With 50 million persons employed in Moringa production, Nigeria can earn up to N1 trillion revenue. This was the assertion of the Chairman of the Moringa Production, Marketers and Farmers Welfare and Empowerment Association, Dr Michael Ashimashiga. He said this while speaking with reporters on ways to address the high level of food insecurity in the country through the encouragement of Moringa farming.
He added that there would be so much to gain for the nation if the government readies itself to partner with the Moringa subsector to boost productivity through provision of seedlings, fertilizers and other inputs, which are critical to the success of the crop in Nigeria. While breaking down the achievability of the N1trn revenue estimate on a monthly basis, Dr Ashimashiga noted that a plot of moringa farm could generate a minimum of 20kg adding that one kg of Moringa amounted to N2, 500.
“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 a monthly basis beside other intercropping plants,” he said. He added that “Moringa farmers will generate about N3.750 billion dollars on a monthly basis while the Federal Government will generate N650 million dollars on a monthly basis, which is about N1 trillion by engaging 50 million unemployed.”
The chairman, therefore, prevailed on the federal government and other stakeholders to prioritise moringa cultivation as a source of industrial raw materials for pharmaceuticals, food products, fertilisers, animal feed, poultry, fishery, and other global markets.
