How is the transplant done, is it the traditional transplant of other crops, and after transplant wats measures are taken. Thanks

jayyjayy1:
How is the transplant done, is it the traditional transplant of other crops, and after transplant wats measures are taken. Thanks

If what you mean by transplant is transferring from nursery to the farm, the answer is yes. We dig hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the already formed root system. This is done preferably on a day after it has rained and of course during a wet season. We then apply nitrogen
-rich fertilizer -the urea type. That's it.
If you have rodents around your farm, it's advisable to put a net around each of the trees.

Hi ,

Nice post very encouraging.

I have a few questions for you if you dont mind.

I have 25 acres of land which I have just planted tenera seedlings on in the last few weeks. Thank Goodness its starting to rain and the seedlings are getting established however so also are the weeds. I had some labourers weed 1 meter around each palm couple of weeks ago and we applied manure to the seedlings.

My main question is to do with seedling, getting reliable help is very difficult and I am looking at the options of mechanization, what do you suggest, (Note I am away from the actual location and the farm is being managed by my parents)

I am looking at buying Brush Cutters and Scythe mower just for the purpose of weeding, I know it requires an operator but anyone would be able to operate these instead of using local labourers who are very unreliable.

Scythe Mower


Video of one in use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbrecZV5KzY

Brush Cutter


https://youtu.be/szoiCa0lkzs?t=77

Do you think these would be of any help?

Thanks in advance.

Hello, thanks for these vital information. I would like to ask how much it cost for yearly maintenance ( labour) and the best way to go about it when you stay far from your farm.

dejavus:
Hi ,

Nice post very encouraging.

I have a few questions for you if you dont mind.

I have 25 acres of land which I have just planted tenera seedlings on in the last few weeks. Thank Goodness its starting to rain and the seedlings are getting established however so also are the weeds. I had some labourers weed 1 meter around each palm couple of weeks ago and we applied manure to the seedlings.

My main question is to do with seedling, getting reliable help is very difficult and I am looking at the options of mechanization, what do you suggest, (Note I am away from the actual location and the farm is being managed by my parents)

I am looking at buying Brush Cutters and Scythe mower just for the purpose of weeding, I know it requires an operator but anyone would be able to operate these instead of using local labourers who are very unreliable.

Scythe Mower


Video of one in use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbrecZV5KzY

Brush Cutter


https://youtu.be/szoiCa0lkzs?t=77

Do you think these would be of any help?

Thanks in advance.

Here is my candid advice. Stay away from mechanizing as much as you can, because it will drain your financial base and give you lots of stress.
Labor is very cheap still in most Nigerian states except if your farm is in Victoria island. I have tried some level of mechanism and came to the same conclusions all the time. If you want to mechanize, use other peoples equipment rather than investing in your self. Some local govt have agric department that rent out tractor to plow etc, and those can be cheap often as cheap as N8k/hecter. Those are economical.
Of course later when you have in excess of 100 or more acres, you may begin to entertain some level of mechanizing.

ogeka:
Hello, thanks for these vital information. I would like to ask how much it cost for yearly maintenance ( labour) and the best way to go about it when you stay far from your farm.

Maintenance cost can be very expensive.
The way i went around it is to rent the farm out to people to plant annual crops (corn, cassava, water melon). So in that way they'll keep the farm reasonably clean.
If you stay off the farm, which most of farmers will do, you may have to hire a part time person to be there as often as possible to give you information regularly. In my case, i live so far from the farm but hired a person who initially just go there once a a week, however at the 3rd year i built a small farm house and because i also have a herd of cows, the young herder and his small family live in the farm.
Its also good for you to go to the farm as often as possible.
Telephone has changed ease of communication for ever for the modern man.

oogalabs2:

One year fruiting depends on so many factors. It can go from bumper to disappointing. 0-20 bunches per tree is my experience.
Big is the Factors such as how much weeding around the palm trees are done. The cleaner the environment around the trees, the more harvest one expects. If a tree competes with tall grasses for nutrients and sunlight, what happens is that you will get tall palm trees that can be barren in the first five years.
Applying fertilizer at least one time per year can determine amount and size of bunches.
Yes you can intercrop. It makes economic sense.
I also have a small herd of cattles and what I found out is that the trees near where the cows spend most of their time produce abundant fruits.
So, short answer to your question is 0-20 bunches per tree.
I hope this answer helps. I just woke up and ramble sometimes

How much does a bunch cost and what is the value of oil from a bunch?

es144000:
How much does a bunch cost and what is the value of oil from a bunch?

I have never sold palm fruits, but may soon consider doing that.
Value of oil from a bunch is very dependent on price of oil in the market.
I did a rough calculation recently, and i got a little less than 100 bunches to one 25L keg.
**Remember that bunches from young trees are small compared to trees 8-15 years old which are a lot bigger.

At this time, a 25L keg sells for between 11k-14k depending on your location.
Remember that bunches from young trees are small compared to trees 8-15 years old which are a lot bigger.

For a hectare we are looking at a yield of 300k from palm oil

es144000:
For a hectare we are looking at a yield of 300k from palm oil

How many trees? Their age? Price per 25L keg? etc etc

oogalabs2:

How many trees? Their age? Price per 25L keg? etc etc

140 trees, 3 years and today's price of 11k for 25 litres

es144000:
140 trees, 3 years and today's price of 11k for 25 litres

Where is your farm? Is this one harvest? More than 10 kegs from 1 hectares is a steal - a miracle.

Can palm be plant in July or August?

Thanks

oogalabs2:
I have about 2000 trees.
I planted them progressively since 2012.
I started production of oil 2015.
I have issues that I have faced and succeeded. If you are interested in starting a farm, ask me questions and I can share my good and not-too-good moments with you. Issues ranging from land acquisition, clearing to plant, netting, fertilizing, row weeding and on and on.

All in all, I can encourage young ones or anyone to start your own palm tree farm, its a worthwhile investment.

Ask any question and ill try as much as i can to answer.

Beava:
Can palm be plant in July or August?

Thanks

I think as long as the ground is wet, you can plant all year round.
Raining season is best because of the wetness.

Beava:
How much do u sell oil

Looks like palm oil price is edging higher at the moment and the average across the nation is approximately 11k per 25L keg

12,500 per keg. Originally harvested, produced and clocked in my farm in ogun state

Looks like the price of Oil has started climbing. Now, National average at 14k per 25L keg
There is no indication, we will see the kind of price we witnessed last year.
At December 2016, we saw 25k per 25L keg

Can I have your contact please am in abeokuta and just bought 20acres of land and want to go into palm kernel farming

bahyor:
Can I have your contact please am in abeokuta and just bought 20acres of land and want to go into palm kernel farming

Can you email me oog6652@gmail.com

price may not go up so much the way it did last year
Plus if you are in the SW, rain may drive up production cost. absence of sunny days may also delay ripening.
I think it will get better once the rains stops.
We may end the year at 15k per keg (25L)

Here is trend of palm oil production and rain last year

Have you had cases of theft of the palm fruit from your farm? If so how did you handle it?

Thebcatyle you have on your farm, dont they disturb thw palm trees by eating its leaves? Will eating the leaves affect the fruiting?

TLAX:
Have you had cases of theft of the palm fruit from your farm? If so how did you handle it?

Thebcatyle you have on your farm, dont they disturb thw palm trees by eating its leaves? Will eating the leaves affect the fruiting?

As for theft, there is constant activities going on everyday in the farm, and a family of 6 live permanently on site. I have not noticed or been told about any theft.
The newly planted trees are net(ted) to avoid be eaten. The grown palm trees are never favorites for the cows. They will rather eat the elephant grass (fefe)

Farm for Rent. 65 Acres farm north of Oke Odan, Ogun State.
I am looking for a person, a group of persons or a company to rent my farm.
I have a 65 Acres farm north of Oke Odan, Ogun State. (10 Km west of Owode, Yewa)
The coordinate of center farm is 6° 45’ 40.39” N and 2°53’ 29.9” E
Farm is 6 years’ old
What’s on the farm:
• 3000+ trees of palm trees of varying ages from 6 to 1 year olds.
• About 8 acres uncultivated.
What Facilities are in the farm:
• A 2-bedroom Farm House,
• 1 Toyota truck (open back),
• 2 Motorcycles,
• A hand dug well with overhead tank and pump,
• A 5KVa petrol Generator
• A non-working tractor,
• palm oil making machines; 1 digester and 1 presser.
At the moment Farm is 25-30% efficiently run producing only 2500 Liter per year. If efficiency increases, in few 2-3 years’ farm is expected to produce 15,000 Liters of oil per year.

What a prospective farmer should have:
• Passion for farming (most important) and track record to prove it.
• A little capital required to run the farm for a month or 2 before you get money from palm oil you produce and sell.
What I will provide:
• A contract renewable every 2 years.
• All facilities in the farm listed above.
My expectations:
• Farm to be kept clean
• Palm trees to be clean with dead fronds to be removed.
• All facilities to be well maintained in the states in which I hand them over to you.
• A monthly royalty to me agreeable to both of us.
Please contact me if you think you can handle this. Write a proposal if you can and send to me.
What I really need in a prospective renter is passion for farming.
Send any question you have to oog6652@gmail.com. I will select the most qualified interests and conduct interview in January 2018. The selected renter will begin using farm around March 2018.

Can spraying farm with pesticides/chemicals to kill weed kill the palm trees?

Here to learn.

RedGold2017:
Can spraying farm with pesticides/chemicals to kill weed kill the palm trees?

We have cows in the farm, they eat much of the weed/grasses.
But generally, the palm trees may not be hurt by pesticides.

Another question is, what is the conversion ratio of 1 FFB to palm and palm kernel oil? On average

RedGold2017:
Another question is, what is the conversion ratio of 1 FFB to palm and palm kernel oil? On average

I dont know. will have to research that

This is good work sir, I'm multivated about this and I will join in this business by next year by God grace. I'm planning to plant super gene species which procedure within 22 to 24months. And has over 22 to 26 bunch per tree. It will be more profitable if u go for it next time of your planting.

simeonokah:
This is good work sir, I'm multivated about this and I will join in this business by next year by God grace. I'm planning to plant super gene species which procedure within 22 to 24months. And has over 22 to 26 bunch per tree. It will be more profitable if u go for it next time of your planting.

Good idea. Where do they sell that super gene specie?
I’ll be planting again later next year.

How do we plant a fresh/red nut of palm-oil?