A greenhouse farm is a building with glass sides and a glass roof in which plants that need protection from or are sensitive to weather are grown.

 

A greenhouse farm is different from a typical farm which consists of an area of land used for growing crops or keeping animals.

 

Greenhouses are enclosed spaces used for growing crops only. Greenhouses make it possible to regulate the temperature and humidity of an enclosed space therefore making it possible for certain crops to grow and thrive regardless of the external weather conditions.

Greenhouse Farming in Nigeria

Greenhouse farming in Nigeria is the business of working on and managing the growing of crops and plants inside a greenhouse. Greenhouse farming technology makes it possible to grow tropical crops (pineapples, tomatoes, peppers) in the cold regions of Russia and France. And in the reverse direction, temperate crops (apples, cabbages, blackberries) can also be grown in hot regions of Nigeria, Dubai and Israel using greenhouse farming technology.

 

 

 

Greenhouse farming is very profitable and has become very popular in countries like Netherland, Belgium, New Zealand, and Germany etc. For instance, Netherland have over 3,000 greenhouse companies that operate over 9,000 hectares of greenhouses and employ some 150,000 workers producing over €7.2 billion worth of vegetables, fruits, plants and flowers.

Greenhouse farming is gradually finding its footing in Nigeria too. For example, Taraba State invested heavily in a very large greenhouse farm which would employ over 300 youths. Also, many individuals and private organizations are embracing greenhouse farming in Nigeria.  

 

Advantages of Greenhouse Farming

There are many advantages of growing crops and plants in a greenhouse. Some of these advantages are:

1. Plants are protected from unfavorable weather conditions that affect their growth
2. Plant environment are better managed to reduce the harmful effect of pest and diseases
3. Plants can be grown and made available throughout the year
4. Plants and crop can be grown in commercial quantities in urban areas or in the city
5. Improved harvest and production yields due to better management and control of plant environment
6. It allows for efficient and sustainable use of water resources

 

Greenhouse Construction in Nigeria

In greenhouses, three considerations which are very critical to the growth and development of plants: ventilation, the amount of light that gets through to the plants and retaining the heat generated from the ground. These considerations determine the choice or type of materials used to construct a greenhouse.

As a result of these considerations, two materials are majorly used in greenhouse construction: Glass and Plastics (Moldable Polymers).

 

Glass has a higher light transmission value (97% to 98%) compared to plastics (80% to 96%) so a glass greenhouse allows more light to get to the plants. However, light passing through plastic diffuses therefore making light penetrate more areas of the greenhouse.

Plastics are lighter than glass so they require less construction work and materials when used for greenhouses. Although plastics like twin-wall polycarbonate (TWP) can be more expensive than glass, they are more durable and last longer.

 

Also, plastics have a good thermal insulation value (R) which makes them suitable for retaining the ground-generated heat inside the greenhouse.

 

To cater for proper ventilation in greenhouse farming, the greenhouses are oriented so that the vents are open towards the direction of prevailing wind flow of the greenhouse site or location.

 

Types of Greenhouse Farm

Based on the type of material and automation processes involved, greenhouses can be classified or grouped into three main types:

Domestic: This type of greenhouse is built using glass, usually of 3mm thickness, which is known as Dutch Light or Horticultural glass grade. It’s the cheapest type of greenhouse.

 

Plastics: This type of greenhouse is built using moldable polymer materials such as polyethylene (or polyethene) film or polycarbonate materials. It is more durable than the domestic greenhouse.

 

Commercial: This type of greenhouse is a full-service, stand-alone unit with built in screening, heating, cooling and lighting equipment that can be remotely controlled via a mobile device or computer. An example of such a unit is Freight Farm’s hydroponic tank. This type of greenhouse is the most expensive.

 

 

Greenhouse Farming Fruits and Vegetables

The major fruits and vegetables that are grown in greenhouse farms in Nigeria are tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot pepper, cucumbers, lettuce and sweet melons. The seeds of these greenhouse fruits and vegetables are hybrid in nature with self-pollination ability and certain disease-resistance ability built into them.

 

Cost of Building a Greenhouse Farm in Nigeria

You can choose to build a greenhouse farm in Nigeria instead of purchasing a commercial greenhouse, which is one of the services we provide. The type of greenhouse we can build for you in this case are the Plastic type using polyethene material and steel frames, shown in the video below:

You can also build Plastic greenhouses with wooden frame. Building or constructing your greenhouse gives you flexibility because you can build according to the size of land you have. It's also less costly when you construct or build your greenhouse. Building a local plastic, with galvanized steel, greenhouse in Nigeria with a dimension of 10 meters by 25 meters (250 square meters) with all the growing inputs (seed, fertilizers etc.) you need for one season will cost you a minimum of  N6,000,000.

 

 

If you would like to start greenhouse farming in Nigeria and you need a greenhouse farming business plan or consultation service, then you should get our greenhouse farming business plan.

 

With our greenhouse farming business plan, you will learn:

• The different greenhouse sizes available and the materials required to build them
• The different fruits and vegetables you can grow in the greenhouse and their yields
• The cost of building and constructing a greenhouse based on the size you want
• Profit and loss estimates for the first three years of running one unit of greenhouse
• Vegetable and fruit market analysis in Nigeria
• Marketing and sales strategy for running a successful greenhouse in Nigeria
• Personnel required to operate your greenhouse, key milestones and so much more!

 

For a payment of $35 or N50,000 you can get our greenhouse farming business plan. To get our greenhouse farming business plan via bank transfer payment, please call/chat with us on +2348089864121 or send a mail to agsolutions@agricdemy.com

 

If you want to learn more about greenhouse farming, check out these articles in our Greenhouse Farming section and subscribe to watch our Greenhouse Farming video tutorials.

 

 

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