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How to Start Successful Fruit Business In Nigeria

Everyone loves fruits, it may vary on the type as some like apples and watermelons while others like berries and bananas, but we all have a fruit we love to eat. It is very essential for the human body, whether you are healthy or sick, it helps to boost your immune system, keep you refreshed and assist in recovering from an illness.

Fruit business in Nigeria is lucrative because you can sell a variety of them that appeal to different people. Also, many fruits have seasons where they bloom, so selling different types does not limit you when a particular fruit has gone out of season and becomes scarce. Some people take it after breakfast or lunch to augment their meals while some take it periodically.

To start a fruit business and succeed, there are some things you need to consider which includes doing market survey, selecting a strategic location, choosing the type of fruits, purchase of equipment etc.

MARKET SURVEY

An important aspect of every business is market survey. This will help you to understand the market before going into business so that you know what needs to be done to rake in big sums money.

An example of how you can conduct market research is to have a verbal or written questionnaire, asking different people the type of fruits they like and take notes. Also you can visit markets in your locality like Fruit market in Mile 12, Lagos or Farmers market in Maitama, Abuja, and observe what is being sold as well as the fruits most customers are purchasing.

Types Of Fruits To Start With

Below is a list of some of the fruits that can found on most stalls

Oranges

Pineapple

Watermelon

Pawpaw

Apple

Banana

Cucumber

Grapes

Mango

Guava

Strawberry

Carrots

HEALTH BENEFITS

We will reveal the health benefits that some of the popular fruits provide.

1. Orange

A member of the citrus fruit, Orange contains collagen which is good for providing younger, fresh-looking skin. It is very high in vitamin C. One medium orange provides 70 mg of vitamin C.

2. Pineapple

This fruit has been known to be of huge benefit to people who have wounds, due to his healing properties. It contains enzymes that’s good for skin elasticity and helps in curing skin infections that are caused by injuries.

3. Mango

Apart from tasting delicious, it is rich in iron, contains vitamin A and works as an antidote for anemic patients.It is also a healthy choice for pregnant women.

4. Banana

Bananas serves as antidepressant, to reduce depression. Eating it frequently can give your body the necessary food properties like carbohydrates, protein, iron, fats, potassium, and phosphorus. The phosphorus contained in banana is enables brain development at a stable rate.

STARTING CAPITAL

What is business capital? It is simply money invested in a business. It is used to fund the commencement of the business and the day-to-day operations.

Almost every business on earth requires capital and fruit business is not exempted. You will need as low as N15,000 to as much as N100,000 to start, depending on the type of fruit business you intend to go into and the varieties.

As a first timer, you do not really require much knowledge or skills before starting, but what matters most is knowing how to preserve the fruits because you will not be able to sell everything in one market day.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

To start a small-scale fruit business you do not need a lot of equipment. You just have to get the essential materials that will make the daily sales seamless.

Here are some of the equipment you need;

Sharp Knife

Blender

Wooden stall or table

Packaging nylon, disposable bags

Plates (Tupperware or other plastic plates for takeaways)

Ice cooling box (If customers want refrigeted fruits)

Tray

Rack

Toothpick (optional)

LOCATION

The place you choose to sell your products matters a lot for any business, more so if you are selling fruits. In cities across Nigeria, there are designated spots where only fruits are sold (fruit market, farmers market), however, they can still be sold in general markets.

In picking a location for your fruit business it is important to note that fruit stands or stalls can be mostly found on busy roads, supermarkets/markets, recreational centers and parks.

Also, you can make huge amounts of money from selling fruits during certain periodic events like ramadan (fasting period for muslim faithfuls). A fruit seller who located his stall at a bus stop said he makes a gain of N5,000 daily.

Sourcing For Fruits

You cannot start this business if you do not know where or how to get the fruits. Most fruits sold in Nigeria are grown in northern cities, like Plateau, Gombe, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Jigawa to mention a few.

Farmers in the states supply to retailers or wholesalers in urban areas. But for someone who wants to buy for the purpose of selling and not consumption is advisable to buy directly from wholesalers.

After buying, you need to transport them to your shop or stall and package them in a creative way to attract different buyers.

HOW TO SELL

Many traders sell the fruits in the natural form they come, but if you want to stand out, you can offer options like selling as fruit salad, or fruit juice.

I. Selling Fresh Fruits

In rural areas, most traders are found selling fruits in their natural unprocessed forms because there is hardly any means to do so in a processed manner because it would require electricity to preserve. But fresh fruits are also sold in urban cities, particularly in middleclass neighbourhoods .

II. Fruit Juice Processing

A viable option of selling fruits is to use it in making juices, there are small scale businesses that specialise in selling orange juice, mango juice, sugar cane juice and smoothies.

To do this, you would need create a brand so tha people can trust you enough to sell healthy fruit juices. Running this type of business requires having a blender, freezer or ice box, a shop or stall where people can come and buy or you can choose to sell online.

III. Fruit Meals

If you are a nutritionist or caterer you can package fruit salads and sell to working class individuals or in schools and restaurants.

If you follow these tips step by step, especially the market survey, you can start a fruit business in no time once you get a little capital.

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