Nigeria can earn N1trn monthly from moringa farming—Association

The Moringa Production, Marketers and Farmers Welfare and Empowerment Association says its partnership with the Federal Government can generate N1 trillion by engaging 50 million unemployed citizens in moringa farming.

Dr Michael Ashimashiga, Chairman of the association, made this submission at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ashimashiga said the said amount was achievable if the Federal Government supported the citizens with improved seedlings from the association as well as providing fertilisers and other inputs to enhance moringa production in the country.

“Moringa farmers will generate about N3.750 billion dollars on monthly basis while the Federal Government will generate N650 million dollars on 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 monthly basis beside other intercropping plants.

“A country that empowers and utilises its citizens or manpower will not borrow to develop its infrastructure,” he said.

He said that a plot of moringa could generate a minimum of 20 kilogramme adding that a kilogramme of moringa amounted to N2, 500.

Ashimashiga emphasised that supporting citizens to engage in moringa cultivation would go a long way to address food insecurity and economic situation.

He said that the association had shown keen interest in the level of borrowing that both the farmers and government had engaged in.

Ashimashiga said the association, in collaboration with Eden Group, had witnessed the effect of chemical farming for two decades.

He explained that the chemical effect had resulted in the ongoing climate change and global warming that affected all agricultural cultivations and production processes.

According to him, the menace has led to poor funding from local and international organisations.

The chairman urged the government and all and sundry to explore the association’s agricultural inputs, consultancy, equipment leasing services, pharmaceutical raw materials, improved agricultural seeds and seedlings, animal feedlots, nutrition, poultry feed, among others.

He called on stakeholders and government agencies to focus on moringa cultivation for industrial raw materials for pharmaceuticals, foods, fertilisers, animal feeds, poultry, fishery and other international demands.