News
Pineapple farming holds immense potential as a lucrative business in Africa
Pineapple farming holds immense potential as a lucrative business in Africa due to various factors including favorable climate conditions, increasing demand for tropical fruits in both local and international markets, and the adaptability of pineapple plants to diverse soil types. Let’s delve into the details of why pineapple farming can be a profitable venture in Africa:
Favorable Climate Conditions:
Africa boasts a diverse range of climates, from tropical to subtropical, which are highly conducive to pineapple cultivation. Pineapple plants thrive in warm temperatures with adequate rainfall or irrigation. Countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania have regions with ideal climatic conditions for pineapple farming, allowing for year-round cultivation in some areas. This ensures a steady and consistent supply of pineapples throughout the year, contributing to a stable income stream for farmers.
High Demand in Local and International Markets:
Pineapples are popular tropical fruits globally, with a high demand in both local and international markets. In Africa, the growing population, urbanization, and increasing disposable incomes have led to a rise in demand for fresh fruits, including pineapples. Additionally, the export market for pineapples from Africa to Europe, the Middle East, and other regions is expanding, presenting significant opportunities for farmers to tap into lucrative export markets and earn foreign exchange.
Diverse Product Opportunities:
Pineapples offer various product opportunities beyond fresh fruit sales. Value-added products such as pineapple juice, canned pineapple slices, dried pineapple snacks, and pineapple jam have gained popularity in domestic and international markets. By diversifying into processing and value addition, pineapple farmers can maximize their profits and create additional revenue streams.
Low Input Costs and High Returns:
Pineapple cultivation requires relatively low input costs compared to some other crops. Pineapple plants are resilient and adaptable to various soil types, requiring minimal fertilizers and pesticides when grown under sustainable farming practices. Moreover, pineapple plants have a high yield potential, with each plant producing multiple fruit cycles over its lifespan. This translates to high returns on investment for pineapple farmers, especially when managed efficiently.
Employment Generation and Poverty Alleviation:
Pineapple farming has the potential to generate employment opportunities and alleviate poverty in rural areas of Africa. Large-scale pineapple plantations create jobs in farming, harvesting, processing, packaging, and transportation sectors, providing livelihoods for thousands of individuals. Furthermore, supporting smallholder pineapple farmers through training, access to markets, and technological advancements can empower rural communities and contribute to sustainable development.
Government Support and Infrastructure Development:
Many African governments recognize the importance of agriculture, including pineapple farming, in driving economic growth and reducing food insecurity. As a result, governments are implementing policies and initiatives to support smallholder farmers, improve agricultural infrastructure, and enhance market access. Additionally, investments in irrigation schemes, transportation networks, and cold storage facilities can facilitate the efficient production and distribution of pineapples, benefiting both farmers and consumers.
pineapple farming presents a promising opportunity for agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa. With favorable climate conditions, growing demand for tropical fruits, diverse product opportunities, low input costs, and government support, pineapple farming has the potential to become a lucrative and sustainable business venture. By harnessing the inherent strengths of pineapple cultivation and adopting innovative farming practices, African farmers can contribute to food security, economic development, and poverty alleviation in the region.
News
Six armoured cable vandals, two motorcycle thieves paraded by Nigerian Police in Niger
The Niger State Police Command has arrested six suspects for vandalizing and stealing armored cables and streetlights in Minna. The suspects, aged 20 to 201, were caught conspiring to commit the crime along Keteren-Gwari Road.
- Suspects’ Names and Ages:
- Umar Mustapha, 40
- Idris Abdullahi, 20
- Mahmud Mohammed, 37
- Musa Zakari, 42
- Aliyu Musa, 60
- Salihu Musa, 45
All suspects reside in Alagbado and Keteren-Gwari area, Minna.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime, and some stolen cables were recovered.
Additionally, two suspected motorcycle thieves, Mohammed Hassan, 22, and Isah Mohammed, 20, from Kpakungu area, Minna, were arrested. They were caught with a red Hajoue cargo motorcycle at Obasanjo complex area on October 22. The thieves admitted to stealing the motorcycle from Tunga area and planned to sell it in Mokwa. The investigation is ongoing.
News
A hunter simply identified as Femi has been found dead with bullet wounds in a forest in the Ijebu Igbo area of Ogun State.
A hunter simply identified as Femi has been found dead with bullet wounds in a forest in the Ijebu Igbo area of Ogun State.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, disclosed in a telephone conversation with an Online news source on Monday, that Femi had reportedly gone hunting with one Taoreed on Friday, but failed to return home.
She noted that Femi’s delay in returning home had raised concerns with his wife who reported to the village head.
The village head was said to have organised a search party to comb the forest and the search party found his dead body lying in the forest with bullet wounds.
She said, “On 26/10/2024, one Grace James, a female from Ofemodoko village near Ijebu Igbo reported to the station that on 25/10/2024 at about 1700 hours, her husband, Femi, now deceased, went hunting with an individual known as Taoreed aka Kokoro, but failed to return to their village.
“About 0700 hours on 26/10/2024, his disappearance was brought to the attention of the village head who then organised a search with local hunters. During the search, the body of Femi was found in the forest showing bullet wounds on his back with his gun lying on the ground next to him.”
She added that efforts to locate Taoreed who had gone hunting with Femi proved abortive as he, his wife and his children were nowhere to be found in the village.
The PPRO noted that an investigation has commenced into the matter.
“Suspicion was raised when it was discovered that Taoreed, who had gone hunting with the deceased, had fled the village with his wife and children.
“The body was removed and taken to the State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode for autopsy. This case is currently under preliminary investigation,” Odutola said.
News
Alex Ikwechegh: ‘I’ll make you disappear’ says Abia Rep, who assaulted driver
A member of the House of Representatives, Alex Ikwechegh, on Sunday, assaulted an e-hailing (Bolt) driver who went to deliver a package to him.
The distressed driver, Stephen Abuwatseya, in a viral video filmed what transpired between them in Ikwechegh’s residence in Maitama, Abuja.
The video depicted the visibly angered Reps member representing Aba North & South Federal Constituency (APGA) repeatedly slapping and insulting the driver for telling him to come out and get the snail the driver was meant to deliver to him.
In the footage, Ikwechegh insisted that the request was disrespectful given his social status while threatening to make the driver “disappear” without facing any consequences.
“Do you know who I am? I can make this man (driver) disappear in the whole of Nigeria and nothing will happen. Can you imagine this rat? I am not going to give this boy one naira of my money.
Watch the video here: https://t.co/3yBaK8WgiR
“I am not going to call my policemen to beat you up, I will do that myself. I will show that I am a big brother to you, tie you up, lie you down and put you in my generator house. Do you know where you are? Because you saw me sitting outside here. Look at this monkey.”
When the driver requested the delivery fee, the politician slapped him multiple times querying if the driver knew who he was talking to.
“Do you know who I am I just slapped you and there’s nothing you will do. My name is Honourable Alex Ikwechegh, tell them (public) I slapped you. Call the Inspector General of Police that I slapped you, let him come. Record me very well,” he boasted.
Recall that in September 2023, the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Umuahia, Abia State capital, led by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, sacked Emeka Nnamani, who is a member of the Labour Party and ordered that a certificate of return be issued to Ikwechegh, a candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who came second in the 2023 general election.
Nnamani was sacked based on certificate forgery.
The Appeal Court had in 2015 on the petition of Blessing Nwagba, sacked Nnamani on the ground that he was not a registered member of his then party, APGA in his ward at the time of the election and equally directed the police to investigate the allegation of certificate forgery against Nnamani, who said he graduated from the University of Port Harcourt.
After the Tribunal judgment, there was a report (not The PUNCH) that the tribunal sacked Nnamani because of certificate forgery and that there was a court ruling banning him from participating in elections for 10 years.
Although the lawmaker has debunked and described it as a “lie from the pit of hell”, adding, “There was nothing like the court banning me, Emeka Nnamani, for 10 years from contesting an election in Nigeria. That’s a fallacy and a fabrication from the pit of hell, used regularly by opposition parties to pull us back.
“The records of what the court said at that time in 2015 are there. I do not want to bring the competence of the court into question because our jurisprudence is a perfect one and works according to the evidence available to them.
“As of 2015, there were lots of hiccups that my opponent took advantage of mentioning the institution they mentioned, and the institution has since then said that they had issues with the exams and records of the school, which led to misplacement of some records when they were moving from analogue to digital records keeping.