Making money through Moringa farmingMaking money through Moringa farming

Over the years Moringa plant farming has continued to flourish, as many farmers seize opportunities it offers for them to earn a living. It is a plant said to have enormous benefits for mankind.

Farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are beginning to use any available space to cultivate Moringa as it is said to be in high demand in the city.
Apo is home and farm to some police officers who will not just fold their hands and feel comfortable with what they earn but do something to earn additional cash.
It is common sight to see tick green Moringa farms as one drives towards the Apo mechanic village.
One of the farmers, a police inspector (who prefers to remain anonymous), said she ventured into moringa farming in Apo because of the money she makes from it.
The farm is a means of earning additional income to her salary.
Taking the reporters through her farm, she said that having a Moringa farm has really been of great support to her family as most of her finances are taken care of with the money she earns from her farm.
“As a civil servant, I just have a few more years to retire and the Moringa farm that I have will serve as a source of income for me and my family after my retirement,” she said.
She explained that the Moringa seed has more monetary value than the leaves with a kilo of it sold for N1,700, adding that Moringa farming is not difficult to start as a farmer might not need fertilizer to make the plant grow quickly.
Although there is significant number of police farmers in the area, most of them were at their duty posts when Daily Trust visited the area.
Adamu Mohammed is another Moringa farmer in Utako District. He stressed that the demand for the product is far more than the supply pointing that out the reason why the leaves are hardly allowed to mature properly before harvest.
“You see people come to ask for this every time, even if you tell them you don’t have they will beg for the little ones they see. That is why the leaves are allowed to mature and the plant to produce the seeds which are more expensive,” he explained.
But Abubakar Bashir, who has a small-size farm at Masaka, at the outskirts of Abuja, told Daily Trust that the demand for the product is overwhelming and that farmers are hardly allowed to give the plant time to produce the seeds.
“For many of us who don’t have any other sources of income, it’s a difficult thing to do,” he noted.
During the raining season, farmers can harvest at least three times a season.
Depending on the size of the farm, a farmer can also generate significant income with which to meet family financial needs.
With less effort, a small size of land can accommodate many stems that can within a short period grow into tick forests and produce the seeds that can be used for export to China or India, where they are processed for both consumption and export.

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/agriculture/making-money-through-moringa-farming/115055.html

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