00:07Growing grapes in Nigeria is no longer just an experiment for viticulturists Itris Chancha.
00:14She spent her days tending the vines, checking ripening fruits and training others on how
00:20to manage the crop.
00:21Grapes are very adaptable in any environment with the right variety.
00:30You can have what you want.
00:32For Chancha, the science is about proving that grapes can adapt.
00:37For the farm's managing partners, the bigger question is whether the crop can also make
00:43economic sense.
00:45Establishing a vineyard requires significant investments and growers have to wait before
00:51the vines reach full production.
00:54While grapes is expensive to start up, it's very profitable for the long haul.
00:58It takes you about two, three years to begin to harvest your grapes.
01:03And I bet you each sector of grapes can give anywhere from 50 to 150 million in a year for
01:08the next 50 years.
01:10So you see, sustainability of the process was the foundation of our involvement.
01:18But turning these harvests into a real industry will require more than farmers who are willing
01:25to take the risk.
01:27Nigeria still lacks much of the storage, processing and distribution infrastructure needed to support
01:34a large grape value chain.
01:36And economists say investments will depend on whether government and the private sector can
01:42address those gaps and give growers access to reliable markets.
01:48Currently, it's a multi-million dollar opportunity.
01:51And, you know, in the immediate mid-term to long-term, it's only going to blossom because there's
01:56growing demand for grapes.
01:58In-country, we're currently doing 6,000 metric tons per annum.
02:02And that's going to only get better over time.
02:05Only through this public-private partnership can we truly be able to look at the long-term
02:12goals and objectives of a major revenue earner in the grape value chain.
02:20For now, Nigeria's grape industry remains small.
02:24But with most domestic demand still met through imports, the market is already there.
02:30For growers like Chancha, the first harvest is proof that grapes can grow here.
02:36The next test is whether Nigeria can grow the industry around them.
Comments