₦airaland Forum

I felt it was only just to plough and harrow I never knew I was just starting to see the capitalist game in play.

First getting a tractor in some parts of Benue is a luxury and even after you get it they charge you base on how they feel regardless of the size of land. Funny enough the least you can hire a tractor is 30k and you will have to fuel it yourself, I am talking in terms of my own axis. Poor enough many of this tractor owners will not move their tractor until you pay the full charges and it's sad to discover that most tractors are faulty and all they do is to manage it into your farm. You'll discover you were just doing the repairs for them just for the fact of haven to go all over again looking for tractors and having to lose your money incase you send the tractor packing because surely YOU WILL NEVER GET THE MONEY BACK!!!

Before I could realise I had to hire four different tractors which none of them used nothing leaa than 3daysaeach, with a total charges of 60k a day including the gasoline.

I know it sounds like that's not too much to get hat kind of land done, but I will tell you that that's where ignorance can be expensive.

I went to confront them at my return but I couldn't get neither the money nor my chemicals, I told my Tiv friend and my friend said I should have stayed with his uncle that he won't repeat what he did. I gave him another opportunity thinking he won't do it again, but it's sad he did worse than I could ever imagine after handing him a second chance but it was a sorry case that it took my so long to discover the damages done by him.

After clearing the land I sat down and thought to myself that what will I achieve by coming all the way from Port Harcourt every month just to farm a so farm? It doesn't look challenging and it's almost a waste of time and resources. I then asked my friend's uncle to let's go scouting for bigger lands. While scouting together, he suddenly left me and followed a bike guy without telling where he's going all for him come back to tell me he has found a bigger land in a neighborhood community. I followed him there and I met the owner of the land.

My first question to him was "what's the size of your land"? He said he has more than 100hectares that his son will take me around just to have a view. We didn't looked around and surely there were lots of rice land. I went back and negotiated the price with him he charged me 1.5m which I negotiated it down to 450k.

I paid about 65% of the money and I promised to pay the remaining when I start my second season. Work started and the land was cleared. I was told to plough so that I can plant very early as soon as the rain starts.

Which I did....

@Op, thanks for the privilege.

Let start by saying this **the biggest lesson I learnt**
1. Ignorance is not a bliss and it is very very expensive.
2. Expect the best but also prepare for the worse.

My journey started exactly this time last year, was in a salon where I used to cut my hair somewhere I. Port Harcourt. Lo and behold a Tiv guy bringing up inspirations on agriculture in Tiv, to be sincere, I've got no clue about agribusiness. It got my attention and after the whole talk I went after him and asked him how true all that he has said is, he said he is very sure of it all.

There we go, like all entrepreneur will do, I activated my challenge button and set out for it. I don't have a clue but I am surely having the peace within me to go ahead with the challenge.. To cut the story short....

My first trip to Benue was Nov 20, I went with the guy to his village where he introduced me to his uncle and we went around the rice farms in the village, he told him what we came to do, they spoke their language and had a secret meeting. I was dumb and straight to know the journey of extortion has began.

Was told to show up December in order to come and get the land I needed for the project I went back and before I knew the pressure to send money for the commitment of land began. I question the motive, how will I commit myself to a land I have not seen, I told them hell no I won't send a dime notwithstanding a week later I was told I have to send the money me having to think of the poor farmer.

Here come December I was in the cross road of where to go Nasarawa or Benue having served in Nasarawa state but the question of Fulani herdsmen was my nightmare. Nasarawa is populated with fulanis I had to return to Benue learning my friend's uncles local government doesn't have a single Fulani herdsmen in it.

All through the yuletide period I was on the road all through the time sourcing for land. I came to my friend's uncle to see the land he said he has made some commitment on all for him to tell me the guy has travelled for Christmas and we won't be able to step in the land till he's back. I trusted his judgment and we went looking for another we later found about 3 acres which I was charge for 60k I negotiated it for 40k with them telling me 40k is very cheap to get such land, I thought it a good deal not knowing it was a rip off.

I traveled back home to get set for the work but I was told I have to start my land preparations else by April I won't be able to plant anything because the whole land must have been flooded by then, I had to return by January to start the land preparation all for me to discover the man didn't pay for the land. I couldn't arrest him because of my friend, my friend pleaded on his behalf which I had to let go I moved on by getting another land through another channel, they got me about 2hectares which I was told it's 6hectares. Please I know this sounds stupid and I take responsibility for my stupidity, like I said earlier ignorance is expensive. I trusted them and paid a whooping 100k for the land thinking they were doing me a favour by getting me cheaper land not knowing I have been gypped. I was charged for the bush clearing, spraying of chemiclas, cutting of trees and other stuffs they charged me 40k and was told to buy a cartoon and one half of chemicals. I did pay all for me to discover they didn't do anything after I left, chemical was shared work left undone.

@Op

I sincerely commend your effort to bring experience and rice farming journey so far to the reach of the people.
I also don't know if you will permit me to share my own journey and my rice farming experience with the house too, your experience shared has brought me a great relief I thought I was the only one going through the hell of rice farming.

shakol91:
sorry for replying late. I will inform the supplier to quote you.

Okay. Thanks, I will be expecting.

shakol91:
we have gotten a supplier, Thanks for your concern.

Please can you help me with the supplier's contact?

Newway2:
Yes, depending on ur location. But, generally not later than middle of September.

We are based in Muslim/Odinjo. But, we deliver nationwide.

Please I am in Benue, can I still plant your FS seed by Early September? And how many days is it between the planting and the harvesting?

TokyoBulls:
There are many hybrid seeds in Nigeria that are better than Premier Seeds' Oba 2, Super 6 and 98. I think the best seed is Seedco's SC 727 and SC 719 (yield potential of 14 tonnes per hectare), Mosanto's DK 920 (potential yield of 10 tonnes per hectare) and Dupont's Pioneer Sees (potential yield of 8 to 12 tonnes per hectare). PLEASE note: Yield potential and actual yield are ALWAYS different.

Boss @Tokyobulls, please where can I get the seesco SC727 and SC 719 and concerning the planting timing and Yield potential vs Actual yield, please I do love to talk with you on them if youd don't mind dropping your contact fadojuphilips@gmail.com. thanks.

Pls I've been battling with the choice of the best school to choose, but I picked some schools and they are all requiring for TOEFL or ietls which is not a problem but time is my issue. Please, based on the knowledge you have in Germany and their admission processes, is it compulsory I write them since my undergraduate course was instructed in English. And please which of these cities will you advice me to pick in this list: Paderborn, Ulm, Berlin, Kempten, Kiel, Bremen, Rosenheim and Darmstadt. Thanks.... Hoping to hear from you soon.

Am 4 u guys. Pls any gist about nasarawa?