Description

Until the late 1970’s when hydrocarbon was discovered in commercial quantity in Oloibiri, present day Bayelsa state, Agriculture remained the mainstay of the economy contributing over ninety percent (90%) of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country as against the less than forty percent (40%) it now contributes with crop production accounting for an estimated eighty-five percent (85%), livestock ten percent (10%) and the balance made up by fisheries and forestry.

Any nation that requires economic development must look inwards to identify areas where it has comparative advantage over other nations and seek to develop the identified areas.

Apart from hydrocarbon, Nigeria has comparative in the Agricultural sector where a variety of products are produced due to the favorable climatic condition, good soil condition and the fact that over seventy percent (70%) of the entire land mass of the country is arable.

Nigeria has comparative advantage in the production hibiscus flower in Africa over her counterparts due to the large arable land available for production and the condusive climatic condition.

Hibiscus (or bissap, as it is called in Senegal) is a valuable and versatile crop whose brightly coloured, star-shaped flowers are prized for their tart flavor, and can be made into a long list of by-products. Hibiscus jellies, jams, fruit pastes, traditional medicines, teas, syrups and refreshing drinks can be found in almost every market stall in West Africa. These beautiful flowers have a high concentration of vitamin C and have been proven to medically reduce high blood pressure.

Hibiscus (or bissap, as it is called in Senegal) is a valuable and versatile crop whose brightly coloured, star-shaped flowers are prized for their tart flavor, and can be made into a long list of by-products. Hibiscus jellies, jams, fruit pastes, traditional medicines, teas, syrups and refreshing drinks can be found in almost every market stall in West Africa. These beautiful flowers have a high concentration of vitamin C and have been proven to medically reduce high blood pressure.

Hibiscus flowers are multi colored and varied. About 200 species of hibiscus are known to exist, and each species has its own unique kind of flower. Hibiscus flowers are alternate, ovate to lanceolate leafs, often with a toothed or lobed margin.

The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five or more petals, color from white to pink, red, orange, purple or yellow, and from 4–18 cm broad. Flower color in certain species, such as H. mutabilis and H. tiliaceus, changes with age. The fruit is a dry five-lobed capsule, containing several seeds in each lobe, which are released when the capsule dehisces (splits open) at maturity. It is of red and white colours.

In Nigeria, Hibiscus flower grows nearly throughout the year, though its peak production is during the dry season of November to April of the following year.

Dried hibiscus flower is used in the production of hibiscus tea. Hibiscus tea is a caffeine free herbal tea from a special type of hibiscus, called roselle, the scientific name is Hibiscus sabdarrifa. Specifically, the tea is made out of the dried fruit part of Roselle, called calyx. It is in red color and tastes like berries.

Hibiscus is perhaps most commonly known for its use as a decorative flower, with its characteristic dark red petals and mild fragrance. In addition, the tropical plant is celebrated for its medicinal properties, and has recently seen an increase in demand worldwide. A potent extract derived from the flower can be used to make a tart tasting tea, which has good antioxidant properties, and may play a role maintaining good health.

This report seeks to examine the financial viability or otherwise of packaging and exporting dry hibiscus flower from Nigeria.

The products would be shipped in twenty (20) FT container and twelve (12) tons would fill twenty (20) FT container for dry hibiscus flower.

Packaging would be in Polypropylene (PP) woven sacks of twenty-five (25) kilogramme for dry hibiscus flower.