Growing apples in Nigeria, another wealth, job creation opportunity

Apart from the health benefits, apples grown in Nigeria can provide opportunities for wealth and job creation.

The apples are currently available and would be till February next year and by May, another fruiting season would start and end around September.

Oluwagbenga Akinyemi, an agric expert, says some homes already have the apple growing in their yards but they do not realise its income creation opportunities. Akinyemi specialises in growing bell apples and runs a consultancy teaching individuals, organisations and government how to use it in creating jobs for people. He says “I have made a proposal to the Delta State government on how it can be used in creating jobs and wealth. Though the apple tree grows in virtually every part of Nigeria, it is more prevalent in the South, especially the South South states – Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Balyesa and Edo. In Delta State, for instance, the bell apple tree fruits almost four times in a year.”

He adds: “It can be eaten fresh, it is very nutritious, good for the health.” According to Organic Facts, a health information centre, bell fruit is great for digestion because it helps to destroy worms in the intestine, and is a good remedy for digestive disorders. It is also recommended as a remedy for chronic dysentery.

The trunk and branches are also beneficial in curing diarrhoea, dysentery and many more. The fruit has a sweet sour taste.

Akinyemi says “bell apple can be used in production of fresh juice, fruit concentrates, wine and also jams and marmalade.

Depending on the size, a fruit is sold for N50 to N100 and the tree bears about 1,000 fruits every fruiting season. I also sell the seeds. I teach people how to raise seedlings. Seedlings of three to four months can be sold for N1,500, a six months old seedling can be sold for N2,500 and nine months old seedling can be sold for N3,500. The reason I am involving state governments is because it takes about five years for a tree to fruit from the day the seed is planted. Forward looking states can invest in the plantation and then hand over to unemployed youths when they start fruiting so these ones can earn income.”

Edobong Akpabio of Visionage Agro-tech Farm however says already established farmers and organisations can plant the apple trees to make extra income.

“We have at least three varieties of apples that grow in Nigeria – wine called the bell apple because of its shape, pinkish and whitish. Schools, golf clubs can grow the apple trees for landscaping purposes to beautify their environment. Farms can plant the apple trees to line their runways and use it to demarcate the boundaries of their land.

This is better than planting trees that are not of economic value. When the trees start fruiting, they would then earn extra income. Rather than selling them in the open market, they should go round, look for fruit shops and supermarkets selling groceries, and inform them of the time they would have the fruits available.”

She adds: “It is safer to eat these Nigerian apples rather than the imported ones that have been sprayed with chemicals to preserve them.

 Also, in Nigeria we still do organic farming, using manure rather than fertiliser which is very safe for the health of the consumers. Fruits and vegetables planted with organic manure do not have to be preserved with chemicals.

They just need to be harvested before they fully ripen, days or weeks ahead, depending on the distribution channel, so that they would just be getting ripe before they get to the consumer.”

Various agric stakeholders believe that the Nigerian apple is under-cultivated because the country places so much focus on the imported one because the awareness and cultivation techniques are not fully known. Akinyemi says “I started this pioneering work of producing bell apples in 2006. It takes at least three years for the seed to grow to a tree and begin to produce fruits. Each tree produces over 1,000 fruits per harvest and there is a minimum of two harvests in a year. I started with a tree in my family house at Okota. My aunt, now based in the UK, planted it. From that singular tree, I began to sell the fruits. Unfortunately, the fruits are not in the market because the awareness is still very low and people would not normally ask for it, except someone markets it to them directly. However, once they taste it, they ask for more. So, I have been going round the country to create the awareness. It combines both a sweet and sour taste, and people simply love it.”

By: OLUYINKA ALAWODE

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