harvest from our farm. Right at this moment, my people are preparing the next batch for tomorrow sales. The only barrier is the long distance it takes to bring the prepared ones here to Lagos from the north,” she says.
On how a person who is a novice or fresher in the farming can start, Salisu says one can start groundnut farming in an area that is not water logged. There is need to prepare ridges/beds for it, rather than digging holes for it.
In Nigeria, she notes that peanut is one of the most lucrative businesses because of its high demand, based on nutritious values and most importantly the edible oil derived from the seed.
Other respondents, Mr and Mrs Ajike Sunday, who both sell groundnut around Allen Avenue/Opebi Street, Ikeja, state that monetary gain in groundnuts could encourage anybody to go into the business.
In their opinion, to start the business, one must try and find out as much as one can about the groundnut farming business by searching online or asking other local farmers who are working on a groundnut farm.
Starting a groundnut farm can be very easy and interesting when you know exactly everything about the seedling. This basic knowledge will provide insight into other ways to make a huge profit by converting them to other food sources.
This will give you an idea of what you should be expecting and how to go about it, starting from the planning to the carrying out of the project, harvesting and sales.
Groundnut can be cultivated in a wide range of environments, mostly in the northern part of Nigeria, in states like Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, and Bauchi among others, because groundnut tends to do well in the arid or semi-arid regions. Groundnut farming in Nigeria serves as a means of livelihood for small-scale farmers, most especially in the northern part of Nigeria.
Mrs Salisu says that there are various varieties of groundnut in Nigeria based on their yield and how they adapt to climate conditions. There are early maturing varieties suitable for short rainfall areas and late-maturing varieties suitable for areas with prolonged rainfall.
