Goldmines in Agribusiness

Sunday, 8 November 2020

HOW NIGERIA CAN VEGETABLE-OILS INTO GOLD

Nigeria has more than 10 non-edible oils that can be turned into money-making ventures for the country.

Among these are jathropha, rubber seed oil, canarium schweinfurthii oil, khaya ivorensis, cucumeropsis edulis, citrus sinensis among others.

This is aside from a number of the country’s numerous vegetable oils that have the properties required for lubrication. Among these are high index viscosity, low volatility and good lubricity.

Experts believe all these produce non-edible oils that can be characterised and developed for lubricating grease production.

Tuesday, 11 September 2018

Agribusiness Investment Guidelines

✓Research- visit as many farm as possible before venturing into any kind of farming. Online research may be additional bonus but please don't rely on them as we have many people preach what they do not practice but parade themselves as expert. They are marketers and all they care about is their pocket.

✓Start small- Going into farming with your paper projection can be very tempting as you want to make all the money fast but I suggest that you exercise caution and start small. It's a new terrain and you need to learn all you can before putting in all your hard earned savings. Don't spend so much on infrastructure while you are short of funds to stock up the same building. As a rule of thumb, don't spend more than 40% of your capital on infrastructure. Same applies to buying animals, don't stock animal and start feeding them cheap feed because you are short of funds. Always buy animals you can feed conveniently.

✓Reduce your expectation- it can be very frustrating when you don't get the result you want especially in farm business. I always advise newcomers to reduce their expectation to 10% of their initial projection. You will still make the 100% projection but very few make it at the early stage.

✓Management is key- sound management practice can never be undermine when it comes to farming. Keeping good records, especially financial records and produce records is important.

✓Get a mentor- this will fast track your success but get a mentor that practice what they preach not a sugar coated marketers

✓Kaizen- continuous improvement should be your overall goal but be careful not to change ways that has worked for you too quick because of marketers as all they care about is their pocket. Change is inevitable but do it gradually.

✓Be patient- Farming is not an overnight success kind of business. It takes DISCIPLINE to succeed in farm business.

✓Time- It may take time before you recoup your initial investment especially if you will put up infrastructure. Manage your expectation as farming is not a gold mine like people preach especially for newcomers

✓Labour-Farm hands are the angel/devil of farm business. Just like everyone has a king and a fool in him. Find ways to get the best from them. Most of them are illiterate and they don't have the kind of trainings you have acquired over the years. Be deliberate about training and motivating them to get what you want as your success or failure may weigh heavily on farm hands if your system is less automated. Take them as your team member and respect them but don't reinforce bad attitude.

✓Inputs- Get good seeds or animals. You want to get the best from your produce but you can't do that without getting the foundation right. Get improved seedling /breed.

✓ Give your seeds and animals what they require to grow optimally. Farming is garbage in garbage out. If an animal require 50% enter based energy, 25% protein and 25% fiber but you are giving the same animal 100% fiber. You will not get the required result, same applies to plant

✓Reinvest your profit back into farming.

✓Add value to what you produce.

✓Finding a market for your produce before they are ready for market will make farming a very interesting venture for you.

NB: My humble submission, having lost millions in agric business over the years. I wish you all the best in your journey as agropreneur.

Courtesy Adedara Wale- aka Omo Abuleshowo

Sunday, 2 September 2018

Oil-Palm VS Cashew

Q:Between cashew and palm tree. Which one is better and advisable to plant?

A: One has to consider many things in taking decision abt which one to invest in. These are location, available fund, target market among other things.

✔Oil-palm & cashew have almost same set up cost/acre or cost/ha.
✔Both take abt 3-4yrs to start fruiting.
✔They both have same plant population/acre or per/ha.
✔While cashew can grow on fringe soil, almost anywhere with little rainfall, Oil-palm on the other hand grows better in the tropical rain forest with good rain fall.

To make (good) money from Oil-palm, the farmer must invest further in processing equipment. These investment runs into several 100's of thousands. Whereas, the farmer can make money from cashew without any other investment.

Q: Which aspect of the nuts is better to sell and make your money? Selling dried Cashew Nuts or Roasted?

A: Dried cashew nuts is known or called raw cashew nuts (RCN) in cashew business world. It is a lot easier to sell RCN rather than roasted but because of further investment needed for roasting. However, once roasted, it has become processed & hence attract much more income. Also, there are other very valuable by products of roasting or processing like cashew but shell liquid (CNSL) which is useful in many other industries.

Q: Without mechanized roasting and cracking, it is stressful to roast and sell in commercial quantity.

A: Yes, while it could be stressful, there are workers that will be (happily) gainfully employed doing the cracking using simple mechanical tools.
The point is, Nigeria need to shift away from our subsistence way/level of doing agriculture to a more commercial level.

Courtesy Pinfarm/CocoaMaster .......... +2348063249457

Monday, 7 August 2017

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

Wednesday, 29 March 2017

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?

Thursday, 9 February 2017

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

Sunday, 22 January 2017

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

Monday, 28 November 2016

HOW TO GROW PINEAPPLE PLANT / PINEAPPLE SUCKERS (HYBRID) FOR INCOME

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Temperature Range: 65 °F - 95 °F.

Rainfall: 60 cm/year (at regular intervals throughout the growing season).

Soil Type: Well-drained and acidic soil (4.5-5.5 pH).

Propagation: Crown, suckers and slips.

Flowering: Requires cooler temperatures.

PROPAGATION METHOD

The propagation of pineapple plants is mostly carried out by means of crowns. Seeds are not preferred owing to their slow growth. Other parts of the plant such as 'slips' and 'suckers' are also used for propagation. While preparing the crown for propagation, its lower leaves are peeled off to expose the 'root primordia'. Crowns are then planted in a potted soil known as 'Bromeliad Potting Soil'. Then the plants are grown in pots for few days before moving them in fields.

Sucker Propagation:

Planting suckers allow fast growth of pineapples in comparison to the traditional method of planting the crown. For this, you need to first identify them and learn to pick them. Suckers are found between leaves of fully-grown pineapple plants. They can be pulled out with the hand; you just have to twist them at their base. It also prevents the plant (sucker) from getting hurt. Rest of the procedure for growing pineapple plants is same as that used in the traditional method.

Slip Propagation:
Slips can be found at the base of pineapple fruits. These are tiny plants not found in all varieties of pineapples. The Smooth Cayenne and Rough Cayenne are commonly used for growing pineapples from slips. You can pull and plant the slips just like suckers. The method used for growing pineapples from slips is same as the traditional one.

Crown Propagation:
It is the most common method of propagation in pineapples. The crown is pulled or cut off from the fruit and kept for rooting for about 3 weeks after which short roots emerge. The crown can then be used for potting in the house or field cultivation.

FIELD CULTIVATION OF PINEAPPLE

Climate and Soil Requirements of Pineapple
The pineapple plants grow well in a temperature ranging from 65 °F to 95 °F.
Although it can tolerate cold temperatures for a short period during nights, the growth gets stunted and fruits become acidic when it is exposed to lower temperatures for a longer time. Well-drained and friable soil, rich in organic matter is considered as best for growing pineapples. The pineapple plants grown at high altitudes bear acidic fruits.

Planting

Before planting, pineapple fields are well-prepared to suit this shallow rooted plant. Crowns prepared for plantation are sown at a depth of 10 cm in double- rows. A distance of 25-30 cm. is maintained between two plants, while two
double-rows are kept 0.9-1.8 m apart. Mulching is used in pineapple fields for conserving soil moisture, maintaining the necessary temperature of soil and also for controlling weeds. In the mulching activity, entire field is covered with plastic sheets or bagasse (sugarcane pulp) is used.

Fertilizer Application
Nutrient requirements of the pineapple plant change across different regions. Like any other crops, pineapples too require nitrogen in greater quantities than any other soil nutrient. In Kenya, 472 kg nitrogen per hectare is used in the first year in 4 equal parts. For acidic soils, the application of magnesium sulfate proves to be beneficial. It is applied at a rate of 327 kg/ha in sandy-clay soils. Chelate is actually a chemical compound in which a metal atom is bound by other atoms. Iron, when applied with nitrogen in a chelated form, increases the crop yield as well as the fruit size.

Irrigation and Weed Control
For the cultivation of pineapple plant, irrigation is required only in the dry months of summer. Manual weeding is not recommended in pineapple fields, since it proves to be expensive and can also lead to soil erosion. Practice of
mulching is the best option for controlling weeds.

Flowering
Induction of flowering is undertaken to control the time of harvest and maturity in pineapples. Use of chemicals to control the natural and 'organic' growth of any plant is artificial and unnatural; however, cultivators tend to practice it to avoid excessive fruit production during peak periods. Earlier, ethylene gas was commonly used to control the fruiting process. Today, hormones such as a naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) are used. When a pineapple plant is 6 months old, it is treated with hormones to induce
flowering.

Pests and Diseases
Care of pineapple plants becomes important in order to protect them from pests and diseases. Controlling the nematodes is necessary because they stunt pineapple growth. 1,3-dichloropropene or 1,3-D is efficient in controlling the nematodes and is applied using the fumigation process. In this process, the soil is smoked. Mealy bugs which cause the wilting of pineapple leaves are controlled by spraying pesticides. The fire ants which carry mealy bugs from one plant to another need to be controlled in this case. Root rot disease is controlled by improving soil drainage and fungicide application.

Harvesting
Summer fruits of pineapple mature early as compared to the winter ones. To know if the summer fruits are ready for harvesting, check whether the pineapple's 'eye' is pale green. In the winter season, fruits turn light yellow at the base and are considered as ready for harvesting. For pineapple fruits to be 'canned', it is necessary to harvest them when fully ripe.

The activity of pineapple cultivation requires in-depth knowledge of different stages of growth of this plant. With proper care and maintenance you can grow pineapple in fields as well as in the indoor environment.

NB: Remember; "When you leverage on the experience of the professional, success is guaranteed".

Some of the photos are from publication of:

National Agricultural Research Institute

Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara

Tel 020-2841-3 Fax 020-4481

E-mail nari@guyana.net.gy

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

Check The Purity of Honey at Home

Do you want to enjoy most of the benefits derived from honey? Its purity is what you should consider before buying. There are some simple tests and experiments that can be performed at home, to verify the purity of honey. Find out which tests you should try!

Before carrying out any of tests, one basic and extremely simple “how to check the purity of honey” method is to read the label on the jar of honey, prior to its purchase. Manufacturers are required to mention the additives and additional substances that have been added to the produced honey. So you can make out, if it is organic or extra sweet or artificial flavorings have been added, simply by scrutinizing the label. If you are buying honey straight from a beekeeper, then the honey is of a raw and unprocessed quality as you are purchasing it straight from the source. We recommend you to learn the difference between fake and pure honey before doing tests.

Performing tests for purity of honey at home

Honey’s wonderful, delicious variety works against you when you’re trying to find a simple test. Different types of pure honey can cover a large range of density, flammability, and other characteristics. While the following tests are based on true principles, in practice your results may be inconclusive. Try several of these tests to see if the honey fails or passes consistently. In many cases, you can get nothing more than a good guess. Ever stop to think about what’s in a bottle of honey?

In order to check the purity of honey at home, here’s what to do:

Thumb Test
Here’s the procedure to do a thumb test:

Put a small drop of the honey you have on your thumb
Check to see if it spills or spreads around
If it does, it is not pure
Pure honey will stay intact on your thumb

The Water Test to Spot Fake Honey
Here’s how to do the water test:

Fill a glass with water
Add one tablespoon of honey into the glass
Adulterated or artificial honey will dissolve in water and you will see it around the glass
Pure honey on the other hand will settle right at the bottom of your glass

The Flame Test to Know Pure Honey
Did you know that organic honey is flammable? Here’s a test to know 100% pure organic honey.

Take a dry matchstick
Dip its tip right into the honey
Strike the stick on the matchbox as if to light it
If the honey is pure, the matchstick will light with ease
The flame will also keep burning off the honey
However, if it is with impurities, it will not light because fake honey contains moisture as one of the impurities

These are some of the simple and common ways to test pure honey at home. Another common method to tell the difference is as follows: add some water and 2-3 drops of vinegar essence into the honey and mix well. If the solution becomes foamy, that is definitely adulterated honey.

Drop honey on blotting paper or a paper towelIf honey has been diluted with water, it may be absorbed or leave a wet mark on an absorbent material such as blotting paper. Pure honey should not be absorbed, but unfortunately neither will honey diluted with most sugar syrups.

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Friday, 11 November 2016

How Agriculture Can Save Nigeria From Recession

Source: Wikipedia, EnterpriseBoom

It is widely admitted that Nigeria is currently passing through an economic-challenging moment ever in her history.
The country is battling with outburst economic recession — at a coincident time when Naira fast depreciates against other currencies most especially dollar coupled with the
nosediving price of Nigeria’s major dependence source of earning (crude oil), workers’ salaries payments delay for months and high inflation. All these are what constituted the breeze of economy discomfort blowing across nooks
and crannies of the nation — majorly felt by those who failed to utilize their potential and take swift action. The impact of the intense economic hardship is widely felt — of which Nigeria has never experienced before.

However, there is great concern that if the recession continue; it could lead into depression — which is not a good situation to witness.

So surprising that many people are still blindfolded to the sadden extent that even some graduates still see agriculture as a profession for the illiterates and kept nursing intoxicated perception that those who actively involve themselves in agriculture at this age are poor people but, they fail to realise that there is job, rest of mind, prestige and financial security in Agriculture.

Sometime in 1976-80 and 2000-7, Nigeria ex-president, Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, advised on "Operation Feed the Nation" and "Cassava Revolution" respectfully. Also in 2012, the ex-president, Arch. Namadi Sambo, revealed that Nigeria had over 85 million hectares of uncultivated arable land. This significantly shows how majority of Nigerians are indifferent to agriculture but, are after white collar jobs which are not there and highly competitive to find.

An important sector to explore in countering the recession is Agriculture; it is a serious business and an effective tool in boosting one’s income sources — tantamount to financial freedom. It is capable of having multiplier effects on
the economy if massively embraced. It is time to stop looking on farming as a profession for the poor and the old. Time to change one’s mindset on Agriculture and massively invest in it.

Knowing fully well that Agriculture is divided into various segments which are crops planting, fisheries, animal rearing and forestry. All the segments require having basic knowledge of what they entail. It is advisable to have
basic understanding of whichever version of agriculture you wish to practice or involve professionals so as not to incur loss and debt.

Possibly Ways Agriculture Can Save Nigeria From Recession

Employment

Agriculture has huge capacity of absorbing sudden mass of unemployed youths: graduates, uneducated and unskilled labor parading the streets as well as those in rural areas. It eradicates idleness. The likely kinds of employment are daily workers, vehicle drivers, technicians/machine operators like operators of bulldozer, tractors,
harvesters, milling machines, mower etc. Glaring example are Obasanjo Farms, Animal Care in Ogun State, Zartech, MIA Farms in Benin-City, Okomu Oilpalm Company in Edo State, Presco etc. The company’s workforces are many. The
workers are assured of daily/monthly payment of wages/salaries depending on the agreement and nature of job.

Food Security

Farming prevents famine and malnutrition. This situation has been or is being witnessed in certain parts of developing countries. Recession plus famine
could be disastrous and tragic. The major way to prevent famine is for everyone to widely encourage farming, efficient food storage and processing facilities; no
matter how small or big. Having a garden in our respective homes goes a long way in achieving food for all goal. Besides, on individuals farms, the farm produce harvested reduces money you are supposed to spend on purchase of food stuffs for your family thereby, encouraging savings or
investment of such excesses on other profitable ventures.

With the growing population, the demand for food is increasing on daily basis at a climbing rate thereby, warranting more involvement in farming.

Shortage in food supply in meeting people’s demands is capable of setting hunger and famine in motion — thereby leading to increase in crime rate, terrorism and hooliganism. Once there is sufficient food in the land and people are well fed despite the recession; people’s energy could well be
channeled into redefining the economy and charting a new course towards meeting other basic needs. Agricultural sector unarguably provide food needed for humans survival among others.

Improved Standard of Living

The proceeds and materials generated from Agriculture will improve the welfare and comfortability of those involved in Agricultural sector — ranging from quality clothes, comfortable houses, exotic cars, vacations among others. It will add to Nigeria’s GDP and stimulate rural electrification projects and channeling of pipe borne water into the rural areas where large scale farming is being practiced thereby, discouraging influx of migrants from rural areas into urban areas; owing to the raised standard of living.

Source of Income

Agriculture is a viable source of earning both locally and outside the shores of Nigeria. A few of potential crops that could be considered for local and foreign trades are Cashew, Cocoa, Palm oil, Cassava, Beans, Maize, Banana, Yam, Cotton, Orange, Fur (skin & hide), Rubber among others. Since humans can not survive on earth without consumption of some of these crops or their usage as raw materials in some industries — towards final transformation into finished products — they will continue to generate massive sources of income; depending on your level of commitment culminating the outputs realized.
Due to absence of most agricultural produce processing plants in Nigeria, most of the exported farm produce are used as raw materials — in producing juices, leather, plastic, tyre etc.

Shop on Konga and safe stress

How Agriculture Can Save Nigeria From Recession

Source: Wikipedia, EnterpriseBoom

However, there is great concern that if the recession continue; it could lead into depression — which is not a good situation to witness.

Possibly Ways Agriculture Can Save Nigeria From Recession

Employment

Food Security

With the growing population, the demand for food is increasing on daily basis at a climbing rate thereby, warranting more involvement in farming.

Improved Standard of Living

Source of Income

Shop on Konga and safe stress

Engage Yourself in one Aspect of Agribusiness

Learn, seek help and engage yourself in one/two aspect(s) of agribusiness today.
Agriculture pays.

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

How to Start Plantain Plantation in Nigeria

By now, it should be no surprise to you that agriculture is the most
lucrative business sector in Nigeria . This has led to a huge boost in local and international investment, which has seen the agriculture industries potential increase exponentially.

If you’re still thinking about whether or not to invest in Nigerian agriculture, you should stop thinking and make a decision today. My advice to you is – don’t delay. The industry is so full of potential, and moving so quickly that you risk being left behind.

If you are already planning to start plantain farming in Nigeria, then you have made the right choice to help you turn your financial status around. With very little capital, plantain farming can help you make millions of Naira every year.

The secret to successful plantain farming is to ensure that you learn the basics, and master a few tricks of the trade. This is why you can start small and scale up to earn a lot from it.

The Plantain tree is a native of Asia, having been cultivated first in 500BC by South Indians. It has spread widely throughout the tropics, moving from Africa to the Caribbean and Latin America. At present though, Nigeria is a large producer of plantain. Nigeria produces more for local consumption in comparison to export.

You might be wondering why is plantain farming such a lucrative business? Plantain farming in Nigeria is so lucrative because plantain features heavily in the staple diet of most Nigerians. The few farmers who are successfully operating in this sector are making millions of Naira.

There is a large demand for plantain across the world and in Nigeria, but supply is struggling to meet demand. By following the simple steps given ahead, you will be well on your way to fulfilling this demand and providing yourself with a healthy income!

But before you start, it is important that you are aware of the health benefits of plantain.

Health benefits of plantain

1. Plantains are very reliable sources of starch and energy.

2. Plantains contain a high amount of dietary fibre, which helps ensure healthy bowels and reduces constipation.

3. Plantains have more vitamin C than bananas. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen- free radicals.

4. Plantains have more vitamin A than bananas. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin A plays a vital role in the visual cycle, maintaining healthy mucus membranes, and enhancing skin complexion.

5. As in bananas, they too are rich sources of B-complex vitamins, particularly high in vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine). Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has a beneficial role in the treatment of neuritis, anemia, and to decrease homocystine (one of the causative factors for coronary artery disease (CHD) and stroke episodes) levels in the body.

6. Plantains also contain folates, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin. Folates (folic acid) are essential for healthy pregnancy.

7. Plantains also provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well.

8. Plantains have more potassium than bananas. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering negative effects of sodium.

9. Plantains are famed to be diuretic and can help prevent kidney and bladder problems.

10. Plantains ease the discomfort associated with the menstrual period.

How to start plantain farming in Nigeria

Step #1: Purchase suitable land to start your own plantain farm

Plantain needs the right kind of climate to grow- for it cannot survive in too hot or too cold environments. If you already have land you need to ensure that it meets these basic conditions.

Plantains grow best in conditions where the soil retains water, that’s why plantain plantations in Nigeria are irrigated. You may not have the means to carry out irrigation so you should consider soils that retain water, have a good humus layer and you should always improvise by incorporating animal manure to the soil to improve on the humus and texture of the soil to retain water. You can also make your own compost by using chicken manure to increase its fertility.

Step #2: Clearing the land

Once you have purchased your land, you will need to clear it.

Clearing of land includes removal of trees, brush, stumps and stones amongst other obstacles. This is necessary to increase the area of the land base for producing crop, or to make your land suitable for plantain farming operation.

Depending on your budget, available equipment and the location of your plantain farm, you can go for either manual or mechanised clearing.

Step #3: Prepping the land

Once the land for your plantain farm is cleared, you will need to take certain steps for making the land suitable for growing plantain. This is necessary for creating the right soil conditions for a healthy growth of these young plants, and to ensure that your plantain plantation is successful in the long run.

Land preparation should be done long before you start the process of transplantation of the plant suckers. Although this step may require significant efforts and investment, you cannot skip it, or you will have an unsuccessful harvest, which will set back your plans of owning a successful plantain farm.

Prepping the land will also enable you to structure and plan your farming operational processes and procedures.

The areas that you must consider are:

The availability as well as the quality of water for irrigation that you have

Mechanical actions that will need to be implemented and how they will be implemented

Selection of land

Any chemical requirements for improving the soil before transplantation

Equipment and tools that will be required for the cultivation of plantain

Labor and manpower requirements

Leaching schedule

Time schedule

Financial requirements

Hole preparation

Step #4: Purchasing Plantain Suckers

Plantains are propagated vegetatively, from corms, which are underground bulbs or rhizomes or from suckers, which are shoots that grow from the bud that is at the plant base.

Since the use of the entire corm is quite laborious, the more common method is to grow those using small corms. The mother plant makes three kinds of plantain suckers, namely sword suckers, maidenheads and water suckers.

Sword suckers come with a short pseudostem and have narrow leaves, similar to blades, along with a narrow base. When they mature, they have fruitful and healthy pseudostems.

Maidenheads come with a pseudostem that is large and does not produce any fruit; white water suckers have broad leaves with short pseudostems.

Water suckers do not have a strong attachment to the rhizome, and produce less fruit with weaker plants. They are less preferred in comparison to large sword suckers and maidenheads.

It is essential that you purchase suckers only from a farm that is reputable and trusted. There is no fixed price for these, a conventional sucker can cost anywhere around N50 to N100, while a hybrid will cost around N120 to N200. This price may again, vary depending on where you procure it.

Step #5: Planting

It is essential that before you begin your plantain plantation, you eliminate any grass or weed competition. To prevent any re-growing of weed, you can use mulching.

However, for turf grass, you will need to either use herbicides or go by the hoeing technique. If you are planning to plant for producing fruit, there should be a space of at least 8-10 feet in between. Irrigation needs to be applied at regular intervals to keep the soil moist. Ensure that there is no standing water since plantains are not tolerant to wet conditions.

Step #6: In-organic and organic fertilization

After planting, you will need to manure them using a combination of household waste, poultry manure and woodash for improving the growth and yield of plantains. It will also help to reduce the infestation by nematodes and borer weevils.

Organic manure helps maintain the temperature of the soil, conserve its moisture content and help regulate soil acidity. This will help you make the most of your efforts for plantain farming in Nigeria.

Step #7 Harvest

Plantain trees produce large bunches of heavy fruit, which may cause the tree to slump or droop. If you find that your plantain tree is struggling to stand up due to the weight, use string and bamboo poles to tie and prop the tree.

Fruits appear within 90 to 120 days after the tree flowers. Upon fruiting, plantains are typically ready for harvest within 6 to 8 months.

Step #8 Market

As a farmer or producer of plantain your ultimate aim is to secure buyers for your produce. In most instances this should be straight forward as there is currently a high demand for plantain.

Buyers can range from the mama in your local market to large companies/industries. However, since industries do not buy small quantities and require that plantains meet international standards, you will only gain access to this important market if your production is to industry specification, both in terms of quantity, quality and time.

Conclusion

Following these steps with dedication is how you successfully establish your own plantain farm in Nigeria, which is not only a source of great income, but also a way to help the economy of Nigeria.

By Terser Adamu : http://mynaijanaira.com/plantain-farming-in-nigeria