Produce Indigofera Seeds For Money

By ZAC B. SARIAN

October 31, 2012, 4:31pm

Here’s one money-making project that is very doable and requires very little capital. You can integrate it in your present upland farm or even just around your residence. The project is Indigofera seed production for money.
During the last Agrilink trade show at the World Trade Center, Alaminos Goat Farm sold packets of Indigofera seeds at R40 per pack. The pack could have easily contained 200 seeds or more. That’s all that you have to spend to start your project of producing Indigofera seeds for sale.
Indigofera is a relatively small tree that yields nutritious leafy twigs that are relished by goats, cattle, carabaos and probably even pigs and free-range chickens.
In fact, Indigofera is the main forage crop in the Alaminos Salad Garden for goats that Rene Almeda and his sons are growing in their farm. The beauty about Indigofera is that it is a hardy plant and will grow in most parts of the country.
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Aside from the green leaves being fed to the animals fresh, the Almedas are also making the shredded leaves into pellets that are fed to the animals. Feeding pellets has a number of advantages.
Because of the good attributes of Indigofera, many people are actually looking for sources of planting materials. We should know because so many people are asking us where to buy some seeds. One of the latest who asked us is Boots Romillo who has a farm in Cagayan. He went to purchase some seeds from Alaminos which he brought to his relative who is taking charge of his farm.
With the seeds he bought, he could actually start Indigofera seed production as a possible money-making business. He could plant the seeds and maybe wait for three years before the trees start bearing fruits. From then on, production could continue for many years because Indigofera is a perennial tree.
He could sell the seeds in Cagayan valley where there are many animal raisers. He could also sell the seeds in Manila and other provinces in agri-fairs and other such occasions.
Another possibility is to sprout the seeds and sell seedlings also. We remember Vice Gov. D.V. Savellano of Ilocos Sur in an earlier edition of Agrilink. He was interested in buying all the 5,000 seedlings of Indigofera at R20 apiece. However, many other buyers have bought the stock ahead of him.
The beauty about having mother trees that are well maintained is that they could produce seeds year after year. Disposing the seeds or seedlings could be a matter of exposure during trade fairs, harvest festivals, country fairs, garden shows and other such occasions. One can even advertise and sell through the internet.
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