How To Make Your Very Own Fowl Feed

Except for some feed producers who maintain to the standards in fowl feed formulations, many feed groups in the country make very negative “best” feeds, a scenario which has led huge losses.

Poor exceptional feeds result in a slow increase in chickens, low egg manufacturing, diseases or even dying. Making fowl feeds at the farm is one of the first-rate ways to preserve high-quality and reduce the fee of production.
The common elements are entire maize, maize germ, cotton seed cake, soya beans, sunflower or fish meal (omena).

In addition, farmers want to feature several feed components (micronutrients, minerals and nutrients) to make make sure their fowl have a balanced feed that meets their each day nutrient necessities.

Cloth is to be had cost effectively, specifically after the harvesting season. Depending on the price of uncooked material, farmers who make their very own feeds at home save among 30 to 50 according to cent for every 70kg bag of fowl feed, relying at the source of their uncooked substances.

Because of authorities law, major feed organizations have decreased the same old quantity of feed from 70kg to 50kg consistent with bag, but the charge of feed still stays almost the same.
Which means that farmers who are able to make their personal feeds make splendid savings on feeds which take up to eighty per cent of the production expenses.

To formulate feeds, farmers should use the pearson rectangular technique. In this technique, the digestible crude protein (dcp) is the primary dietary requirement for any feed preparation for all animals and birds.

Now, assuming that a farmer desires to make feed for their chook the usage of this technique, they need to know the crude protein content material of every of the components they need to use to make their feed.

The following are the dcp values for each of the not unusual substances utilized in feed making:
Complete maize — eight.23%
Soya — 45%
Fishmeal (omena) — 55%
Maize bran — 7%
Sunflower — 35%
Every class of fowl has its nutritional requirement. As an example, if we want to make feed for layers, the feed must have at least 18 according to cent crude protein.
If one became to formulate feed for layers, then they could must calculate the share of dcp in each of the substances they want to use to make certain that the full crude protein content is at the least 18 in keeping with cent.

Consequently, to make a 70kg bag of feed for layers, a farmer would require the subsequent elements:
34kg of complete maize
12kg of soya
8kg of omena (fishmeal)
10kg of maize bran
6kg of lime (as a calcium source)
To discover if all of the above elements meet this general of 18% crude protein, a farmer can do a easy calculation as follows:
Entire maize — 34kg x 8.23 ÷ 100 = 2.80%
Soya — 12kg x 45kg ÷ 100 = 5.40 %
Omena — 8 kg x 55kg ÷ 100 = 4.40%
Lime — 6 kg x 0 kg ÷ 100 = 0.00%
General % of crude protein = 13.30%
To get the whole crude protein percentage of these types of substances in a 70kg bag of feed, the farmer ought to take this crude protein content of the combined substances, divide by 70kg and multiply by using 100, for that reason — 13.30 ÷70 ×100 = 19%; this indicates that the crude protein content material of the above feed method is nineteen%, that's pretty adequate for layers.
To make sure the bird to get all they need in phrases of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and amino acids, you need those components of their wellknown portions.

On the way to make it even less difficult for farmers who would need to make their own feeds, underneath are feed formulations for every category of chickens and stage of boom already labored out such that each one the farmer wishes is to buy the components and blend them:
Making a 70 kg layers of layers chick mash (1-4 weeks)
Developing chicks require feed with digestible crude protein (dcp) of among 18 to 20 in keeping with cent. The following formulation may be used to make a 70kg bag of layers chick mash:
Elements
31.5kg of entire maize
9.1kg of wheat bran
7.0kg of wheat pollard
16.Eight kg of sunflower (or 16.8 kg of linseed)
1.5kg of fishmeal
1.75kg of lime
30g of salt
20g of premix amino acids
70g of tryptophan
Three.0g of lysine
10g of methionine
70 g of threonine
50g of enzymes
60g of coccidiostat
50g of toxin binder

Making a 70 kg bag of growers mash (4 to eight weeks)
Growers (pullets or young layers) must be furnished with feed having a protein content of between sixteen and 18 per cent. Such feed makes the younger layers to develop rapid in practise for egg laying:
10kg of whole maize
17kg of maize germ
13kg of wheat pollard
10kg of wheat bran
6kg of cotton seed cake
5kg of sunflower cake
3.4kg of soya meal
2.07kg of lime
700g of bone meal
3kg of fishmeal
Components
14g of salt
1g of coccidiostat
18g of pre-mix
1g of zinc bacitracitrach
7g of mycotoxin binder

Making a 70 kg bag of layers’ mash (18 weeks and above)
Components
34kg of whole maize
12kg of soya
8kg of fishmeal
10kg of maize bran, rice germ or wheat bran
6kg of lime
Amino acids
175g premix
70g lysine
35g methionine
70kg threonine
35g tryptophan
50g toxin binder

Layer feed should incorporate a digestible crude protein (dcp) content of among sixteen-18 in step with cent.
The feed have to comprise calcium (lime) for the formation of eggshells (laying hens that don't get sufficient calcium will use the calcium stored in their personal born tissue to produce eggshells).

Layer feed should be introduced at 18 weeks.
Formulating a 70 kg bag of broiler feed
Broilers have extraordinary feed requirements in phrases of electricity, proteins and minerals for the duration of extraordinary levels of their growth. It is important that farmers adapt feed rations to these necessities for optimum manufacturing.

Younger broilers have a excessive protein requirement for the development of muscles, feathers, and so on. Because the broilers grow, their power requirements for the deposit of fats growth and their protein necessities lower.
They therefore require high protein content in their starter rations than inside the grower and finisher rations.
Broilers need to have feed that has among 22 -24 in keeping with cent dcp. The following suggestions can help the farmer to make the proper feed at every degree of increase:
Broiler starter feed (1-four weeks)
40kg of complete maize
12kg of fishmeal (or omena)
14kg of soya bean meal
4kg of lime
70g of premix
Amino acids
35g of lysine
35g of threonine
Getting ready broiler finisher feed (70kg)
10kg of whole maize
16.7kg of maize germ
13.3kg of wheat pollard
10 kg wheat bran
6 kg of cotton seed cake
Four.7kg of sunflower cake
3kg of fishmeal 2kg of lime
Three.4kg of soya meal
40g of bone meal
10g of grower pmx
5g of salt
5g of coccidiostat
5g of zincbacitrach
Note: for farmers who've extra than 500 chickens, it's far advisable to make 1 ton of feed right now (there are 14 bags of feed in a single ton).
Therefore, to make 1 tonne of feed, all a farmer wishes is to multiply each of the elements with the aid of 14. Make certain that each one the feed you are making will closing for one month and no longer longer — this guarantees the feed stays fresh and safe for chickens. Any feed that lasts multiple month may go to pot in first-class and can have an effect on your chickens.
Day by day feed necessities for each growth level
Farmers must hold the proper feed portions for hen at every level of increase as proven below:
— an egg-laying hen requires one hundred thirty-140g of feed per day.
— a chick requires a minimum 60g according to day. If they finish their daily rations, supply them fruit and vegetable cuttings to ensure they feed continuously.
— younger chickens (or pullets) which might be approximately to begin laying eggs must be fed 60g for two and ½ months after which placed on layer diet (140g in line with day). Supplement the feed with veggies, edible plant leaves and fruit peelings in addition to their feed rations.
— broiler chicks require 67g consistent with day. Broiler finishers require 67g of feed according to day to the day of slaughter.
— chickens are very touchy to aflatoxins- by no means use rotten maize (maozo) while making feeds.
Where to buy substances
Farmers who need raw materials for feed making such as feed components (pre-mixes and amino acids) can get them organized from agroveterinary shops nearest to them.
There also are agencies doing calibration offerings for farmers who want to make feeds in huge scale farming businesses and even for any farmer who requires those services.

Courtesy: Images culled from Google images

How To Start A Poultry Business In Nigeria And Things You Must Consider

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Written by Adewale Oladipupo

Festive period is Around The Corner and Whether you like it or Not Poultry consumption will be high on demand.

Are you planning to start a business?

Then, I can tell you Poultry farming is one of the most lucrative business venture right now with potential and promising future.
I have always emphasize that “Business” is doing just perfect in Africa, because of the huge population of the inhabitant of the continent.
And not just any kind of Business, But Food and Agriculture Business!
In LAGOS STATE Alone, we have more than 3 billion spent on Food and Agriculture daily, now imagine what would have been spent in a month?
I will be focusing this article on Poultry Farming Business, and i need you to pay a rapt attention as we will cover major aspect of concern in the Poultry Business today.
Poultry is one of the most engaged Business in Nigeria, with a lot of people already doing well in it, there are quiet a lot of reasons for these, ranging from;
Poultry are easy to breed.
Poultry can be done even at the backyard of your house.
Poultry farming is less expensive to start (Base on you budget).
There is a high demand for Poultry in the market.
Nigerians seemingly consumes more Chicken even than snakes!
Risk involved in the business is minimal.
Now, there are two major aspect of Poultry Farming;
1. Layers(Egg production)
2. Broilers(Meat Production) .
These are the major two aspects and products from Poultry farming, now we have other by-products too but, we are going to be focusing on these in this article.

*Broiler Production*

They are genetically altered breeds to serve specific interest of the farmer, they are fatteners raised specifically for Meat Purpose, and they reach maturity in 3-months, some reach in 1 month (base on the breed), and i use to recommend for those who are going into poultry but don’t have enough cash to start with Broilers, since its cheaper, and the time taken for the birds to reach maturity is shorter.
Restaurants, eateries and hotels make high demand for broilers, which is use for their chicken delicacy, due to the fact that, their meat are always tender and some eateries also make stuffs like ” Whole Chicken Delicacy” all of these are derived from Broiler, so right now in Nigeria, there is a higher demand for broiler than we have supply.
If you really wanna do Poultry Farming, then Broilers is a good choice for you, with good feeding, housing, medication and drugs, good management with an expert or vet Doctor, you can so absolutely well in Broiler Farming.
The major expenses in Broilers Farming is Feeding.
Broilers been a fatterner, consumes a lot of feeds and so you must make provision for adequate feeds available for them.
I did a logistic recently and i would love to include it in this article, as it will encourage and help those who are willing to venture into Broiler Chicken Production .

Follow me, this is strictly for commercial scale production.
Let’s assume you are raising 50,000 Broilers, and you raised them to attain a good weight (kg) at the 3rd month, you can decide to sell them for N5,000 each;
Now 5,000 x 50,000 = 250,000,000 That’s a whooping right?
Yeah!!! We have more than 180 million in Nigeria, so if you device a good marketing skill, you would sell them all in a short while.

Now let’s take a look into Layers (Egg Production) ;

This is another essentially popular aspect of Poultry Farming Business in Nigeria with so much money and promising future, to be sincere, the demand for Egg in Nigeria is outrageous and even with the good number farmers we have already who are into Egg production, we still can’t meet up with the demand, I remember a time when we use to have 100 crates record per day in the farm, before 7pm daily, they would have been sold, in less than 4weeks of consistently selling 100 crates per day to consumers, we still had a 150-crates per day demand from Big brands and companies who are interested in eggs, so we couldn’t meet up with that demand and this is the current situation in Nigeria, and that is why the government and me are encouraging Nigerians to venture into Layers Poultry Farming Business to be able to meet up with the ever increasing demand for egg in our community.
Poultry Egg Production is capital intensive, I just have to be sincere in this case, that is why I said, if you don’t have more money go for broilers, which is less expensive and capital intensive compare to Layers.

There are so much to spend money on in Layers farming, ranging from the housing, birds, feeds, and maintenance.

*Eggs*

If you are buying them from Day old Chicks (DOC) , then you have to be ready to wait for 6months when they will start laying, but if you are afraid of feeding them for 6months without any profits yet, then you can think of buying the ones we call Point of Lay, which goes a long way to to help you save money, spend less and yet have good profits.
When Layer birds, starts laying, that is when you also start making good income, as they will lay effectively to the end that, you will not have to use your own money to buy their feeds anymore, rather you are going to be using the profits from the sales of their Egg to also feed them and keep the business running smooth and fine.
Layers consumes more feed than broilers, so to help you as a farmer save some money, i advice you learn to mix your own feeds, this is very important, and i will give you two reasons why you should mix your feeds;

1. Most of the feeds raw materials (maize, soya beans and some other stuffs) can actually be planted in large quantity, harvested and store to take care of their feeding for the next 5years, even to buy a whole maize gran is cheaper than buying a whole mix feeds for layers.

2. Buying Already mix feed from Feed mill can be too expensive and can lead to loss in the business.
Proper medication is a must in your poultry layers business, because any abnormality in the health of the layers will cause a drop to happen to the production of the Egg, and this will affect your business on the long run.
Also consult experts, get adequate supervision and knowledge as regard feed formulation and management so that you will be able to produce excellent feeds for your birds, a little alteration in the feed, can reduce the egg production and level, so you must take note.

Now for general Poultry Farming Business, I want to list certain factors that must be in place to help your business

1. Good Housing : This is very important and it will go a long way to determine the success of your business venture, you must take it with all seriousness. I recommend Battery Cage system for Layers and Deep Litter system for Broilers, these as been proven to give the best and excellent farming experience.

2. Feeding : This can be said to be as important as the blood that flows through the vain of a man, when you lack blood, you die! Feeding is the blood that fuels Poutry Farming Business, the birds must not be lacking good effective feed and feeding, you must derive continually excellent feeding system to help them deliver accurate and effective best produce, you can employ the service of a livestock nutritionist or expert in the field(I recommend an expert with years of experience).

3. Location: This is very important, you must choose a rural area for your business, or a place where there are no people living, so that the smell from your farm will not be causing a nuisance to the community, this is very important and must be watched out for, when you cause nuisance to a residential area, you can be sure your business is at stake, besides; poultry birds don’t like noisy environment so rural location that are not yet occupied always seems to be the best!

4. Marketing: This is important, though there is a huge and ever increasing market demand for poultry farming produce in Nigeria, yet you must go out there to network with brands and develop your own strategy of selling your products, the internet seems like a way-to-go in a technology and digital marketing world today, you can choose to create a website for your farm and list products available for sales on it while you run adverts for it and gain the attention of your potential customer coming in.

5. Medication: Health is wealth, the health of the birds must be secure, now i would to make it known that, birds’ health blossom when their feeding is in place, their health is greatly dependent on their feeding, so feeding them well will also give a good health. However, there are instances when certain supplements are needful and they can only be communicated in drugs, vaccines, like antibiotics and stuffs like that, the attention of a specialist/expert will be needed.

6. Finance: Not just capital alone, you must have both the starting fund and the running fund, if your business must do well, Poultry requires a lot of money, especially when you are starting out for a long term business budget and a commercial scale, you consider stuffs like; Land, The Building/Housing Fees and stuffs like that are to be put into consideration.

7. Knowledge : This is a major requirement, I do tell people when they come for consultancy, that in poultry business, you just don’t need words, you need practical knowledge, so if you really want to do get your business going, you need to probably go and learn from a farm that is doing well in Poultry Farming, experiential knowledge is very important for exploit in Poultry Business.

8. Feasibility Studies : This is a major requirement, feasibility studies, helps you to know where and how to start, where and how to sell and market your product, the risk involve in the business and how to reduce it and even many more, every average business person knows that feasibility studies is not something to joke with, you must have a lot of information at hand as regard the business industry, you are going into, this will be the determinant of your success at the end of your business year.

a. Transportation : When your Poultry business begins to experience expansion, you will have to begin to put factors like transportation into place, For instance, when you begin to have farms in various states and you have capacity for good production level, then you have to make provisions for transportation of eggs from your farm to other places, also things like having your farm situated in Rural area also calls for transportation into urban where the marketing takes place, you might have demands to deliver to eateries, hotels, industries and even your own shop, like an egg store, transportation must be put in place.

b. The God-factor : This is yet an important success booster, I am a God believer and I believe in dealing Business with prayers and faith, there as been instances when disasters and diseases like Bird-flu and co, hit certain farms and brought about massive loss, some farmers even got sick and were hospitalize, the truth is “When there is a man to pray”, there is a God to answer, so it is wisdom to take everything to the Lord in Prayers.
I hope something as really gained so much from this article?

HOW TO GROW MAIZE (Zea mays) FOR INCOME

Are you thinking of going into maize farming? Do you know that many are making millions every year from maize farming business? Many still see farming as a low mentality concept and prefer to go for low paying jobs than go into maize farming process.

Maize farming is one profitable agricultural business with low capital that anyone can venture into and make good money. And it is one common crop that is popularly eaten by people around the world.

Starting a maize farm is very easy if you have the knowledge of what you need to do to achieve success in the business. Though it is a seasonal crop but it has the potential to make you millions yearly and it does not involve any intensive training like other farming business.

I will share with you here how to start maize farming and I want you to give it your attention if you really are interested in starting a farm.

How to Start Profitable Maize Farming
1. CHOICE OF LAND AND PREPARATION
Maize can be well in a well-drained sandy loam or loamy soil. Use any method (Mechanical, Chemical or Manual) that can adequately remove weeds and keep the soil loose for good seedbed. Plant seeds immediately after land preparation to allow maize to get ahead of weeds.

The land should have adequate drainage. To grow maize, you must first choose the best spot to grow it. The soil should be wind sheltered, exposed to direct sunlight, well sourced with a good drainage system and sufficient humus to ensure that the ground will not dry quickly.

The top layer of the soil must be fertile and slightly acidic. You must put a substantial grade of compost into the soil complemented with a reasonably good source of fertilizer two weeks in advance to sowing the seeds.

2. TIME OF PLANTING
There are no specific dates to plant your maize. However, it is best to plant after it has rained consecutively for 2 times.

Early Season
In the Forest zone, the optimum planting date is between March and April, although planting could be done as soon as rainfall becomes steady.
In the Derived Savannah zone, plant as soon as the rainfall becomes steady, between 1-30 April.
In the Southern Guinea Savannah zone, planting could still be done as late as May and June, depending on rainfall.
Late Planting
This is done early august which is not appropriate.

Poke holes that are 1 inch deep for heavy soil and 2 inches or less in sandy soil. Make straight rows that are 2 to 3 feet apart. The distance allows the roots room to grow. This pattern will help in proper pollination and provide wind protection as well. The seeds must be directly planted in the soil rather than in trays and pots since corn is difficult to be transplanted.

Plant 3 or 4 seeds per hole and cover each hole with soil. Looking after and tending to each seedling individually is of the utmost importance. Netting must be provided to shelter the saplings in order to protect them against birds and the weeds must be kept low.

3. FERTILIZER APPLICATION
Fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen is the best for maize to grow healthy. Maize needs a lot of nitrogen to grow and do well. A 4 bag fertilizer of NPK 25:10:10 (200 g) per hectare for proper growth.

Note that it is ideal to carry out soil test before applying fertilizer. It is important because that same fertilizer may have been used on that same land for years which might affect the growth.

4. WEED CONTROL
There are many types of weeds, pests and diseases that affect maize plants. Weeds do not only choke the crops, it also zaps off soil nutrient that is meant for the crops.

Hand Weeding
Carry out the first weeding 14–21 days after planting or as soon as necessary. A second weeding may be done if necessary before the second application of fertilizer.

Herbicide Application
Fortunately, there are several herbicides you can apply to prevent a breakout on your farm. Apply Atrazine pre-emergence at the rate of 3 kg ai/ha on a clean seed bed. 4 For 50% flowable (PW), rate is 3.0 kg active ingredient per hectare.Local unit is 1 small tomato tin full/4.5 liters (1 gallon) of water. For type 80% wettable powder, rate is 3.0 kg active ingredient per hectare. Local unit is approximately one standard match box full/4.5 liters (1 gallon) of water.Volume of Water to be Used:Ideally, the sprayer should be calibrated to determine the spray volume.

5. DISEASE AND PEST CONTROL

Diseases

Some important diseases of maize are Maize Streak Virus, Downy Mildew, and Highland Blight among others. Planting early can also help minimize the attack.Rodents, birds and termites are also another threat to maize farming in Nigeria. Termite hills in the field and surrounding area should be located and destroyed.

6. HARVESTING

When the cobs are ready for harvesting, each cob should be tested to see its ripeness. This is usually carried out when the tassels have turned a dark brown and the rear part of the sheath is pulled to check quality of the liquid squeezed out from a couple of grains.Harvest your maize when the plants are mature. The amount of maize that can be harvested per hectare depends on the variety you planted, amount of rainfall, sunshine, weed, pest and disease control management that was applied.It is said that corn is at its best when cooked within 10 minutes of its harvest. However, even if you don’t get the corn right after harvesting, quality grown corn is still good and very fresh to eat. Good corn always tastes good.Hope you have learnt how to start a maize farming today?

"When you leverage on the experience of the professional, success is guaranteed"

Please I will like to hear from you through the whatsapp on: +2348098122340 or via email: tjconcepts@hotmail.com, tjconceptz@gmail.com

Agribusiness Through Rice Plantation : Learn From Nigeria's Second Largest Commercial Rice Farmer

Nigerians consume more than 5 million metric tons of rice every year , with a significant portion of its consumption needs sourced from imports . Rotimi Williams, an ambitious 35 year - old Nigerian entrepreneur and rice farmer, is on a quest to change that .
Williams, a former Journalist , is the owner of Kereksuk Rice Farm, the 2ND largest commercial rice farm in Nigeria by land size . His farm , which is situated in Nasarawa state in northern Nigeria, currently sits on 45 ,000 hectares and employs more than 600 indigenes of Nasarawa .

Read excerpt of the interview conducted by Mfonobong Nsehe of Forbes.com

What's your educational and professional background ?
I attended King’s College in Lagos. After attending secondary school at King’s College I proceeded to obtain my first degree at University of Aberdeen where I graduated with a degree in Economics. I also obtained a Master’s Degree in Economics from the same institution . My quest for more knowledge led me to enroll for yet another Master’s Degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London where I gained an MSc. in Finance and Development Studies.
Upon graduation , I landed a role as an analyst at the European Economics and Financial Centre in London . Afterwards , Euromoney Magazine - employed me where I covered the African space .
I would say that this is where my journey truly started.

Given your background as a journalist, what informed your decision to venture into rice farming?
While at Euromoney , I had the opportunity to travel around a few African countries. These trips exposed me to countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda , South Africa , Zambia and Ghana . A common thread amongst the aforementioned nations is agriculture. Agriculture is at the very core of these countries and this got me thinking. After a few more trips, I decided to move back to Nigeria and sink my teeth into the agricultural space . Nigeria remains the largest economy in Africa from both a GDP perspective and also the strength of the size of our population .
Upon my arrival back in Nigeria, I got a job at a premier Bank where I was promised to sit on the agriculture desk – my hope was that I would gain enough knowledge of the Nigerian agricultural industry and develop myself from there.
Unfortunately , the agricultural desk at the Bank never quite achieved its set goals. I pushed hard for the Bank to adopt policies and gain inroads into the agricultural industry but my attempts were somewhat frustrated . I sincerely feel that the bank wasn't quite ready to launch fully into the agricultural space .
As my frustration grew, I decided to quit banking and planned to go alone into agriculture. Frankly, my decision led to a challenging sojourn as attempts to raise funding with my partner proved difficult . We started a Structured Trade and Commodity Finance company. After a while I started consulting for small agriculture companies seeking to raise capital both locally and internationally .

You currently own the second (2ND ) largest rice farm in Nigeria with 45, 000 hectares in Nasarawa , Nigeria. What ’ s the story behind your acquisition of such vast land, and what are some of the challenges you’ ve encountered in farming in the volatile northern region?
Two years had past and we still had no funds, so I made an offer to the farm owner , that with a 50- 50 split , I would develop the farm with both personal funds and external funding. He agreed and that ’ s how I became part owner of 17, 296 hectares of farmland . Knowing that agriculture would become the integral area of focus in Nigeria , I was bullish and ramped up the land to 55, 000 hectares . I later parted with my partner as a result of unaligned views and strategy. I maintained 45, 000 hectares for myself and today we have started producing, with our quality paddy being sold to major milling companies in Nigeria . However, I must add the following, I often have people ask how I learned about farming , as everyone thinks you need a special degree in agriculture to be a farmer , but I always tell them the truth , I learnt it all on Google . I downloaded every article I could find on rice production, consumed it and then practiced it in the fields .
Frankly, my experience working alongside indigenes of Nasarawa state has been exceptional . I have learnt over the years that if you approach people with respect even more so while one seeks to set up a business venture. Having a healthy sense of community makes all the difference in attaining one’s set objectives . I lean heavily on the wisdom and cultural approach of the indigenes to carry out farming on such a scale here in Nasarawa .
In the news today, there is a lot of talk about Farmers clashing with Fulani Herdsmen, but we think our approach has been successful . We created a scheme called the Farm Out Of Poverty (FOOP) initiative which I will talk about a bit more later. Under the FOOP , we are able to train approximately a hundred Fulani women in rice farming , at the same time, employing their men as our security and finally , feeding their castles from the rice straws after harvest. Today, we live in peace and all work towards the success of the farm .

What’ s your fundamental objective in rice production ?
In recent years there has been a concerted effort by the Federal Republic of Nigeria to adopt more wholesome agricultural reforms and policies. These initiatives are highly commendable as they seek to empower Nigerians to also engage and thrive in this industry. Quite frankly, with Nigeria ’ s swelling population we simply have to look inwards and increase our agricultural prowess as a nation . These initiatives have been further highlighted when we take a candid look at our importing structures. Nigeria imports a whole lot and the numbers reveal that this is not sustainable .
Kereksuk seeks to contribute its own quota to reduce the weight on our economy to keep importing rice – which is consumed in such high demand in our country.

Your farm, Kereksuk , is currently not running at optimization. Why is that?
Kereksuk ’s land mass stands at 45, 000 hectares ; as such , we have been focusing on developing the land in phases – based on our modular plan we seek to reach full optimization by the year 2020 . Our expansion plans require significant fund raising too – the scale of our planned operations would explain this.
So how much rice are you producing annually?
We’ re currently doing 8, 000 metric tons a year , but we are embarking on an expansion programme that ’ ll see us doubling our output next year .

Have you taken any steps to make your farm more environmentally friendly?
Kereksuk has taken a few initiatives to adopt environmentally friendly measures . For example , we apply organic fertilizers – fertilizers we gain quite seamlessly through our healthy relationship with the indigenes of this beautiful state. Furthermore , we feed straw from our rice to livestock and while I am not at liberty to divulge the details , we are actually working on a project that seeks to generate power from rice .
I see myself as a social entrepreneur – I appreciate engaging the collective through community involvement . This has actually inspired Kereksuk to set up a few initiatives .
Our pioneer initiative is the farm - out- of - poverty initiative . This strategic initiative targets secondary school children . The Nigerian secondary school system is evenly split into two halves – the Junior Secondary School (JSS ) years and the Senior Secondary School (SSS) years . Each half lasts for three (3) years . We focus primarily on the Senior Secondary School years by selecting ten (10 ) students per SSS year to visit our farm .
While on the farm , the 30 students are exposed to the production and economics of rice farming . At the end of the year we set aside N50 , 000 ($160) per student per year . This accrues to N150 ,000 (approximately $500) at the end of the 3 - year programme per student. We ensure that this sum is matched by a like - minded cooperative organization and the cumulative amount of N 300, 000 ($1, 000) goes towards paying fees at the tertiary education stage.
This programme seeks to alleviate the burden of debt often associated with students and empowers the student through experience in a real- life work environment.
Kereksuk is confident that this initiative inspires and acts as an incentive to those at the lower education cadre to remain in school and aim for excellence in life .
The second phase of the FOOP involves the engagement of Fulani women in rice farming .

What reforms must government implement to ensure that Nigeria attains self-sufficient in rice production ?
There is a lot of talk at the moment about rice production and self -sufficiency, but I believe that the Government needs to look at its approach closely. The aim of the government is not only to create jobs , but create wealth and at the same time boost production . However, I believe that for jobs to be created, the notion is quite straightforward , create a plan and make funds available , however , for such development to be sustainable and for wealth to be created, there is much work yet to be done. For example , in rice production , simply growing paddy and selling at market price would not create the necessary wealth for the farmer, without appropriate value addition such as milling. However, because the government lays much emphasis on integrated rice mills and par - boiled rice , these small farmers are already priced out. So for the newly created job to be truly attractive and sustainable , government needs to start thinking about the value additions by the same farmers to enable them grow their operations organically.

Credit: Mfonobong Nsehe for Forbes

Culled from http://tushmagazine.com.ng