Oil palm farming is unarguably one of the most profitable farming ventures in Nigeria. To grow oil palm, farmers often have their best months to grow the crop.
In Nigeria, oil palm farmers often start growing their oil palm crops in some months of the year. There are reasons why oil palm farmers choose a particular month to start to plant the oil palm crop.
In Nigeria, rain fed oil palm farmers prefer to transplant their oil palm seedlings as from the month of April if they are in the southern part of Nigeria. Oil palm farmers in the north may wait till May or June before transplanting their oil palm seedlings.
The Months to Plant Oil Palm in Nigeria
The following are some of the months to grow oil palm in Nigeria:
January
Oil palm farmers in Nigeria hardly start growing oil palm in the month of January. This is due to non-availability of water or rains in this month. Oil palm 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. Oil palm farmers in Nigeria hardly transplant their palm seedlings in this month because they mostly rely on rains. Irrigation farmers can however start the cultivation of oil palm in February.
March
In Nigeria, March is one of the best months to plant oil palm. Rains usually start in March in the southern part of Nigeria; this makes this month an ideal time for oil palm farmers to start the process of cultivating their oil palm crop.
April
Just like March, oil palm farmers in southern Nigeria also see April as one of the best months to grow oil palm in Nigeria. Oil palm 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 oil palm in Nigeria. Oil palm farmers often take the advantage of the rains in the month of May to transplant their oil palm 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 oil palm in Nigeria. Rain fed oil palm farmers see the month of June as the best month to grow oil palm 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 oil palm in Nigeria. Most oil palm farms receive their highest amount of water in the month of July.
August
August is also one of the best months to plant oil palm in Nigeria. In the northern part of Nigeria, the month of August receives a lot of rains. Oil palm farmers in the northern part of Nigeria may plant oil palm in the month of August.
The month of May is unarguably the best month to plant oil palm in Nigeria.