In Nigeria, unlike other fruits like mango, orange, pineapple, avocado pear, pawpaw and others, the number of farmers going into guava farming in Nigeria are still very little.
One amazing fact a good number farmers are still ignorant of about the guava is that it requires lesser work in terms of maintenance. It also requires lesser capital when the land for the cultivation is available.
Uses Of Guava
Eating guava has a lot of health benefits that you won't want to spend a day without having a bite of it if you're of the benefits. The fruits are very rich in vitamin C, fibre, antioxidants and potassium.
Some other health benefits of guava include:
• Regular consumption of guava may help in lowering of the blood sugar levels
• According to HealthLine.com, the guava leaf extract may aid in reducing the pain intensity of menstrual cramps for ladies in their periods
• Regular consumption of guava is beneficial to your digestive system as it aids healthy bowel movements thereby preventing constipation
• Scientists believe that the high levels of vitamins and antioxidants in the guava leaves can help in protecting your heart from damages by free radicals
• Guava is also beneficial to your immune system because of the vitamin C present in it.Guava Farming In Nigeria
Varieties Of Guava
• Apple guava
• Giant Bangkok
• Mexican cream
• Nagpur seedless
• Purple Malaysian
• Ruby Supreme
• Turnbull White
• Vietnamese
• White Malaysian
Guidelines For Venturing Into A Lucrative Guava Farming Business In Nigeria
• Have a business plan
As with every business, one of the first things you need to have while venturing into guava farming in Nigeria is your business plan. We've previously written down a step by step guide on how to write a professional business plan and you'd be doing yourself a great deal by checking it out.The business plan will guide you in the course of the business from the start-up stage to the business proper. It'll contain things like financial projections, market survey and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis.
Apart from guiding you, the business plan will also be needful in the future if you want to apply for loans or grants whether through the government agencies or the private investors.
• Site selection
Guava fruits are hardy in nature and can be grown over a wide variety of soil types but they thrive best in well-drained, deep and aerated loamy soils. Avoid planting the guava seeds in water logging areas as the roots can decay due to water stagnation.For optimal production it is advisable to select a soil with a pH of 5.0-6.8. Before embarking on commercial guava production, it is recommended that you carry out soil test to identify any soil deficiencies that might affect the growth or fruiting of the guava plants.
• Land preparation
Clear the land and plough the the soil deeply. Apply farmyard manure like chicken dung, goat dung, pig dung or sheep dung to increase the soil fertility. You can also use the green manure if you can't access enough farmyard manure.Remove any tree stumps that might hinder the easy penetration of the guava plant roots. Sterilization of the soil with herbicides and fumigants is also recommended. This will help to kill any soil-borne harmful plant pathogens that are may affect the plants later.
• Propagation in guava plantation
Guava can be propagated either by seeds or vegetative means. Experts recommend that you grow the seedlings in order to get high quality and quantity yield. If you want to use the vegetative propagation method, you can employ the grafting, air-layering, budding or cutting.The best vegetative propagation method for commercial guava farming is air-layering while stooping or mound layering in nursery beds is the cheapest for rapid multiplication of the plants.
• Fertilizer and manure application in guava farming
Guava plants respond positively to manures but you can also apply inorganic fertilizers to the farm. While applying the fertilizers, ensure it is at the base of the plants and the recommended doses are applied. Application of Nitrogen in two equal splits of dose is recommended and the NPK fertilizer is the best for it.Also zinc deficiency can result in lower production of the guava fruit. You can prevent this by spraying 450g of Zinc sulfate with 350g of slaked lime in 75 liters of water.
• Irrigation
Irrigation is necessary in guava farming especially during the dry season as the guava plants get sufficient water during the rainy seasons.Drip irrigation is recommended in guava farming as it'll help in the production and yielding of fruits. Watering of plants should be moderately done to avoid water stagnation which can lead to the decaying of the roots.
• Pest and disease control
Several pests like beetle borers, bugs, mites, caterpillars, scale insects and fruit borers attack the guava plants. You can control these pests with the use of pesticides.Also your guava plants might be attacked by any of the following diseases; Brown blight, Nematodes, Anthracnose and Parasitic algae. You can control the diseases by planting resistant varieties or applying neem oil. Also, maintaining a good cultural agronomy management is necessary.
Other things that might pose as challenges to your guava fruits are birds that might feed on them when ripe and the ants.
• Weeding of the farmland
In the early stages weeding can be done three times annually and reduced to twice as the trees mature. Weeds can reduce the quality and quantity of the fruits so it's best to do away with them.You can manually weed the farm or make use of herbicides. No matter the method you choose, endeavour to protect the crops fro destruction.
• Harvesting of fruits
For vegetatively propagated guava plants, yielding of fruits normally take a maximum of 3 years. In the other cases whereby the plants are grown from seedlings, yielding of fruits might take a maximum of 4 years.Picking should be done as soon as the fruits mature and you can make use of the fruit plucking machines or harvest them manually.
Marketing And Conclusion
You can sell the crops in the markets to consumers or to the fruit sellers in the markets. If you need a professionally written business plan on guava farming business in Nigeria, you can hire any of our writers by contacting us. We'll deliver in 72 hours from the time or ordering.Thanks for reading along, don't forget to drop us a comment and share with your friends. Also check out a step-by-step guide on how you can start making more than ₦150,000 monthly from foodstuff business in Nigeria.
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