THE INCREDIBLE WATERMELON !!!

The watermelon seed develops up to 200,000 times its original body weight in about 80 days.

Each fruit is laden with seeds that have the capacity to grow at the same rate too. When you invest in watermelon farming, you can make up to 400% if you manage your farm well.

Can you imagine that ?? The irony for today is that 99.9% of those who grow watermelon for sale are not literate. They have no statistics, they have no systems. Some of them are farming by the roadside or on borrowed land. They have no marketing plan apart from the selling power of the fruit itself. The only thing that helps a watermelon to sell is the watermelon itself. because they are not educated, they can not develop maximum benefit for their work. most of the farm produce in Nigeria actually goes to waste before it reaches the market.

In corporate environments and offices across our big cities, people are looking for investments that can yield good profit returns… Some have even fixed their money in instruments that offer less than 20% per year.

The watermelon is in the hands of an uneducated farmer offering you better returns than you can get in any financial product – while at the same time creating jobs in a sustainable way. Most financial products do not add any extra value. last year i put N 50,000. into an investment product organised by one the banks. i left the money wit them for six months when i decided to go get my money, i got N 51,700. i had earned only N 1,700 for six months of my money being with them.  when i put this beside the crazy inflation rate, what happened is that i actually lost money.  if i had put that money into farming vegetables or this watermelon and i get a good harvest, i would certainly have made much more and i would be creating something of value that i can see.

The watermelon is offered to us in traffic or in market stalls and we hardly ever realise that this simple wonder of nature has the capacity to turn round the financial fortunes of whole communities if properly approached and appreciated.

The watermelon and indeed many areas or agriculture have the power to change our lives completely in many ways especially financially.

Watermelon is a type of melon and member of the gourd family, cultivated extensively for its pleasant-tasting fruit. Watermelon grows rapidly as a trailing vine and is very demanding of soil nutrients and space. Its original habitat was tropical Africa, but its popularity became widespread early in history, and today it is cultivated throughout the world. There is literally no home on earth in which watermelons are not consumed.

There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon, ranging in weight from less than a pound, to more than two hundred pounds, with flesh that is red, orange, yellow or white.

The Carolina Cross is the common variety found in Nigeria. It produced the current world record watermelon weighing 262 pounds (119 kg). It has green skin, red flesh and commonly produces fruit between 65 and 150 pounds (29 and 68 kg). It takes about 90 days from planting to harvest.

Traditional medical practitioners have also discovered the usefulness of water melon as a source of cure to over 100 ailments. This opens up another market opportunity for the watermelon business.

According to a traditional medical practitioner , melon is proven to be capable of facilitating the body to eliminate excess sodium, which helps reduce swelling and lower blood pressure. Moreover, because of its extremely high water content (approximately 96%) and 0% fat properties, watermelon is often used in dieting and has become an ideal weight-control food.

It was discovered that melon is considered being able to promote urination, reduce swelling, clear heat, remove toxic substances, and mitigate high blood pressure. Watermelons are capable of diminishing inflammation and relieve fever, as it has the same effect of insulin that helps lower the blood sugar levels, making it an ideal food for diabetes patients.

What’s more, the traditional doctors reveal that recent studies have proven that melon extracts have shown anti-cancer activities, which can decrease tumour significantly, when used in short and long-term treatment.

These findings are being corroborated by many experts around the globe who are beginning to openly recognise the potential of natural remedies for health issues.

“If you have a boiled watermelon skin, honey and a little lemon in the morning afternoon and at bed time, then you can kiss cold and fever good bye. .. Also the watermelon seeds when eaten are good for men, as it revives their sexual capability,”

In some nations of Asia, especially China, roasted watermelon seeds are very common and eaten as a snack! Other regions of Africa press them to produce watermelon seed oil, which is commonly used in making soups such as Egusi. In fact, even the rind is sometimes pickled or even stir-fried, which means the whole watermelon fruit is edible.

These findings have made the fruit a potentially hot commodity, not only for those who take it for its medicinal value, but also to people who want to stay healthy or basically just have a good refreshing drink. The commercial potential of watermelon is yet to be fully realised.

With an investment of about N80,000 on watermelon, you will earn over N250000. Maturity is between 80 – 100 days depending on the type you choose to grow.

It is interesting to note that at present about 100% of the watermelon we eat is grown by people who have no formal education . This is one of the reasons why there are so many varying tastes and quality of the fruit on the market. Water melon sales have risen exponentially over the last few years, driven by a growing middle class that has become health conscious. With the awareness of the tremendous health benefits of the incredible watermelon.

There is also a potential for the production of carbonated watermelon juice drink – if only the raw material can be guaranteed !! The market potential for this is easy to imagine.

Today the watermelon is a common fruit at breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is an excellent snack between meals and especially for weight watchers. It is used for quenching thirst while providing good nutrition.

A typical variety can produce at most 1700 plants in an acre, each producing a maximum of 3-4 fruits. An acre therefore averages 8,000 to 9,000 fruits.

The new hybrids guarantee at least 2,500 plants per acre, each producing 6 -8 fruits.

Multiply these figures by the average price you pay for a watermelon and see what you can get from one acre in about 100 days. Buyers will come and buy your whole stock. Just calculate the returns and compare it to what you would get from your savings account or fixed deposit.

As with any business, there are risks involved. Problems such as disease, poor weather and soil can not be ruled out. That is why it is always advisable to insure your farm. However, if you manage your farm well, these risks will be seriously minimised. There is no way you plant at least an acre and lose your money.

Nutritionists have found that watermelon should be in most people’s diets because of all the health-promoting vitamin C and antioxidants—including beta-carotene and lycopene in every bite, combining great taste with excellent nutrition.

Watermelon may also be a natural Viagra, says a researcher. That’s because the fruit is richer than experts believed in an amino acid called citrulline, which relaxes and dilates blood vessels much like Viagra and other drugs meant to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). With these facts in your arsenal, marketing watermelon should get easier.

Please send an e mail to byobafrica@yahoo.com start your mail with your full details and phone number. We can send you a detailed report on how to set up a watermelon farm right in your backyard or on a commercial scale. It is not rocket science at all. All you need is good soil and a little commitment. You get healthier and wealthier. And you create jobs and more opportunities for others.

You could even grow your own water melons and sell exclusively through supermarkets around the country.

Imagine if you can draw up a list of 200 people you know who can buy from you on regular basis. What will that translate to in residual income. ??

Don’t forget that watermelon is highly consumable. If your customers buy two a week at N300 each, you have a gross of about N4miliion per annum right there .. Don’t forget that this is just PART TIME INCOME !!! As you cant sleep on the farm which just needs supervision as it matures . If you have a good cycle system, you will have fruit all the time and regular income..

In the watermelon we have a product that yields guaranteed returns…. Imagine if an educated person takes it up and turns it into a real business ?? Just imagine what that would be like.. All you do is get about five acres and divide the land into sections which you plant at different times to ensure you have fruit all the time. If you can not afford that land , of course you can start with even one plot of land.

In most of the villages around the country, you can lease land for very cheap. You do not need to buy the land. You clear the land … This is your main expense ….

Set up the farm , staff it and then begin maintainance and supervision, in about 100 days, you begin to get results..