Breadfruit farming is a lucrative venture that any entrepreneur can delve into.
Breadfruit Farming, apart from earning you extra income, would also assist to solve food insecurity in the country.
Breadfruit Seeds are quite popular in the eastern part of Nigeria. The Ibos call it ‘ukwa—a porridge meal made with the seeds. Other breadfruit-grown states are Delta, Edo, and Oyo. It’s called ‘Afon’ in the South-Western part of Nigeria; ‘Bafafuta’ in the Northern part of Nigeria, and ‘Ize’ by the Binis’.
Study shows that breadfruit consumption is most prominent in the southern-eastern part of Nigeria. The seeds are extracted and cooked as a delicious porridge meal called ‘ukwa’.
Seeds of the Treculia africana (a genus of the breadfruit family) are most sought after in the Southeastern region and sold in cups by hawkers and traders. Breadfruit is also a staple food to the people of Edo, Delta and Oyo states.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend, Dr Christopher Adetunji who combines lecturing with farming said, Breadfruit goes beyond ordinary tree in that it is very nutritious.
He said both the fruits, the stem and the roots have one medicinal value or another.
According to him, breadfruit is enriched with proteins, potassium, fibre, carbohydrates, and vitamins such as vitamins A, C, and K, it’s every health-focused person’s dream fruit.
Diabetics and cardiovascular patients are advised to add meals like Breadfruit to their diet plans. The potassium and fiber it contain treats and manages symptoms of those ailments. Roasted, boiled or made into porridge, it can be eaten in any form. Even its raw form is edible. Flour is produced from ground seeds and the soft, fleshy parts are a good substitute of yam and potatoes.
Moreover, Adetunji said, Breadfruit is multipurpose in nature because the tree of this tropical fruit which produces lightweight is termite resistant wood, as it is used as furniture, roofs, and canoes are built with wood from the fruit’s tree.
On his own part, a breadfruit farmer, Dr Innocent Ogbonna, said: “breadfruit trees can take over 5-10 years to reach maturity. Root-shoot/cutting propagated trees only need about 3-6 years to reach maturity.”
On Capital needed for the Business, LEADERSHIP Weekend learnt with N200,000, one can comfortably start a breadfruit farming while one can reap his first million naira when it starts fruiting.
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