How to start a lucrative maize mechanize farming in Nigeria

Maize is a prominent cereal crop and one of Nigeria’s most essential staple foods. Because of its genetic versatility, it is the most commonly farmed plant in the nation, from the damp evergreen environment of the forest region to the arid ecosystem of the Sudan savanna. Maize farming is one of the most profitable types of farming in Nigeria.

The Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) valued Nigeria’s maize industry to be at $6bn, which is about N2.5 trillion. Maize is in high demand in the country, local production only meets about 72% of the total annual demand for maize, according to data by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria churns out about 10.5 metric tons of maize annually while having a demand of 15 million metric tons. This indicates that there is a huge opportunity for intending local maize farmers or maize producers in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, maize is consumed by a large number of families and households in many different forms. Maize cultivation and farming is done on a small, medium or big scale across the country. It is therefore an important source of income for many Nigerian farming households.

About 800 million tons of maize was produced globally in the year 2019, with Nigeria producing about 11,000 tons, Nigeria is the largest producer of maize in the Africa, followed by South Africa. In spite of the huge production of maize in Nigeria, Nigeria cannot satisfy local demand of maize. Nigeria does not produce as much sweet corn like maize. Every year, a significant percentage of maize is imported to satisfy local demand in the country.

Maize farming in Nigeria is practised in all the geopolitical zones of the country. There are maize farmers in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Abuja, Plateau, Nasarawa, Imo, Anambra. Kano, Kebbi, Kaduna and all states in the country.

Despite the fact that it comes in a variety of colors, grain shapes and sizes, the popular cereal is mostly accessible for cultivation and consumption in two varieties: white and yellow maize. Yellow maize is mostly utilised for feed and human consumption, whereas the white variety is used for agriculture.

Clearing and Preparation: Land clearing should be done with the least amount of topsoil displacement possible. It necessitates the careful application of heavy machinery, as well as sound soil conservation methods to maintain the soil fertility condition, which varies during long-term fallow growth. Under intensive maize production, minimum cultivation is a viable technique to maintain high soil fertility.

The savannas do not require the same level of land preparation as the country’s forest zone.  Land clearing must be conducted long before the rains commence in the Guinea grasslands, where the forest cover is very dense. Immediately the rains begin, proper ridges should be built. While deep cultivation benefits the crop, zero tillage does not reduce yields. Furthermore, maize should be planted in 75-centimeter-wide ridges for maximum grain output. Since the soil in the northern part of Nigeria is loosely packed, animal-drawn tools, as well as hoe, hand, and tractor-mounted plowing equipment, can be utilized to create ridges.

Maize Farming in nigeria Season and Planting

Because it is photoperiod insensitive, maize can be cultivated at any time yearly, allowing for greater flexibility in fitting it into various cropping patterns. Maize can be cultivated either manually (i.e., hand cultivation) or mechanically (machine planting). In the Nigerian savannas, the suggested plant spacing for maize is 75 by 50 cm, with two plants per stand.

Maize farming is now cultivated throughout the year because of irrigation system. The optimum planting date is between mid March and May. You can grow 2-3 times a year because both short and long duration varieties of the crops are available. Because of it usefulness, maize farming in Nigeria on a commercial level is highly profitable. It takes about 2 and half to 3 months for harvest. You can get upto 50% return on investment (ROI) or more within few months if done properly.

Planting should begin immediately as the rains start, preferably directly after a good rainfall. Rainy season in northern Nigeria varies in accordance with the various ecological zones and from year to year. However, in the main ecological zones, optimal planting dates typically fall within the following periods:

Fertilizers for Maize Farming in Nigeria: Suitable and balanced nourishment is critical in maize for high yield. Before applying fertilizer, ensure that the plants have been properly thinned to the suggested stand density and that they have been weeded. For corn in the savannas, the respective fertilizer nutrients are proposed per hectare:

Weeding:  Excellent weed control in maize is required for high output. Weeds typically compete for sunlight, water, and nutrients with crops. Regular weeding is required to allow the maize plant to reach its full capacity on the field. Weeding must be done on a regular basis, especially during the initial stages of growth. Because the plant is shallow-rooted, avoiding mechanical damage during the operation is critical. In situations where soil depletion is severe, remodeling or earthing up of the ridges will be required to avoid lodging and excessive sun exposure of the roots.

Herbicides can be utilized in controlling weeds on a maize plantation where it is economically viable to do so. Although some herbicides have been suggested for sole cropped corn, it is essential to acknowledge that the effectiveness of the chemicals is enhanced by excellent land preparation, regardless of the implements utilized.

Disease and Pest Control

As a maize farmer, you should be aware that disease or pest attacks can have a significant impact on your productivity. To prevent this calamity from destroying your investment, you need to regularly monitor the plants to spot pests or diseases that can cause significant losses a short while after planting.

One method of controlling pests and diseases is through crop rotation. The same family plant should not be cultivated yearly on the same site, and the crops must be rotated on the farmland every three years. Pests and other soil-borne pathogens will gradually increase if farmers grow maize on the same patch of land every year.

Monitoring: Monitoring maize growth and performance at various stages of development is a crucial component of crop management. It allows the farmer to make timely interventions that result in optimal output at the close of the season.

The quality of the soil and crop plays a vital role in the quality of farm output produced at harvest. Monitoring and ensuring plants are growing correctly, pest detection, crop infection, proper fertilization of crops, and more can be strenuous for farmers to do manually, especially if the farm sits on a large expense of land. However, with a soil and plant health monitoring AI powered solution, it is now easier for farmers to monitor their plants and soil.

Harvest: Harvesting maize for fresh consumption is usually executed 50–70 days after cultivation. The silk turns brown to indicate that the corn is due to be harvested. Conversely, if grains are required, harvest immediately the grains are dry enough (typically 80 – 110 days after cultivating) depending on the type. During harvest, the corn cobs can be broken off the plant by hand, or the entire plant can be slashed with a cutlass. When the whole plant is harvested, it is frequently stacked in the field to enable the grains to dry more. The plant can be dehydrated in a traditional aerated granary in humid climates.

Post-Harvest: Maize post-harvest activities include shelling, drying, storage, threshing, and advertising. In addition to the previously mentioned operations, sorting and grading, packing and bagging, transit, loading and unloading Maize post-harvest management is divided into four main stages. The first one is farm-gate activities, which involve de-sheathing and packing mature maize cobs together; the second stage is transportation, which involves transporting cobs from the farmland to home or storage facility. The third stage refers to home activities, which include drying and grading cobs, shelling cobs and drying grains, winnowing grains, pesticide application, and packing grains at the household level. The fourth phase is maize storage, which involves storing grains for later use.

The average yield of maize farming in Nigeria as in other Sub-Sahara Africa countries is generally low 1.68 tons/hectare, which is very low compared to average yield in United States 9.3 tons/hectare over the same period.

Maize Farming Plant Population:

After you have planted your maize, these are the expected plant population to be expected per maize variety and planting methods:

(i) Open-Pollinated/Popcorn varieties: Hand planted, 90 cm x 40 cm, 2 plants/stand is expected to give 55,555 plants/ hectare.

(ii) Hybrids: Hand planted, 90 cm x 40 cm, 2 plants/stand is expected to give 55,555 plant/ hectare.

(iii) Mechanical Planting: (Any Variety) 75 cm x 25 cm, 1 plant/stand to given 53,555 plants/ hectare or 90 cm x 20 cm, 1plant/stand giving 55,555 plants/ hectare. There should be no thinning or supplying except in very bad cases.

Always use certified seeds of recommended varieties for good crop establishment.

Plant population is can determine if a maize farmer will make profit or not. To make good profit in maize farming, you need to have at least 50,000 stands of maize plants per hectare; this can be increased to up to 70,000 stands if you plant some hybrid varieties.

It is advisable you have an intra-plant spacing of 25 cm and an inter-row spacing of 75 cm when planting maize. This will ensure that your farm will have about 55,000 plants per hectare. If you do 20cm intra-plant spacing, you can increase your maize plant population per hectare to about 66,000.

Equipment Needed for Maize Farming in Nigeria

The following are some of the equipment needed for maize farming in Nigeria: Tractors, Irrigation Equipment, Cutlasses, Hoes,Boom Sprayers, Drones, Plough, Harrowers, Ridgers etc.

Seeding and Planting of the Maize Seeds on the Field: 10 – 20 kg of maize seeds should be planted in one hectare of farmland. Maize seed should be planted as a single seed per hole. A hole of 2-5 cm should be dug and a single seed of maize should be buried in the hole.

Pioneer Corn Seed – Hybrid: Dupont Pioneer Hybrid maize seed is one of the most popular hybrid maize seeds in Nigeria. Pioneer hybrid maize seeds can grow in all regions in Nigeria. It has good tolerances and resistance to a lot of pests and diseases that affects corn plants. Hybrid pioneer seeds can also tolerate crowding unlike other maize varieties. This maize variety can yield up to 12 tons per hectare. We tried this variety and we had a yield of 7.6 tons per hectare. I have seen local farmers getting between 5-7 tons per hectare cultivating this variety in Kaduna. This variety comes in the yellow and white form.

Maize Farming for Fresh Cobs: 55,000 – 75,000 fresh maize cobs are expected to be harvested from one hectare of maize. Hybrid pioneer maize seeds can yield two cobs per plant.

Let us assume that 70,000 fresh maize cobs will be harvested from one hectare of maize. If you sell each fresh cob for N15, you will earn a sales revenue of N1,050,000 from your one hectare maize farmland.

N60,000 is expected to be used for land preparation and planting of maize seeds per hectare, N30,000 for hybrid pioneer seeds per hectare, N20,000 for herbicides and insecticides, N60,000 for fertilisers and N100,000 for labour and other expenses. Total cost for one hectare of maize is N320,000. Profit from one hectare of maize farm if you sell fresh maize cobs will be N730,000.

Selling fresh maize cobs is far more profitable; however, your farm must be near a big town or city.

Maize farming is now cultivated throughout the year because of irrigation system. Ensure your land is properly prepared at the appropriate time to receive viable maize seeds. You are to cultivate recommended varieties for your zone. Use correct spacing when sowing. Apply fertilizer according to soil test result, follow the recommended agronomic practices and use treated seeds from a certified company. Plan for marketing, processing and storage from the beginning to prevent wastage and maximize profit.

Get our training guide on Maize Farming Businesss. This basic guide will equip you with the knowledge and information you need to acquire to start your own very successful real estate business in Nigeria.

Click here to fill our application form:   https://forms.gle/jt7DaqkmobimT5PX8 

Our motivation is to see every Nigerian benefit from our Unique Income opportunity, specially focused towards a sustainable, entrepreneurial, and innovative future by connecting them to new ideas and skills Browse through our highly resource information over 500 Business ideas. https://www.facebook.com/share/188T881hZr/   This guide is designed to help business people including Micro, Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs navigate the legal and regulatory considerations relevant to starting-up and doing business in Nigeria.CLICK HERE Creating multiple streams of income can be a strong way to improve your personal finances. Whether you’re trying to boost your savings or build toward a goal, this is a move that many of the most financially successful Nigerians make.CLICKHERE