Dear Reader,
This
blog is to intimate you of the government activities in Nigeria horticultural
industry and as well expose you to the various investment opportunities in this
sub-sector.
Nigeria is among the leading producers of horticultural crops in the world but not a major exporting country. The horticulture sub-sector had received less than the desired attention in Nigeria's agricultural history, but with the attention in agriculture through ATA, the vast investment opportunities in the industry is now opened up for private sector to invest in.
Horticulture is a branch of plant agriculture that deals with intensively cultured and high-value crops. It is subdivided into Pomology (Fruit trees), Olericulture (vegetables), floriculture (flowers/ornamental), medicinal plant, spices, and Fresh Produce Production and Promotion. Other areas but not emphasized includes plant conservation, landscape restoration, landscape and garden design, construction and maintenance as well as arboriculture.
Nigeria is among the leading producers of horticultural crops in the world but not a major exporting country. The horticulture sub-sector had received less than the desired attention in Nigeria's agricultural history, but with the attention in agriculture through ATA, the vast investment opportunities in the industry is now opened up for private sector to invest in.
Horticulture is a branch of plant agriculture that deals with intensively cultured and high-value crops. It is subdivided into Pomology (Fruit trees), Olericulture (vegetables), floriculture (flowers/ornamental), medicinal plant, spices, and Fresh Produce Production and Promotion. Other areas but not emphasized includes plant conservation, landscape restoration, landscape and garden design, construction and maintenance as well as arboriculture.
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| Horticultural crops @ Glance |
Horticulture covers wide range of edible crops basically fruits, vegetables, spices and
their component activities such as in production, processing and marketing as well
as production of premium fresh produce.
The Federal Government is currently
promoting value chains of horticultural crops Nigeria has comparative advantage
in its production such as plantain and banana, tomato, citrus, pineapple okra, pepper
telferia (ugu), mango, etc
Objectives
Increase production of selected horticultural crops, promote adoption of improved production and processing technologies for value addition, increase yield per unit area, reduce waste generally from 51% to 25% as well as develop appropriate policy framework and marketing infrastructure for fresh produce.
Increase production of selected horticultural crops, promote adoption of improved production and processing technologies for value addition, increase yield per unit area, reduce waste generally from 51% to 25% as well as develop appropriate policy framework and marketing infrastructure for fresh produce.
Vision
Horticulture Transformation is geared towards wealth creation, improve the living standard of farmers, ensure sustainable food/nutrition security, Earn and conserve foreign exchange, launch the subsector into a major revenue earner for the country and regain its position as major agrarian nation in Africa.
Horticulture Transformation is geared towards wealth creation, improve the living standard of farmers, ensure sustainable food/nutrition security, Earn and conserve foreign exchange, launch the subsector into a major revenue earner for the country and regain its position as major agrarian nation in Africa.
Strategy/Activities
This vision is expected to be achieved
through collaboration in component activities in production of fresh fruits and
vegetables (tomato, onion, plantain/banana, pepper, okra, telfaira, citrus,
pineapple, etc), processing options for value addition, storage and marketing,
as well as production of premium fresh produce for local and export markets.
These are to be driven by the private sector stakeholders, consisting of
producers, agro input dealers/suppliers, processors, packers, marketers, researchers and States with comparative advantage in their production. The activities includes:
Ø Identify specific crop farmers and
form them into clusters farmers groups;
Ø Provide high yielding crop varieties
and critical inputs (organic and inorganic fertilizer, pesticides -
insecticides and herbicides; improve seeds and seedling) to increase yield per
unit area and productivity;
Ø Capacity building in production and
in different methods of processing
particularly for value added products;
Ø Provision of small-scale facilities
for specific crops for investment by private sector required to drive
table and processable fruits production;
Ø Research
and Development to identify crop varieties that are suitable to the different
ecologies across the country (e.g. pineapple, tomato, banana citrus etc.);
Ø Production
of technical manual for horticultural crops (Tomato, Onions, Citrus, Green
Beans and Plantain/Banana) on good agricultural practices;
Ø Establishment
of NigeriaGAP for production of premium and safe produce, and Competent
Authority (Centre for Excellence) to ensure quality control and traceability as
well as facilitate export of horticultural produce.
Investment Opportunity
There are enormous viable business opportunities in the horticulture industry along the
value chain (production- seed/seedlings, processing- value addition and
marketing infrastructure) that can be driven by private sector.
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| Fresh Fruits |
Hello Ms Ebere,
ReplyDeleteWell done, the content of the blog was quite insightful and showing the progress of the Horticultural Unit. However, is there any document outlining the vision and mandate of the unit? Having been deployed to Nasawa SATA Office Lafia and given the schedule of PSO (Extension and Hoticulture) I need the information so that I will not be an ignoramus.
Hope Atsevgo Moses
FMARD Nasarawa State