A former Abia State commissioner for agriculture, Chief Israel Amanze, says there is ready market and maximum profit in dry season farming produce in Nigeria.
”I will start with crop agriculture. In crop farming, farmers in the state can grow anything where there is water, anything that gives them profit where there is water.
“There is what we call FADAMA farming. FADAMA is farming close to where there is source of water and especially during the dry season, anything that you can do with irrigation.”
“This is the time to farm with irrigation. And with irrigation, if you are farming with irrigation during the dry season, you consider crops that will give you maximum profit.
”Even though you might grow cassava with irrigation, even though you might grow corn, but you might decide to grow those ones that will give you fast money.”
”So, in that case, you have the vegetables, you have the fruit vegetables, you have few of such crops, something like pepper, tomato, and garden eggs.”
Amanze, who was also the programme manager of the State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), noted such crops to include Ugu (terfaria), the water leaf, and the pumpkins.”
”Those are the crops any farmer can grow this time that there is ready market for such produce. Once you harvest, you see that there is a lot of market available.
”It is not the time to start waiting for somebody who will come and buy your vegetables. Once you produce, there is enough market.”
”Rice and maize can also do well if you have water. But if you are paying for high cost of water, it may not pay you so much to go and plant something like maize and rice, where you are managing water.
”If you are very close to river banks, you can grow very well and it will do well. A crop like cucumber, within a short time, it has started yielding. Such crops are the most short duration crops and good for dry season.
”The advantage is that immediately you produce, there is ready market. Any vegetable you produce within this period will be rushed by people who are looking for it.
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The farmer and fertilizer producer further informed that another thing, apart from vegetables, the residents could go into is poultry farming.
”Different types of birds, those ones you know that you are controlling your water, you are giving your water, you are controlling your environment.
”So, you can grow turkey, you can grow poultry, ordinary chicken, you can grow many birds or even livestock like sheep and goats, cattle fattening, these ones will do well.”
”But you have to control the environment and they will do well. Another thing now that is working is something like mushroom if you can grow it.
”This is also a good time to grow mushrooms because whatever you produce, you have market. This is a festive period and people like such things.”
”There is market for it. So, for this period, I encourage farmers in the state to go into vegetables and fruit and vegetable production.
”Once you have water, but you must have ready water or you must be very close to river banks or underground water through any form of irrigation.”
”You can farm poultry, you can farm mushrooms, you can farm goats, you can fatten cows. These are the farming we recommend for farmers during this period.”
The one-time commissioner, however, noted that aside water, there are other challenges which such farmers must be ready to contend with to protect their farms and the produce.
”This is a period where many grasses have died. And if grasses have died, many pests, insects, and animals that were feeding on grasses and ordinary weeds will want to come to feed on that your crop.
”So, there is high incidence of pests in farming this period. When you are doing this type of farming, you must be ready to protect your crop and spray when you need to and clear off pests from your farms.”
”You know that this time there are many cows roaming around the state.You must also be ready to make sure that no cow enters your farm. Because your farm may be the major green leaves around your area.
