1.4 Cooperative Societies, and Small Groups

It is not uncommon to hear Agricultural Cooperative Society as a tool to improve Agricultural businesses in Nigeria. While I believe it looks like a good approach, the bitter truth is that it is not.

All for One, One for All
Unity is the main ingredient for any group of people to be successful, and this ingredient is missing from most agricultural groups. The bitter truth is that 99.9% members of such groups have their personal goals. And these goals always run against one another which creates a strong conflicts in their goals and objectives. The slogan "People of like- minds win any race collectively" is actually a missing attribute from most of these groups. Some join to have access to loans, some want to have field experience, another group of people just want to invest some little amount of money and expect extreme high ROI, some are bent on getting grants by all means, etc. The challenge is identifying like minds and re- grouping them. It is hardly possible because it is already a small group.

Conclusion & Recommendation
You may have to be a lone ranger. Your watchword should be "if slow, it must be steady and accurate. But always pray for divine acceleration.

It is paramount to prepare yourself before you set out to open farms. I encourage you to make thorough research on the area(s) you are about to embark on.

Check out the environment you want to buy land and not just fall for buy land adverts online. You must make thorough check of the place. What is the water source? How deep do I need to dig before I can get enough water? Who are my neighbours? Who are the agents? Are the family who own the land godly or fetish? And many more.

Everyone wants to copy a working system, it is why anyone who displays pictures on nairaland of his farm is assumed to be the right guy to follow. I have seen threads which encourage farmers to show themselves while working on their farms. While this is good; however, if you are a real farmer, you will agree with me that "all na wash". Best farmers even find it hard to take pictures. My interest in research is the only reason I have decided to take this approach of writing about farming, and if pictures are going to be displayed, they must explain a theory, logic, or arguement very well.

Do not get carried away with pictures. Do not get carried away with my articles. I am human and I make mistakes. In fact, it is not everytime I am successful. My partners in Vetra Farm which I wrote about previously might have developed a kind of biased mind towards me. Yes, it is very possible.

People will hurt you along the journey. Your workers will provoke you too, but always treat everyone equally and always forgive. Someone has told me that one of my workers is my master, but I just smiled inside me. The point I'm making is that: forgivesness is the way to success. It doesnt mean you have to work with the person again, but if the fellow needs your assistance and you can render it, do it.

However, there are occassions total separation might be the way out. I have cut off some people temporarily from my life along this journey, and till date, I have no regret.

I have decided to quickly finish the first chapter of this discussion since I am preparing to return to what I love doing. I always check my email and I will definitely try to reply as many emails as possible when I am free.

It is amazing to receive quite huge number of mails from you guys. I will respond soon by God's grace. Someone pressed me hard in one of the ones I have read to pilot more people for this April - August cucumber/watermelon project. Honestly, I am not sure if I want to take up such responsibility at this time. Perhaps, if the number of participants reaches 50, I may consider it.

I will return again. Till then, Keep moving forward.

Cheers!

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

From emails I receive, I will be posting frequent questions, and I will provide my own view.

DISCLAIMER: Please, follow my suggestions at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage or loss as a result of using any of my techniques. The truth is you may use them wrongly.

1. Can one plot of land be used for cultivating vegetables, especially cucumber? Could you give a summary of the cost and possible yield?

Response:
One plot of land is a garden and it may not be wise to have a plot very far away from your home. Leaving your home to a far distance because of one plot might be stupid. However, you may get minimum of one acre, start with one plot ,and grow steadily.

To make reasonable profit from a plot of land, the farmer must achieve average of 5 fruits per vine. Achieving 3.5 might be really risky which I know many will easily achieve with low production budget. I think if you sit down and use the best practice, you may end up getting 7 fruits per vine as a beginner, and 10 to 12 is achievable if you are diligent especially when you take your own personal hygiene very serious. For instance, you and your workers use new set of clothes every day on your farm. How many workers do you see with clean clothes? Their clothes are always dirty and that's a good way to infect plants. And many other things.

What you may need:
Drip of 1,000 to 1500m; so you get minimum of 2,500 vines. You may need to budget N60,000 to N150,000 for this depending on the quality and the seller. You need to choose accessories wisely.

Mulch to cover. I asked around and the cheapest I have seen so far around is N70,000 to cover a plot. If you can import, you may be able to cut down the cost of production drastically.

Fertigation is highly recommended, but you can do without it on this micro scale.

You will spend around N150k - N400k on one plot if you want to do it excellently. My suggestion is you reserve around N350,000. Water must be available if not, the cost should be included.

You will spend up to 1 month on soil land preparation.

- - -Yield And Sales- - -
If you sell at local market, try to get N5,000 deal for a bag after commission has been removed.


Low: 3.5 fruits per vine: From 90 bags; N450,000 sales

Average: 5 fruits per vine: From 132 bags; N662,000

High: 10 fruits per vine: 264 bags; N1.3 million

Extremely high: 15 fruits per vine: 397 bags; N1.9 million


Honestly, I think majority will be around N450,000 to N662,000 sales. But I will not rule out high sales, while I think extremely high needs additional effort which is beyond the scope of this discussion. In any case, it is still very possible.

Clue: Do you notice that after each harvest, the remainly flowers die off? And new flowers need to come out after every harvest? Lol. Recently, one of my friends complained about this and he told me, " I think I used a wrong pesticide and fungicide that made all the flowers burn off". I laughed inside and told him nope. There are special techniques for reducing flower abortion. And this is the secret of cucumber high yield production. Nutrition and building strong plant immune system is the Key.

If you can afford it, I will give you list of what to purchase, And draw a program for you. I think an average learner should be able to make 4 to 5 fruits per vine. Send me email before the end of this month of you want me to pilot you. After the end of this month, I will not do it again.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

From emails I receive, I will be posting frequent questions, and I will provide my own view.

DISCLAIMER: Please, follow my suggestions at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage or loss as a result of using any of my techniques. The truth is you may use them wrongly.



2. I do not want to cultivate cucumber, but my interest is in tomato. What advice can you give me to do it right? When should I cultivate iIt?

Response:
Very few farmers apart from my northern friends are successful with tomato. It looks like tomato is only grown in the north. But the truth is I have met excellent tomato farmers in South West, South East, and South South.

The bitter truth
Best farmers in the north use very cheap seeds, cheap fertilizer, and cheap agro- chemical. Yet they are succesful. There are two kinds of seeds i will talk about:

1. Open pollinated:
Varieties you can harvest the seeds and sow. You spend zero naira on buying seeds. You can go to the market to pick these kinds but make sure you know how to treat seeds well before sowing. My northern friends use this kind more.

2. Hybrids:
These are cross pollinated varieties. Do not be deceived, over 90% of hybrids are glorified seeds. Seed companies are just taking your cash. It is why I smile when new farmers talk about hybrids like it is a must for every farmer.

Do not get me wrong, you are at a better advantage at times with hybrid. But the costs of these seeds are terribly alarming. It is why you will not get recommendation from me on public forum like this because I am not going to advertise any seed seller. Never! If you want my endorsement, you know the right way to go about it. Lolz.

But just remember that over 99% of tomatoes we eat in Nigeria are not hybrid.

If I am to advice a farmer in the north, I will ask him to join a cluster there, use same approach in the area, and profit is sure.

For readers who are not from the north, I have one advice for you: "Never compete with our friends from the north", if you are growing tomatoes to make profit. Bring out your tomato when they are on holiday. When are they on holiday, it is when tomato is not in the market. And there are 3 months you find it hard to see tomato. Which months? May, June and July. If you can bring out your products especially in the middle of May to end of June, you will sing a new song. I think April is also included these days.

Why is it scarce around this period? Rain spoils tomato. Remember, they use cheap seeds and such seeds cannot survive heavy rain during this period. So, you need special attention for your crop at this time.

Make no mistake, if you think seed varieties only can save you, loss is guaranteed. Seed variety plus an excellent farm management will make you to be successful.

There is no tomato plant that can stand flood; hence, you must deal with flood very well. As soon as your tomato plant stands in a flood for 48 hours, it is finished. 24 hours will even injure it terribly. Cucumber can still resist flood. And you tend to still make cash faster since there are 35 days varieties. But tomato is a different ball game.

Extremely Risky, Extreme High Gain

- - - - One acre dry season sales - - - - -
Most hybrid seeds promises 30 tons per acre. But let's say one makes 8 tons; 288 baskets (35kg baskets); sales = N576,000 @ N2,000 per basket. But really, it seems this year is sweet as a basket is around N4,000. This is why your cost of production should be low. Yeah! You can still make good sales during this period. But I prefer rainy season if I do not cultivate in the north.

- - - - One acre Rainy Season Sales - - -
Price of one basket is minimum of N12,000. This year, it may go up to N25,000 for a week or more during the months they are scarce.
Let's say you achieve 5 tons because of challenges, 142 baskets, N1.7 million sales. And it is possible you lose everything.

Good News
I have a friend, while everyone complained about tomato during last year rainy season, this man smiled. Almost every farm in Ibadan and Ogun states crumbled in May last year but this man did not use any irrigation. Funny, he has like 3 varieties and indeterminate (greenhouse) is one of them. And he cultivated greenhouse variety on open field. His greenhouse variety died in August. If he had managed to irrigate it and they crossed over to September, I am sure, he would have harvested till end of October. I was forced to sit him down. And he opened the secret A to Z, and I had to raise my cap for him. Funny, it was an open secret which I have shared on this forum and readers do not take serious. I have shared it on this thread too.

Caution
Tomato farming during rainy season is not for newbies. Do not be carried away with those rainy season varieties around now marketed by seed companies. Yeah, some of them can resist some diseases to certain extent. It is more of soil preparation and disease management. Please, rule out organic farming during rainy season if you are a newbie. It is the truth. The only way out for newbies is that you cover your crops (protected farming), or you study well an organic farmer who is good with rainy season.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

DISCLAIMER: Please, follow my suggestions at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage or loss as a result of using any of my techniques. The truth is you may use them wrongly.

3. Can I cultivate one plot of tomato and make a reasonable profit?

My response:
Honestly I believe tomato is king. I do not try cultivating tomato if I am not going to supervise it myself, but when I do it, it always come out excellently.

The good news about tomato small scale production is that, you can easily sell it to consumers directly. There is a retailing tomato, habanero, chilli, capsicum tomato program I am presently doing. The competitive advantage is the kind of style I developed for cultivating it.

Anyway, my point is that you can easily sell tomato directly to consumers easier than other vegetables. You know that if you are into greenhouse production, you must need to sell per kg to consumers or to grocery stores. So, my approach is to have varieties that you can harvest for average of 4 months, and not the usual 1 month harvest varieties which are common. There are about 4 of these kind of varieties I usually use, and I choose based on soil test.

I used to think I have the best secrets to cultivation of tomato in Southern part of Nigeria, but when I looked around, farmers are doing great exploits. So, yes, i think if you set your mind towards retailing your tomato, you will make some "crazy, unbelievable" profit if you also get production right. You may not get it right during the first attempt, but you might during second time.

There is a variety from Hawaii that is so nice which I cultivated with a colleague just recently. Also, there is another from India which is lovely. And two more which are nice. But here is my point, if you do exploit, you can find a variety for yourself which will be your strong point. Or you may find a way to perfect open pollinated varieties very well. Knowing how to cultivate open pollinated can be really rewarding but try it on very small scale before you go on a large scale.

- - - Yield - - -
Most indeterminate and semi determinate produce an average of 0.5kg to 3kg every month. It depends on how well you manage and feed them. Therefore, choose these kinds.

If you manage to get 2kg per month per plant, that is 8kg in 4months. If there are no challenges, you can raise the bar to around 12kg per plant. And I have seen where a plant was extended to 6 months harvest on open field and the average yield per plant is 23kg. This is what I saw live. It is not that I read it.

Open Field Continous Production
Determinate is for seasonal farmers but you need products to sell continuously; hence, people tell you greenhouse. But you can do it on open field too. Then, sell it as expensive as greenhouse products. Using determinate varieties is a lot of work which is not worth it.

Grafted Tomato Seedlings
You may try to research this topic. Infact, there is no infected soil you cannot cultivate tomato with this method. I have developed my grafting skills tremendously and my next stage is reducing cost of production. Or perhaps, God can smile on one and buy a robotic grafting machine. This will be awesome.

- - - Sales - - -
I have gone round and my conclusion is that while wholesale sells tomato at an average price of N3,500 for 35kg during period there is glut, which N100 per kg, retailers still sell at minimum of N350 at that time. In fact, if you grade your tomatoes into big, average, and small sizes, you will sell at an average price of N500 or more.

You may need to give extra space for free sir flow and easy disease management in high humidity location like south west. A population of 650 to 750 per plot is fine. And you manage to get at total of 6kg per plant, with 90% marketable fruits, you easily get 3.5 tons. It is not good to use extreme high projections. But by the time you perfect your system, there is nothing that stood you from achieving minimum of 5.5 tons and shoot it to even 9 tons per plot. There are extreme high yield varieties around. Honestly, it is possible, but less than 0.1% farmers can achieve this.

How can you become an excellent tomato farmer?
It is about perseverance, diligent, and consistency. If you are thinking of using hose for irrigation, you can never do it. I am so confident of this. Get your drip (special drip and not the usual 30cm, 40cm, 50cm) kind of imbedded emitters. Get mulch, get fertigation ready. You will combine organic (70 to 90%) and just inorganic (10 to 30%) to achieve this.

Honestly, I think if you start today, in about 2 years, you can easily earn average N500,000 per month retailing tomato, habanero, and chilli. However, the initial stage is expensive. But after set up, you will not spend as high as previously.

Think of buying strong irrigation products which will last 10 years. Why? You want to do one plot and make it perfect. You may be spending more than the other guy doing one acre but your aim is to optimize one plot farming.

Telegram or Whatsapp Group for tomato & Pepper Farmers
As usual, do not contact me if you are low cost of production kind of person. However, if you are a free thinker, someone who wants to do exploits and gain real knowledge, and you have the cash to spend, just send me an email and I will give you the link to join the chat group. It should be a journey you have to walk as a lone ranger, but with this group, you have the opportunity of travelling together. My focus is bringing together people of like minds. I am not a fan of chat group for everyone. I deal with people with same objectives who can finance it. You have to master production, and then master marketing. You share secrets among yourselves too. With this tool, you will return and attestate to the hidden treasure in micro scale vegetable farming. Group is for only those who can afford it now, and are ready to start.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

DISCLAIMER: Please, follow my suggestions at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage or loss as a result of using any of my techniques. The truth is you may use them wrongly.

4. I do not want to work too hard. I believe green leaves and root crops might be easier. What are my chances of making quick profit with them?

Response:
It is true that many do not pay attention to greens, and it is quite unfortunate. Naturally, I am not a do-it-all person but a kind of get-involved-in-all.

I try to partner with any farmer I know is good in any area. Two years ago, I employed a Togolese who is very smart. He speaks fluent French, broken English, and fluent Hausa. And I was shocked when he picked good English from me. That was when I told myself that this is a special person. Fast forward to 6 months after the contract ae had together, he was bold to ask me for partnership. And I took him out to an eatery where I treated him like a real partner and not like a worker. I was shocked how he opened up so many secrets. And he said "oga, na lettuce me a wan do ooo". I asked him why lettuce and not what he has learned with me? He replied that it is a secret he found hard that I did not get involved with.

Anyway, I know greens can get you loads of return, but you need an overhead irrigation system for it. The other secret is that you can easily start with pump and hose for irrigation if you have the time. The only barrier is that I do not find it interesting using borehole for it. For me, it must be land near a stream or river.

Its seed is around 800 to 900 seeds per gram; however, some varieties seeds are even smaller, and 1 gram can be up to 1,050 seeds. And one hectare population is in the range of 80,000 to 120,000 plants, but can be more.

You do not need to go on one hectare at once, you build up gradually. So, I sat down with my partner and I developed a program with him.

1. I increased seed germination rate tremendously.
2. I worked on bombarding the land with manure with high rate of microorganisms
3. I made provision for casual workers who will come pick weed out at thw right time.
4. I built the hormone system of the plants to make them better.

From one plot, we made an average of 500 to 700 dozens. Price range = N300 - N550. So, I made a progressive extension with weekly harvest of 2 plots. So, that we have minimum of 1,000 dozens. That is with minimum of N300,000 sales weekly. Of course this is low price range.

The good news is that you can go vertical with lettuce, and I have seen templates of such on this forum. The truth is that readers are just excited reading and over 99% of the readers only keep dreaming about it. Therefore, I will not write about vertical farming here. It is just the truth, the cost of setting up vertical is out of reach of over 99% readers here.

Other crops that I know which are great are: radish and carrot. Then, there are watermelon and melons.

Honestly, there are many areas one can get involved with. It gets to a point you need to caution yourself and stick to maybe just ONLY 3 crops so you do not turn yourself into Jack of all trades.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

DISCLAIMER: Please, follow my suggestions at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage or loss as a result of using any of my techniques. The truth is you may use them wrongly.

I got this very interesting question some minutes ago, and I have decided to share it with you.

5. I do not have enough time to monitor my farm, can I still cultivate vegetables? If not, what can I do?


My response:
Do not get involved with vegetable production if you do not have enough time. Well, you may consider cultivating the following: papaya (pawpaw), pineapple, plantain, banana, and some other fruits.

Two issues you must tackle well are: finding market for your fruits, and preventing theft. If you can handle them, you are good to go. I have seen farms where other farmers resume to eat the fruits on the farm as their breakfast on their way to farm, take lunch on the farm, and eat more fruits before returning home. Those farmers do not see anything wrong in eating someone else's fruit, but can kill anyone who uproots their cassava. Mainwhile, the fruits they steal daily worth more than the cassava on their farms..

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

DISCLAIMER: Please, follow my suggestions at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage or loss as a result of using any of my techniques. The truth is you may use them wrongly.

The next question was from a discussion I had this morning with a farmer.

6. Many newbies fail daily, even more often we hear that farmers with experience fail from time to time. Is Agriculture really profitable?

My Response:
The question is why did they fail? Let me share my experience. I had some losses in 2017. And everytime, it was not internal crisis. The worst was last year December whereby 1 ha cucumber crashed due to fuel scarcity. It was then I realised that Nigeria needs divine help. You can imagine having 10 workers salary of N30,000 each monthly included (3 months salary). I paid all by God's grace but debt is still on the table, clearing them one by one.

Projects crash from time to time; however, let your wins be more than your losses. If I had bought fake, inferior, and cheap materials all in the name of reducing cost of production, I would not have bounced back easily. Therefore, always set up your farms like a champion, and not like a loser so you can bounce back easily..

Winners use drip and fertigation. If they lack workers, they make laying mulch a necessity.

Another way out which the farmer suggested is young farmers coming together. Yeah! I agree. But if and only if they have same objectives. Please read my post on cooperative societies. Same is applicable here.

4 acres Vegetable Farm
This is a template young farmers can use.

Dig a very good borehole at the centre of the farm. You have 4 acres round the borehole. One big generator should power it. Let one person take one plot. So, that 24 young farmers can occupy the whole land. The good thing is that they share burden of everything together. They should work together for 1 year operational plan of the farm.

KEY: Drip, Mulch, Fertigation should be adopted. And they construct a low tunnel for nursery.

very nice topic sir, i know you might be a bit discouraged people are not really showing interest or commenting on the page, but i have been following and i have learnt a lot......kudos sir
...
on regards people coming together to farm, the fact that no one is to be trusted makes people shy away from anything as regarding joint farming.....and the fact that some so called founder of such cluster groups are only looking for someone to rip off, a person that will do most of the work and then they take d lion share of other people's effort....
....
i pray we get it right in this country, especially in the southwest......where everyone is intricately greedy and selfish

hazel01:
very nice topic sir, i know you might be a bit discouraged people are not really showing interest or commenting on the page, but i have been following and i have learnt a lot......kudos sir
...
on regards people coming together to farm, the fact that no one is to be trusted makes people shy away from anything as regarding joint farming.....and the fact that some so called founder of such cluster groups are only looking for someone to rip off, a person that will do most of the work and then they take d lion share of other people's effort....
....
i pray we get it right in this country, especially in the southwest......where everyone is intricately greedy and selfish

Hidden treasures are uncommon. And when found, they remain hidden.

The best philosophers were not recognised during their time on earth; however, they understood the quality of their content.

I know from day one most people want to read procedures of farming. Lol. But you that have gone into it can easily relate to what I am sharing. Only people who have been to farms in Nigeria will understand it.

Well, I am not looking for a front page thread. In fact, front page brings unserious people. Before I started, I have a syllabus in front of me. Though, i have ammended it in a way I can dish out the content without any comment, the message can be passed excellently. Though, I preferred discussion. Well, i learned to survive as a lone ranger a long time ago. If i cannot survive this, how can I survive working alone as a farmer? Lol.

But i receive mails, and I post the questions here.

What everything is telling us is that Agriculture is far from making many people rich if we do not change. It is the truth. If you can recognise the issues in this thread, but many do not pay attention to them, then, it means that they may fail easily. Lol

In regards to people running away from group farming, this is what i have to say. They are their own worst enemy. I have been there, and it is frustrating. The main criterium is working with people of same objectives. Do not join because you want to reduce the cost of production. Do not join anyone who uses only cheap things. Find people who share your dream. People who believe in using the right technology. People who will follow the plan you set together. People who are not trouble makers. People who will return to the drawing board when things are going south, not people who will just run away when the slightest challenge occur. Some people are money driven; therefore, run away from them.

When you get such kind of people, each of you should work towards raising fund to finance his/her allocation.

I do not understand the part where you said founders rip off farmers. Could you explain further?

fluentinfor:


Hidden treasures are uncommon. And when found, they remain hidden.

The best philosophers were not recognised during their time on earth; however, they understood the quality of their content.

I know from day one most people want to read procedures of farming. Lol. But you that have gone into it can easily relate to what I am sharing. Only people who have been to farms in Nigeria will understand it.

Well, I am not looking for a front page thread. In fact, front page brings unserious people. Before I started, I have a syllabus in front of me. Though, i have ammended it in a way I can dish out the content without any comment, the message can be passed excellently. Though, I preferred discussion. Well, i learned to survive as a lone ranger a long time ago. If i cannot survive this, how can I survive working alone as a farmer? Lol.

But i receive mails, and I post the questions here.

What everything is telling us is that Agriculture is far from making many people rich if we do not change. It is the truth. If you can recognise the issues in this thread, but many do not pay attention to them, then, it means that they may fail easily. Lol

In regards to people running away from group farming, this is what i have to say. They are their own worst enemy. I have been there, and it is frustrating. The main criterium is working with people of same objectives. Do not join because you want to reduce the cost of production. Do not join anyone who uses only cheap things. Find people who share your dream. People who believe in using the right technology. People who will follow the plan you set together. People who are not trouble makers. People who will return to the drawing board when things are going south, not people who will just run away when the slightest challenge occur. Some people are money driven; therefore, run away from them.

When you get such kind of people, each of you should work towards raising fund to finance his/her allocation.

I do not understand the part where you said founders rip off farmers. Could you explain further?

its just an explanation for why people run away from group project.....

hazel01:
its just an explanation for why people run away from group project.....

I am just trying to get how they cheat them. Is it that the founders don't fix the farm well? Or they gave them money for a service which they failed to do? Or they promised them to show them where to sell, and they failed? Or what exactly?

Or is it that they invested together and employed the founder as the farm manager while they were at home eating?

20 acres Veggie Farm

So, we had a telegram group discussion after I updated this thread yesterday. And then, I realised that too many people still want to do group farming. Well, I am not against it, but really I prefer to be a lone ranger. If some group of people decide to come together, the following points should be noted:

1. Cheap training.
All participants must get trained. It is very paramount. Believe me, you can train yourself. If you cannot, then the whole group must find a way to train themselves. It should not be too hard, and cheap.

2. Buy equipment together
This is the best way to reduce cost of production. You can import it yourself or find a place to buy in bulk in Nigeria. If you want to import together, there are banking or business tools both newbiea and the seller can use to protect themselves. The seller does not want to import and newbies say they aren't interested later, while newbies do not want to pay and the seller runs away or buys inferior priducts. There are ways for both parties to protect each other. Drip will be cheaper, mulch will be cheaper, everything will be cheaper. However, the service cost of making it work well will add to the cost of production. For example, Letter of Credit was used for international business to protect sellers and buyers. Both are well protected. I am not saying a letter of credit shoulf be used, but something must be in place to protect both the buyers and the seller.


3. They should not use the service of a consultant but find a guide.
Please, forget using glorified consultants. If you are not ready to learn and you want one person who will be following you to farm, you are not ready. Get a guide who will show you things, theafter, manage your farm yourself.

4..Mechanised soil preparation
If you are coming together, you better get a way to plough mechanically areas you are not using mulch. And use tractors to lay your mulch too. You do not have to buy a tractor.

5. Have a 1-year plan.
Have a plan and follow it well. If there will be changes, you all discuss it well. Go to different markets and see how to sell at good prices. Do not rely on consultants. Really, it is very easy to do. If you plan well, you know what to cultivate. Honestly, marketing is not difficult. It is not.

6. Be your brother's keeper
Help your fellow farmers who you see that is having challenges. If he cannot cope due to one reason or the other, find someone who will take over of his plot, and pay him off. If you allow his plot to waste away, gradually, more people will start dropping out of the program.

20 people can get together and get 1 acre each. This is a very good number to make it happen. But remember that you all must have the same objectives.

You all must have around N1 to N1.5 millon to invest.

Why dont you look for a place in Ogun State which is close to Lagos?

Maybe you are interested in working with like minds, send me an email. Please, make sure you can afford N1 - N1.5 million. What I will do is match you all up and allow you talk to one another to see if you want to do it together. You are lucky if the number of like minds hit 20. The next step will be getting a location for your project. Simultaneously, get trained. Do not let any consultant mislead you. And then, you all can put money together to either import or buy everything locally - drip, mulch, fertigation kit, nursery trays, removeable mini low tunnel for nursery, etc.

1.5 Conclusion

1. Do not be deceived by pictures on nairaland and social media portraying farms as succesful

2. Only a farmer who has practised well and understands market can make some reasonable profit on a small plot of land.

3. That you see pictures of bags of cucumbers, truck of watermelon, or baskets of tomatoes on nairaland does not mean the farm is profitable.

4. The truth is most consultants add training to their services to make more income. I am not saying it is bad but somehow, a profitable farm might not have time for training.

5. Micro scale farms always have challenges with workers. You as a farmer wants to make millions but you want to pay N15,000 monthly salary to your workers. Also, increasing salary of farm workers (illiterate ones) does not motivate them. From my view, farm workers and everything around it is like slave trade. Workers themselves behave like slaves, and they always find every means to steal. The only time they are normal is when they do not understand the spoken language of where they work.

6. Farming is not meant for over 98% of online readers. To use N50,000 to N100,000 to farm well, you may have to relocate permanently to farm. And you must have had a good experience with what you want to do.

7. Do not waste your money if you are not ready.

8. Why dont you become a gardener? If you have interest in farming, just do it for non profit.

9. Thinking farming is a way out of unemployment without sourcing for fund is a joke. Good farmers are richer than bank managers and directors.

10. Every farm fails, only the ones that can bounce back are successful.
- - - - - - - -

This ends the syllabus for this topic.



This is a thread I made so everyone looking at Agriculture as a way out after losing his/her job can think twice. Do not think N100k can turn you to a big man overnight with Agriculture. Most newbies lose their first investments. Therefore, think very well before getting involved in Agriculture.

I still do not see Agriculture adding so much to our GDP. It may add but it will not be too obvious.

Agriculture is for the matured mind, the patient mind, and the hopeful mind.

God Bless

Great thread from one of my favorite nairalanders

Honestly, the best NL post on the agriculture section I had read in a long time. So much information shared in very coincise manner that only the humble and smart ones can decode and understand. I have learnt a lot...God bless you sir/Ma!

Trust is a BIG issue in Nigeria

I will just be posting questions from letters I receive or from online discussions.

Note: Disclaimer note in the first post applies to all posts.

This thread has really confirmed that we do not trust one another in Nigeria. I don't just trust anyone too; however, I trust people daily. I have introduced many farmers to veggie production without expecting anything in return. Also, I have helped farmers who I know are with good products, maybe have worked with me at one time to sell their products.

There is a question I always avoid? Could you assist in buying drip, mulch, seeds, etc.? You tell people making inquiries to go buy, but at the end, they just want you vive them details of where to buy, how to buy, who to speak to, etc. I give them recommendations, but many do not like what they hear. The issue is that they have read here the approximate cost, yet, they want to talk to me to see if the price can be reduced more and more. For goodness sake, I do not sell drip accesories and mulch myself. Except when I want to import materials, I write my friends to let us put down cash together. Few people who trusted my recommendation always have the cause to glorify God.

The above paragraph brought about a strong debate yesterday in a mini group I am in. And then, 90% voiced out that setting up an acre farm is too expensive. So, I asked them what do they think they want to eliminate to reduce the cost. We discussed everything in details and we highlighted points. Here is our conclusion:

FAQ
7. The first casualty is mulch. Why can't we just cut it out?

My response:
We can. The alternative is weeding at the right time. But the truth is that you should not get more than 2 workers for 1 acre. If these guys are going to weed manually, it will take like 5 days to do it excellently. 5 days is too much if you ask me. Also, there are many other tasks on farm that eradicating weeding will make the farmer do more effectively.

Also, when you weed, you bring out more weed seeds buried in the soil, and you have just shot yourself in the leg by making your farm produce more weed.

Finally, when you weed by turning the soil, you spread soil diseases excellently. Have you not noticed the rate at which diseases spread on your far after weeding?

So, get rid of weeding. But if you cannot, be preapared to weed again and again. Then, be prepared to fight diseases very well.

8. Why can't we eradicate drip?

My Response:
I have explained over and over again that if you are cultivating some crops, do not leave out drip. If you want to leave our drip, go for leafy crops.

9. The truth is that most of us cannot afford N1,000,000 to open a farm. What should we do? How can we start with N100,000 to N200,000?

My response:
It is unfortunate most cannot afford N1,000,000 which is just $2,702 ($1 = N370). This is not expensive at all. So, what you want me do is to make a low cost plan, and the quality should be mainatained. Ok. Let us do it.

First, accept that you have a big hurdle to jump and this is the truth - You are not rich. Then, you need to just find like minds of people in your kind of situation.

Second, get knowledge to be rich in mind. You cannot afford to be poor financially, be poor again intellectually, and be poor in agricultural management/crop/animal production.

Assumption: You have N100,000 to N200,000

Steps to Take:

1. Find like minds. Form a group.
2. Get trained together. Learn to cultivate about 6 crops.
3. If possible avoid using borehole and use a river as your source of income.
4. Make 1 year plan. What each person should cultivate. Plan well. Do not cultivate the same crop at the same time.
5. Eradicate mulch and drip at the beginning
6. Start with roots and leafy crops.
7. After 4 to 6 months, start purchasing drip and mulch.
8. Decide if you want continue working together after the first year, or you want to split. If plan well, three members of the group should make more than enough to set up one acre farm of their own after 1 year. Of course, I suggest they spend another year together before splitting. Meaning 3 people can form a group after 1 year, and their farms should be close to one another.

Then, we agreed to map out a detailed plan for them which consists the following:

1. Business Plan (i gave them tasks which will aid me to give them free business plan. Someone has got a land, and 5 people were to assist him go round to find prices of materials around the area. Also predict transportation cost, etc.)

2. Farm Set Up details.

3. From analysis, they decided to go for 3 acres with each person taking half to one plot of land.

4. Process of training was highlighted. Suggestions were giving. Also, procurement of materials for the training was discussed.

Crops they chose are:
Leafy: parsely, basil or lettuce
Root: Radish, carrot, beetroot or onion
Cucurbits: Cucumber, watermelon, Zuchini, or Pumpkin
Solanum: Tomato, Habanero, Chilli or Capsicum
Brassica: Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brocolli

5. Marketing and Sales

6. Group members have started hunting for like minds. We will see where this is going to end. I have requested some of them to post pictures and videos here when they eventually start. It is not up to me, but that will be a good act from them to my readers here.

Best of luck to them.

Good thread you have @op. Am about opening my mushroom farm using a room which "might" contain about a thousand bags. I've learnt everything I need to know practically as am with a farm currently, and I've helped someone set up a mushroom farm too. Bit I have an issue.

I want to do agriculture fulltime and that calls for my question. What vegetable can you advice I dive into? I applied for a fund of N5m which I plan to use for lands and all. Am to submit my business plan tomorrow as I choosed vegetable farming but I still haven't concluded on which to do but I see the funds coming through. Am in Aba. Thanks.

ugnoble:
Good thread you have @op. Am about opening my mushroom farm using a room which "might" contain about a thousand bags. I've learnt everything I need to know practically as am with a farm currently, and I've helped someone set up a mushroom farm too. Bit I have an issue.

I want to do agriculture fulltime and that calls for my question. What vegetable can you advice I dive into? I applied for a fund of N5m which I plan to use for lands and all. Am to submit my business plan tomorrow as I choosed vegetable farming but I still haven't concluded on which to do but I see the funds coming through. Am in Aba. Thanks.

I congratulate you on your decision to take this giant step. But if you are submitting your business plan tomorrow and you do not have your figures yet, I advise you to relax. Go and find a way to move forward the date of submission.

For every business, start with marketing and end with production. Anytime I read threads asking people for help or assistance for marketing ideas after farm set up, I shake my head for the person. The person is just too careless.

Pls, go round vegetable markets in Aba and find out what sells. Find out the time there is glut also. What you can easily sell are what you should cultivate.

From my experience so far the following vegetables sell in most parts where business activities are: cucumber, watermelon, tomatoes, and green pepper (capsicum). Then, try to visit where rich people live and find a hausa there who can show you where they live. Interrogate them. Hausas are sales agents for veggie in all parts of Nigeria, therefore, make them your friend.

I am sure you want to set up a standard farm. You will need to purchase some items which include: a mini nursery nethouse, trays, irrigations sets, etc. You need a very good business plan.

Best of luck.

fluentinfor:


I congratulate you on your decision to take this giant step. But if you are submitting your business plan tomorrow and you do not have your figures yet, I advise you to relax. Go and find a way to move forward the date of submission.

For every business, start with marketing and end with production. Anytime I read threads asking people for help or assistance for marketing ideas after farm set up, I shake my head for the person. The person is just too careless.

Pls, go round vegetable markets in Aba and find out what sells. Find out the time there is glut also. What you can easily sell are what you should cultivate.

From my experience so far the following vegetables sell in most parts where business activities are: cucumber, watermelon, tomatoes, and green pepper (capsicum). Then, try to visit where rich people live and find a hausa there who can show you where they live. Interrogate them. Hausas are sales agents for veggie in all parts of Nigeria, therefore, make them your friend.

I am sure you want to set up a standard farm. You will need to purchase some items which include: a mini nursery nethouse, trays, irrigations sets, etc. You need a very good business plan.

Best of luck.

Thanks for your response, I'll definitely call them for an extension and also look for an Hausa man around for infos. Any more advice would also be appreciated. Thanks.

*******Training Registration has ended*****
Note: I do not intend training any one or any group again. Please, do not contact me again for it. I hope those who have registered will benefit from it.

I woke up a very happy man today. Why? Hmmmm! Let me narrate the background story.

I established profitable farms
For 3 consecutive years, I was opening farms and making them profitable; but I was not really fulfilled because something is missing. I just need a standard working environment. I need to return to farm to teach my workers new methods, and this is really annoying how hard illiterates want to learn. I enjoy research and strategy more. I want to grow exponentially. And the ONLY way is working through people.

People, my greatest hurdle
Mr. President said youths do not want to work, and many crucified him. While I agree this is not the kind of statement one should make among foreign dignitaries; however, there is an element of truth in his comment. Gone are the days artisans is appreciated in Nigeria. Youths who could not continue their education learn trading, or technical jobs like plumbing, electrical installation, vehicle repair, etc in the 50s to 80s. These days just ask any oga, the first statement he/she will say is, children of these days do not want to learn. And it is why oga cannot produce beyond the limit s(he) is operating presently. What do youths want to do?

My own view is, youths do not want rigorous jobs. They want to do something: make easy money. Who does not like easy money. A beg, why do you think I do not want to live on farms again. "E easy"? A no blame youths. Even abokis don catch the trick too. How many wey dey Lagos for 5 years you fit call to come dig well for you now? The syndrome has affected them too. Aboki's aim is to do some tedious job and raise money to do just one thing: to buy motor-bike, and use it as means of transport. So, do we still say youths are lazy?

Brain Tasking Jobs Vs Energy Tasking Jobs
- - - I change Workers Every Year- - -
You think I am stupid for doing this, but I am not. And it is why I downsized this year seriously. I changed all my workers this year 100%. I used to leave 1 or 2 who could easily put new ones through, but this year, I chased all of them away. Why? They just want to be oga after 6 months. They assume they know the job because they have perfected daily routines. But when there are problems, they cannot solve them. I will have to go there to solve most problems. You give them new seeds to cultivate after they have spent 8 months, and they start shaking. Not until I sow the new seefs myself and teach them what to do. So, how can such person want very easy job? Their ability to work under sun is their strength, but I have the ability to use my brain; however, they want to earn like me. So, they start stealing justifying their act by saying, they are the ones doing rhe job while I come to instruct only. But they do not know the pains I endured before reaching where I am today. I mentioned one worker I turned to a partner who cultivated lettuce in one of my posts. There is another one who I saw thar is intelligent and I attached him to a new farm which belonged to a couple but he messed everything up. He started stealing and I had to just part ways with him. He begged me, but I only send him on errand to farms with challenges if and only if there is no one else to go there. And I send him seeds and little cash to help his farm. I told him to walk away.

Educated Youths Are Worse
Personally, I do not look at diplomas or certificates to employ. If you like get Masters of Agricultural related course, I will look at it, and toss it away. My single requirement on that spot is "positive attitude". That is all. I do not want to know if you are highly and skillfully experienced. In fact, I prefer you to have zero knowledge.

The moment most so called educated youths start working with you, they want to earn even more than the oga. Every move they make is towards stealing. If they use just 10% theft strategy towards farm production, the farm will be very productive.

Readers, I put the question to you: Do youths in Nigeria want to work?

I stopped Free Training last year
I used to train people free of charge; and I would create or join whatsapp groups to contribute my quota. But I had the worst experience in 2016/2017. I had to just quit. After the sad experience, I recognised some adjustments I needed to make, and I tried a new training in January 2018 without telling my colleagues, and it was successful. It is why I am happy.

Successful Farming needs Networking
I discovered networking among farmers as a powerful tool. And I know the pioneer of such networks will always be relevant for many years in the field. This is why I train new farmers free of charge. I have been asked this question many times because the bad many do cannot make them understand why someone wants to do good.

I used to expect so much from participants, but.I have learned that one out of ten succesful participant is not bad. I can raise 10 people every year like that. I learned this lesson because 2 people who came out excellently from my 2016/2017 series of training actually became my partners. And we did many things together which made my job easier, and I was relaxed. One of them even assisted me in an area no colleague will ever. I just pray I can re-pay him back soon. This is the power of networking.

I want to raise independent Farmers in 2018
Funny, I re- started the free training in January, 4 out of 15 came out beautifully. I am so excited cos I did not expect it to be this way.

Highlight of the Training
- FREE of charge
- You buy all materials you need - Seeds & Agro-products
- Find 1/15 to 1 plot of land to practice, you can use your backyard.
- Sack farming can be learned too
- Do- it- yourself approach
- Telegram based training
- If you can take instructions via chat apps, you can do it
- Straight forward lessons with detailed steps to take
- Farm set up at a refuced cost when ready to set up
- You can choose from the following crops:

- Solanum: Tomato, capsicum, chilli, habanero, eggplant
- Curcubits: cucumber, watermelon, melon, pumpkin, and zuchini
- Greens: parsley, lettuce, and basil
- Roots: radish, carrot, turnip, onion,
- Brassica: cabbage, cauliflower, and brocoli
- Others are: okra, and indegineous greens.

After Training, What next?
You can choose to use the knowledge, or waste it. I used to encourage participants to open farms, but not any more. However, you are welcome to partner with me after your training. My goal is to expand my network. One day, I might need your hand for any project which might be of great financial gain for both of us. I am raising capable farmers.

Best of luck!

ugnoble:


Thanks for your response, I'll definitely call them for an extension and also look for an Hausa man around for infos. Any more advice would also be appreciated. Thanks.

Start collecting your mushroom spent substrate which is loaded with high calcium for you veggie especially those that produce fruits. Mix with other kind of compost to reduce salinity. You should load that nutritious planting media with microorganism. Guy, you are a mushoom guy, you can grow microorganism. So, learn strains that can fight diseases and find a way to get them. I have imported so many, and there are many here too. That you are a mushroom grower is a big advantage and a strength for your business if you know what I mean. I can start mentioning strains here, but it is for biotech guys, and it is advance farming. Most here are newbies. Let us not scatter their brains.

Presently, I am trying to find a way to cultivate cucumber in a downy infected area, and I want to do it organically. I have been testing different strains in my laboratory but not yet satisfied with the result. You can imagine doing this and running to farm to solve problems. It is too tasking.

Sir/ma, you really do not still understand the kind of advantage you have just by knowing how to multiply microorganisms in those small bags. Jeeez! And you really do not know how blessed you are having mushroom spent substrates.

If you know what to do with your skills and with your substrates, you will dance "Shaku Shaku" to market weekly. When dem play Olamide's science student, you go tell dem say no be "paraga" only science students dey mix. Dem dey mix microbes too.

Post specific questions here if you have. Anyone with any question can too. Any!

fluentinfor:


Start collecting your mushroom spent substrate which is loaded with high calcium for you veggie especially those that produce fruits. Mix with other kind of compost to reduce salinity. You should load that nutritious planting media with microorganism. Guy, you are a mushoom guy, you can grow microorganism. So, learn strains that can fight diseases and find a way to get them. I have imported so many, and there are many here too. That you are a mushroom grower is a big advantage and a strength for your business if you know what I mean. I can start mentioning strains here, but it is for biotech guys, and it is advance farming. Most here are newbies. Let us not scatter their brains.

Presently, I am trying to find a way to cultivate cucumber in a downy infected area, and I want to do it organically. I have been testing different strains in my laboratory but not yet satisfied with the result. You can imagine doing this and running to farm to solve problems. It is too tasking.

Sir/ma, you really do not still understand the kind of advantage you have just by knowing how to multiply microorganisms in those small bags. Jeeez! And you really do not know how blessed you are having mushroom spent substrates.

If you know what to do with your skills and with your substrates, you will dance "Shaku Shaku" to market weekly. When dem play Olamide's science student, you go tell dem say no be "paraga" only science students dey mix. Dem dey mix microbes too.

Post specific questions here if you have. Anyone with any question can too. Any!

*Smiles* been thinking about that cause I know it shouldn't be put to waste. If you don't mind, I'll like you to educate me more on how to utilize it.
Between, I've been given a two week's extension for the proposal, so my search begins on which veggie to settle for.

Meanwhile, am planning to buying land in oyo state as land is cheaper down west than here on the east. Been seeing an acre of agricultural land worth 30k and most times 50k here on nairaland. Am planning to buy about 1 hecter of land (as am still starting as am still starting and my capital base aren't that strong for now), something between that range for an acre and as you recommended in a comment, also close to a river. Do you have anyone to recommend? Thanks for taking your time to respond.

ugnoble:


*Smiles* been thinking about that cause I know it shouldn't be put to waste. If you don't mind, I'll like you to educate me more on how to utilize it.
Between, I've been given a two week's extension for the proposal, so my search begins on which veggie to settle for.

Meanwhile, am planning to buying land in oyo state as land is cheaper down west than here on the east. Been seeing an acre of agricultural land worth 30k and most times 50k here on nairaland. Am planning to buy about 1 hecter of land (as am still starting as am still starting and my capital base aren't that strong for now), something between that range for an acre and as you recommended in a comment, also close to a river. Do you have anyone to recommend? Thanks for taking your time to respond.

If you are moving out of Aba, are you moving your mushroom farm too? Meaning, your spent substrate may not be useful for you, except you set up mushroom farm in your new location.

Your new location is where you should make market research, and not at your old location. Or do you intend moving your produce back to Aba?

Veggie site: River side Vs Not River nearby

- - - River Side - - -
Pros:
1. You can use surface gasoline pump (mud- pump) which reduces gas/petrol consumption. Effective way of reducing cost of production.
2. Abundant water - no need to dig well or borehole. Very low initial start up cost.
3. You can use furrow irrigation which is very cheap. Eradicate using drip.
4. You can have fruits and trees on your land.
5. You can use overhead irrigation like rain gun, sprinkler, central pivot system, etc.
6. You may find such land in good locations with good road network.

Cons:
1. Usually expensive to buy such land
2. Most of the time such land is far and road network may be terrible. May need to access land with ONLY bike
3. Cost of transporting of farm produce may be extremely high.
4. You may get exhausted going to your farm daily.

- - - No river nearby - - -
Pros:
1. You can find land with good road network
2. Land may not be to expensive if it is not in a high demanded location.

Cons:
1. High cost of start up - Dig well/borehole, use drip irrigation
2. Using overhead may require an expensive well installation.
3. High cost of production. You will need a generator or another source of energy to power the submersible pump used to lift water.

My candid Advice
Lagos and Ibadan are two strategic locations for selling vegetables if you are looking at southwest. If you eyeing Ibadan, look for a land in Ibadan. Ibadan is too big and you will get land there. It does not make sense you want to sell your farm produce in Ibadan, and you situate your farm in Ogbomosho, Shaki or even Isheyin. It does not make sense at all. You will spend too much on transportation. Except you know a farmer who has the trick to getting cheap logistics system.

If you are looking at Lagos Market, get a land in Lagos or Ogun. Ogun has cheaper land. If you choose Abeokuta, you may even run both lagos and Ibadan market if you produce good quantity and quality.

A golden Advice
If you are running a veggie farm, you will be going to market once or twice almost every week if you plan it well. Therefore, if you have to choose between buying an expensive land which is close to market, and an extremely cheap land far away from market, choose the former. The cost of transporting your farm produce to market if your farm is far away from market will defeat the advantage of low cost of the land. However, if trees cultivation is your passion, and you go to market about twice a year, or quarterly, you are at liberty to situate your far anywhere reasonable enough to make good profit.

Your Business Plan
Quite smart of you to extend your submission date. You need the following sections in your plan:
1. Start up Cost
2. Inventory analysis
3. Personnel details
4. Marketing and sales Analysis
5. Break even analysis
6. Income statement (profit and loss)
7. Balance Sheet
8. Cash Flow Statement, and
9. Business Ratios Table

The above sections will position you as someone who can handle 5 million naira well. A kind of plan you can present to any bank. I used to give newbies free plans but I do not have the time anymore. If you need help, I can hook you up with a smart youth who will not wound you with high bill. Youths are hardworking in Naija ooooo. Tell Mr. Presido..

fluentinfor:


If you are moving out of Aba, are you moving your mushroom farm too? Meaning, your spent substrate may not be useful for you, except you set up mushroom farm in your new location.

Your new location is where you should make market research, and not at your old location. Or do you intend moving your produce back to Aba?

Veggie site: River side Vs Not River nearby

- - - River Side - - -
Pros:
1. You can use surface gasoline pump (mud- pump) which reduces gas/petrol consumption. Effective way of reducing cost of production.
2. Abundant water - no need to dig well or borehole. Very low initial start up cost.
3. You can use furrow irrigation which is very cheap. Eradicate using drip.
4. You can have fruits and trees on your land.
5. You can use overhead irrigation like rain gun, sprinkler, central pivot system, etc.
6. You may find such land in good locations with good road network.

Cons:
1. Usually expensive to buy such land
2. Most of the time such land is far and road network may be terrible. May need to access land with ONLY bike
3. Cost of transporting of farm produce may be extremely high.
4. You may get exhausted going to your farm daily.

- - - No river nearby - - -
Pros:
1. You can find land with good road network
2. Land may not be to expensive if it is not in a high demanded location.

Cons:
1. High cost of start up - Dig well/borehole, use drip irrigation
2. Using overhead may require an expensive well installation.
3. High cost of production. You will need a generator or another source of energy to power the submersible pump used to lift water.

My candid Advice
Lagos and Ibadan are two strategic locstions for selling vegetables if you are looking at southwest. If you eyeing Ibadan, look for a land in Ibadan. Ibadan is too big and you will get land there. It does not make sense you want to sell your farm produce in Ibadan, and you situate your farm in Ogbomosho, Shaki or even Isheyin. It does not make sense at all. You will spend too much on transportation. Except you know a farmer who has the trick to getting cheap logistics system.

If you are looking at Lagos Market, get a land in Lagos or Ogun. Ogun has cheaper land. If you choose Abeokuta, you may even run both lagos and Ibadan market if you produce good quantity and quality.

A golden Advice
If you are running a veggie farm, you will be going to market once or twice almost every week if you plan it well. Therefore, if you have to choose between buying an expensive land which is close to market, and an extremely cheap land far away from market, choose the former. The cost of tranporting your farm priduce to market if your farm is far away from market will defeat the advantage of low cost of the land. However, if it is trees you want to cultivate and you go to market lie twice a year, or quarterly, you are at liberty to situate your far anywhere reasonable enough to make good profit.

Your Business Plan
Quite smart of you to extend your submission date. You need the following sections in your plan:
1. Start up Cost
2. Inventory analysis
3. Personnel details
4. Marketing and sales Analysis
5. Break even analysis
6. Income statement (profit and loss)
7. Balance Sheet
8. Cash Flow Statement, and
9. Business Ratios Table

The above sections will position you as someone who can handle 5 million naira well. A kind of plan you can present to any bank. I used to give newbies free plans but I do not have the time anymore. If you need help, I can hook you up with a smart youth who will not wound you with high bill. Youths are hardworking in Naija ooooo. Tell Mr. Presido..

indeed youths are hardworking and never lazy.
Thanks for being as detailed as possible between. I hope I don't bore you out with questions though.
My question now is:
Can I get an acre of land in abeokuta within those figures?
Can I get your recommendations if it's possible? Like I said earlier, am doing within my capabilities for now till I get the needed fund.

For the business plan, you can hook me up with the person involved, let's rub minds. Thanks.

fluentinfor:


I appreciate your kind words.

Yes, there is hope for Agriculture in Nigeria. You rushed in and rushed out like 99.999% farmers. They turned farmers overnight by listening to agro-chemical sellers and seed sellers.

I just keep asking myself. They spent 30 years doing full time job and they think it is farming they will do after retirement. But they never even think for a minute that the same way biology is prerequisite to medicine, is the same way agricultural science is prerequisite to farming. The energy they use in jumping into farming unprepared is equal to the force they always crash.Why don't they jump into becoming doctors and nurses after retirement? Nigerians have no respect for the Agricultural profession.

And most that even seek experts' opinion want to control the expert. They want to shape the expert. So, why can't they just do it themselves. Well, most just want to rush into it. Personally, I will NEVER again set up farm for an individual. Also, I will NEVER consult for individuals. NEVER.

Blessed are those who will actively participate to make this thread a success. Most will not even read it because they are looking for "rank xerox" approach.

If you do not want to crash, please read on and participate in this discussion.

Thank you, but you can consult companies it's better

ugnoble:


indeed youths are hardworking and never lazy.
Thanks for being as detailed as possible between. I hope I don't bore you out with questions though.
My question now is:
Can I get an acre of land in abeokuta within those figures?
Can I get your recommendations if it's possible? Like I said earlier, am doing within my capabilities for now till I get the needed fund.

For the business plan, you can hook me up with the person involved, let's rub minds. Thanks.

I would budget N200,000 to N350,000 for an acre, If I were you so I could check many areas in Ogun and Lagos.

As regards biz plan, I cannot post my contact's details here. Better you connect with me.

Autopilotcash:
Thank you, but you can consult companies it's better

Well, I wrote about individual consults just to put off individuals who will send such requests. It is mostly individuals who are the audience here.

It is even far more rewarding to consult international bodies, and then government from personal experience. Anyway, it is always good to "do good" and give free services to humanity too.

fluentinfor:


I would budget N200,000 to N350,000 for an acre, If I were you so I could check many areas in Ogun and Lagos.

As regards biz plan, I cannot post my contact's details here. Better you connect with me.

That means it wouldn't be feasible buying the land now as am just starting up and there are other things zapping some funds out of me.

For the business plan, I'll send you a message through nairaland (hope you see it) and we can go on from there if it's ok for you.

ugnoble:


That means it wouldn't be feasible buying the land now as am just starting up and there are other things zapping some funds out of me.

For the business plan, I'll send you a message through nairaland (hope you see it) and we can go on from there if it's ok for you.

Ok.

Focus on getting the loan if you are sure of getting it. Then set up a very nice farm in a very nice area. If you need a decent business plan to secure the loan, focus on the business plan for now.

I hope you know you need to still undergo a very good training. You can train yourself, but just practise well before you spend heavily.

fluentinfor:


Ok.

Focus on getting the loan if you are sure of getting it. Then set up a very nice farm in a very nice area. If you need a decent business plan to secure the loan, focus on the business plan for now.

I hope you know you need to still undergo a very good training. You can train yourself, but just practise well before you spend heavily.

ok then. I'll send you a message and you can now connect me with the person sp I can get the business plan.

FAQ
10. Can I use government land with irrigation system? We are forming a group at a River Basin. Do you advise me to take it?

My Response:
You are at liberty to use any facility owned by anybody. I can only tell you my experience, and my observation. It does not mean I am 100% accurate. Also, I do not want to portray anyone, or any government department evil or hero in the eyes of stakeholders.

Point to Note
1. The first pre- requisite is that you join like-minds group. Who brought the members together? Do you really know the objectives of the rest of the group? Have you realy studied them well to know if they share your objectives? Funny, you might be the person who will destroy the group if you do not identify with their objectives.

2. Any facility you do not have about 90% control over, do not ever attempt usng it. Can you instruct the technical irrigation personnel to get a job done on your plot of land at a reasonable time frame. Can you? If you do not know, do not get involved.

3. Prompt response to solving problems is a top priority. Can you make the technical department of the facility solve 90% of your chalenges at the right time? If not, run away from such facility.

4. Paying for services must be into government official accounts. Does the farm manager and technical crew demand payment into private bank accounts? If yes, run away from such facility. It is a signal they are after their own pockets.

Scout for like-minds instead of waiting for them to come to you
1. Look for like-minds in chat groups you join.
2. Interact more with individuals on forums. Do not just be a passive reader.
3. Be positive towards locating like-minds. They are around you.
4. If you find a candidate, do not be intimidated with his/her wealth of knowledge. Approach him/her respectfully, and be generous.
5. If you are not financially capable, you can achieve very little. Why don't you work on that first. You can put people off with your extreme low budget mentality.
6. Present yourself the way you want to be addressed.
7. Present your ideas to attract the right set of people you want. This thread is not expected to get many likes and shares because it is targeted at a specific group of people.
8. What do you think I am doing by sharing knowledge freely? Of course, I hope my "like-minds" will be attracted to me.

Feel free to show interest in finding like-minds on this thread. Your like-mind may be reading. You can give summary of what you intend doing, or what you have done so far. As long as it is vegetable, fruits, aquaponics, hydroponics, or veggie related subject, it is allowed on this thread. It is just a simple leap of faith you must take like me. A simple leap of faith prompted me to open this thread. Yours might be just a single post. It might be posting pictures of your project, and it might be a good thread like this.

I wish you all success.