‘You can start bell apple farming with N20,000’

Gbenga Akinyemi, founder, Bell Apple Wealth Ventures, speaks on how a small business, even on part-time basis, can be started with as little as N20,000 growing bell apples seedlings in Nigeria; excerpt by OLUYINKA ALAWODE.

Bell apple has been grown in Nigeria for several years as a tropical plant. But the awareness of its commercial potential is still relatively new. It has the potential of giving reasonably good financial returns to even someone with little time and funds. So, growing these Nigerian apples can create jobs and eventually wealth. The commercial cultivation is just growing in the country but the demand for the apples is very high. This gives better opportunities to whoever ventures into it now.

Seedlings

An investor without much money can start and remain for some time in the business of just planting and selling the seedlings. Since this venture is the cultivation of seedlings in containers, which takes just 10 weeks or two and half months, the venture can be started on any available piece of land and the investor does not have to commit funds to purchase land yet. But to plant the seedlings and grow fruits, a land would have to be committed for that. Bell apples will grow in any type of soil, except sandy soil. Hence, the plant will do well in a household backyard or within one’s environment. 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.

Starting out

To start the business, a short training would be required. While some people may demand fees for training and the amount would depend on what you can both negotiate, others may not. The basic training would take only a few hours, and the farmer would get practical training when he starts. But it is important to keep in touch with the trainer and get advice during the period the seeds are growing to maturity as seedlings.

Starting the farming of bell apple seedlings on a small scale with 100 seeds of the fruit will cost as little as N20,000. Each seed can be purchased at N100 and all would cost N10,000. The remaining N10, 000 would be needed for the planting and other miscellaneous expenses. The farmer is not likely to have other expenses until the bell apple seeds grow to seedling level, and are ready for sales. Growing of the seedling is best done within the first four months of the year because there is a high demand for them during rainy season in the months after.

Planting

A good start is to get good bell apple seeds from renowned firms, agricultural institutes or professionals in the growing of bell apples or its seedlings. The seeds should be pressed into the soil so that they are barely covered: Bell apple seeds require sunlight to germinate. The seeds should be spaced one inch apart. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate: This may take as long as three weeks. Water the bells apple plants when the top two inches of soil has dried. Soak the soil and allow it to dry again prior to watering.

Returns

The major cost of running the bell apple seedling business is the cost of purchasing the seeds and containers, among other petty things, such as watering can. Bell apple seedlings are ready for sale after 10 weeks of planting and can be sold for N750 per seedling. Even all the seeds germinate, N75,000 minus N20,000, would be the returns on investment, even if it is 90 percent of the seeds that germinate, about N67500 minus N20,000 would be realised and the cycle can continue.

Trees

It takes at least three years for the seedlings 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. And once anybody tastes the fruit, they ask for more.

Fruits

Bell apple is bigger than the local apple indigenous to Nigeria. The bell apple is also bigger in size compared to the imported apple, it is more very attractive, highly nutritious, and even medicinal. It can also be used in making juice and wine. Bell apples have both a sweet and sour taste, and people simply love it.

Marketing

There is a ready-made market for bell apple seedlings. The seedlings are in high demand by big agricultural firms and fruit producing farms in the country

Background

I am a graduate of Crop Production from the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State. I taught Agricultural Science at SMA College, Oke Afa, Isolo, Lagos. I also acted as a manager at Psalm 23, Otta, Ogun State. Before he discovered bell apple tree. “When I saw the bell apple tree, I carried out an investigation about it, and discovered its uniqueness.

“I started production of bell apples with a tree in my family house at Okota. My aunt, now based in the United Kingdom planted the first tree. From that singular tree, I began to sell the fruits and realised some money and afterwards I also started the cultivation.

OLUYINKA ALAWODE