....more pilots

EMAIL 1:
I receive mails but this particular mail that I received came at the right time I faced the same issue.

Dear Fluentinfor,
Please, kindly share with me how you started your business? How did you put together cash when you started? I want to ask for investors on nairaland but my experience with some people put me off. Recently, I was labeled scam and called all sort of names. Please sir, how can one solve this issue?

My Response:
I feel your pain. I will give you tips on getting investors but first, let me share with you my experience.

I met someone wonderful recently. I mean very lovely. I so much appreciate the person and I sent email to the fellow on an issue. I have been nursing the ambition to start a farm in the region this person lives but I could not make up my mind easily. So, I tried asking questions about marketing. What kind of veggie sells there? Who eat this and that? But I was shocked when the whole process became issue of scam. Like why are you contacting me to ask this and that? Honestly, I had a pure heart. I was initially angry but when I sat down and put myself in the position of the person, I understood what happened. Not the fellow's fault at all. In fact, I salute the fellow. And we started getting along well but the issue of trust kept coming back. Honestly, I couldnt deal with it any longer. Having to explain myself everytime, having to assure and reassure of my loyalty was tiring. As wonderful as the working relationship suppose to be, I had to let it go. I had to. Unless trust is re-established, I will not try to make any move towards the person.

The person who rejected you today is still watching. Just keep doing good, and be focused. There may be a turn around soon.

No matter how you distinguish yourself, you still have similarities with others, and even with scammers. The way you talk, your story line, coincidences, etc. No matter how terrible the accusation is, brush it off, and live your life. As long as you know you are legitimate, you have no reason to panic or feel guilty. Continue your good work, and good people who trust you will locate you.

I always say this "Be an entrepreneur first before a farmer" Write out clearly a financial plan for the project, and try to approach people who are interested in Agric.

You may start an interesting thread like my own. You should not worry about it landing on the front page of nairaland. Also, do not get so excited with likes and shares. The purpose of the thread is to put you out there. Opportunities come anytime.

Above all, put God first.

If you are interested in learning on farm, you may be lucky to get into a training program. A new vegetable farm is opening soon in Ogun State. I am preparing the syllabus for the program which will be 3 months, 6 months and, 12 months. Accomodation will be provided. This is a paid training. Also, trainees hcan earn shile they learn.

If you are interested, kindly get in touch so I can give you the application form when the program kicks off.

fluentinfor:
EMAIL 1:
I receive mails but this particular mail that I received came at the right time I faced the same issue.

Dear Fluentinfor,
Please, kindly share with me how you started your business? How did you put together cash when you started? I want to ask for investors on nairaland but my experience with some people put me off. Recently, I was labeled scam and called all sort of names. Please sir, how can one solve this issue?

My Response:
I feel your pain. I will give you tips on getting investors but first, let me share with you my experience.

I met someone wonderful recently. I mean very lovely. I so much appreciate the person and I sent email to the fellow on an issue. I have been nursing the ambition to start a farm in the region this person lives but I could not make up my mind easily. So, I tried asking questions about marketing. What kind of veggie sells there? Who eat this and that? But I was shocked when the whole process became issue of scam. Like why are you contacting me to ask this and that? Honestly, I had a pure heart. I was initially angry but when I sat down and put myself in the position of the person, I understood what happened. Not the fellow's fault at all. In fact, I salute the fellow. And we started getting along well but the issue of trust kept coming back. Honestly, I couldnt deal with it any longer. Having to explain myself everytime, having to assure and reassure of my loyalty was tiring. As wonderful as the working relationship suppose to be, I had to let it go. I had to. Unless trust is re-established, I will not try to make any move towards the person.

The person who rejected you today is still watching. Just keep doing good, and be focused. There may be a turn around soon.

No matter how you distinguish yourself, you still have similarities with others, and even with scammers. The way you talk, your story line, coincidences, etc. No matter how terrible the accusation is, brush it off, and live your life. As long as you know you are legitimate, you have no reason to panic or feel guilty. Continue your good work, and good people who trust you will locate you.

I always say this "Be an entrepreneur first before a farmer" Write out clearly a financial plan for the project, and try to approach people who are interested in Agric.

You may start an interesting thread like my own. You should not worry about it landing on the front page of nairaland. Also, do not get so excited with likes and shares. The purpose of the thread is to put you out there. Opportunities come anytime.

Above all, put God first.

Like you said in one of your posts, trust is an issue in Nigeria, no thanks to the 'get rich quick syndrome' prevalent in the country coupled with peoples' experiences in issues relating to trust. Our psyches have been battered in so many ways that we now have a negative auto-response to even the purest of intentions. However, the honesty of a man will outlast the doubts of a million people in the course of time. Focus, honesty and persistence are children of the same parent. And like you said again "The person who rejected you today is still watching. Just keep doing good, and be focused. There may be a turn around soon."

justkay:

Like you said in one of your posts, trust is an issue in Nigeria, no thanks to the 'get rich quick syndrome' prevalent in the country coupled with peoples' experiences in issues relating to trust. Our psyches have been battered in so many ways that we now have a negative auto-response to even the purest of intentions. However, the honesty of a man will outlast the doubts of a million people in the course of time. Focus, honesty and persistence are children of the same parent. And like you said again "The person who rejected you today is still watching. Just keep doing good, and be focused. There may be a turn around soon."

Thank you for your post.

When I was younger, I used to get frustrated with rejection. I could remember my first trip out of Naija when i was a teenager and I did not like the way I was treated at check points. Well, these days, I smile over it. It does not affect me again.

"They always return, they always come back". I do not argue with most people again. Once I state explicitly my opinion, I am done. What I notice is that they always return when they have seen that I am not far away from the truth.

The truth is that most foreigners just love Nigerians. I have seen how cocoa is done in Cote D'Ivoire and I am so impressed. I think I am going to start learning French. It is just wonderful how everyone wants to know me more. Seriously, I feel Nigeria is a special country. I mean, they always return.

Anyway, I think most guys in 419 stuff should have a second thought. It is just terrible labelling the nation negatively. As for me and my business empire, we will try our best make Nigeria better.

Let us do it.

My interest in cash crops and trees has been ignited with what I have seen so far in Cote D'IVoire. I am able to understand better what disunity has done to the Nigerian system.

Different ways of life and culture should be a strong bond. It is suppose to be a powerful strength. Just unfortunate how it has been eating Nigeria.

I am convinced that I am in the right direction. I am returning to close the 2 micro farms I am managing. However, I will keep the new one I am opening with my partner. While I work with him as the strategic director, he will handle the field work. I want to concentrate on my new venture.

I am going to stop updating this thread. I am going to post conclusion and recommendation very soon. These posts wil conclude this thread.

Will I open a new thread soon? Not so sure. However, i will attend to anyone with any question.

Conclusion
Micro Scale Farming is a highly profitable venture; however, there are limitations.
1. I strongly believe lack of well mannered personnel is a big challenge.
2. Most people still want to use old techniques. And they will surely fail.
3. The cost of opening farms in Africa is far more expensive than what it costs in other continent. While farmers in other continents see a start up cost of $10,000 (3.6 million naira) or less as gardens, we see it as a huge investment in Nigeria.
4. Farming is better in the northern part of Nigeria.
5. 99% of people in farming in the southern part of Nigeria are spectators.
6. I strongly believe farms that the owners are not actively involved in the field work are failed businesses. 7. Farming should not be an alternative to get out of poverty, but should be a business owners want to do to make good profit nust like saying one is getting into oil business.
8. I am being honest with you. If you still think you can use N100,000 to start something reasonable and meaningful, you will die in poverty. It is not a curse.
9. Micro scale farm is like a modular refinery. The least expensive modular refinery I first saw was made in RUSSIA. it costs over $400,000 at the time I saw it. This is micro crude oil refinery. Believe me, farming needs such funding too.
10. Livestock farming seem to be cheaper than crop farming. But in my own opinion, it is not as highly profitable.as crop farming. Having both livestock and crop can be highly rewarding..

Recommendation 1:
You can make reasonable profit with cucumber farming.

Target: 1,500m to 6,000m drip; 3.5 - 5 fruits per vine; minimum of 80% efficiency.

Main challenge: Workers can frustrate your effort. Get this area right.

How to do it:
Contact me for the right procedure which I will gladly put you through.
Be willing to purchase high qaulity agrochemical products which i will recommend for you.

To achieve this target, you need to build the immune system of your plants. You need special technique for this. If you are willing to use these special nutrients, and follow the right steps, you should contact me. You may need to spend above N200,000 at the end day on just buying nutrients if you want to do it right.

Microoganisms play vital roles in controlling diseases too.

Please, go through this thread to check for more info. If you cannot afford it, please, do not bother to contact me.

This is the time to make good money in cucumber.

One acre sales: N1.5 million - over 4 million during this period.

Best of luck!

....more recommendations coming

Recommendation 2:
Tomato is good but not the ultimate money making machine like the way most non farmers think.

Variety: if you are doing one plot or 2, choose a variety which you can harvest for 4 to 7 months. So you can benefit from retailing price. Also, choose wisely base on diseases in the location of your farm.

I have a program which can produce 20 to 40 tons per acre. You should try with one plot first if can get it right. Tomato is good but there are other crops which command higher prices.

Please, do nor contact me if you are not using drip irrigation.

Recommendation 3:
The best micro scale option for an owner who is not able to monitor the farm is nethouse production.

I can assure you of failure if you do not go to monitor your open field farm. However, if you can set up a nethouse, you will not regret it. Get 1,000sqm to 2,000sqm nethouse and enjoy the profit in it. Do not buy any net, try to buy a quality net which I have described in my write up. You can reduce the cost by using wooden frame instead of galvanized. Spending 2 million to 6 million on nets and accessories to cover such area of land is not a waste.

If you want to know what real waste is about, go and set up an open field farm and employ someone to look after it while you rely on updates via phone. Weekends visitation for nethouse is sufficient while it is not for open field.

If you have a building in the city, or an abandoned building with roof, take advantage of it and use vertical farming with grow lights and power it with solar energy which is not expensive. Or you buy a battery which you can charge. Better to set up hydroponics.

If you can afford it (some few millions naira), get in touch with me.

Retired civil servants
Oil company workers
Bankers etc
Anyone who works from 8am to 4pm
Nigerians in diaspora

Everyone in the above category should go into full commercial open field farming. Do not attempt to set up micro scale open field farming since you cannot monitor it 24- 7. If you want to do micro scale, go into nethouse, hydroponics. Leave aquaponics for now.

2 people that I advised against setting up micro open field farming are back asking me for assistance. Go to their farms? Not possible. That kind of investment is what I call "Fly away Peter, Fly away Paul". But if you want "Come back Peter, Come back Paul", just listen to the voice of wisdom.

You may buy your net and accesories now. Keep them and save towards buying other things. You will be so surprised how things will turn out positively for you.

You followed your sister, cousin, friend to farm. And you decided to quickly "fast follow" just because you saw cucumbers on the vine. Ah! A dey pity you. Farmers are typical example of Fela's song: "Suffering and Smiling". . Just enter the trap, and you don enter one chance. That farmer will be very polite before you release cash. Just release the major cash needed for the project and then you will dance to the farmer's tune. He will play a beautiful tune for you. Even with irrigation, you will go to mountains, valleys, under water, over the sky to plead with God or to fight bad gods while singing Majek Fashek's "Send down the Rain".

Nethouse is expensive because any kind of construction is expensive in Nigeria. However, when you know the right steps to take, you will not miss it.

This is my favorite micro scale option. I am confident in it. Your farm is safe because I will never post a single picture of your farm here. Or have you seen any picture of anyone's farm that I posted here? The ones I posted belong to me and a partner, and those farms have been closed.

My passion to make impact in this industry has been re- ignited. My first passion to work on 1,000 ha of land has been restored. I will not rest till I achieve it. I do not sleep these days. People who know for like one year can testify to it. I am with a big vision and I will make it come to reality.

1 ha cucumber farm is a commercial farm for nairaland users. I disconnected myself from most agricultural whatsapp groups cos they are with small visions. Peoplr are satisfied with one plot garden. Not me. People think too shallow, not me. People see badly.

Please, forgive me for my choice of words, but it is how it is. Poverty has made many think too small. Poverty has made over 99% Nigerians to not dream again, but to be a professional "follow follow".

I will post very less frequently here. If I see any question that interests me, I will respond.

I thank God for giving me the zeal to move this thread to the end. And I pray it continues benefiting readers.

Yours sincerely,
S.A. (fluentinfor)

fluentinfor:
My passion to make impact in this industry has been re- ignited. My first passion to work on 1,000 ha of land has been restored. I will not rest till I achieve it. I do not sleep these days. People who know for like one year can testify to it. I am with a big vision and I will make it come to reality.

1 ha cucumber farm is a commercial farm for nairaland users. I disconnected myself from most agricultural whatsapp groups cos they are with small visions. Peoplr are satisfied with one plot garden. Not me. People think too shallow, not me. People see badly.

Please, forgive me for my choice of words, but it is how it is. Poverty has made many think too small. Poverty has made over 99% Nigerians to not dream again, but to be a professional "follow follow".

I will post very less frequently here. If I see any question that interests me, I will respond.

I thank God for giving me the zeal to move this thread to the end. And I pray it continues benefiting readers.

Yours sincerely,
S.A. (fluentinfor)

Well done sir. please would like to know what months command high prices in cucumber sales?

funsoul:

Well done sir. please would like to know what months command high prices in cucumber sales?

I believe I have addressed it in my posts. Would have loved you ask something else. Anyway, rainy season might be rewarding, during Ramadan, and some special periods. There are signs good farmers watch out for.

In short for this year, sow your seeds NOW if you want to hit it big. But you need special management skills to combat diseases.

I was just talking with a newbie and he cultivated cucumber on a big scale, first harvest was 600 bags, second was 700 bags. But i asked if he made big profit. He said he did not recover his investment. Well, he sold the 600 bags when it was low, might be N1,200 to N2,000. What a wasted effort? That means someone with a smaller farm with 300 bags at N5,500 is better than him. But he has got it right. He is gonna rake millions. He is ready.

If you do it now, you will sell at N4,500 to N6,500 depending on the size of your bag, how neatly you grade your cukes, how well packed they are, how clean they are, and some other factors. It is not just dumping the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly together. There is a way to do it and hit high price. It comes with experience.

Also, how you use thread to tie the top of your bag so you do not lose cukes while they are on transit to market is very important. Many farmers are ignorant of these things.

I was with a newbie last year and he said he sold for N1,500 per bag. I said it is not possible. He insisted. Because the farmer is an elderly man, i followed him to his farm during the next harvest, and I said go in peace and hit it big after we finished. In the evening, he smiled on the phone and said, we made N5,000 per bag for all the bags. I packed some useless cukes in some bags, and he sad he was shocked he sold those ones too for N1,500 per bag. That was when i opened his eyes. The farmer did not grade his cukes the first time, and all the cukes were regarded as useless batch. Market women used bad mouth to pull down the price. But when you do it rightly, neatly packed, amd you grade them accurately, your agent will be confident to send such market women away.

More secrets in this business. It is not by "gira- gira" or by "I fit sabi am through nairaland". Get in touch with an experienced farmer to navigate the way for you.

When I read comments here, I just smile. "Many over sabi and ignorant people plenty here die"

fluentinfor:

I believe I have addressed it in my posts. Would have loved you ask something else. Anyway, rainy season might be rewarding, during Ramadan, and some special periods. There are signs good farmers watch out for.

In short for this year, sow your seeds NOW if you want to hit it big. But you need special management skills to combat diseases.

I was just talking with a newbie and he cultivated cucumber on a big scale, first harvest was 600 bags, second was 700 bags. But i asked if he made big profit. He said he did not recover his investment. Well, he sold the 600 bags when it was low, might be N1,200 to N2,000. What a wasted effort? That means someone with a smaller farm with 300 bags at N5,500 is better than him. But he has got it right. He is gonna rake millions. He is ready.

If you do it now, you will sell at N4,500 to N6,500 depending on the size of your bag, how neatly you grade your cukes, how well packed they are, how clean they are, and some other factors. It is not just dumping the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly together. There is a way to do it and hit high price. It comes with experience.

Also, how you use thread to tie the top of your bag so you do not lose cukes while they are on transit to market is very important. Many farmers are ignorant of these things.

I was with a newbie last year and he said he sold for N1,500 per bag. I said it is not possible. He insisted. Because the farmer is an elderly man, i followed him to his farm during the next harvest, and I said go in peace and hit it big after we finished. In the evening, he smiled on the phone and said, we made N5,000 per bag for all the bags. I packed some useless cukes in some bags, and he sad he was shocked he sold those ones too for N1,500 per bag. That was when i opened his eyes. The farmer did not grade his cukes the first time, and all the cukes were regarded as useless batch. Market women used bad mouth to pull down the price. But when you do it rightly, neatly packed, amd you grade them accurately, your agent will be confident to send such market women away.

More secrets in this business. It is not by "gira- gira" or by "I fit sabi am through nairaland". Get in touch with an experienced farmer to navigate the way for you.

When I read comments here, I just smile. "Many over sabi and ignorant people plenty here die"

Thank you for the detailed explanation

hazel01:

I have a farm in Ibadan, about 2 acres which I want to form a group to farm on.

I wish to have 3 nethouses on the farm and the rest of the land will be open field.

Is it possible to have people who share the same goals with me on the land? I am looking for a way to bring aspiring farmers who can join me. My intention is to divide the land into small sections so each farmer can cultivate his/her portion. Anyone interested in the nethouse too can join.

Please, can you help me achieve this? I need your assistance to organise it. I want to do it in a way all members of my group will have profit from it. There is good market for our vegetable.

i have a brother that studied agriculture and so interested in it, he residents at Ibadan but now in Lagos job hunting. I would have loved to tell him about you but he isn't ready (capital wise). only if possibly if this opportunity will still be available till year ends.

.