Complete Guide On PawPaw Farming In Nigeria(Papaya)

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.

Table of Contents hide

1 HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAWPAW

2 USES

2.1 Pawpaw is used for:

10 PEST/DISEASE CONTROL

11 HARVESTING

12 PAWPAW PRESERVATION

13 YIELD

14 MARKETING

15 PAWPAW VARIETY

16 PROFITABILITY IN FARMING

17 OTHER FARMING PRACTICES YOU CAN DO ALONG SIDE PAWPAW FARMING

18 TIPS

19 WHY YOU SHOULD START PAWPAW FARMING BUSINESS

20 CONCLUSION

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 2 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.

Hybrid varieties are fast to mature and has big fruits with great taste. They bear more fruits than traditional.

PROFITABILITY IN 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. paw paw farming

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