The Moringa Production, Marketers, and Farmers Welfare and Empowerment Association has highlighted the immense economic potential of moringa farming in Nigeria.
According to the group, with adequate government backing and strategic investments, the sector could generate up to N1 trillion monthly in revenue, transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and boosting its economy.
According to nairametrics.com, the Chairman of the association, Dr Michael Ashimashiga, while speaking at a news conference in Abuja, said this feat can be achieved by engaging 50 million unemployed citizens in moringa farming.
He said the association is ready to partner with the government to provide seedlings to citizens, while the government provides fertilisers and other inputs to enhance moringa production in the country.
“Moringa farmers will generate about N3.750 billion dollars on a monthly basis while the Federal Government will generate N650 million dollars on a monthly basis, which is about N1 trillion by engaging 50 million unemployed.
“The government will be making about 0.3 dollars per one kilogramme of moringa leaves from the 1.875 per kilogramme that the citizens will be harvesting on a monthly basis beside other intercropping plants,” he said.
He noted that a plot of moringa farm could generate a minimum of 20 kilogramme adding that a kilogramme of moringa amounted to N2, 500.
Commenting on the high level of food insecurity in the country, Ashimashiga noted that supporting citizens to engage in moringa cultivation would go a long way to addressing the problem.
He expressed concern about the extent of borrowing by both farmers and the government. Ashimashiga also noted that, in partnership with Eden Group, they had observed the harmful effects of chemical farming over the past two decades, contributing to climate change and global warming, which have negatively impacted agricultural production and funding from local and international organizations.
The chairman encouraged the government and the public to consider the association’s range of services, including agricultural inputs, consultancy, equipment leasing, pharmaceutical raw materials, improved seeds and seedlings, animal feedlots, nutrition, and poultry feed.
He also urged stakeholders and government bodies to prioritize moringa cultivation as a source of industrial raw materials for pharmaceuticals, food products, fertilizers, animal feed, poultry, fishery, and other global markets.
What you should know
Moringa leaves and seeds are known for their numerous health benefits, including stopping bacterial activities in the body and boosting immunity with essential vitamins and minerals.
While moringa leaves have been used for generations as traditional remedies, scientific validation of their medicinal properties is stalled. However, research has confirmed the nutritional content of the plant’s edible parts, particularly the leaves and seeds. Moringa-based products have already gained popularity in various global markets, and farmers in Nigeria and other African countries are tapping into it.
