Cucumber farming business in Nigeria, by Agbaji Chinedu

Today’s Agribusiness

Cucumber is an important crop widely cultivated in different agro ecologies of Nigeria. Cucumbers are vine plants/vegetables with low calories, high water content, a refreshing taste, and various health benefits. They have green rinds, with white flesh and are highly consumed in Nigeria and across the globe too.

Modern cucumber farming is a good Agricultural business to venture in Nigeria, considering the health benefits and demand in the market. As one would expect, growing and grooming cucumbers is not as easy as planting other conventional crops or fruits when you assume it to be a business venture. You may also have to undergo some cucumber farming training before going into the venture.

Cucumber farming can be very profitable if done in the right way. Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis Sativus. Pickling, slicing and seedless are the varieties of cucumber. Smart Nigerians can make millions of naira from cucumber farming within months from a small size of land. Cucumber farming in Nigeria was hitherto done mainly in the northern part, now farmers in the southern region plant this type of vegetable as well.The demand for fresh cucumbers is quite huge in Nigeria as they are used in preparing salads and other types of food. Cucumber plants can only grow under tropical conditions.

However, being a certified cucumber farmer can distinguish you in the cucumber faming business as a result you will make more money.

Health Benefits of Cucumbers

• Cucumbers may prevent dehydration due to their high moisture content.
• They contain antioxidants that protect against heart, lung, and autoimmune diseases.
• Perfect for reaching and sustaining good skin health.
• Anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Cucumbers may also prevent cases of high blood pressure.
• Support digestive health and prevent constipation.
• Their low calorie content makes them perfect for losing weight.
• High nutrient content.
• Cucumbers may also function as potent pain relievers.

Cucumber is wonderful in the fight against cancer, treatments for diabetics, skin irritations, bad breath, and can be used to re-hydrate the body and regain one’s self from dryness. It is also great sources of vit. A,B1,B6, and D which is known globally and not just in one particular location in the world. Having established all these interesting facts about cucumber, it is now time for us to look into the steps necessary for you to consider owning your own cucumber farm and share in the pure profits that it brings.

Bear in mind that you don’t need huge amount of money to go into cucumber farming, what really matter is getting things right at first before going into it fully which is what this article is all about.

Steps for Cucumber Farming in Nigeria

Get Training on Cucumber Farming: You have to be trained on cucumber farming as a business venture be it organic or non organic.

Land Preparation: By the time you get your land, the next thing to do is land preparation. Except the land is already prepared, you will need to perform some activities on it before you can plant your cucumber seeds on it.You will need to perform clearing, plowing, and tilling operations to make the land suitable for cucumber farming. These can all be done through manual or mechanized labor. Tilling and plowing will loosen up the soil, thereby making it for the roots of your cucumbers to penetrate the soil and reach enough amounts of water and nutrients. It is not advisable to apply bush burning as a method of clearing the land as it may lead to the destruction of topsoil nutrients and nitrogen-producing bacteria especially if you want to do organic cucumber farming.

Application of Manure: Your cucumbers will need all the organic matter and nutrients they can get. Applying organic manure liquid or solid to the farm to enhance the land and get it ready for farming is key to get a good result from farm. Where you cannot get formulated organic manure you can use compost manure which includes food processing residuals, food scraps, wood ash, animal manure (chicken manure specifically), grass clippings, and coffee grounds. These materials will break down into useable nutrients for your cucumbers. After applying the compost, add just enough water and leave the site for about 7 days for decay to take its course. It is advisable to use Neem organic manure or liquid organic manure such as Agric Zyme 3X. Agric Zyme 3X is a organic Liquid fertilizer with booter and pesticide.

As Soon as Your Land is Ready Get a Good Seed to Plant: Plan adequately to moisten the ground by adding organic fertilizer after clearing and tilling the soil. Then after that, plant your cucumber in a hole of about 2.5cm deep and a space of 50cm apart from each other to enable it grow each one on its own without having to be struggling against themselves. Another important thing to do is to have the farm land in rows and columns to allow for easy human passage or tractors as the case may be. Making it that way also allows for easy harvesting and sometimes weeding. Some of the most common hybrid seeds in Nigeria are; Murano F1,Tokyo F1,Gemini 7 F1, and Darina F1.

Vine Staking: Vine staking is an important post-planting operation and it is seen as one of the agronomic practices of cucumber. If everything goes according to plan, after two weeks, your cucumber plants must be growing into really long vines. Staked cucumbers are easy to harvest, clean, and free from pests and diseases, they grow optimally, and also do not decay from lying on moist soil.

Pruning and Clearing: In simple terms, pruning is the process of removing laterally growing shoots from the major cucumber vine. Pruning may prove to be an important step in grooming cucumbers because it helps create a balance between fruit production and vine growth. Vine overgrowth may affect fruit production, hence the need for pruning. Start trimming cucumber vines by removing any dead or damaged parts. You can also remove older leaves to allow sunlight access to developing fruit and improve air circulation in the vines.

Harvesting: Harvesting comes after the plants start fruiting and the maturation of the fruits. The onset of fruiting is visible by the development of yellow flowers on the plants. The timeframe between germination and harvesting is between two to three months (50 to 70 days.)The best way to harvest cucumber is to cut the fruit itself from the vine using a sharp knife.

You can make money every month from cucumber farm within your compound when you plant using bags. Or in a space in your compound as a certified organic cucumber farming.

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