Dehydrated Okro Production in Nigeria

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus [L.] Moench) is an annual crop belonging to the family Malvaceae. It is an important vegetable especially in West Africa, India, Brazil and the United States. Abelmoschus has several cultivated species of economic importance, two of which was identified as Abelmoschus esculentus and Abelmoschus caillei.

The name ‘okra’ probably derives from one of the Niger-Congo group of languages. The term okra was in use in English by the late 18th century.

Okra probably originated somewhere around Ethiopia, and was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians by the 12th century B.C. Its cultivation spread throughout North Africa and the Middle East. The seed pods were eaten cooked, and the seeds were toasted and ground, used as a coffee substitute (and still is).

Okra came to the Caribbean and the U.S. in the 1700s, probably brought by slaves from West Africa, and was introduced to Western Europe soon after. In Louisiana, the Creoles learned from slaves the use of okra (gumbo) to thicken soups and it is now an essential in Créole Gumbo.

Today okra is popular in Africa, the Middle East, Greece, Turkey, India, the Caribbean, South America and the Southern U.S. It is not a very common vegetable in most European countries, except for Greece and parts of Turkey.

Okra is commonly associated in Southern, Creole, and Cajun cooking since it was initially introduced into the United States in its southern region. It grows well in the southern United States where there is little frost.

Due to increased interest in American regional foods, these bright green, tender pods have gained more respect as a vegetable in the U.S., aside from its use as a thickener.

In Nigeria, there are two distinct seasons for okra production, the peak and the lean seasons. During the lean (dry) season, okra fruit are produced in low quantities, scarce and expensive to get. In the peak (peak) season, it is produced in large quantities much more than what the local populace can consume.

Okra soup is prepared using the edible green seed pods of the okra flowering plant as a primary ingredient. It is greenish in colour. Okra has a slippery feel when rubbed with the fingers. The edible green seed pods can also be used in stews.

Okra could be stored for future use. The problem of spoilage encountered during production could be overcome through proper preservation.

This report seeks to examine the financial viability or otherwise of producing dehydrated okro from okro in Nigeria.