Pistotita:
Naija is frustrating. Government policies are crazy. If I tell you the number of proposals I have rejected from government, you will be shocked. I have people in government too, but I avoid them all. I have never for one day in my life work as a salary earner though I have outstanding degrees that could push me into any big 4 anywhere in the world if I really want to. Of course, I am thinking towards that now since I am beginning to downsize. Perhaps to take up a consulting job with a multi International company in policy formulating or Strategy or administration. But definitely not with any government department. I feel your pain too sir.
Somebody lured you into trading. Hmmmm! People trade agro-products successfully and make millions. I know that some politicians who trade grains. You just missed some things. That is all. Or you engaged with bad people. Or perhaps you did not research it well before going into it. But it is good you have learned your lesson.
I really do not sell organic because buyers do not value it. Except if I see the client values good food, I introduce it to him/her. But everything I eat personally now are mostly organic and more of fermented food. Sugar is off. People eat all these white sugary rice like .....lol. Ofada rice is even better. LOL. They say they are running away from sugar, yet consume rice in the morning, semolina in the afternoon, and yam in the evening. Nice one. It is waiting for you soon. When the doctor gives you N30,000 bill per week, you will understand. And when you catch cancer which is rampant, and doctor bills you N600K every 2 weeks, you will get it. So, we think those celebrities begging for fund for cancer could not feed themselves previously? The standard price for chemo is around N500 to N700k every two weeks. And you go for like 8 to 30 sessions. 30 × 700k = Run to the public and beg. Why? I have seen it life. I have seen the pain. Of course, I don't have it. So, do not think otherwise. lol. The first 6 days after each chemo is like hell. They saY it is like fire moving round their body. Infact the treatment is more painful than the disease itself. But people beat cancer. And it is getting common. To make the patient comfortable and have quick recovery, doctors recommend some very expensive supplements. Not cheap at all. Organic is the way sir. Better have a garden at home and grow 40% of the fruits and veggies you eat. And learn how to detox to remove the 60% you cannot avoid because we live in a world of chemical.
Do not joke with labor. please limit your pilot to a scale that you can easily recover if you lose the cash you pumped into it. And try to make your pilot in a way you can do it yourself so that you understand it. Do not depend on anyone If I was doing trees now, I would do just one plot and wait for 5 years till I see it happening. I would never rush. So, I would still add cucumber on the farm to keep me going while waiting five years so that my time in the bush would not be wasted . lol. Even at the end of the day, if I decided to ditch the tree, I would not regret it cos of vegggies. Hmmm. You are very correct. Many people do not realize that we are what we eat. Most illnesses are a direct result of what we ingest. Cancer has probably been prevalent for some time now, but because many Nigerians do lot go to the hospital, they don’t know what is ailing them. You simply read obituaries that say “died after a brief illness “. Hmmm. I lost two loved ones to cancer, diagnosed, who knows how many undiagnosed. I still remember the struggle to save them, the pain and cost of chemotherapy! I do not wish it on anyone! I still currently have two people I care about fighting cancer even now, so I know what you mean. It is one of the reasons I am trying to reorganize my diet, and also my environment. I continue to enjoy reading your posts and learning from you. Thank you for pouring out yourself so freely. Your insights are worth the time to read the “epistle”. Perhaps, if you don’t mind, I would like to run a couple of things by you in a couple of weeks. Please let me know if I may contact you privately. Blessings. |
Ha ha I love Bob Marley �! I mean ...
Now to your comments. I mean my approach to Agriculture was roundabout because I was researching investments in a totally separate business, when a change in rules by the government agency meant that the financial projections became unstable at best. I do not generally like to do business with the government, it’s a waste of effort as far as I’m concerned. However, we all need to operate within the framework of government regulations, and when the rules keep shifting, it makes doing business and attracting any kind of reasonable investment almost impossible. So I decided to find a different business that is adjacent to my original plan.
While looking into that someone lured me into buying some grains from the north and selling in the south. Well that was something! It was an expensive lesson, but I learned some valuable lessons along the way that brought me to decide to go into farming. I have been researching what aspect and the best way to structure it so that I can supervise it myself and I think I have a some idea now.
Most importantly for me is that I would like to have an organic farm. Thus I am very excited that you are now converted to the organic way. But jokes aside, this is about healthy living for me. Profits are secondary, they will come in due course. That is now what is exercising my mind. I am bracing for how that might work in a farm setting and your particular insights have been quite interesting. Your advice above is very much appreciated. It is almost a mirror image of my plan. The main difference is that I am hoping to do a fairly large pilot on a specific type of food forest. Still working out the kinks. Labour matters have also been consuming my time, but I think I have a couple of people that God has prepared ahead to work with but still need some more. May God help us to learn to deal honestly in this country.
Blessings to you my brother. |
Pistotita:
Hahahaha Mr. Emeka my dearest vegetable friend. You are very right sir. But I am going to disappoint you that at this moment, I do not have. If I do, you will not see me on nairaland.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
3 years ago, I had a tomato farm collapsed. Also, I teamed up with someone and had habanero on 1 ha destroyed. Habanero? I was devastated. Though, I later knew the reason. And lastly, I tried recovering with 1 ha cucumber farm, and fuel scarcity destroyed the farm when we started harvesting. I was ready to buy black market fuel, but could not get. 17 cans of Murano and Tokyo went into that farm. Over 15km drip. And come and see boys working. Around December. So, I just slowed down for a month. After, I went to Ibadan to meet an elderly friend, and he sat me down. He prayed with me. And we brainstormed together what could be the issues. Two areas we arrived at are: terrible workers, and bad neighbors. And the last area which I had to swallow my pride was me. I had my own short comings too.
Then, the elderly man got another farmer who came to talk with me. And after cross checking me, I realised that small plots garden can be profitable. This was my turning point. Being the person I am (very detailed), I decided to look for ways to achieve this. I did not stop at the man and the farmer, I checked colleagues who play with veggie as part time (cos they are the ones who do small plots) and I started getting tricks from them.
If you have been following me, I clearly wrote about my sales, and I clearly wrote about settlement of debts, etc. Is it a joke to send soil abroad? To get special seeds from seed banks when one is like $10. Lol. These are seeds breeders multiply, cross breed into hybrids. I was really testing many things. And I was running small plots of cucumber concurrently as living expenses and some other running costs.
Greediness is in the gene of Humans
By the time the prospect of my endeavor start showing to some of the people I was working with, their true nature started showing. And I am a careful person. My brother, when you are good with what you do, your first enemies are your friends, colleagues, and associates . "Na only him?" "Him dey too pompous". Bla bla bla. And workers issue na wahala. Even for the first period in my life, little investors i partnered with almost embarrassed me. I am being opened here, and I want people to learn from me.
Health is Wealth
And I was hit cos I strained myself too much. Bro, God saved me. It was after CT Scan that I got clear direction of what was wrong. But the signals had been there, and I neglected them.
1. For now, it is gardening near my house which is highly profitable. Will not invite premature death cos of millions from tomato during this period.
2. The day I decide to move into big a farm, it must be real commercial with my own farm machineries. It is a decision that I took. Never will I do useless 1 to 10 ha farm the way many do in south here. It must be a standard farm. So. If you expect me to have like 1 ha of farm and make 30 million naira bla bla bla cos of what I know, no way! I will wait till the financial aspect is settled (banks may be involved at that time). And I am ruling out partnership to start with. Life has no duplicate. The way people worship money is crazy. If I start narrating stories of close relatives that started burying charms to prevent me from entering a farm when harvest time was reached, I will not finish the story today.
People who knew me 3 years ago would tell you that anything less than 1 ha farm, I would not touch it then. But all has changed.
Not only Tomato
I am moving back to active service gradually. And I got this waste disposal site (LAWMA) compound that I tipped the security. Of course I will not disclose such location to anyone. In the city, close to me, and very convenient for me. Cucumber per kg is what I want to do there. Will start as soon as I complete arrangement with the guy and his boss. Not always tomato, zuchini is always profitable, cauliflower is there too. Purple egg plants too. But bro, I will not expand too much so that past mistakes do not occur.
My Team First
In order not to have previous experiences with workers, I traveled to the north some months ago to understudy 3 big vegetable farms (understudied human management). And I realised I have more to put in place. In Nigeria, owners have almost 100% control over everything even when they are absent. And if you know the way people go to juju makers just to tie people down to be loyal, hmmmmm. Wait until you gat a big project to do, then, you will realise how the thoughts of men are evil. Jeremiah said "My people are desperately wicked". But there are still plain guys. Many young brilliant chaps that are cut off pre maturely are not uncommon. Only if the victims had applied Godly wisdom.
Not only about farm skills
Success is more of adminstration. It is why I will never return as a farm director. My focus is bringing brains together to brainstorm and find solutions. Also, to be the bridge between workers and the board of any business. Of course I must be a member of the board, if not the chairman. There are many methods to solve challenges, not my methods only.
My bro, my dream is beyond N50 million naira sales every wet season. My dream is crazily, magnificently big. But for now let me concentrate on my mini plots. If I cannot enter tomato jackpot this year, next year is there. It has been there for many years. And it will be there for many years to come until power is settled in Nigeria.
I have many ideas. So, while I was on my sick bed, I just was thinking "will all these ideas just die with me if something happened?" Guy, if I share anything here, I have moved like 10 steps ahead. Greengo, Murano, Nagano, Cu999 are off my cucumber seeds list. Why not just help others doing it? Sure, money is still there. OK. How many can buy 1,000 cucumber seeds for N85,000? Lol. Let me write about them, anyone who can read should read. Anyone who wants to get wisdom, should. Why should I withold them when I am gone past them?
Again, I am beginning to look into doing my own mini poultry, rabbit, grass-cutter, and maybe goats. So, it is time to move to a place I can buy like 6 plots in the city. So, it means I must do odorless animal husbandry. Cos, big farms having organic section must practise animal husbandry.
Let me stop here. I am writing from my inner mind, and I can pour out Psalms, proverbs, Eccl and Songs here. Not Epistles only. Let me just stop. I am doing it gradually, systematically, accurately, with the pace satisfactory to me. Wow! I have been quietly following your threads for a while now, that is, under your previous pen name and the new one. I am new to the agricultural sector and have been trying to test the depth of my interest. I arrived at Agribusiness via a roundabout way. But your direct and forthright manner has both scared and encouraged me�. When I say scared, you are in good company here! A few of my friends who have previously dabbled into farming also told warned me off in no uncertain terms! But your openness about your struggles is very much appreciated and highly respected. I am a very private and introverted person and even now I am not sure I can be as open as you have been on such a public platform. But we need people like you to lead the way. I pray for you that the Almighty will restore you to full health so you can reap the fruits of your labour and so you can keep up the good work you do here. You are an inspiration. |
Agriculture › Re: 40 Cucumbers Per Plant And 12kg Tomatoes Per Plant by Jayfarms: 12:15am On May 30, 2019
