The best month to plant cocoa in Nigeria is May – June. The month of May, June and July are the rainy season months. Planting cocoa in these months will ensure that the young cocoa seedlings have adequate supply of water.
For irrigation farmers, cocoa can be planted anytime. Irrigation cocoa farmers can plant their cocoa seedlings anytime of the year with the use of irrigation.
Cocoa farming is unarguably one of the most lucrative farming ventures in Nigeria. Cocoa crop can make a lot of money for farmers if grown under good agronomic practices.
The Months to Plant Cocoa in Nigeria
The following are some of the months to grow cocoa in Nigeria:
January
Cocoa farmers in Nigeria hardly start growing cocoa in the month of January. This is due to non-availability of water or rains in this month. Cocoa farmers who grow their crop in the month of January must have irrigation facility in place.
February
February is a dry month of the year. Cocoa farmers in Nigeria hardly transplant their cocoa seedlings in this month because they mostly rely on rains. Irrigation farmers can however start the cultivation of cocoa in February.
March
In Nigeria, March is one of the best months to plant cocoa. Rains usually start in March in the southern part of Nigeria; this makes this month an ideal time for cocoa farmers to start the process of cultivating their cocoa crop.
April
Just like March, cocoa farmers in southern Nigeria also see April as one of the best months to grow cocoa in Nigeria. Cocoa seedlings are usually transplanted to the field in the month of April. Rains stabilize in the month of April in southern Nigeria.
May
The month of May receives a lot of rainfall in Nigeria. May is also an ideal month to plant cocoa in Nigeria. Cocoa farmers often take the advantage of the rains in the month of May to transplant their cocoa seedlings to the field.
June
Nigeria receives its highest rainfall in the month of June, especially the southern states. The month of June is also an ideal month to plant cocoa in Nigeria. Rain fed cocoa farmers see the month of June as the best month to grow cocoa in Nigeria.
July
Just like June, the month of July receives a lot of rainfall. The abundance of rains in the month of July makes it one of the best months to grow cocoa in Nigeria. Most cocoa farms receive their highest amount of water in the month of July.
August
August is also one of the best months to plant cocoa in Nigeria. In the northern part of Nigeria, the month of August receives a lot of rains. Cocoa farmers in the northern part of Nigeria may plant cocoa in the month of August.
The month of June is unarguably the best month to plant cocoa in Nigeria.