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The short answer
In our labelled example, one plot of ugu and leafy vegetables costs about ₦490,000 to set up for the first year, most of it land, water and labour. Research on fluted pumpkin found that cutting every two weeks gave more total yield than cutting every six or eight weeks without shortening the plant's life, and our example plot earns about ₦40,000 a week once harvests begin.
Why ugu is a popular small-plot crop
Ugu (fluted pumpkin, Telfairia occidentalis) is one of the most cooked leaves in southern Nigeria, used in edikang ikong, egusi and vegetable soups. It is a climbing, long-lived plant: once established, you cut the tender shoots and leaves, and the plant keeps regrowing for months. That regrowth is what makes it attractive on a small plot, because one planting can give many harvests.
Most small growers mix ugu with faster leafy crops such as tete (amaranth), waterleaf, scent leaf or bitter leaf, so that something is ready to sell every week. Demand is steady in cities, and prices tend to be firmer in the dry season, when rain-fed farms produce less and growers with water have an edge.
What a plot costs (example)
A "plot" in many southern states is often quoted as 50 by 100 feet, but sizes differ, so measure yours. The budget below is an example for one such plot in the first year, using hired labour and rented land.
| Item (example) | Cost (₦) |
|---|---|
| Land rent for one year | 100,000 |
| Clearing and making raised beds | 60,000 |
| Ugu pods for seed (20 pods at ₦3,000) | 60,000 |
| Poultry manure (20 bags at ₦2,500) | 50,000 |
| Water: shallow well share, hose and cans | 70,000 |
| Stakes and twine for climbing | 40,000 |
| Labour for planting and early weeding | 80,000 |
| Hoes, cutlass, knife, basins | 30,000 |
| Total | 490,000 |
Seed is a real cost with ugu because you plant the large seeds from inside the pod, and pods are sold whole. Some growers raise seedlings in a nursery bed first, which saves seed when germination is patchy. Leafy crops like tete use far less money on seed but need replanting more often.
How often you can harvest
The best-known Nigerian field study on this question tested cutting fluted pumpkin every 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Cutting every two weeks produced significantly more total dry matter than cutting every six or eight weeks, and the harvest interval had no significant effect on how long the plants lasted. Leaf blades from the two-weekly cut also had higher crude protein than the vine and stalk.
In practice, that supports frequent, light cutting once the plants are well established, rather than waiting for heavy, woody growth. How soon you can make the first cut depends on water, manure and the season; ask growers near you how many weeks they wait, and do not cut so hard that the plant has nothing left to regrow from.
What a plot could earn each week (example)
Income depends on how you sell: by the bundle in the market, in bulk to a trader, or directly to restaurants and households. The figures below are an example.
- Bundles cut per week
- 40, from rotating sections of the plot
- Example price
- ₦1,000 per bundle to market women or restaurants
- Weekly takings
- 40 × ₦1,000 = ₦40,000
- Over 20 selling weeks
- 20 × ₦40,000 = ₦800,000
- Less first-year set-up
- ₦800,000 − ₦490,000 = ₦310,000 before your own time
Year two is cheaper if you keep the land, stakes and tools: in this example only rent, manure, water and labour repeat. A dry-season premium can improve the picture, but so can one bad mistake, such as cutting too hard in the heat or losing a section to goats.
Risks and how growers handle them
- Water: dry-season income depends on watering. Price the water before you plan dry-season sales.
- Theft: ugu near roads is easy to cut overnight. Fencing or a resident watchman is common.
- Price swings: in the rainy season everyone has vegetables. Contract a few restaurants at a steady price.
- Pests and leaf damage: check leaves often and remove damaged shoots early.
Selling beyond the market
Supermarkets and online grocers buy washed, bundled or bagged leaves, and some prefer a supplier with a registered business name and a bank account in that name. The CAC fee schedule dated 29 May 2025 lists ₦20,000 for business name registration with a certified copy, and ₦1,000 to reserve the name. Supplying stores usually means agreed weights, a delivery day and payment after delivery, so ask how many days they take to pay before you sign up.
Restaurants that cook vegetable soups daily are often the most dependable buyers for a small plot. They want the same quantity on the same day each week, and they will pay a little more for leaves that arrive clean and fresh in the morning.
Steps to start
- Find land with a water source within reach and agree the rent in writing.
- Prepare raised beds and mix in well-cured manure.
- Plant ugu at the start of the rains or where you can water, and sow tete or waterleaf between rows.
- Stake the ugu so vines climb and stay clean.
- Line up two or three regular buyers before your first cut.
- Keep a simple record of bundles sold and money in, week by week.
Where Pryme fits
If restaurants pay you by transfer, a Pryme account keeps the farm's takings in one place, and a Savings Box can set aside money for next season's manure and labour. If you are weighing livestock instead, see catfish start-up costs, and for selling produce on, how grocers price in a rising market.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start ugu farming on one plot?
About ₦490,000 for the first year in our labelled example, covering rent, beds, seed pods, manure, water, stakes, labour and tools. Your own land and labour would cut that sharply.
How often can I cut ugu?
A Nigerian field study found cutting every two weeks gave more total yield than every six or eight weeks, without shortening the plant's life. Cut lightly and let it regrow.
How much can I make from ugu per week?
Our labelled example of 40 bundles at ₦1,000 gives ₦40,000 a week. Your figure depends on plot size, water and how you sell.
Is vegetable farming profitable in the dry season?
Often more so, because supply falls when rain-fed farms dry up. The catch is that you need reliable water, which is a cost to budget for.
Sources
- Ossom E.M. (1986), Influence of harvest interval on yield and longevity of the fluted pumpkin, Tropical Agriculture 63(1) · accessed Oct 2026
- CAC: New Schedule of Fees (29 May 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.