stagger:


Gari is not a staple of the northern tribes in Nigeria, so the cultivation of sorghum, millet, rice, soyabeans, ridi (beniseed) is more popular than planting of cassava. However, migration patterns of southern people into the North as well as the export demand from neighbouring countries puts some demand on gari. So rather than cultivate it, a lot of it is brought from the south.

To answer the 1st question, the state of the roads in the SE is appalling. I am sure you are a living witness. Bad roads add to the cost of transporting any product to the market. This is why the cost benefit of procuring cassava for processing beyond 30km reduces dramatically. In contrast, the roads to the North and within the north are far better and require less maintenance because of the climate and soil.

Perhaps, if the rail network is fully complete, transport will not be so much of an issue as it is now.

stagger:
Now gari can be sold to several sources.
The Nigerian Prisons service has contractors who supply to all the prisons in Nigeria. These contractors are awarded on a prison to prison basis. They have to buy from somewhere. I have personally been to the NPS headquarters in Abuja on this account and have some info on how the process works.
Hotels have to buy on a daily basis. Boarding schools, police training colleges, NYSC all procure gari. Some states like Bayelsa are known only for hotel business. In the Niger Delta, gari, fufu and starch are the staple foods. In Odukpani LGA of Cross River state, there is a fufu production zone.
The national strategic food reserve also stock piles lots of gari. Many may not know it, but we are actively supplying close to half of the gari and other food eaten in Niger republic under this program. The government contracts this out and the contractors have to buy in large quantities.
Gari is not the only product that can be derived from cassava.
My point is, the individual has to put in some work to identify and carve a niche which will separate him or her from the rest of the population.

stagger:


Gari is not a staple of the northern tribes in Nigeria, so the cultivation of sorghum, millet, rice, soyabeans, ridi (beniseed) is more popular than planting of cassava. However, migration patterns of southern people into the North as well as the export demand from neighbouring countries puts some demand on gari. So rather than cultivate it, a lot of it is brought from the south.

To answer the 1st question, the state of the roads in the SE is appalling. I am sure you are a living witness. Bad roads add to the cost of transporting any product to the market. This is why the cost benefit of procuring cassava for processing beyond 30km reduces dramatically. In contrast, the roads to the North and within the north are far better and require less maintenance because of the climate and soil.

Perhaps, if the rail network is fully complete, transport will not be so much of an issue as it is now.

Pavore9:


l did mention horticulture on the first page, living in Nairobi and seeing what is going on, l swore never to have anything to do with cassava farming, let those who are in love with it continue! Coming to flowers, Kenya and Kenyans are reaping it big from flower export as every night different airlines air-freights flowers to Europe for sale the next morning as 70% of roses sold in European Supermarkets are from Kenya. Most
painful is that Nigerians import those same flowers from Europe!

Anyone that tells me that their weather favours flower growing more than Nigeria is high on fermented plantain root (l have drank it ). Our weather distribution is vast just like Kenya's. Their Northern part is just like ours dry and dusty though there are places as cold like Scotland.l could liken Nairobi's weather to that of the Middle-belt. We just lack the will and capacity to be involved in it.

l would rather do vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, carrots, French beans, Eggplants etc as these crop accrue more income at a shorter time frame than the traditional cassava we are used to though there are also profit in it but the market structure does not favour the farmer who spent many months on the farm but individuals who are involved after it leaves the farm.

This links can give anyone an idea of what l am talking about.

http://www.royalseed.biz/seeds---domestic.php

http://www.royalseed.biz/seeds---export.php

Click on the picture of the desired crop and read the details.

jethro2:
My main crux is let intending farmers know what they are venturing into. Except you are processing and you have a ready made market, dont venture into cassava farming.
Starch processors are making cool dough right away. A mini standard processing unit cost not less than N10,000,000, equipment alone.
How many farmers can go close?
Even the starch has quality standard requirement. One cant just fabricates or import machineries that will not give the expected result.

jasper7:
@lesgupnigeria, oga, you are the only person on Nairaland that has openly admitted to making money from selling raw cassava.

I know you'll not want to share your secrets on a public forum and at least not for free. and I absolutely buy that idea but at least for those of us watching from outside just explain this shortly,

1. what are the factors that made your cassava to be sold at high rate, is it the quality? or the season you sold it? or the location of your buyers? is there anyrhing special about your own transaction that the likes of Jethro and the rest who are complaining here failed to do. because I don't understand why a buyer will buy at high price when he can get for cheaper except for quality or something of that nature.

Pls, I saw when you mentioned argument, when responding to someone. please don't see this things as arguments, see it as debates.

I remember when I was arguing with someone on my thread that drip alone cannot serve my cucumber. The person put facts and figures to me and I went home, tried it, came back with better results. I learnt something from that debate. Let's keep an open mind to all this talk. remember that nairaland is a faceless forum, the person you are talking with today might be your next door neighbor and you don't know. .

In as much as we are all pros in our fields. nobody can be completely right and nobody can be completely wrong. we can always learn, even from day old babies. peace guys

Lesgupnigeria:


Some agro-preneurs on nairaland are fond of arguing to claim superiority of idea which i am not ready to engage in at the moment.
I always want to learn from people and make use of it in my business.

If you have been following some of my thread,you will learn a lot about what i mentioned about getting buyers that will buy at a good price.

Not all processing companies will.buy at a good price and those that will.buy at a good price might delay your payment.

I have had series of experience from these companies and have learnt a lot as well.

Cassava industry is not a stand-alone industry
it requires partnership to make good money.

Partnership requires you creating good business relationship with the processor.

Let me expose one of the strategy i do make use just for the sake of some farmers here.

I partner with small scale and medium processors (at least 10tons/day capacity) some kilometres from my farm and i make sure i supply them cassava regularly even if it requires me to buy from other farmers so they can have regular supply

I.develop.personal relationship.as well.
I can also.tell you how many times i.have to travel to track down a pharmaceutical company manager in order see that my processor can sell the cassava flour produced.

I know if he cant sell his flour,then he cant buy my cassava(Thats is partnership)

In any business especially cassava business,
it requires real partnership.

This is very difficult with bigger companies like intercontinental distilleries and others.

The thinking of.many farmers is that if they can sell to bigger companies,it will translate to bigger money

Nobody here can claim that he/she has successfully sold to bigger companies and make good profit.

Those people shouting they have been to GIZ,ZIG,WXZ and they turn them down.
give me reasons why they wouldnot disappoint you...To.me thats the old and improper way of partnering with a company

When they need cassava,were you there to supply them even when the cassava on your own farm is.not yet ready?and you think when your cassava is ready for harvest,you can.just come and start asking for better price for your cassava?


I.gave one of my follower on my cassava thread one of my cassava procesor contact and he may start selling his cassava in some few months time.


I am very sure if its any of the bigger companies,thsy wouldnot even want to.give him audience but leveraging on my good relationship with the processor,he will also have access.

I can go on and on but let me stop here,i have shared little,you can check my thread to know more of the things i am talking.

Cassava is profitable but you cant keep doing it like how some farmers claiming is not profitable are doing it.

A lot of ways one can.make use to.make profit in this business.Find your own or partner with people that does.

amarawa:
Nice thread. But what people are saying about cassava seems to me as things applicable to other areas of agric. Effective market research and adding value to ur product are the key, so why are we singling cassava out.

I think one of the problems farmers in Nigeria has is lack of support from government in many areas. I was at Shoprite where I saw watermelons labelled made in South Africa, yet at Orange market few km away water melon is rotten because of low market. The fruits should have been processed if the farmers can afford the machine.

Even the 10m starch plant Jethro mentioned is a child's play. An industrial starch plant machine cost about 1m dollars from Denmark and China.

Let us continue to partner and collaborate, I'm sure we will get there.

jasper7:

serious? 1m dols. is the starch used to divide red sea? na wa o. okay... Like I always say, we are still playing in terms of agric in Nigeria

stagger:


Ekha Agro glucose syrup factory cost exceeded 10 million Euros. For GEJ to attend the commissioning, you should know the level of finance that went into that plant.

Mordyb:
I am not aware of a market for flowers as the only thing available are those road side gardens in Abuja who only make money from horticultural contracts which is hard to find.
pls enlightenment is needed dearly

EJaja:

Can you kindly through more light into the above quoted subject matter.
What are the set of Equipments required for a standard acceptable starch plant.
Which of the Country is this machine coming from and whats the production output.
Would this 10. 000, 0000 Naira Starch facility meetup the starch standard required by industries in Nigeria.

amarawa:
Nice thread. But what people are saying about cassava seems to me as things applicable to other areas of agric. Effective market research and adding value to ur product are the key, so why are we singling cassava out.
I think one of the problems farmers in Nigeria has is lack of support from government in many areas. I was at Shoprite where I saw watermelons labelled made in South Africa, yet at Orange market few km away water melon is rotten because of low market. The fruits should have been processed if the farmers can afford the machine.
Even the 10m starch plant Jethro mentioned is a child's play. An industrial starch plant machine cost about 1m dollars from Denmark and China.
Let us continue to partner and collaborate, I'm sure we will get there.

jasper7:

okay... I think I have been able to pick one or 2 points here. Am just trying to outline the points so that people can pick it up and make use of it.

First one is that you go after small processors, so that you can meet up with their demand and be somewhat of a sole supplier. okay.

Because of relationship you are able to maintain a favourable pricing for your products. I got that too.

I just want people to be able to pick points from our posts. because in the end, we are doing this to help ourselves.

I am a follower of some of your threads. Not all. because I particularly don't have interest in cassava farming. but it's okay. I still have learnt a few lessons here

Chukslar:
Jethro2,
1) On the Average what is your estimated investment cost/Hectare
2) I am aware of some cassava species that take between 7-9 Months before harvest are what is your opinion on those species?
3) What is your take on Yellow Root cassava and its profitability?
4) what is your estimated harvest / Hectare(Practically)?

Pavore9:
lf anyone truly have the market and at a good price, there are many farmers out there who are willing to supply. Personally l can't just wrap my head around selling it @ N8,000 per tonne when l can sell a tonne of Capsicum at the cheapest for N400K!

Pavore9:
lf anyone truly have the market and at a good price, there are many farmers out there who are willing to supply. Personally l can't just wrap my head around selling it @ N8,000 per tonne when l can sell a tonne of Capsicum at the cheapest for N400K!

stagger:


My brother carry go. Part of our mentality in Nigeria is that once someone says something is profitable, others will just rush into it without thinking or doing any market research.

If you are into cassava farming, processing is the way to go. It is a no-brainer. People should start to see cassava like crude oil. In raw form, it is not much use.

But should everyone be in cassava farming? NO NO NO! There are so many crops people can go into. Don't be surprised that people will start asking you how to start planting capsicum and they will rush into it. The way people are now rushing into cucumber because Jasper7 has revealed his success story.

It is wrong for ppl to ask for new thing if it gonna pay, we have ppl like me that have land to farm on but at loss of what to plant/grow on it.