Many years ago, a former President and one of the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, said, “Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.”
Nigeria possesses a large expanse of land estimated at 91 million; of this, 81 million hectares are arable, characterised by rich soil, warm all-year-round temperatures and well-distributed rainfall. An estimated 18 million hectares of this land is classified as permanent pasture for livestock production.
Nigeria is an agricultural nation; the green on the national flag signifies that. Over the years, Nigeria’s dependence on crude oil has led to a massive decline in agriculture, and the negative impact of this decline has been evident in food production, food importation, and an overall economic food crises. Growing the agricultural sector in Nigeria will require a collective effort between the public and the private sectors of the nation.
Agriculture as a business – agribusiness – focuses on the profitability in cultivating crops and rearing livestock or in many cases, as seen in the northern parts of the country, a mixed farming culture. There is an increased need to focus on livestock farming — away from the usual rearing of cattle, poultry and fishery. In this case, there is need to focus on pigs, through an exceptional initiative called PorkMoney.
Why pork? Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, accounting for over 40 per cent of the world’s meat consumption. It is high in protein, essential vitamins, minerals, amino acid and is good for overall health. Some pork parts, like that of tenderloin, loin chops and sirloin roast, made from the lean cuts, are more healthy than chicken. The PorkMoney business initiative considers the health benefits of pork and the financial benefits related to its sales as a lucrative source that will in the long term contribute immensely to the growth of agriculture in Nigeria; creating jobs in the process.
Already, some Nigerians who are promoting the PorkMoney venture in the country have created an agribusiness subscription plan where partners can yield profits with an initial deposit of N250,000. PorkMoney, with its partners, led by Ghanaian actor and businessman, John Dumelo, and Oke-Aro pig farm, said to be Africa’s largest pig farm, have proposed a collaborative plan to grow the agricultural sector through pig farming in Nigeria and Ghana, where PorkMoney will run its operations and eventually replicate same in other parts of Africa. The PorkMoney initiative will be launched on June 4, 2018.
By: Ozioma Ubabukoh
Punch News
