Farming grasscutter with wooden cages

Globally, farmers are said to be kings because they make food available for the society. Food, as we know, is a basic need that man can never do without. Therefore, there is always a steady flow of money to serious farmers.  Grasscutter farming is a great money-spinning business that can provide job opportunities for the […]

Globally, farmers are said to be kings because they make food available for the society. Food, as we know, is a basic need that man can never do without. Therefore, there is always a steady flow of money to serious farmers.  
Grasscutter farming is a great money-spinning business that can provide job opportunities for the young and old, whether educated or not. If you want to be your own boss and are ready to work hard and get rich, grasscutter farming is just right for you.
This farming activity can generate over a million jobs but the problem is that some Nigerians prefer scarce government contracts and white collar jobs. This has led to the utter neglect of this lucrative agricultural enterprise. You can rear grasscutter for home consumption or for commercial business.
It can be started with a wooden cage and one family of grasscutters normally called a colony, which is sold for N40,000 to N50,000. A colony comprises one male and four females. They can be reared in wooden cages which can be constructed at a cost of N10,000 by any roadside carpenter.
 Therefore, with N60,000, you are already in good business. It is advisable to buy them when they are four to five months old, which is the breeding stock stage. You do not require an expanse of space to start. Grasscutter is odourless unlike fowls, pigs, rabbits, etc.  The cage can be placed anywhere in the compound or even in the kitchen. In terms of feeding, it is not like fish farming, pig farming or poultry farming, because grasscutters feed on grass.
In terms of yield, one female grasscutter can give birth to as many as six to ten litters (babies) at once. So, instead of remaining unemployed, even an undergraduate can take a soft loan from a bank, friend or family member and in a few months be able to pay back the loan and still remain in business. For instance, if you start rearing now, in about ten months, they will start having litters because they mature for birth at eleven months.
And if you do not have enough space for expansion, you can sell the babies to new farmers; at the end of the day the four females give you seven litters each, you have 28 litters.
 Invariably, you only have to be patient for about eleven months, and if they carry their babies for about five months, you can start cross-breeding them for stronger breeds and in eleven months, you start making profit.
Grasscutter meat is also high in demand. It readily comes to mind when people think of ‘bush meat’. Though for now, the price maybe on the high side, the nutritional value is enormous. It is white meat and has low or no cholesterols and doctors highly recommend it for people with heart problems.

Onebunne can be reached through [email protected]