What Do You Need to Start Maize Farming in Nigeria?

What Do You Need to Start Maize Farming in Nigeria?
Image Credit: Naij Nigeria

In West Africa (including Nigeria) maize constitutes the
crops with the highest rates of consumption. Precisely, this is why there are
lots of people who grow one or more varieties of maize.

Practising maize farming is quite fascinating but in order to have a
success record in it, you need to apply effort, capital and time. Importantly,
maize is the basis for the production of several eatables including corn
powder, custard, pap, corn starch and corn oil. If you’re convinced to take on
maize farming, this article will guide you on some of the things you need to
start maize farming
in Nigeria.
Setting up a Piece of Land

Unlike cassava that needs a soil with high loam content,
maize can be cultivated with various kinds of soil. However, loamy soil remains
the most suitable soil variety for cultivating maize. While setting up a piece
of land for your maize farm, ensure the piece of land is rich in loamy soil
particularly the one with decomposed particles.
Establishing a Source of Water

Maize is one of the crops that require adequate water for
germination. Advisably, you can set up an irrigation channel so that the
growing maize won’t be deficient in moisture. Likewise, maize grows well when
cultivated with a soil that has sufficient moisture and to improve the moisture
content of the chosen soil, it is important that you set up an irrigation
channel. For a maize plant to fertilize quickly, enough pollen is required and
to ensure this, you need to supply water to your maize farm regularly.

Choosing Suitable Maize Seeds

The selection of maize seeds is one of the crucial aspects
of maize farming. There are various breeds of maize seeds and the benefits you
can derive from maize production may depend on the chosen maize breed. Some
breeds of maize seeds are hardly vulnerable to pest infections. To ensure you
don’t make a wrong decision in this regard, try to learn more from experienced
maize farmers about the selection of maize seeds.
Adequate Knowledge

For every farming business you wish to venture into, you
need adequate knowledge of how it is done. This is very essential to avoid
running out of business at a later time. An advisable way to acquire adequate
knowledge of maize farming is to visit maize farms regularly to observe how the experienced maize farmers are doing it. Doing this will give you practical
insights into how you can set up a maize farm and run it successfully.