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Top 5 Farm Produce with A High Consumption in Africa




Farm Produce Consumption

Within a particular population, some food items will feature more in a diet than others. In other terms, communities have staple foods and supplemental foods. Staple foods are consumed at least once a day, and that community cannot do without them. Supplemental foods, on the other hand, are consumed less frequently. This article will focus on the top five farm produce that with high rates of consumption in Africa.


Why you should farm high consumption farm produce

Many farmers across Africa struggle with the problem of lack of market for their produce. Upon closer inspection, you will discover that most of these products without a market are low consumption products, or to put it more plainly, supplemental foods.


One reason for farming high consumption products is that they have a high demand. People consume them or use them on an almost daily basis. While in some instances they may not be the most profitable to farm, farmers are assured that upon harvesting, there will be a ready market.


Here’s one such example. Mushroom farming is way more profitable than maize farming. However, it is difficult to get a ready market for mushrooms than it is for maize. You are more likely to get stuck with your mushroom harvest than with your maize harvest.


How we determine our top high consumption farm produce

We determine our top high consumption farm produce based on the following factors;

  • Per capita consumption figures

  • Frequency of use

  • Diet patterns in Africa


Top 5 farm produce with high consumption in Africa


Maize is the most consumed commodity in Africa. Currently, maize occupies at least 24% of all cultivated land in Africa as of 2017. This is a testament to the commodity’s high consumption and marketability. In Sub-Saharan Africa, at least 50% of the population consumes maize on a very frequent basis. The per capita consumption of maize in Sub-Saharan Africa is 81 kg per person per year. This makes maize the most consumed commodity in Africa.


With the population of Africa set to double by 2050, maize will continue playing a significant role in feeding the continent. Maize is consumed in several forms. It can be kneaded into a popular maize meal called ugali, which is consumed in East and Central Africa. It is also consumed boiled or roasted. Many other communities in Africa have their own ways and forms of consuming maize.


Irish potatoes are among the most important and highly consumed commodities in Africa. While the last consumption figures for Africa released in 2005 showed consumption of 13.9 kg per capita, these figures are projected to have increased significantly 14 years later.


Taking an average of only 90 days to reach maturity, Irish potato farmers have fed the continent by utilizing at least two growing seasons in a given year. Irish potatoes are consumed in many forms in Africa. They are fried, boiled, roasted, or made into potato crisps. These numerous forms of consumption increase the consumption of potatoes in Africa.


Eggs are among the cheapest sources of proteins in Africa. At an average retail price of $0.12, eggs are affordable to a majority of Africans who are low-income earners. 44 eggs per person per year is the per capita consumption of eggs in Africa. This figure is likely to rise as the earnings of people improve and Africa continues to industrialize and urbanize.


In Africa, eggs are consumed boiled, fried, or baked in pastries. Several forms of consumption serve as a way of improving the consumption of eggs in Africa. With the increasing number of a middle-class population that experiments and adopts new recipes and ways of cooking, eggs will continue to soar in popularity for a long time to come.


Milk has a very high consumption rate in Africa. The per capita consumption of milk in Sub-Saharan Africa is 37 liters. Kenya has the highest per capita milk consumption at 110 liters. Milk is consumed in various forms. They include tea, coffee, yogurt, fermented milk, fresh milk, and pastries.


The market entry requirements for dairy farmers in Africa are low. Hygiene and good quality milk are the only requirements. Most milk farmers sell milk easily within their locality, with neighbors making an excellent and reliable market.


Beef is the most consumed type of meat in Africa. Beef has penetrated even in the remotest villages in Africa relying on local village butcheries. Other agricultural value chains were introduced in Africa by colonialists, but the beef value chain developed in Africa centuries before colonization. The cultural aspect of beef consumption in Africa can therefore not be understated.


Due to the high consumption of beef, farmers rearing beef cattle experience a very high demand for their cattle. As the population of Africa increases, in addition to the living standards, the demand for beef is projected to rise. FAO already projected that the demand for beef will increase by a massive 180% by the year 2050. To gain in this meaty boom, you need to begin laying the groundwork for setting a beef farm in Africa.



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