It is said that Nnewi was one of the first towns in the country to dump agriculture for trade. They knew their strength and they pursued it vigorously. Today, Nnewi is a commercial melting pot in the East, boasting of one of the biggest motorcycle parts on the planet and their sons rule trades in many markets East, West, and North of the Niger.
A story told in many communities in Old Aguata, is that, in the past, the definition of a bad market for food products was to say “Nnewi didn’t come to market today” because whatever amount of food you brought to the market would be bought in its entirety by Nnewi buyers. “Nnewi biara afia” then translates to market was good and there were bountiful sales.
But this is not the whole story. Nnewi didn’t abandon farming entirely.
Either by luck or fortune, they foresaw that agriculture (farming) will face a decline in the coming years and they took to business. Or because Nnewi is one of the towns in the tropical rainforest region of Nigeria. Or because it is densely populated and farmlands are giving way to residential buildings. It could also be because it suffers from soil leaching and erosion which has reduced the soil in some areas to a porous sandy terrain.
Whatever the reason, Nnewi never entirely stopped farming.
Nature has blessed Nnewi with some good agricultural products that the town can flourish in if it is properly utilized. Here are some of these products; Cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams, rubber, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, timber, fish.
Cocoa
Nnewi is known for producing Cocoa. There are few towns in the southeast that produce Cocoa, Nnewi is one of them. The production capacity is unknown, however, the cocoa association of Nigeria, Anambra state chapter started in Nnewi. Not long ago, the Nnewi chapter branched out cocoa plantations in all 21 LG areas of Anambra state.
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Recently, the president of the association called on the governor and the Igwe of Nnewi HRM K.N Orizu to open a cocoa market in Nnewi. The goal is to revolutionizing cocoa business, rehabilitation of cocoa farms, and also a rebranding of the cocoa trade in South East and South-South. Remember that Cocoa contributes 2% of the country’s overall agricultural export.
Yam
In December 2017, it was reported that Nnewi produced the biggest yam in Nigeria. Nnewi is not the highest yam-producing town in the country but it produces quite a quantity per annum that it supplies to nearby communities. Yam and cassava are produced on different farms on a large scale in Umudim and Otolo.
The new yam festival (Afiolu) is a celebration and thanksgiving to the God of fertility for giving the people enough yam produce to feed themselves and neighboring communities.
Peanuts
Not all communities produce peanuts, but Nnewi is known for producing peanuts and on a large scale.
Palm Oil
The people of Nnewi produce and sell palm oil as one of its agricultural by-product. These are over 100 oil palms that produce year-round palm fruit converted to palm oil. It is an industry of its own. That is why Chicason group proposed to commence the production of 1000 tons of palm produce to feed their vegetable oil plant. Chicason’s plant is situated in Nnewi.
Corn
The season of corn and pear is around the corner, between one pole to another you will see 2 or 3 sellers. Corn and pear is a delicious snack in Nnewi, one they have in abundance and supply to other communities. Nnewi is also known for producing corn as one of its core agricultural products.
Pig
Nnewi has quite a number of pigs, there are several pig farms in Nnewi. The most prominent being the pig farm at the back of Ifeanyi Ubah Football Club Stadium.
The farmers sell to other communities, to individuals, market retailers, or the open fire pork barbecue outlets that have been springing up in Nnewi recently.
In Anambra, Nnewi has one of its core agricultural products in pork.
Fish
Fish ponds are springing up in Nnewi weekly, Barbecue joints as well. With target markets for this and the boom in the business line, fish ponds and their production went up. There is no significant large-scale fish farm in Nnewi but there are family-size grown ponds everywhere in Nnewi.
Agricultural products have sustained so many economies and Nnewi is not left out.
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