The Mentality of a Labourer ! Part 1

I welcome you all to another wonderful year , 2017. A year that promises to be full of pleasant surprises , new challenges, creative ways out of those challenges and of course a profitable year for agribusiness. In the words of my mentor and former Principal Late Dr. Tai Solarin , ‘’ May your roads be rough ‘’ this year , enough for you to make mistakes , learn from it and profit therefrom. After all, experience they say is the best teacher . Experience can be a painful journey of self –discovery and it could also be a pleasant sail of comfort, if you are lucky enough to have a good one … but like we all know, good things don’t come easy …at least not every time .
As I am well aware that most of you would have started planning your budgets/programmes for the new planting year , some have even started implementation, key to making your plan a success is Labour . owing to the fact that much of Agri-business in this clime is done manually , not because the means of mechanization are not available, they are mostly out of reach for the average small holder farmer… and even if it was , how much of those equipment can you possibly have on your farm. If you cant procure the equipment for mechanization, you will probably require the help of Farm Hands/Labourers, Farm manager etc.…whatever names you choose to classify them, they are labourers and they have a unique way of thinking.

Many may not agree with me on this, but your employees are just out to protect their interest i.e. wages or Salaries. As long as they are in your employ, they want to be sure you can provide their emoluments in exchange for their services. In the same vein , you the employer, are also out to protect your interest i.e. Your Investment, to ensure that your business operates as a going concern, and you get value for whatever you pay for the services of your staff . In effect, everybody along the gamut of the business is selfish ! I’m sure if the employer could get the work done without paying a dime , he would most certainly vote for that , and vice versa, if the employee could get Salaries/Wages without doing any work, he is fine . Essentially, there exists a parallel between the desires of the Employer and the Employee.
I assume I am speaking only to those who have either taken up a career in Agribusiness, or are already warming up, I think you need to read this .

Note that your average employees are selfish (it is natural and don’t blame them) and in their selfishness, they will cut corners. They will undermine you and your authority. They will strive for inefficiency and ineffectiveness . Some of them even become deliberately wasteful , after all at the end of the month , he is going to get paid . I have had some pleasant experiences with labourers and some not too nice ones .
Infact one of them frustrated me for so long , that I felt like handing him over to the police. The guy almost sold my farm, entering into contracts on my behalf and claiming that Oga will sort it out. Some of them have this unique ability of looking busy , doing nothing ! They work aimlessly purposely or do I say purposely aimlessly ? In street parlance, that is eye service at its best ! This is not restricted to age or gender or even tribe . I could go on and on and on…. But as a business minded farmerpreneur , how do you recognize these traits or at best , manage these challenges when it rears its ugly head ? Remember , it’s a business you cant do alone .
Please look out for my next write up , as I’ll be sharing real life experiences of these issues and how I tackled them |( at least almost successfully) . Till that time , I remain ….

NB: Please visit and like our page www.facebook.com\farmerprenuer for more tips. Also recommend same to your friends .


Greenly Yours

'Sola Adeniyi
Chief Executive Farmer

ookunlola:
Patiently waiting sir.

Now that you identified your market...for whatever you have decided to cultivate ....in the case of crops....or rear ...in the case of animal husbandry....you need to find an area of strength....or rather comparative advantage . By this I mean advantage in terms of closeness to market, soil quality to support your crops, technicalities etc. You need to be able to grow what you think will be more cost effective for you in the long run. Remember you are in business for profit . Unless of course you plan to consume you crops .

I had this challenge while starting out too...i just wanted to grow everything....from vegetables....to herbs ....to cash crops....and then food crops...and flowers....but then I realized that I could not do everything . Even if I wanted to, the financial muscle is not there to carry out all these activities on a commercial scale . I had to do a bit of many things to know if it will work out eventually. I grew vegetables...tried out some things that I felt could only grow in Europe or some other temperate climates. I was shocked at my results. God has indeed blessed this country Nigeria. But then I had to backtrack , and concentrate on a number of items that I could grow without too much issues/stress. At a point I was only growing two items .

You can sell everything, but you cannot grow everything. That is the basis of my discussion with two of my female acquaintances who are just stepping into the sometimes murky, treacherous and at times late rewarding waters of agriculture. Two very brilliant minds , they had good heads on their shoulders , very smart ideas ....but we had to agree that you can sell anything and everything but you can't grow everything.

The general idea is that people who intend to practice at both ends of the business, I.e production and marketing...you may not be able to satisfy your customers with all they need . Therefore, identify your strength, work at it and be the best for it. What you can't grow, you buy from other farmers or the market and make your clients happy .

The idea of doing few items is that as a new entrant in the business you will have the unique opportunity to learn the business and become a master of one and not jack of all trades . You can easily monitor your crops and give them needed attention and from there you can slowly expand . This is another mistake a lot of newbies make. They want to start big...say cultivate 10ha of a crop at the same time . NO. There is an adage that says you don't test the depth of a river with two legs. Once you put the first leg and its going too deep, you quickly backtrack to avoid stories that touch. Agriculture is not a get rich quick venture. Even the masters make mistakes too.

Don't get me wrong . It is a good idea to have ambition, but you can cut your coat according to your cloth. But you will need to be methodical in your approach and flow with the rhythm of the seasons and the market .

On my next snippet, I will continue with " Get and flow with the rhythm ".

Thanks everybody for the Likes and please do recommend this page to your friends .


Ciao

SA
Chief Executive Farmer

Pavore9:
@akanbi2k, nice flow of thought. I have always referred many to your farm 'cos your farm is a part of what l should have on ground if l were in Nigeria. Do update us with current pictures of the farm. Vegetables and spices tickles my heart!

Now that you identified your market...for whatever you have decided to cultivate ....in the case of crops....or rear ...in the case of animal husbandry....you need to find an area of strength....or rather comparative advantage . By this I mean advantage in terms of closeness to market, soil quality to support your crops, technicalities etc. You need to be able to grow what you think will be more cost effective for you in the long run. Remember you are in business for profit . Unless of course you plan to consume you crops .

I had this challenge while starting out too...i just wanted to grow everything....from vegetables....to herbs ....to cash crops....and then food crops...and flowers....but then I realized that I could not do everything . Even if I wanted to, the financial muscle is not there to carry out all these activities on a commercial scale . I had to do a bit of many things to know if it will work out eventually. I grew vegetables...tried out some things that I felt could only grow in Europe or some other temperate climates. I was shocked at my results. God has indeed blessed this country Nigeria. But then I had to backtrack , and concentrate on a number of items that I could grow without too much issues/stress. At a point I was only growing two items .

You can sell everything, but you cannot grow everything. That is the basis of my discussion with two of my female acquaintances who are just stepping into the sometimes murky, treacherous and at times late rewarding waters of agriculture. Two very brilliant minds , they had good heads on their shoulders , very smart ideas ....but we had to agree that you can sell anything and everything but you can't grow everything.

The general idea is that people who intend to practice at both ends of the business, I.e production and marketing...you may not be able to satisfy your customers with all they need . Therefore, identify your strength, work at it and be the best for it. What you can't grow, you buy from other farmers or the market and make your clients happy .

The idea of doing few items is that as a new entrant in the business you will have the unique opportunity to learn the business and become a master of one and not jack of all trades . You can easily monitor your crops and give them needed attention and from there you can slowly expand . This is another mistake a lot of newbies make. They want to start big...say cultivate 10ha of a crop at the same time . NO. There is an adage that says you don't test the depth of a river with two legs. Once you put the first leg and its going too deep, you quickly backtrack to avoid stories that touch. Agriculture is not a get rich quick venture. Even the masters make mistakes too.

Don't get me wrong . It is a good idea to have ambition, but you can cut your coat according to your cloth. But you will need to be methodical in your approach and flow with the rhythm of the seasons and the market .

On my next snippet, I will continue with " Get and flow with the rhythm ".

Thanks everybody for the Likes and please do recommend this page to your friends .


Ciao

SA
Chief Executive Farmer

Now that you identified your market...for whatever you have decided to cultivate ....in the case of crops....or rear ...in the case of animal husbandry....you need to find an area of strength....or rather comparative advantage . By this I mean advantage in terms of closeness to market, soil quality to support your crops, technicalities etc. You need to be able to grow what you think will be more cost effective for you in the long run. Remember you are in business for profit . Unless of course you plan to consume you crops .

I had this challenge while starting out too...i just wanted to grow everything....from vegetables....to herbs ....to cash crops....and then food crops...and flowers....but then I realized that I could not do everything . Even if I wanted to, the financial muscle is not there to carry out all these activities on a commercial scale . I had to do a bit of many things to know if it will work out eventually. I grew vegetables...tried out some things that I felt could only grow in Europe or some other temperate climates. I was shocked at my results. God has indeed blessed this country Nigeria. But then I had to backtrack , and concentrate on a number of items that I could grow without too much issues/stress. At a point I was only growing two items .

You can sell everything, but you cannot grow everything. That is the basis of my discussion with two of my female acquaintances who are just stepping into the sometimes murky, treacherous and at times late rewarding waters of agriculture. Two very brilliant minds , they had good heads on their shoulders , very smart ideas ....but we had to agree that you can sell anything and everything but you can't grow everything.

The general idea is that people who intend to practice at both ends of the business, I.e production and marketing...you may not be able to satisfy your customers with all they need . Therefore, identify your strength, work at it and be the best for it. What you can't grow, you buy from other farmers or the market and make your clients happy .

The idea of doing few items is that as a new entrant in the business you will have the unique opportunity to learn the business and become a master of one and not jack of all trades . You can easily monitor your crops and give them needed attention and from there you can slowly expand . This is another mistake a lot of newbies make. They want to start big...say cultivate 10ha of a crop at the same time . NO. There is an adage that says you don't test the depth of a river with two legs. Once you put the first leg and its going too deep, you quickly backtrack to avoid stories that touch. Agriculture is not a get rich quick venture. Even the masters make mistakes too.

Don't get me wrong . It is a good idea to have ambition, but you can cut your coat according to your cloth. But you will need to be methodical in your approach and flow with the rhythm of the seasons and the market .

On my next snippet, I will continue with " Get and flow with the rhythm ".

Thanks everybody for the Likes and please do recommend this page to your friends .


Ciao

SA
Chief Executive Farmer

Now that you identified your market...for whatever you have decided to cultivate ....in the case of crops....or rear ...in the case of animal husbandry....you need to find an area of strength....or rather comparative advantage . By this I mean advantage in terms of closeness to market, soil quality to support your crops, technicalities etc. You need to be able to grow what you think will be more cost effective for you in the long run. Remember you are in business for profit . Unless of course you plan to consume you crops .

I had this challenge while starting out too...i just wanted to grow everything....from vegetables....to herbs ....to cash crops....and then food crops...and flowers....but then I realized that I could not do everything . Even if I wanted to, the financial muscle is not there to carry out all these activities on a commercial scale . I had to do a bit of many things to know if it will work out eventually. I grew vegetables...tried out some things that I felt could only grow in Europe or some other temperate climates. I was shocked at my results. God has indeed blessed this country Nigeria. But then I had to backtrack , and concentrate on a number of items that I could grow without too much issues/stress. At a point I was only growing two items .

You can sell everything, but you cannot grow everything. That is the basis of my discussion with two of my female acquaintances who are just stepping into the sometimes murky, treacherous and at times late rewarding waters of agriculture. Two very brilliant minds , they had good heads on their shoulders , very smart ideas ....but we had to agree that you can sell anything and everything but you can't grow everything.

The general idea is that people who intend to practice at both ends of the business, I.e production and marketing...you may not be able to satisfy your customers with all they need . Therefore, identify your strength, work at it and be the best for it. What you can't grow, you buy from other farmers or the market and make your clients happy .

The idea of doing few items is that as a new entrant in the business you will have the unique opportunity to learn the business and become a master of one and not jack of all trades . You can easily monitor your crops and give them needed attention and from there you can slowly expand . This is another mistake a lot of newbies make. They want to start big...say cultivate 10ha of a crop at the same time . NO. There is an adage that says you don't test the depth of a river with two legs. Once you put the first leg and its going too deep, you quickly backtrack to avoid stories that touch. Agriculture is not a get rich quick venture. Even the masters make mistakes too.

Don't get me wrong . It is a good idea to have ambition, but you can cut your coat according to your cloth. But you will need to be methodical in your approach and flow with the rhythm of the seasons and the market .

On my next snippet, I will continue with " Get and flow with the rhythm ".

For specific enquiries pls hit me up at corporatefarmer9ja@gmail.com

You can also Like us on www.Facebook.com/farmerpreneur. Pls feel free to recommend our page to others .


Ciao

SA
Chief Executive Farmer

Fellow Farmerpreneurs and aspiring farmerpreneurs, I guess I have finally gotten round to writing my nuggets on my agribusiness experiences which I hope will help aspiring young farmers to avoid the pitfalls I fell into while starting out. While I agree that there is a lot of money to be made on the business, there are a lot of mistakes that can be made as well.

In my little experience in advocacy to encourage young people to go into agric business....and leave the subsistence farming a lot of us are wont to do, I have heard many people give a myriad of reasons for wanting to do Agric .

I have received tons of emails and phone calls from young and middle aged Nigerians who received the "call" out of the blues to do agribusiness. Let me share some with you.
I want to do Agribusiness because my father of grandpa was a farmer. Whose father or grandpa wasn't ?
I want to do Agric business because others are doing it.....that's bandwagon calling
I want to do Agric because Govt said we should do it.....hmnnnn
I want to do Agric because I have passion for Agric....maybe borne out of failure in other ventures.....?
I have no job so I want to do agribusiness
I want to do Agric but i don't know which area to go into.... That's the beginning of movement without motion.
I could go on and on....some just want to to be counted among the numbers since Agribusiness seems to be the new fad....well some reasons are valid while some are just plain ludicrous.

Point of fact....agribusiness is not for the faint hearted....you must have a combination of strength, ruggedity, foresight,shock absorbers, sheer will, stubborn optimism and sometimes plain stupidity to succeed in the business.

One common denominator that most beginners fail to have in mind while taking the plunge into the business is THE MARKET.
THE MARKET can make or mar you in the business. It will determine how long and how well you will last in the business. It can throw you up and hit you hard on the ground before you say Obama. It determines what , when and how to produce and for whom to produce. It also determines the volume of investment that will make sense for you....THE MARKET is not a means to an end, it is the end itself. I dare say, marketing is 90% of the business while production accounts for 10% or less. There's no point producing when you don't know whom to sell to ...where to sell and when to sell to ensure optimum returns on your investment.

In my undergraduate days, I was taught to produce to meet a need or demand. Yes that's true, but in Agric there is always a need or demand to be met ....but how do you profitably do that? I guess that's why we are here.

So I tell people , before you produce, find a market, know your customers and the market. A lot of big time farmers still have issues dealing with market to sustain profitable operations. I don't claim to have the solutions but I try to also get along....its not been easy...but we'll keep learning....and i know one day we will get there. Many of the farmers will tell you that Agribusiness is good...profitable but will not disclose the challenges and pitfalls, I will try to tell you my own experience, no holds barred..my failures
..my successes...and the lessons learnt.

On my next write up I will share some real life experience with you. Please promise not to laugh at me . We learn every day.

If you have questions , please hit me up at corporatefarmer9ja@gmail.com or www.Facebook.com/FarmerPreneur

So if asked , why do you want to do Agric, what would be your response?


Sola
Chief Executive Farmer

@Jasper07.....Many thanks for your comments. I have read about the good works you are doing too. Heard you also moved to Ogbomosho from some of me friends In Osun state. Please lets keep at it. One day...the whole country will catch the fever .....then Nigeria will feed the world !

We are getting set for the off season ....land preparation in progress

I buy my seeds from cotonou,thailand ,China and Lagos. It takes about 2 weeks to nurse and about 7-8weeks to be ready for the table.
We dont plant only lettuce we also grow
Cabbage
Spring onions
Mint leaves
Coriander
Basil
Parsley
Cucumbers
Golden Melon
Onions etc to mention a few.
Pls follow and like my page on Facebook ...FarmerPreneur....where we take Agric from substistence into Real business
...I will be updating pictures of our activities as we get set for the off season...

Here are some pix of the farm as at 6pm yesterday....

All the best .....if you have specific enquiries hit me up on Corporatefarmer9ja@gmail.com

All the best
Sola

You will be surprised to find out that we cant even meet demand. No you are not right.

olasibo:
Hello OP. Your farm happens to be close to mine. I'm a female. Just started my farm at oke-odan, Alakara bus stop. Is it possible I come to your farm to see this. Its so beautiful. Could I call you on your mobile? Thank you.

Yep... 08035688585

Babalagzy:
Hello akanbi2k, I'd like to visit your farm if you don't mind. My farm's closeby in oke odan.

Hit me up @ 08035688585..
Let's talk.. in the evening from 6pm...

Pavore9:


Where is your farm located?

My farm is at Ihunbo town... along Idi Iroko Rd... Ogun State

Pavore9:


Where is your farm located?

It's @ Ihunbo Town... along Idi Iroko Rd... Ogun State...

Pix 1 and 2... My lettuce @ week 1... freshly transplanted...
Pix 3 and 4... lettuce after 2 weeks of transplanting. Getting set for the market...

This is our new green crude oil... let's do agric.... it pays!

irukandji89:
hello Mr jasper.

I must say, may Almighty God continue to guide and protect you for this thread.

it is a source of motivation for me.

I am also trying to plant cucumber on a plot of land.


my questions, to you sir, if you don't mind are:

(1) concerning the poultry waste for mixing with soil, how much quantity is enough for a plot of land?

I was able to get dried fowl droppings of 30 x 50kg bags worth. will that be enough or will I need more?

also, must it be mixed thoroughly with the bed or
sparingly?


(2) pls sir, where in lagos or who can you direct me to for the purchase of the irrigation kits: the drip pipes etc?

thanks in advance and anticipation of your reply.

For drip irrigation kits hit me up at akanbi2k@gmail.com or 08035688585 ....I use it on my farm......and I can procure for you too. I hope you have a good water source....and you will need a tank or drums.
source. ....if you are serious about it ...lets talk ! best of luck.

jasper7:
Okay, I just met with representatives of a farm technology company in Thailand. And they said they can solve my current irrigation problems by supplying me a GUN SPRINKLER. A sprinkle water like rain with a 45metre radius. That is an impressive one, considering it will cover one hectare in 30mins.

It's supposed to work hand in hand with my hydraflo machine. This machine is a beast. It can fill up a geepee tank in 30 seconds. An average sumo pump releases 50 psi at a go. This beast can go up to 2000 psi at a go. That is 40 times an average sumo pump. I havr not been able to use it because the pressure at which it releases water can cause erosion and even leaching if not checked.

Please does anybody knows any other machine or mechanism that can be used for irrigation in my farm? Thanks

Hey....just reading your posts...I use drip irrigation on my farm and it works perfectly. Zero maintenance. But you will need a good source of water maybe a well,stream or borehole ....and you will need a tank or those 250ltr drums....I grow cucumbers, lettuce ,Chinese vegetables etc on my farm. If you are serious about, it hit me up...akanbi2k@gmail.com ...I got pix if you need it ....

Hi...I need this item urgently. It is a 16mm tape lock used for drip irrigation. I need 500pc's. Pls call 08035688585. Thanks

kestolove95:
Rubbish...ma go buy gotv or star time joor

Nna....na DSTV also get GOTv

stagger:


I have planted cassava, sugarcane, vegetables like waterleaf, scent leaf used in peppersoup, pears (both avocado and native pear), plantain, beans and yams, etc. My plantain trees are still standing today. The palm trees became way too tall and had to be cut down to make way for new ones, having been planted in 1988. The plantain farm was started in 1987. In my mother's village I have up to 1 hectare which I bought for agricultural use, since my dad's people are too fetish and have tried to have me killed severally.

I have planted coconuts and orange trees there. These were started 10 years ago.

I do not know how old you were as at 1980 when I first handled a pickaxe and hoe to farm on one plot of land allocated to me by my school for all students of agricultural science. That was the way we learnt agric science in those days: practically, and not by theory. The day of marking, your parents would be invited to come and see where their school fees money was going. You dared not disgrace your parents in front of other parents because everyone, the whole school, would be at the field then. I have also farmed pineapples strictly for domestic use, with a species which were given to me by an Eritrean Professor of Agriculture who was on exile as at then because Mengistu Haile Mariam's government had a bounty on his head. I am sure history students will know how this man slaughtered Eritreans in their thousands before the UN gave them their own country. I was too young then so I cannot remember the name of this man or the species of pineapples.

I answer you this way because I see the sarcasm in your question, and I will not dwell much on it because trying to convince you the cucumber farmer about it is a waste of time. So I will go to the main point on this thread: mistakes we have all made.

Yes, there was a mistake I made when I did the plantains. I had never heard of black sigatoka virus, which entered Nigeria in 1986. It nearly devastated the plantation, but somehow, we recovered. Had to burn the entire plants and get new ones. I also have to mention that I nearly lost the first fruits to villagers by allowing them to ripen on trees. They would just come at night and cut them down. So I had to make myself a clean cutlass which I would use to mount vigils in the place some evenings and nights, but stopped when I noticed snakes around the place. Eventually, I started to cut them when mature, without allowing them to ripen on the tree.

Now to answer your sarcastic question: IITA gave me a lot of help in my cassava research. I even have a book on the commodity markets for cassava products in Nigeria. That publication is not available anywhere on the open market. Nasarawa state ADP gave me a video documentary on application of herbicides for weed control. I have got quotes for cassava processing machines from PRODA in Enugu.

The way you approach these organizations will determine how they give you what you need. I will not say more.

Thanks for this expose. I fell victim to terrible counsel on my 7ha farm in 2014. I lost tons of money but i am willing to forge ahead. I believe in chemicalisation to reduce cost. How can you help with information from these agencies, I need good counsel this year. Planting season is in 2 months,how can you help?

@Lanre Etti, Point of correction ,Religion , not music is the Opium of the masses- Karl Marx

It depends on whether the hug is the
1.Local Govt Hug i.e Nigga kinda hug, Right shoulder to the left shoulder with Handshake. This is cool and used for old buddies.
2. State Govt Hug. I.e side to side hug with hand spread across the backs . Used for colleagues and some cool buddies. Nothing out of place too.
3. Federal Govt Hug i.e this reserved for intimacy usually face to face, chest to chest ,thigh to thigh kinda thing...hmnn Nwane ..this may require some explanation if the person is not family o. Like an Handshake dt has. Gone beyond the elbow ...if you suspect that somebody wants to eat your hand, pls count ur fingers first.
In conclusion, moderation is key . Aseju is not good ! QED !

Where is the link ? Seeing is believing. Until I see the video and confirm ...she is presumed innocent (on this issue alone ) ...make we even see how her look like sef ....bye bye to home videos !

300k ko , 3000 naira ni ! U think say we neva build house b4 ? Wit dis pix 800k is more like it abi d'bricklayer, tiler, plumber, carpenter no collect labour , na hand u take carry d'materials frm market. ? The PVC nko , na free ...una no buy water ? Pshew...small time now u go say u dig borehol inside d'300k . Pls sing another song joor. Dis CD don scratch !

I will like to know the average cost of clearing a container with 2 cars (06 Highlander and 01 Camry) and other baby items . I will appreciate verifiable facts. Thanks.

I need a gear boxfor 05 Xterra. Any idea of price .Location -LAGOS. With guarantee. Pls inbox me with useful details. [left][/left]