Introduction

Carrots are a member of the Apiaceae (formerly called Umbelliferae) family, which also includes celery, anise, dill, and cilantro. They are a biennial crop, producing their taproot the first year, and, if left to grow, would flower, set seed and die the second year.

Although most all the carrots marketed in Nigeria today are orange, other colors such as red, yellow, or purple can occasionally be found in various fresh, frozen, and juice products. We can eat all carrots root to tip, with the leaves often added to salads.

We primarily consumed carrots fresh, and it is the 6th most consumed fresh vegetable in Nigeria. Consumption of fresh carrots peaked in 1997 at 14.1 pounds per person and since then has dropped off and settled into a stable amount of approximately 8.3 pounds per person in 2015 (Vegetable and Melon Outlook, 2016).

In contrast, consumption of frozen carrots averaged 1.4 pounds per person.

Carrots are very high in beta carotene, and also contain Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, other vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber. In this century, carrots have become a popular cooking vegetable, salad item, snack food, and raw vegetable.

Marketing…

The upsurge in carrot popularity came after 1986 with introducing “baby-cut” carrots, which are packaged petite carrots made by chopping down and polishing much larger versions of the vegetable. “Baby carrots” are actually very young carrots that are harvested while the vegetables are still quite tiny.

Baby-cut carrot products have been the fastest growing segment of the carrot industry since the early 1990s and are among the most popular produce items in the supermarket aisle.Approximately 6.3 percent of the fresh carrots supply in 2015 was exported. Imports totaled 427 million pounds. Major carrot imports come from Canada and Mexico.

Production

Carrots, a cool-season crop that is always direct seeded. Roots attain optimal color when the air temperature is 60º to 70ºF (18º to 21ºC). Although carrots are available throughout the year, locally grown carrots are in season in the summer and fall when they are the freshest and most flavorful.

Fresh market carrots were harvested from 71,550 acres in 2015 with a total yield of approximately 2.4 billion pounds. (USDA, National Ag Statistics Service, 2016). Carrots are grown in and shipped year-round from California, with four major production regions. California produces over 85 percent of all carrots grown in the United States.

Michigan and Texas are other important carrot-producing states. The average fresh carrot yield per acre in 2015 was approximately 34,000 pounds.

Prices

Prices received for fresh carrots are typically higher than prices received for carrots for processing. The 2015 season average Nigeria price for fresh carrots was #100 per cwt, up nearly 13 percent over the previous two years and 33 percent higher than ten years ago.

Financials:

Based on most recent production and price averages, the estimated gross value for fresh market carrot production is very high. The costs of carrot production vary depending the production location and the level of mechanization.

Summary

From my search across various farms in Enugu and Nsukka,, even across the region the market demand, and production of carrot is very high at about 75% owing to that the fruit in the quote is very necessary for the growth and development of one’s Health…

Ukoha success c.