*PEPPER FARMING IN NIGERIA*

Pepper is a vegetable eaten by almost everybody in the world. Pepper farming is one of the most profitable businesses in Nigeria and other countries of the world. Just like tomato farming and cucumber farming, pepper farming is very lucrative.

The most popular types of pepper eaten in Nigeria are habanero pepper, cayenne pepper, chilli pepper and sweet pepper. Nigerians call these types of pepper atarodo, shombo, ata ijosi and tatase. 

Farmers who engage in pepper farming smile to the bank year in, year out. let go through a brief process of cultivating pepper in Nigeria.

The first and the best step in *PEPPER FARMING* is to

Get yourself trained in modern farming

Cultivating pepper like how the conventional farmer in Nigeria does will lead to little or no profit. You should get yourself trained in how to use *MODERN AGRONOMIC PRACTICES and FARM TECHNOLOGIES* and use of *DRIP IRRIGATION* to boost your crop yield.

In Nigeria today, the average yield of habanero pepper per acre is about 0.2 tonnes while improved agronomic practices can result to over 5 tonnes of habanero pepper per acre.

*How To Grow Pepper*

Pepper farming is very simple. Anyone can do it in any capacity, either in the backyard or in commercial quantity. Growing Pepper is much more rewarding than you could ever imagined. it can be grown round the year, especially in places with irrigation system specifically made for it. In other places, it is best cultivated during the rainy season.

*Step 1: (Pick up The Best Species)* – The improved yield specie and hybrid is the best do not pick the local species.  

What makes hybrids specie very unique is it’s long shelf life, resistance to some disease, it’s hard back, and low water content which enables it to last longer after harvest. A paint rubber of the seed cost about N4,500

*Step 2: (Prepare The Nursery)*  – This can be done around March/April when the rain is just beginning in most parts of the country. You can use your backyard for the nursery or any other piece of land the is suitable for it. Pepper does very well in most soil types in Nigeria but better in a black loose loamy soil. Prepare the ground by clearing the grasses and rubble, loosen the soil with hand trowel and hoes.

it germinate after 5-7days. Leave it for another one month before transplanting.

*Step 3: (Transplant to The Garden/Farm)* – The next journey will be moving it into the permanent farm for proper planting where they would grow to maturity and production.

*Step 4: (Weed and Apply Fertilizer)* – After two months from transplant, it will be time for weeding. 

After the first weed, it will be time to apply fertilizer to help replenish the soil nutrients taken by the weeds. To grow successfully, pepper need nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, potash, calcium, and magnesium, along with other trace minerals. It’s always best to have your soil tested to check for nutrient levels and pH level.

*Step 5: (Harvest)* – pepper is harvested in matches, the moment you starts harvesting, you’ll continue on weekly basis till the end of the season, usually it will keep producing till the dry season when the plant will die off due to the scorching heat.

The first harvest starts within three months after planting. That means if you plan by April, you should be expecting your first harvest to start by June/July. From then, it will continue till November/December.

*Step 6 (Market)* – It is important to prepare your marketing well ahead of harvesting. Look for who or where to supply the product. This is because, pepper like other vegetables is a perishable product unless you have built storage system.

Mile 12 is the major market for fresh vegetables in Lagos. Its purely dominated by the Northerners who majors in this farming, harvesting cash over the years. Why? 90% of vegetables consumed in Lagos are brought in from the North. Virtually nothing is produced in the. South West, South East and South South. Lagos alone has over 15,000,000 million people consuming tomatoes almost on daily basis. So, you can see the potential in the farming business.

There is need for smart entrepreneurs to see the opportunity for big business and big money in this sector. We have gotten to the point where we need young savvy entrepreneurs to break into this sector and start producing and delivering quality, hygienic pepper at very affordable price.

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