Food and Cash Crops in Adamawa State: Unlocking Agribusiness Potential

Adamawa State boasts diverse agro-climatic and edaphic (soil-related) conditions, making it one of the most agriculturally endowed regions in Nigeria. Its varied topography, soil types, and rainfall patterns support the cultivation of a wide range of high-value food and cash crops. Additionally, strong cultural farming traditions and evolving market dynamics further shape the agricultural landscape, offering investors a compelling opportunity for commercial engagement.

Diverse Crop Portfolio

Food Crops
The State’s major food crops include:

• • Cereals: Maize, sorghum, rice, millet
• • Legumes: Groundnut, cowpea, bambara groundnut, soybean
• • Oil Seeds: Sesame, cotton, groundnut
• • Roots and Tubers: Yam, cassava, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, cocoyam

Cash Crops
The leading cash crops with strong market and industrial value include:

• • Cotton
• • Groundnut
• • Cowpea
• • Sugar cane

These crops are not only crucial for food security but also present significant opportunities for agro-processing, value addition, and export.
Agro-Ecological Zones and Crop Distribution
Based on a combination of climate, soil, and vegetation, Adamawa State is divided into four Agricultural Zones, each with unique production strengths:
Zone I (Gombi, Hong, Maiha, Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika, Madagali)

• • Average annual rainfall: ~1000mm
• • High altitudes with acidic soils
• • Key crops: Rice, maize, sorghum, groundnut, cowpea, sesame
• • Notably, bambara groundnut is gaining momentum as a commercial crop due to increasing local demand and favorable pricing.

Zone II (Yola North, Yola South, Girei, Fufore, Song)

• • Average annual rainfall: ~900mm
• • Features extensive floodplains and fadama lands
• • Crops thrive both in uplands and irrigated lowlands
• • Key crops: Rice, maize (in floodplains); bambara groundnut, cowpea, sorghum, sesame (in uplands)
• • Strategic infrastructure: Lake Geriyo irrigation scheme boosts year-round rice and vegetable production.

Zone III (Ganye, Toungo, Jada, Mayo-Belwa)

• • Highest rainfall zone (up to 1400mm)
• • Ideal for root and tuber crops: Yam, cassava, Irish and sweet potatoes
• • Also produces maize, rice, sugar cane, and groundnut
• • Consistent rain-fed yields position this zone as a vital food basket for the State.

Zone IV (Numan, Demsa, Lamurde, Guyuk, Shelleng)

• • Low-lying floodplains with fertile vertisol soils
• • Key crops: Sorghum, sugar cane, maize, rice, vegetables
• • This is the principal sugar cane and cotton belt of the State, with significant commercial potential.

Investment Opportunities
in Cash Crops Cotton (Zones I & IV)

• • Vertisol-rich soils in Zone IV support large-scale cotton cultivation.
• • Afcott Plc, a major cotton processing firm, has catalyzed local cotton production through improved seeds, input financing, and assured offtake.
• • Cotton farming presents opportunities in ginning, textile manufacturing, and oil extraction.

Sugar Cane (Zones III & IV)

• • High rainfall and floodplains support sugar cane in Ganye, Toungo, and Numan.
• • The Savannah Sugar Company in Numan has created an industrial backbone for sugar production with high-yield varieties ideal for processing.
• • Mechanized and irrigated sugar farming is feasible and scalable, particularly in Zone IV’s Gongola river plains.

Groundnut (Zone I)

• • Light sandy loam soils and reliable rainfall promote large-scale groundnut farming.
• • Strong market demand for groundnut oil, paste, and industrial products.
• • Processing and export potential is high due to established infrastructure and market networks.

Cowpea & Bambara Groundnut

• • Cowpea now cultivated as a sole crop with high-yielding varieties.
• • Bambara groundnut is evolving from a subsistence crop to a niche cash crop, offering nutritional benefits and high market value, especially in Hong, Gombi, Maiha, and Michika.

Enabling Infrastructure and Market Drivers

• • The presence of agro-processing firms (Afcott Plc, Savannah Sugar) has spurred increased cultivation and market integration.
• • Government and donor-supported irrigation schemes like Lake Geriyo and the proposed Chochi Project are enhancing year-round crop production.
• • Growing consumer demand and evolving diets support local processing, packaging, and distribution ventures.

Why Invest in Adamawa’s Crop Sector?
Rich Natural Endowments: Suitable soils and varied rainfall for multiple crop types Expanding Agribusiness Infrastructure: Processing, input supply, and market access supported by public-private partnerships Proven Local Capacity: Skilled farmers and growing cooperatives across zones High Market Demand: For raw and processed food products, both locally and internationally Government Support: Favorable policies, extension services, and access to land and financing mechanisms