Honey is a natural, organic sugar replacement that has no additives and is pleasant on the stomach. It is a delicious snack produced by bees from flower nectar. It is a sweetener that may be eaten on its own or spread over bread or toast. Honey business in Nigeria is a very easy and incredibly profitable business that anybody can start and profit from.
Honey is in high demand due to its widespread use; it is the only food that lasts a lifetime, meaning it never degrades, and it has a natural preservative that keeps it fresh for a longer period. You can start a honey business as a retailer or a wholesaler.
Honey is quickly becoming an important product, or, more accurately, a commodity of need. You may differentiate yourself in the honey business by providing consumers with unique honey. If you keep a steady supply of pure honey on hand, you’ve already opened the door to financial independence.
It is available in little and large quantities across Nigeria. However, it is widely available in places or states that share borders with Cameroon.
Honey Production in Nigeria
Honey production and sale to customers is one type of honey business in Nigeria. As a result, despite its multimillion-dollar potential, honey production in Nigeria has not been completely explored. If you want to create a low-capital yet profitable agribusiness, you should look into this honey production in Nigeria.
Honey is made by bees such as the Western honey bee and the Eastern honey bee in Nigeria, the present output of honey liquid is two million gallons, while the planned production is twenty million. We have the capacity to generate that since Nigeria is home to the bulk of African bee species due to good climatic conditions. Tanzania and Kenya, on the other hand, produce more honey than Nigeria
Honey production in Nigeria involves beekeeping, honey extraction, and honey processing for economic benefit. Honey has a high economic and health value, making it a highly profitable crop in many parts of the world.
Beekeeping is the practice of depositing ripened nectar collected in a bee’s sac into unused honeycomb cells. Other honeybees in the hive contribute additional enzymes to the deposits they consume. Mature honey is returned to the combs and covered with a thin layer of beeswax. Every year, a bee colony may generate 60–100 pounds of honey. Honey growers harvest the honeycomb’s substance after extracting the entire comb. Heat is used to process honey before it is packed in bottles.
Honey Benefits
Many people in Nigeria use honey as a healthier alternative to sugar. Because so many individuals utilize this natural substance on a regular and varied basis, there is a strong demand for it. I this article we will highlight some of its many benefits.
The Facts and Benefits of Honey Production
· In Nigeria, the honey producing industry includes beekeeping and breeding.
· Honey is extracted by honey producers using a honey extractor or by smashing combs.
· Honey contains around 67 per cent glucose and fructose, making it a better alternative sweetener than white sugar in terms of overall health advantages.
· People use honey as a face mask to clean up their skin.
· Honey includes polyphenols, which help the brain’s memory-related activities significantly.
· Honey contains antibacterial characteristics, and it is used in traditional medicine to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterium infections.
· Honey is purchased to cure coughs and upper respiratory infections.
· Honey is utilized to help strengthen the immune system.
· Honey hastens wound healing.
· Honey and garlic are used to control blood pressure.
· Honey may also be used to cure and prevent dandruff and hair loss.
The price of honey in Nigeria varies based on the size of the container; a litre costs between N4,000 and N5,500 depending on the vendor. Honey in a 4 litre container will cost between N9,000 and N13,000. A 20-litre bottle of honey will cost N45,000.
How to Start Honey Business in Nigeria
Have you ever considered starting a small business with little money? The honey business is one of many that does not necessitate obtaining a loan from a commercial bank or seeking investors before you can begin.
Selling honey in Nigeria is highly profitable since there is always a need for pure honey due to its many advantages. Nothing makes an entrepreneur satisfied than watching people desire and buy what he offers to the marketplace. To start a honey business, you need to first decide on whether you want to go into the honey production business or as a wholesaler/retailer.
To Get Started with Honey Production Business.
Capital
The money required to establish a honey company in Nigeria is mostly determined by the volume of operations and the type of honey desired. Personal savings or modest loans can be used to fund a small to medium-sized honey-producing enterprise in Nigeria.
Select a Good Production Location:
Make a thorough survey of the region. Choose a manufacturing site only after you’ve studied its benefits and drawbacks. Avoid locations that are flooded or termite-infested. A honey farmer, for example, who wishes to make organic honey must be located in an area free of chemical contamination.
Beehives flourish in peaceful, secluded regions with access to water and food (nectar) within a 1-kilometre radius. It’s worth noting that the shorter the distance bees have to go to acquire nectar, the more honey they make.
Register your Company and Products
Make sure to register your company with the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission. Obtaining NAFDAC accreditation for your business is also required in order to ensure that your product fulfils health and quality control criteria. You may also search and join any beekeeping and honey association in your state.
Get a Reliable Source for your Bee Variation
Wild bees are the primary source of honey production in Nigeria. Domesticated bees can be obtained through local bee farms or by importing western or eastern hybrid bees from other nations.
Obtain raw resources and manufacturing supplies:
· The many procedures on a honey farm require raw ingredients and manufacturing materials.
·The harvesting technique necessitates the use of protective gloves and a masked helmet. Before removing the honeycombs, put on protective gloves and a masked helmet.
· An extractor, sometimes known as a manual crusher, is a device used in the extraction process.
· Strainer: To eliminate any beeswax particles, the extracted material is strained.
· The extracted honey is cooked in order to liquefy and purify it.
Maintenance
A honey farm requires maintenance in order to function properly. Hive farms should be checked at least once a week for pests and illnesses that can kill hives and impair output. To attract more bees, empty hives should be cleaned and baited on a regular basis. Keep an eye out for bees that might transmit illnesses and contaminate the colony. To avoid infestation, treat them right away.
To Get Started as a wholesale/Retail Supplier, you will have to get a reliable honey farm where you can buy pure and authentic honey to sell to consumers. In Nigeria honey is mostly sold in litres, Let’s run some numbers: If you buy 25 litres of honey for N50,000 and sell it to your clients for N1,700, you would obtain roughly 100 bottles of 75cl in it (N1, 700 X 100 = N170,000). When you deduct your expenditures from your income, you should be left with a good profit. Can you see why honey business is worthwhile?
Profitability of the Honey Business
As previously illustrated, the honey business is incredibly successful in that you may earn an amount equal to or greater than your initial investment.
You can work as a distributor who sells to wholesalers and retailers, or as a wholesaler who sells directly to retailers. Whatever you decide, the market remains that there is a lot of money to be made.
Because there is enough food for bees to eat during the rainy season, they generate a lot of honey. Plants, flowers, fruits, and leaves blossom during the wet season, resulting in an abundance of fluids and nectar for bees to feed on. This is why the price of honey decreases during this time of year, but during the dry season, the price normally increases. You may purchase them in huge quantities during the rainy season and sell them off for a higher profit during the dry season. You may also acquire them in smaller quantities so that you have enough to offer to your clients when they need them in greater quantities. They will be quite dissatisfied if there is a supply shortfall, and you don’t want to lose consumers for whatever reason.
Because there are no additives in natural honey, it does not spoil. You can keep them safe by keeping them covered and in a cool, comfortable atmosphere. The taste and natural qualities stay the same, no matter how long it is before you eat it. You will be able to assess the profit as long as you understand how to advertise your honey, which will be discussed in this article. More customers would mean more money, and more money makes more profit.
Beekeeping in Nigeria
Beekeeping is a rich business in Nigeria. Depending on how seriously you take it, it might make you a millionaire or not. People have benefited from this apiary enterprise. Those who began bee farming attested to its profitability. You may want to know how to get started in the business and benefit from it.
Those who wish to start a beekeeping business in Nigeria must usually seek advice from specialists and attend training courses. After acquiring such expertise, you must create an apiary business plan.
Bee farming is one of the agricultural businesses that you may start with as little as N50,000 or as much as N5 million Naira or more. Locally made beekeeping equipment, such as beehives, will assist cut expenses.
What sort of land is necessary in Nigeria to begin bee farming?
Before you can start your beekeeping business, you must first acquire land. You may even rent a plot of land or, even better, collaborate with citrus and mango producers. Your bees will aid in the pollination of fruit plants, which will, in turn, improve the farmers’ output.
How much honey can a farmer obtain from a beehive?
Each hive may produce up to 10-15 litres of honey.
To Get Started with Bee-Keeping in Nigeria please read carefully the following steps
Step one
Bee Farming Training and a Business Plan
The first and most critical stage in bee farming is training and developing a strategy. No way! No one goes to battle unless he is well-versed in the art of war, lest he set himself up for failure. Similarly, planning is crucial since it is what will determine whether your firm succeeds or fails. obtain the necessary instruction from a real farmer. While internet guidelines can help you get started, they are not sufficient if you truly want to profit from this. You must learn how to raise bees and, of course, how to protect yourself from them, and the best way to do so is to learn from an experienced farmer.
After obtaining the requisite training, you must create a business strategy. This is because the strategy will tell you if the business is feasible or not (assuming you’re honest with yourself). You must determine how much capital you require for the firm and then calculate how much you will earn from it, as well as how you will create the required cash. Your marketing plan must also be specified because the primary goal is profit, and you will not reach this goal until you sell your items.
Step two
The following stage is to acquire the necessary funds, equipment, and atmosphere for your beekeeping enterprise. You don’t have to purchase land; you may rent it or collaborate with a farmer. Your apiary (beekeeping facility) must be in excellent shape in order to provide a decent return on investment. Keep your apiary away from traffic and other noisy or congested areas. It should also not be located in a marsh or in an area where pesticides are utilized.
Following the selection of a suitable area, the next step is to select the type of bee to be kept and to purchase the necessary equipment (preferably new ones). There are several types of bees, such as the mason bee, honey bee, solitary bee, bumblebee, and so on. During your training, you will learn about each of these. After receiving your equipment and bees, you must construct the apiary, ensuring that it is located in an area where they can find food and water.
Step Three
Because beekeeping is a bit hard, you should stick to the training you were given and avoid trying out new things. Don’t utilize your money to build a trial-and-error enterprise. First, master the art, and only then will you be able to conduct testing. Make sure they have all of the necessities, such as food, water, and medicine, since this will be a big factor in your beekeeping operation.
Step Four Packaging/Marketing.
Marketing your bee business is a crucial skill to acquire if you want to be successful in business. You must educate potential clients about your company and encourage them to buy from you. If everything goes as planned, you’ll be delighted you went into bee farming in Nigeria.
The essential rules for running a successful beekeeping company in Nigeria are outlined here.
· The first step is to acquire fundamental information since you cannot provide what you do not have. Good bee management is also essential; you must carefully control your pairing. In terms of hive building, it must be close to the objective, and it must also be in a very favourable place.
· Once again, bear in mind that the hives must be close to the source of their food source when locating them.
· Don’t put them in the desert, since bees may go up to three kilometres to find food. However, we are quite fortunate in Nigeria in terms of food plants. We have roughly 200 plants that can provide food for bees, unlike temperate areas, which lack some of these species.
· It must be close to a water supply, since bees drink water as well. Food is dependent on nectar and pollen, and as a bee farmer, you must ensure that your hives are adjacent to nectar and pollen sources.
Honey Packaging Business in Nigeria
Packaging and branding are critical in business. To attract your clients’ attention, use highly appealing and catchy colours and names. Also, ensure that your brand name and packaging materials are legitimate. You may package it in whatever way you like, including plastic and bottles, as long as it is nice and appealing.
Good branding and packaging will also help you stand out from the crowd and be identified. You will leave a lasting pleasant effect on people’s hearts.
