Ewedu farming can actually put real money in your hands. There are so many opportunities surrounding us more than we ever think exists. White collar jobs seems to be the norm in our society today to the extent that even house wives that know what it cost both to purchase and prepare their family meals, overlook this money making opportunity in Ewedu vegetable farming and go on pursuing jobs elsewhere.
As part of making things easier for ourselves or even out-rightly starting a somewhat lucrative business that would in time become bigger than most of the tantalizing white collar jobs, it is important we try this. One acre of Ewedu (Jute leaf) can give you N500,000 in pure profit.
Practical Approach To Ewedu Farming In Nigeria
I for one used to ignore the business due to how most people handle it; by projecting it as if it’s something meant for the hopeless and poor ones to do. However, the brief discussions I had with an Ewedu dealer changed it completely.
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If you are not a Yoruba person and you are observing the vegetable from a distance, you’d think it’s something meant for goats. But this is not the case, ewedu leaf is known to be very rich in Vitamins and other important foods nutrients. It is also very food for the health and can be used as remedy for many ailments. These are the reasons a Yoruba man/woman can never joke with ewedu!
I took my time to ask a woman (not even a Yoruba person) why she is so serious with Ewedu business even though she rarely cooks it in her home, she laughed and said that it is quite unfortunate that the owners, talking about the Yoruba people, don’t know what they are missing by not investing in this money growing leaves as she puts it.
After gathering some further information from her and what she has been able to achieve from ewedu farming within her compound, I was amazed at how much she makes from this business. I think this is high time we look into some important areas of the economy and see what we could individually do to help ourselves instead of dwelling on what government would do for us.
Ewedu farming in Nigeria is one of the easiest types of farming that if taken seriously, it can give you the type of money no one will ever pay you in any white coral job. In this article, I will take you by the hand and show you some step by step guides on Ewedu farming and how you can make it big in this lucrative but highly ignored farming.
Ewedu Farming In Nigeria, The Basic Things You Should Know
As with every other leaves or grasses, Ewedu thrives on swampy areas where there is enough water to keep it moist to gain good nutrients from the soil but this on its own does not necessarily affect where it is to be planted as long as it is regularly watered.
Though it’s usually very cheap during the rainy season but it is a hot cake in the dry seasons and that is when serious farmers usually targets. You start by making small ridges or just tilling the ground to make it soft and soft soil are usually the best type if you hope to get a bumpy harvest.
So after softening the ground with hoe, either by yourself or using some Hausa friends, popularly known as Mallam to till the ground, you now spread the seed on the surfaces and have it covered with some things like palm branches or other things that can serve the purpose of shielding it from intruders like the birds of or local fowls that go about searching for food in areas like that.
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One top secret and a kind of unusual thing about this vegetable known as Ewedu is that, one has to parboil the seeds before planting if you want it germinated as soon if not, it could take months before coming out which defeats the very purpose of planting it when you intended.
To get the best of your investments, the best periods are from late September to early January before the rain starts which would make it cheap as it’s usually found everywhere in the rainy season thus bringing the prices to the lowest minimum.
For instance, the quantity that is sold for N50.00 in the rainy season could go between N1,500 to N2,500 during the dry season! Ewedu lasts between one and one & half month before harvesting if it’s properly taken care of by watering/irrigating it twice a day, morning and evening.
Those who have Well in their compound can conveniently do it seasonally if they have enough space at their backyard. One could either take it to the market or invite buyers to the farm and have their business discussed there.
Ewedu is a popular Yoruba vegetable that has even spread to other tribes in Nigeria because of its dual purposes in serving as vegetable and medicine at the same time. It may surprise you to know that even the Hausa people in the northern part of Nigeria also use the vegetable and equally have a name for it. It is called in Hausa, (Ayoyo).
Like I stated earlier, the leave is used mainly for the preparation of Ewedu soup just as the name goes but the most important thing about it is the medicinal values.
Ewedu is a very rich source of fiber and it’s low in calories but high in vitamins. In herbal medicine, Ewedu is used for piles and tumors. Plant Ewedu at the right season for it and you will ever remain grateful that you did.
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