Pawpaw farming business requires little or no capital that is if you can handle the labour by yourself and own a land. It is very lucrative in the sense that the consumption rate is high invariably the supply rate that generates money. You may have to read further to see the amazing profit in papaya farming business. Pawpaw can be grown anywhere in Nigeria and it is eaten by all tribes. We have the traditional variety which starts producing after 9 months. But dwarf hybrid starts producing after 3 months.The botanical name for pawpaw is Carica papaya.
It may look like so many people are into this farming business yes! That’s true, many people are venturing into pawpaw farming compared to before. In case you think glut might set in I will say no if other fruits are not experiencing glut is it pawpaw that is scarcely not enough when it hits the market? Our growing population will not even allow that,; compare the number of pawpaw growers to our consuming population; you now see that you have an investment opportunity to grab.
Pawpaw is highly perishable to preserve them you have to process them into fruit or powder and sell to food-producing companies during off-season. Leasing of land to grow hybrid pawpaw is allowed because you can keep the land for 2-4 years before replanting. To have papaya at all times plant in batches so you can have healthy and productive pawpaw plants
HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAWPAW
Pawpaw is consumed both for health and medicinal value; but grown commercially for economic reasons. Pawpaw fruit contains:
- photo nutrients, mineral and vitamins
- No cholesterol
- Low calories
- It is soft and easily digestible
- Contains a high amount of soluble dietary fibre that assists in normal bowel movement which helps in reducing constipation.
- Ripe pawpaw contains high vitamin C than orange or lemon
- It is an immune booster and an inflammatory agent
USES
Pawpaw is used for:
- Puree
- Fruit
- Candies
- Salad
- Deserts
- Jelly
- Jam etc.
LAND PREPARATION
Clear and plough the land to loosen the soil for water penetration and aeration. A sandy loam soil rich in organic matter is ideal for planting. Avoid water log and rocky places. A PH of 6.0-6.5 and 1200mm water is ideal for optimum growth.
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CULTIVATION
Pawpaw is a tropical crop propagated through seed, nothing like grafting (here). The seed should be planted directly to already prepared soil. But if you can handle transplanting very well then you can set up a nursery either on bed or in bags. Use seed of good breed that is matured and ripe. Dry it under the sun before planting.
Use big nursery bags, fill them up with topsoil that is mixed with manure. Drop 2 seeds at the centre of each bag; placing the seeds at the centre is to guide against damaging of the roots during transplanting.
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Before transplanting dig a hole of 10 feet in line 5m or 10 feet apart. This spacing will expose the plant to adequate sunlight which will encourage fruiting instead of foliage. Carica papaya is very sensitive to weather conditions if the temperature drops too often it stop flowering but flowers again when the temperature warms up.
TRANSPLANTING
Transplant pawpaw after 2 months of planting in the nursery. Tear off the nylon before putting it in the hole. Care must be taken not to damage the root ball. Their roots are very delicate if there is any disturbance they will not grow well.
Dig a hole of 15-20m deep, cover the hole lightly and apply compost. You can choose any distance you like; 1.5×1.5m, 1.8×1.8m or 2m x 2m. It can be either 4400 stand per hectare or 3200 also either 440 stand per plot or 320 per plot.
INTER CROPPING
Plant fast maturing plant at the early stage example includes okra, maize, melon, vegetable, beans, sweet potato etc.
IRRIGATION
Pawpaw doesn’t need too much water but when there is drought or rain is in shortage, you apply 3 litres of water per plant 2 times for newly transplanted seedlings. For flowering pawpaw plant apply 5 litres of water, 2 times a week. And for a bearing plant apply 15 litres once a week.
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FERTILIZER
Manure should be added to the soil 2 months after planting. Use Vegimex at the early stage for a healthy pawpaw growth.
Treated organic manure should be added every 3 months. But you can use NPK 15:15:15 of 50g for one plant 3 weeks after transplant, then monthly for about 6 months.
WEEDING/MULCHING
Weeding should be carried out 3 months after transplanting before adding fertilizer. Either through the use of hoe (manually) or by the use of herbicide; paroquet glyphosate 4-6, 3kg active ingredient per hectare.
PEST/DISEASE CONTROL
Apply Dudu-cyper insecticide for insects elimination.
HARVESTING
Pawpaw fruits all year round under warm weather. Their maturity depends on the variety planted. Hybrid variety will start producing between 4-6 months. Pluck them with your hands when they are just beginning to ripe.
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That is if you see a patch of yellow colour in some parts of the skin. They will continue ripening after harvest if you allow them to ripe completely before plucking you have to consume them immediately.
Also if you pluck immature fruit it will shrink and the taste will not be as the matured one.
PAWPAW PRESERVATION
The only way to preserve pawpaw fruit is to dry them very well and grind into powder. Another way is to process into fruit drink to stay long you must add a preservative. If you sliced the fruit down it will spoil the following day. Putting it in the fridge would not even help it for long.
YIELD
A good variety will yield about 60-90 fruits a year even more. Young pawpaw is the most productive it declines in yield as it gets older. The fruits will become few and small in sizes; very prone to disease. Hybrid pawpaw plant should be cut off and replanted after 2Â years.
Traditional pawpaw plant will become very tall; reaching the fruits will become difficult without the use of a ladder or long stick which may injure the fruit or get broken when it lands on the ground. Hybrid pawpaw dies quickly between 2-4 years.
MARKETING
Target large consumer friendly towns such as State capitals, big cities, high commercial towns and upcoming satellite/commercial town. Sell to market traders, fruit companies, fruit vendors etc.
PAWPAW VARIETY
There are many varieties of papaya, they come in different shapes, colour and sizes. But these two are common for commercial pawpaw farming. The yellow flesh and the red flesh. The yellow flesh is regarded as the best variety because they are big in size, has good taste and long shelf life.
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Hybrid varieties are fast to mature and has big fruits with great taste. They bear more fruits than traditional.
PROFITABILITY IN Â FARMING
One papaya fruit cost not less than #100 in the market, it can be as high as #400 But the price of this fruit depends largely on the size, taste and season. Assuming you planted 300 stand and it yields 60 fruits; that means 60×100×300=#1,800,000. Let’s say you spent #800,000, which I know it can’t be except you add labour, land purchase or lease. At the end of the day, you will be banking not less than #1,000,000.
If a plot can give you such profit how about a hectare. You will make more money when you add value to it. By opening a fruit juice bar/company to process for sale or slice and dry them for flakes or powder to be supplied to food companies during scarcity.
OTHER FARMING PRACTICES YOU CAN DO ALONG SIDE PAWPAW FARMING
Yan can add duck and snail farming to your pawpaw plantation. It will not only serve as a source of shelter especially to the snail but also a source of food.
TIPS
It’s not all pawpaw fruit that bears fruit; we have the male and the female plant. And you cannot determine their sex until they start flowering. That is the reason you should plant 3 seeds in a hole and thin them when they start flowering. But you need the male for pollination. You can have one male for every 20 female.
WHY YOU SHOULD START PAWPAW FARMING BUSINESS
- It is easy to start with little or no capital
- Pawpaw farming business has a high return within a short time
- It doesn’t require qualification so anybody can do it.
- You can lease land to do it if you don’t have the cash to purchase one
- The fruit is high in demand
CONCLUSION
To have pawpaw fruit all year round it is advisable you spread the time of planting in weeks. It will help to reduce adding of preservative for a long-term preservation which may be cancerous. Start commercial pawpaw farming today for a quick gain. More importantly, plant varieties that bear big fruits with a sweet taste.
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This is really well detailed and informative
@Gideon, thank you very much
Thanks for d post on Papaya cultivation. Please if u have detailed information on disease control kindly mail me.
Thanks you.
Thanks for the update
What a detailed guide
Good one my sister
I will like to start pawpaws business but how and where can I sell it if I have the fruits available?
A nice article. I have planted pawpaw seeds in my garden severally but what I get is always the male type. I have planted the fresh seeds and also the dried seeds. I have planted direct and a also nursery yet the same result, male pawpaw. What do I do ? How do I get the improve variety ?
Remain blessed.
Sorry about your experience, you can buy from sellers online, check nairaland or jiji
Thanks a lot, now I know , but how many pawpaw can be produced per pawpaw tree of the hybrid?
Well done..
Very educative article but in which month of the year do we start nursery of pawpaw in nigeria
March-April is fine
I just came across your article on pawpaw farming and am interested. my concern now is how do i get bulk buyers of the fruits for fruit making as I do not have the capital capacity to juice it?
Source for them in your location, they are there
Thanks for your update, please I needs information on pepper farming too
Highly commendable for this masterpiece write-up.
If the area is secured, you can do it simultaneously with your everyday job.
Thanks a million, for this an eye opening article.
Thank you for the information, it’s so detailed.
You are welcome @Bachi
Where can I get dwarf pawpaw seeds or seedlings.
Also likely cost
contact seedworld
Thank you for the pawpaw farm idea. It sounds so simple. Please how do I get dwaf hybrid pawpaw seeds and snails.
Also how to includ snails in the pawpaw farm was not explained. As I hear ants are their greatest enemy.
God bless you.
Esther
Hello Esther, you have to build a secured cage for the snails. Check online, you will see many hybrid seeds sellers
You have to build s secured cage for the snails. Check online for hybrid seed sellers
Nice presentation. My pawpaw trees started dying one by one. I was worried and someone said it is because of too much watering. Please can it be true ? The roots got rotten and trees are falling.
Pawpaw plant needs adequate water. Waterlogging can cause the death of paw paw in 2 days. Make sure the soil is not deficient of some nutrients
Thanks so much for this info. Am very grateful. I think I’ll go for the dwarf pawpaw cultivation.
You are welcome @Adu