Have you ever thought about planting something today that your children can still benefit from many years from now?
Or let me put it another way.
What if the farm you start today can continue putting food and money on your table for many years?
This is one of the reasons I love coconut farming.
When we talk about investment, many people immediately think about buying land, building houses, keeping money in the bank, investing in stocks or starting a business.
But have you ever thought of planting trees as an investment?
Yes, planting trees.
A coconut plantation can be more than just a farm where you go to harvest coconuts.
It can become an agricultural asset.
And this is what makes coconut interesting to me.
But let me make something clear from the beginning.
Coconut farming is not a get-rich-quick business.
You plant today. You take care of the trees. You wait for them to start producing. You harvest. You sell. And if you manage the plantation properly, the trees can continue producing for many years.
That is why I see coconut as a long-term agricultural investment.
Imagine a woman called Bola.
Bola is still working, but she is already thinking about what will happen when she retires.
She doesn't want to wait until retirement before she starts asking herself:
“Where will my income come from?”
So she decides to start planting coconut gradually.
Bola doesn't have enough money to establish hundreds of trees at once.
No problem.
She starts with what she can manage.
50 coconut seedlings.
In the first year, she plants 50 seedlings and takes good care of them.
The following year, she plants another 50.
She does the same thing in the third year.
Then the fourth.
Then the fifth.
Then the sixth.
Let's do the mathematics:
50 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 = 300 coconut trees.
Look at what Bola has done.
She didn't wait until she had enough money to establish a huge plantation.
She started gradually.
She kept planting.
And as some of her earlier trees begin producing, the income from the farm can potentially help her continue expanding the plantation.
That is the part of the story I want you to notice.
It is not only about coconut.
It is about building an asset gradually.
Let me ask you a question.
If you are 30 today, what are you doing that your 50-year-old self will thank you for?
If you are 40 today, what agricultural asset are you building for your future?
And if you are already approaching retirement, are you depending on only one source of income?
These are questions we don't like to ask until retirement is already staring us in the face.
I believe the time to start planning is before you need the money.
That is where coconut farming can become interesting.
This is one of the first questions people ask me.
“Yinka, coconut takes many years before it starts producing. Why should I plant it?”
That was the traditional experience many people had with tall coconut varieties.
But not all coconut varieties are the same.
There are tall varieties, dwarf varieties and hybrids, and their growth and fruiting characteristics can differ considerably.
Some improved dwarf and hybrid varieties can begin producing much earlier than traditional tall varieties, although the actual time to first fruiting depends on the variety, planting material, soil, water, nutrition and general farm management.
So when someone tells you:
“All coconut trees take the same number of years to produce.”
Don't just accept it.
Ask questions.
What variety is it?
Where did the seedling come from?
What are the characteristics of the variety?
How old is the seedling?
What conditions does it need?
What can reasonably be expected under good management?
The farm starts with the seedling.
This is one of the reasons improved coconut planting materials have attracted attention.
Dwarf coconut varieties are generally known for earlier flowering than traditional tall varieties, while hybrids can combine characteristics from their parent varieties.
The exact performance will still depend on the planting material and the environment.
So I don't want you to hear me say:
“Plant this coconut and you are guaranteed to start earning in exactly three years.”
No.
Agriculture doesn't work that way.
What I want you to understand is that variety selection can make a significant difference to your farm plan.
If your objective is commercial coconut production, you need to know what you are planting before you put your money into the farm.
This is another question people ask.
And my answer is:
Don't just copy another farmer's spacing.
The number of trees you can establish on an acre depends on the variety, spacing system, soil, management plan and whether you intend to intercrop.
Your farm needs a proper planting plan.
You need to consider:
The aim is not simply to squeeze as many trees as possible onto the land.
The aim is to establish a plantation that you can manage properly and profitably.
Yes.
And this is another thing I like about establishing coconut plantations.
When the coconut trees are still young, there may be enough space and sunlight between the trees to grow suitable intercrops.
Depending on your location, soil and management system, crops such as:
may be considered.
This gives the farmer another opportunity.
Instead of saying:
“I have planted coconut, so I must wait several years before I make any money from this land.”
You can ask:
“What can I grow between the young coconut trees while the plantation is developing?”
That is how a farmer starts thinking like a business person.
This is where coconut becomes very interesting.
Many people see a coconut and think:
“How much is one coconut?”
But I want you to think differently.
Ask yourself:
“What can I make from the coconut?”
The coconut has a value chain.
The flesh can be eaten.
It can be processed into products such as coconut milk and coconut flour.
Coconut can also be processed for oil.
The water has its own market.
The husk can be used in products such as coir and cocopeat.
The shell can be used for crafts and other applications.
The leaves have traditional uses.
Different parts of the coconut tree can therefore create different business opportunities.
And this is one of the most important lessons I teach farmers:
Don't only ask what you can produce. Ask what you can produce, process and sell.
Let's look at it more closely.
The flesh can be eaten fresh or processed.
It can be used to produce:
This means that instead of selling only fresh coconut, there can be opportunities for processing and value addition.
Break open a young coconut and you find coconut water.
It is a popular natural beverage and has its own consumer market.
So again, don't look at the coconut only as one product.
There can be several markets inside one crop.
Now let's talk about the husk.
Many people see coconut husk as waste.
But it doesn't have to be.
Coconut husk can be processed into products such as coir and cocopeat.
And cocopeat has applications in horticulture, including nursery and greenhouse production.
So the same coconut that somebody may throw away can become a raw material for another business.
That is value addition.
The hard shell can also be used for different purposes, including craft products and other value-added applications.
Again, the lesson is simple:
Don't throw away something just because you don't currently know its value.
Sometimes, another person is looking for exactly what you consider waste.
Coconut leaves have traditional uses, including fencing and thatching in some communities.
Other parts of the tree can also be put to use depending on local needs and available processing opportunities.
This is why I say:
The coconut business is bigger than selling coconuts.
Now let's come back to the money.
One reason coconut attracts attention is that it is a perennial crop.
You don't plant it like maize and clear the field after one harvest.
With proper establishment and management, a coconut plantation can continue producing for many years.
That changes the way you think about the investment.
With an annual crop, you are repeatedly starting another production cycle.
With a perennial plantation, you are gradually building a standing agricultural asset.
That doesn't mean coconut requires no work.
It still requires:
But the nature of the crop is different.
Now this is where I want us to be careful.
You will hear people say:
“One coconut tree can give you this amount.”
Another person will say:
“One acre can make you millions.”
Please don't build your farm plan from somebody else's attractive calculation.
Your actual farm income depends on:
So instead of asking only:
“How much can I make from 100 coconut trees?”
Ask:
“How much will it cost me to establish and maintain 100 trees, what can they realistically produce, who will buy the produce, and what will my net income be?”
That is the question a serious farmer asks.
Let's come back to Bola.
Bola isn't expecting coconut farming to magically replace every other investment she has.
She is building another asset.
That distinction is important.
I don't believe anybody should put all their retirement money into one crop.
You can have:
The idea is to build more than one potential source of financial security.
And agriculture can be part of that plan.
The beauty of planting coconut early is that you give the trees time to grow.
You are not waiting until retirement before you start planting.
You are planting before you need the harvest.
There is something I have noticed.
Many people work for decades and only start asking questions about retirement when retirement is already close.
By then, the options become limited.
I believe retirement planning should start much earlier.
You need to ask:
What will my income look like when I stop working?
What assets will I have?
What businesses can continue generating income?
What agricultural assets can I build?
What can I leave for my children?
These are not questions we should be afraid of.
We should start asking them early.
Let me also make this clear.
I am not saying:
“Forget your pension and plant coconut.”
No.
I don't believe in putting all your money into one investment.
Coconut farming should be considered as one possible component of a diversified long-term plan.
The important thing is to understand what you are investing in.
Know the risks.
Know the cost.
Know the management requirements.
Know your market.
And then make an informed decision.
I remember conversations I have had with people about coconut prices.
Someone says:
“Coconut is sold for ₦100 in my area.”
Another person says:
“Haa! ₦100? Coconut is ₦300 where I live.”
Another says:
“You are lucky. It is ₦500 in my area.”
Then somebody asks:
“If coconut is in demand and people are buying it, why are more people not planting it?”
And this is where the conversation becomes interesting.
One of the reasons is the waiting period.
People don't want to tie down their money for years.
Then someone says:
“Have you heard about improved dwarf and hybrid coconut?”
And suddenly the conversation changes.
This is exactly why farmers need information.
Before you decide that a crop is not for you, understand the varieties, the production cycle and the business model.
If you are looking for something to plant today and make money tomorrow, coconut may not be for you.
But if you are thinking:
“I want to start building something that can grow with me.”
Then coconut becomes worth considering.
You can start small.
You can learn.
You can plant more.
You can intercrop.
You can explore processing.
You can build relationships with buyers.
You can explore the value chain.
And gradually, you can build something much bigger than the first few seedlings you planted.
Before you buy your seedlings, ask yourself these questions:
Do you have suitable land?
Don't buy seedlings blindly.
What happens during the dry season?
Are you close enough to supervise it?
If not, who will?
Farm security matters.
If yes, what crops are suitable?
Don't wait until harvest before asking this question.
Will you sell fresh coconut?
Will you explore processing?
Will you work with processors?
These questions should be answered before planting.
This is one of the biggest lessons I want farmers to understand.
Farming is not only about planting.
You need to understand:
Production.
Cost.
Market.
Pricing.
Distribution.
Value addition.
Profit.
You can harvest plenty of crops and still lose money if you don't understand the market.
That is why I always tell farmers:
Don't just learn how to grow it. Learn how to make money from what you grow.
At Farm4Profit Academy, one of the things we teach is that farming should be treated as a business.
You need to know what to plant.
You need to know why you are planting it.
You need to understand your production cost.
You need to understand your market.
You need to know who your buyers are.
And you need to learn how to sell at a price that gives you a reasonable return.
Because at the end of the day:
A good harvest is not the same thing as a profitable farm.
This is also why we created the Coconut Planting Challenge.
The idea is simple.
We want more people to plant coconut.
You don't have to start with hundreds of trees.
You can start with 10.
Then continue planting as your capacity allows.
Members of the Coconut Planting Challenge receive guidance on areas such as:
The bigger idea is to create a community of people who are not just planting coconut individually, but are learning and growing together.
We want people to keep planting.
Because when you plant one tree, you have started.
When you keep planting, you are building.
This is very important.
Some people get excited and want to plant hundreds or thousands of trees immediately.
But let me ask you:
Can you manage them?
Can you provide the required care?
Can you monitor the farm?
Can you protect the farm?
Can you manage the weeds?
Can you provide water when necessary?
Can you harvest and market the produce?
If the answer is no, start smaller.
Plant according to your capacity.
A properly managed small plantation is better than a large plantation that is neglected.
When I look at a coconut tree, I don't only see the coconut.
I see:
Food.
Water.
Oil.
Fibre.
Cocopeat.
Craft materials.
Processing opportunities.
Employment.
Markets.
And a long-term agricultural asset.
That is why I believe we should talk more about coconut farming in Nigeria.
We have the land.
We have the climate in many parts of the country.
We have the market.
We have the people.
What we need is more farmers who are willing to think beyond simply planting and harvesting.
It depends on the variety and the conditions under which it is planted and managed. Some improved dwarf and hybrid varieties can begin producing earlier than traditional tall varieties, but farmers should not treat a specific fruiting period as a guarantee.
Coconut farming can be profitable, but profitability depends on production costs, yield, farm management, selling price, market access and value addition.
There is no single number that is suitable for every farm. Spacing depends on the variety, planting system, soil, management and whether you plan to intercrop.
Yes. Young coconut plantations can provide opportunities for intercropping with suitable crops, depending on the location, soil, water and management system.
Coconut can be consumed fresh and processed into products such as coconut milk, oil and flour. The husk, shell, leaves and other parts also have various traditional and commercial uses.
It can be part of a diversified long-term financial plan. However, coconut farming should not be treated as a guaranteed replacement for pensions or other investments.
Yes. Starting with 10 trees can be a practical way to begin learning and building gradually, provided you have the right land and can manage the trees properly.
Don't rush.
Don't plant because somebody told you:
“Coconut will make you a millionaire.”
Don't plant because somebody showed you an attractive income calculation.
And don't plant because everyone around you is planting.
Understand the business first.
Know the variety.
Know your land.
Know the cost.
Know the management requirements.
Know your market.
Know what you want to achieve.
Then start according to your capacity.
And if you start, keep planting.
Because the first 10 trees may look small today.
But 10 trees planted every year can become a very different story several years from now.
Let me leave you with this question.
If you are working today and earning an income, what are you building that can continue supporting you tomorrow?
What agricultural asset are you creating?
What will your farm look like five years from now?
Ten years from now?
Twenty years from now?
You don't have to start with 1,000 trees.
You don't have to own a massive farm.
Start with what you can manage.
Plant.
Learn.
Manage.
Keep planting.
Think about the market.
Think about value addition.
And give the farm time to grow.
Because when you plant a coconut tree, you are not only planting for today.
You are planting for the future.
If you want to start with the Coconut Planting Challenge, you can learn about the current seedlings, participation requirements, technical support and community on the Coconut Planting Challenge page.
👉 JOIN THE COCONUT PLANTING CHALLENGE
How can I get coconut seedlings?
WhatsApp on 08064688501. We sell the seedlings
Please do you currently have coconut plantation?
Yes we do have coconut plantation
Where is your farm location that we can visit?
Saki Oyo State.
Am interested in the planting of coconut my farm is in sagamu Ogun stste
WhatsApp us on 08064688501
I need the seedlings. I am in Benue State
Reach us WhatsApp on 08064688501
I need kalpasree coconut seedlings +2348036836882
We dont have kalpasree Coconut
I will need them
Coconut seedling is N2500. How many would you like to have?
Lovely
Where can I get the hybrid seeds
Hybrid Coconut seedling is N2500. Minimum you can buy is 10 seedling. Pay to Farmvilla Agro Resources Centre First bank 2041075948. Send payments detail on whatsapp to 08064688501.
Lovly business
Thank you
Interested
Good day. Malaysian Hybrid coconut seedling is N2500. Minimum purchase is 10 Coconut seedling. We have video recordings to guide you through the planting of coconut. Plus a whatsapp group invite to support with technical trainings. We are also working on value added addition for members of the cluster. Payment to Farmvilla Agro Resources First Bank 2041075948. Send payment details to farmvillaresource@gmail.com. We will waybill the coconut to your place. Delivery fee applies
Thank you
I will like to venture into coconut farming. How do I get hybrid seedlings?
We have the Malaysian Hybrid coconut seedling
Iis N2500 per seedling.
Minimum purchase is 10 Coconut seedling. Payment to Farmvilla Agro Resources First Bank 2041075948. Send payment details to farmvillaresource@gmail.com. We will waybill the coconut to your place. Delivery fee applies
Thank you