Nigeria can Popcorn out of recession. Corn is a staple crop (food) that is thoroughly common in Nigeria while all ‘Baes’ know about popcorn. Considering the huge allure of the crop and its universal acceptance, it is funny that it is not considered as a cash crop in Nigeria.
But in an advanced nation like the USA, it is considered so. Why then is the crop so disdained in Nigeria? Perhaps because it is very common…It is everywhere — whether boiled, roasted or as an aggregate with beans. In its yellow or white form, it is also used for the universally accepted pap.
In 2016, Nigeria harvested 7,200 metric tonnes [1% of the world’s production] but all that maize was totally locally consumed. Meanwhile, the USA produced 384,778 tonnes and exported approximately 39% of their yield.
Because of the conditions it needs to grow and the attendant cost effective cultivating nature, the potential for that crop’s yield in Nigeria is actually mind-boggling.
A single portion of popcorn contains more antioxidants than all the fruit and vegetables most people eat in a day.
There are so many things to say about corn but one that is overlooked is the fact that whilst we are told to eat a portion of vegetables per day to stay healthy that could well be changed to eating a portion of popcorn per day. A study by the University of Scranton reported, “Popcorn contains more of the healthful antioxidant substances called polyphenols than fruits and vegetables.”
According to an IITA study carried out in 2014, Nigeria has the capacity to immediately increase its corn yield three-fold because of a better-growing variant that takes two months from planting to harvesting.
In today’s world food market, a tonne of maize sells for $143.60, which can be extrapolated to mean that Nigeria has the capacity to sell 14,000 tonnes of the crop at this current price [about $2million].
Nigeria harvested 7,200 metric tonnes [1% of the world’s production] but all that maize was totally locally consumed
Though this, in fact, is not the best viable economic option but to create industries off the by-products of the crop. It can be used for cooking oil, medicine, sweeteners, industrial starch, ethanol, etc.
The major challenge for Nigerian farmers is getting more help to grow and sell their product. But there are now entities like Growsel, who are helping farmers, get the needed investment in their farms whilst also educating on how best to farm for export.
As common as corn is, it thus has the uncommon ability to become a cash crop that can help feed the nation and at the same time earn scarce dollars.
