₦airaland Forum

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tosindguy:
@Jehtro2. I really don't seems to understand what is meant by "farm gate low transportation cost". Can you please explain?

Farm gate price is the price at which you buy directly from farmers. The buyer will have to make arrangement for transportation and all others

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Adex001:
OMG! Can't believe I read this thread from page 1 to this point. I am highly disappointed. How could a lady do this while my procrastination has robbed me of about one and a half years. All I could say is ride on.. Though am a lazy farmer who grow crops by procrastinating but you might not know what motivation you just gave me. In my heart, I grew tomato, cassava, pepper and okro, but to start it up is a very big challenge.
I think my mind is made up now. By the fall of this week to next week, would start buying the farming tools and start doing something.
@Jethro2.. Keep it up..

I am glad this challenge you. There are abound great opportunity in agriculture sector. Welcome on board sir

mfm04622:
Jethro, What are the reason you wanted to break into Mile 12 market? Is the price of the tomatoes different from the market you set up with the help of your step mum?

The side market buys in smaller quantity. Most times they are not true to their words. They tends to short change you once your goods get to them.
Mile 12 is a major market for bulk vegetables. Trailers load of tomatoes daily come in from the North. Most Lagosians believe untill you get to Mile 12 before it can be cheap

Wow. I am sorry i have not been keeping this updated. I have been busy with the group project tagged YOP1. Its indeed an experience that has added to my broad knowledge. Do watch out for an eye opener details that will wow you.
Need to pull the project through by crook or by force (lol)
Make i enter farm

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The season is here. For your charcoal business call 07039211715, 08064688501

jasper7:
back in owerri. good news just came in from saki. 3 more Labour hands have been gotten. To God be the Glory. Expecting more this week. Kalusam come and update pictures o.

Wow. Thank for wonderful learning sessions in Saki. Its been an experience.

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Pavore9:
But l must confess tomato is rather expensive in Nigeria.

Yes. Quality ones are expensive because its scarce

Pavore9:
@jethro2, so the South african has "chanced" you who is an "omo nile" and now collecting the N400/kg you should be collecting?

@Pavore. That it is my brother. But the market is there for every one to tap from. The demand for quality produce at some quarters is high

I met the South African Farmer when he was still negotiating with shoprite.
He said N400 per kilo is okay with him. But of they give him N500 he won't refuse.
The Quality and size of the tomatoes he was producing was good.
He supplies 200 kilo per week to shoprite.
He puts in place a lot of things to be able to meet achieve this
1. His seed are of good quality, high breed
2. The farms is an irrigated farm which enables him to meet demand.
3. The farms are planted in stages one after the other so the harvesting can be in batches
4. Apart from protecting the tomatoes from pest and diseases, the surrounding bushes were also taken care of
5. Weeding and other farm maintenance were duly taken care as at when appropriate.

shinaboy:
How does one produce high quality tomatoes.

Producing high quality tomatoes is a result of good agricultural practises which starts from:
1. Type of seed
2. Nursery preparation and maintenance
3. Fertilizer Application and methods
4. Pest and disease control
5. Water management
Just to mention few

1. QUALITY PRODUCT
Due to increase in health challenges, consumers are now concerned about the source and the composition of what they eat.
The source,
The name
The quality
The appearance
The durability
are few of the parameters that consumers watch out for when deciding whether to buy or not.

Most standard shops and outlet are concerned with:
1. Quality
2. Consistency
3. Good Agricultural Practise etc

Fruits and vegetables are daily imported into Nigeria from South Africa.
A south African farmer came into Nigeria, got land and was producing tomatoes to supply an outlet of shoprite in Ibadan.
Yes. This is happening in Nigeria.
The question is:
Why did my so called standard shops prefered importing vegetables or prefer to buy produce from a foreigner?

The Standard Market
Shoprite, Spars, Hotel and Restaurant etc fall into this category of market.
Characteristic of Standard Market.
1. It demands quality
2. There is usually a contractual agreement which binds the buyers and sellers.
3. It pays premium price
My foray into researching standard markets was born out of the needs to overcome the glut season in vegetables.
I came across a group, Agricultural Fresh Growers Producers and Exporters Association of Nigeria. (AFGEAN)
Through them i got to know that there is huge demand for fresh fruits and vegetables within and outside Nigeria.
Imagine this: There is a cargo plane that comes to Nigeria from Europe 5 days in a week. The plane needs to be filled up with fresh fruits and vegetables or attimes cut flowers on its return flight.
Sadly enough, Nigeria farmers/exporters has nothing to export. The management therefore source fresh produce from neighbouring African countries like Kenya, Ghana while the plane takes off from Nigeria.

Sorry for the break in transmission. Work has been tedious at the YOP1 farm project. The labourers are not enough so we all turn labourers. Its indeed a practical learning experience

Glad I am tapping from the pros. Fantastic thread

omonnakoda:
How can I speak to you?

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benzion72:
@Jethro you really challenged me. Your tenacity is unequaled.If I am producing tomato I wont sell raw tomato to market directly, I will go a step higher processing it to paste. Or grinding it with pepper and onion and packaging it for sales as cold freeze. Or just find away of eliminating the middle men and sell directly to end user. I think that will be better. imagine your challenge at getting the tomato from Iseyin to the market, Police check point, Produce check points.
Also one can establish neighborhood store with freezer and sell in kilogram, well grinded and well package. Check out what Zartech is doing selling directly to the populace if one get a good neighborhood well packed and frozen one can easily break even. I learnt of a lady who is selling soup and stew to corporate ladies.
I doff my cap for you. You are the man in the arena who has faced so many vicissitude and not giving up

Thank you sir.
There are lots of oppourtunities in vegetable production that one can tap in to. Most of it you have mentioned. I hope people will take advantage of the enormous chances

Babalagzy:
Hi Jethro,
Great information on tomato farming and marketing. Thank you for all the information and most importantly for sharing.
I will go into greenhouse tomato farming this month and will be glad to share all the info i can subsequently.
i wanted to find out if you weigh your produce or have an idea what your basket of tomatoes weighs.

Yes. I do weigh the basket
The mefium size basket for mile 12 is 30 -35kg.

mercylicious:
jethro shld get ready to drive her factory customised lamborgini or private jet.
ehen, it will surely get to dt level.

My sister. You are welcome to join me oo. Lets plant to buy the rides. Enough tomato planting to sustain the industry. Seeing a big market for tomato here.

freshfarms:
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shinaboy:
Thanks Jethro for sharing your experience.
I know you mentioned that the min. Yield is 20 tonnes/ha but I would like to know what your own yield was?
What was the cost of growing the tomato from Planting to Harvesting? can u give a brief breakdown
What is the duration of growth?
Can direct me to any online resource to read more about tomato cultivation
Thank you so much

The yield depend on a lot of factors among which are the type of seed use and farm practises management. My yield was not much because i didnt use good seedd and my farm practises as of then were not anything to write about.
Cost differs from location to location. Labour cost and implement lease are not the same in every location.
Tomato uses 21days in the nursery and 40 to 50 days on the field. The duration varies according to crop yields.
You can consult with Jasper, the cucumber expert. He has some online materials that are useful. I dont have online resources.

farmrich:
Kenyan agric success is as a result of individuals and favorable govt policies. About greenhouse construction, many Kenyans who can't afford amiram kits construct it themselves because the materials are readily available with bamboo poles. All the greenhouses I've seen are to make the temperatures a bit warmer, hopefully this week I'll visit one in an area similar to temps like ours or visit one in Nairobi now that the weather is hotter(around 27 degrees ) to see how they aerate it.

Those are valid points. Nigeria dont have good government policies but individuals can buckle up to make some difference

Fhemmmy:
Surely would do business together, hopefully sooner rather than later. ....

Looking forward to that sir

Liferace:
enjoying every bit....thanks a lot for sharing.
So,when you say Mile 12 market is seasonal,do you mean they dont sell tomatoes all year round or you are talking about gluts?. And how have you been handling it?.
Whats your advice for anyone interested going into the business concerning seed varieties?.Do you think its possible to sell in mile 12 without a referral as in your own case?

You can sell every day throughout the season in mile 12. The market dictates the price. Every farmer plants tomatoes during the rainy season so there is always supplus in the market and the price falls.
If you have been planting continously and one make use of high yielding variety, the fall in price effects could be very minimal.
But for those who buy to sell, my advice is dont dare go there.
Always use seed that are resistance to certain diseases.
You must have a link or referral before you can take anything to mile 12 or any market at all in the big cities

Fhemmmy:
I have followed your write up in farming and i find it hard to blv you are a woman, if not that few met you already, i do admire your zeal in farming, and we surely gonna rub mind.... Keep it up and God bless.

Oga Fhemmmy. We women are upping our games. Thank you sir