As the new planting season commences, most subsistence and commercial farmers are advised to use the opportunity to plant maize as it gives good returns on investments, especially, as rainy season commences.
While Maize farming helps tackle food shortage, it also generate revenues for all those involved in its value chain.
Since Maize, when harvested, can be sold and or can cooked or roasted, even as it is also being used in corn flakes, pop corn, starch or as pap.
With little capital, one can go into maize farming provided there is a land to plant.
Borno, Niger, Plateau, Katsina, Gombe, Bauchi, Kogi, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, Lagos and Taraba states are notorious for maize farming.
Since Maize can be planted any time of the year, however, its most active planting period is between March and July. The maturity period of Maize is between 65 to 120 days.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP, a maize farmer, Dr Innocent Ihennacho Ogbonna, said there is no big deal in Maize farming because it is one of the most friendly crops that anyone can venture into.
However, going into commercial Maize farming, he said, an investor will need large land.
“But for small farmily Maize farming, one can use the space within the compound as Maize farming land. And since it can be grown side by side with other crops, one can feed the entire family with farm products. So the main area where an investor will need capital is acquisition or hiring of land and for cultivating the land.”
According to Ogbonna who is a Pastor, a lecturer and also a farmer in Ikorodu area in Lagos, “investor in Maize farming can get the seeds from market with as little as N5,000 which can be planted on acres of land. And the profits from such plantation is much because buyers use to come for the harvest on their own or you can look for companies that use Maize as part of their production. From that seedlings of N5, 000, one can realise N500,000 to N750, 000 income per season.”
Ogbonna moreover warned investor in Maize farming against birds that often invade Maize farms. ‘You can erect poles and fly cloths or other things on those poles which will keep off the birds that are always reading to feed on the matured corn,’ he said.
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