₦airaland Forum

I would not say he lose but would rather say he was exposed to options that could make or mar him.
Left for him to decide

INFOTECH2:
The real loser here is @Russell145. He started this thread to get advice from the gurus here and he has virtually been left hanging while his thread was turned into WWE (table and ladder match).

Please assist him with advice that would help him and others.

Wat I have learnt :

1. Its better to process your cassava after harvesting.

2. It also good to make a new thread if your original one has been taken over.

3. It is very good to be calm and patient while learning from all the gurus.

4. Research far and wide, then put it all into good use.

Happy new year everyone`

choiceman:
@jethro, where is your farm situated? Would also like to know if you have had bacteria wilt and how you approached it. Like someone mentioned, I have theoretical knowledge of tunnel farming based on books, YouTube and contact with farmers in Israel, Spain and Kenya. That is the basis brother,you don't go into a business blindly. I started my poultry farm 6 years after I had planned it on paper and Alhamdulilah, I am doing very well. Where someone spent 8m to set up a poultry farm, I used half of his budget for the same capacity even doing better than him. As a farmer, improvisation is very important that is the reason why you'd need to do extensive research b4 starting, in Agric, we use other people's mistake to perfect our plans that is the essence of forum like this. Wish everyone best of luck. I always say Agric leads to good living because you are always fulfill when you are doing well.

Farm is located in Saki East LGA of Oyo state.
Its good to have both knowledge. Theory and practical. Practising is an interesting experience
Yes. I have had to deal with bacterial wilth at one point or the other.
Bacteria wilt has no cure other than to uproot the plant to stop the spread.
There are tomatoes seed that are resistance to bacterial wilt.
Another preventive measure is to treat the soil before planting

I have been reading a lot of interesting contributions. I was hoping, i could attend to most concerns. But alas No. Its been an hectic day on the farm today.To be back soon

TAEpiphany:
On the DIzengoff website they claim their 24x8 will produce 5-7 tonnes within 6-8 months if I’m reading correctly. They also claim that’s the equivalent of what you will get from 1 hectare if you used traditional means. Jethro can you speak to this? I know you mentioned you were told you can get 20tonnes from 1 hectare.
If we place the total price to get the greenhouse running at 1.5 million and you produce at least 5000Kg (5 tonnes), and you sell in worst case scenario at 100/kg, you will be making a measly 500K after first harvest. This means it will take about 4 cycles (about 3 yrs, all things being equal) before you can even make your investment back. And you have to consider, cost of maintenance too. The figures are not looking attractive to me. They sound like a rip-off

Green house products are always unique and thereby dictates markets. Quality tomatoes are always in demand.

Gadgetmobil:
@ Jethro.
You are a pride not only of this generation but also the generation to come.
Keep your head up, be open to suggestions and as well criticms.
@Choiceman, don't let go of your expertise. The future awaits your innovations now.
@Jeff they'd hear us bit let us not keep talking about it.
All the best

Thank you

choiceman:
Why not? you can make money earlier than expected but your shoe go chop. Except you have a good marketing network then you can smile to bank easily but you know marketing no easy. The trick here is packaging. Identify the market, device means of attracting people to get your product. I have a poultry farm, i work in a corporate environment, i always ask the janitor to collect A4 paper rim packs with this, i sell eggs to my colleagues at the very good price better than what i will sell to middlemen that tend to eat all the profit. You could get a ziploc bag, take your product to offices, schools where you have women with persistence i am sure you can make money fast. i am sharing my some of my ideas with you FOC. But serious it works, just a little push. Sometimes people overlook the average/middle class citizens but to a large extent that is where the money is just win their hearts and you don hammer.

Supported.

Pavore9:
They are taking advantage of being the big fish in the sector, if strong competition steps in prices will crash as it has done in Kenya.

You are perfectly right sir.
Dizengolf is still the only green house provider in Nigeria so they are extorting the masses.
Very soon, i mean very soon, they will might to contend with some competitions

omonnakoda:
So can one make money with this Dizengoff kit at that Price??

Yes one can make money from a green house. Though Dizengof is quite on the high side

jeffmyson:
Yes! You will make money but it will probably take you upto 2 years to go through the learning curve and then at around 3 years you will break even!

Agri business is slow and steady mate!

I don't agree with this.
I have met some one that is making cool dough from green house in Nigeria. It takes within a year. One just need to put in some work

Nairawriter:
Wow. This is new. Thumbs up op.

http://www.nairawriter.com/2015/01/da-big-house-comedy-series-episode-11.html

Funmfunm:
Wow! So much to gain, thank you very much for this immense contribution Jethro. I'm so excited to find time to catch up. Thanks all.

Its my pleasure.

mfm04622:
You did not tell us how you solved the problem of the baskets.

I later discovered one get ready made basket at a reasonable price in Mile 12.
The villagers were weaving basket for me at 200-300 per basket. I was able to buy the same size of basket for N100 at mile 12

brainiac007:
Thanks Jetro for this rich expose. You've always been an inspiration. Right from our 1st meeting at Ogbomosho at the YABDI training you've not ceased to amaze me in your depth of knowledge of the subject of farming. Please keep up the good work.

You are welcome sir

omonnakoda:
Thanks I have spent most of today online looking into this. Someone said it cost over 1M Naira from Dizengoff . This seems high ,also I found it is much cheaper in Kenya. Can it me made locally and how well?

You are welcome

Back in farm to restrategize.
I took in every complains that the women gave.
Try to findvsolution to it
I repackage the second time and took another set to her.
I got to work on time to move. Not too early and not too late.
If you can pass through Iseyin early, you get to miss some unauthorise police post.
For Abeokuta, make sure to pass before 5. You will be saving much. Instead of 6 post you got one.
In Lagos, move in with the Lagos traffic, police men are yet to come out.
They flash touch but are not bold to stay on the road.
For tomatoes
I repackage in the vehicle
None was thrown over
The basket were almost equal.
I did improve on a lot of things

My step mum wouldn't hear of it. She tried. She was actually the one that was now negotiating on my behalf.
Left to me, i was completely pissed up and messed up the whole sales.
She was cajoling, pleading and whatever before they could pick majority at N1000.
Despite that there were some that we just have to let go at whatever price

The woman has kept for herself the tomato from my farm.
Other tomato sellers has arrived to pick theirs.
And the story changed.
"This tomatoes are not big"
"I thought is Cotonou tomato"
"There is too much "esa"
Yet they were selecting theirs.
The woman now called me aside that the buyers said they will buy at N700 per basket

To offload, driver said we didn't bargain for loading and offloading.
Abeg please help me for this one. I will make some other arrangement next time.
He assisted me amidst complains.
We offload.
Some tomatoes have been thrown out, some have been pressed by the basket. It was not funny.
Been the drivers first time in that area, I have to escort out to show the way.
Amazingly the other side of the road was another set of policeman.
They insisted on collecting money despite the fact that the basket are empty.
Another hour wasted, with N1000 compulsory parting gift. The vehicle was released.
It was 5am by the time I left them at Iyana Ipaja to get back home.

If Abeokuta is bad, Lagos is worst at night. Every bus stop in Lagos has a policeman by midnight. No N100 for Lagos.
There was a particular one that said the driver was trying to dodge. He delayed us for an hour and we begged before he finally collected N500.
Same within streets in Lagos. It was a terrific first time experience.
We finally got to our destination by 2am

We eventually left the village around 7.30pm.
Few minutes drive entering the next village was some people by the roadside that push plywood with nail on the road.
Anything wrong? I asked as the driver slowed down.
Na eleru. He answered. (Eleru means the load owners)
Dem wan collect their money.
Their money?
ha. Eleru! How much?
Shouldn't be more than N100.
N500!.
We have stopped and the Eleru collector surface by my side.
I paid N500
We will be paying at every entrance to most villages. The money varies from location to location.
Hmnmn. I breathe in. Wahala dey

It was during those trips i know we have plenty force men with varying degree of names and payment differs
Sarsen, Operation burst, mobile policemen, the millitary is N200. Police N100.
So the payments continue to Lagos.
There is more force men on the road at night that you can ever imagine.
Abeokuta road is something else. The Eleru in Abeokuta put on generator throughout the night. Most are touts and ruffians.
They are with different size of sticks to break something if the vehicle tried to escape.
Money are also collected based on the size of vehicles. 6 seater is different from 18 seater and trailers are worst hit

TAEpiphany:
Jethro, you are beginning to annoy me now oo.....which kain torture be this....you know we are thirsty you will pop in drop info...dissapear....una wan make we die of thirst? ......kilodeeeee.... please I love your narratives, I can't wait to hear what happened with the woman that said she can buy trailer load....let me guess, when you took tomatoes there, she start calling stupid price ba?.....biko let us know wharrapun na.....

Lol. Please no vex.
Just taking time to attend to every concerns.
Why you come dey jump now. Na person wet dem dry bring wife come give no suppose dry peep.

jethro2:
Thank you

Thank you

omonnakoda:
The internet is a beautiful thing and the energy of Nigerians is great I am sure the future is bright listening to the ideas on this thread.
We need to shun ideas of getting rich quick and embrace handwork. It seems to me that the main problem is a lack of "knowledge" . Good knowledge is often found in big companies who do not have time for trial and error but also are able to invest heavily . Perhaps cooperatives are the way to go. Potentially for Nigerians this could be a problem because of intrinsic dishonesty and desire to be the BOSS.
I want to share this greenhouse video which is of what I can only call a tomato factory rather than a farm


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCz_NqmYhOE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB7RYIlS6LQ

You ve said it all

meemeee:
Thank OP for this thread.. Please continue with the lecture.

amarawa:
Sorry, I came late to class this morning. This is surely the best thread on agric. pls keep on the good work.

Queendo:
Weldone for d exposition. Pls continue frm ur journey to Lag. These details wil help us calculate how and when to break even. It wil help us to calculate our profits. Many ppl dont bother to calculate all these little expensis when talking abt making millions.

Class begins in few minutes. Lol

omonnakoda:
About this Greenhouse kit sold by Dizengoff what are the dimensions and is it economically viable?

24m by 8m.

Pilotman:
Nice one bro! Keep it up!

Thank you

choiceman:
Hello Jethro, How can i get the plastic mulch in Nigeria? Could provide with website or contacts.

The plastic mulch was gotten from port Novo Benin Republic.
You can contact Jasper to source from Thailand

felixzo1:
which tomatoes varieties did you plant and how much did you buy them

There are lot of tomato varieties. One has to study the one that best suit their area.
Tomato Companies
Technisem products from Agritropic
Chia Thai through Jasper
East West Seed through IFDC

idumuose:
What about toll collectors in the name of produce under the ministry of agric.
For each state you drive past,you must pay produce.These are the guys that used to set planks with nails along the road incase you refuse to stop.

Produce toll from Jos to Enugu

1. Jos = N500

2 Nasarawa =N1,500

3 Benue =N3,000

4. Kogi =N1,500

5. Enugu =N1,500

Total cost of produce = N8,000

To settle soldiers and police from Jos to Enugu you'll have to pay about N16,000 with the "abeg collect this N100 na" that follow it.

Tomato business is risky,but it is very very lucrative.One trip can fetch you N150,000 ,N200,000,N300,000 depending on your target market.

I will also come to Jethro for training on tomato cultivation.I don't know nothing about tomato planting.

Busy @ work To be continued later.

If they will collect the money without wasting your precious time then you are lucky. Its another world entirely. Nigeria force are corrupt

securi:
Nice thread, valuable info, pls keep it up.

Thank you

jeffmyson:
I was referring to Dangote farms with their outrageous claims not you. That Is why farmers refused to buy the seeds from him and rather asked him to try and farm it himself in his demonstration farm. I don't think anyone is here to scam anyone on this thread. We are all learning! But please no shout figures too much as some of those e-farmers will think it is very easy and the next thing they will start tomatoes farm and when they fail they will start looking for someone to blame for their woes!

Tomatoes farming is not very easy! It require efforts and vigilance too! If you really want to know the wahala in it visit Kadawa Valley in Kano, you will see how northerners suffer for those tomatoes you consume everyday!

Cheers!

Please forgive my utterance. I misinterprets you.
I am on my knees

jeffmyson:
Can you imagine? 1.1m for that rubbish they are selling. That same size of greenhouse in kenya cost like 250k, I don't know why Naija things are always different!

I believe if green house are cheap, many people will go into the business of vegetables and there will be supply all year round!

Yes. The green house is quite expensive. Nigerians should learn to make use of local material to reduce cost

choiceman:
OP, I agree with you on some of the point raised but you are leaving out pest and diseases. one of the major reasons why tomato doesn't do well is because of bacteria wilt. This can be controlled by greenhouse farming to a large extent. I learnt there are some green houses in owode in Ogun state, i have also seen one in Ikorodu installed by Dizengoff. Attached are some pictures, Kenya is seriously into this type of farming and they now construct greenhouses locally because of high cost.

Sir, I was sharing my stories, my experience in the farm. I expect questions from my audience but none is forthcoming. My stories becomes shorter because i can afford to cut corners.
Don't mind me sir.
Pest and Disease of tomatoes
Like you rightly said, bacterial wilt is o,e of the major sickness for tomatoes.
When we have on the farm, we kept applying every kind of pesticide, insecticide or whatever. Since we don't even know what it is. Eventually i have to do some little research. I found out it has no cure
One has to uproot the whole plant and burn to prevent the spread of it.
Bacterial wilt is from the soil. Beat method is to either use seeds that are resistance or find a way to treat the soil.
Si,ce it enter the plant through the root and the green house are sometimes treated in pots and bags. It becomes save.
The green house in Nigeria is too expensive. Dizengolf is selling at N1.100,000. How many farmers can afford that?

Believe me the so called elitist market has its own share of the market. Its more sustainable than the unstable price change of the open market. What they demand is quality?. Which is not too difficult to meet. All one needs to do is extra work.
Yes the demand supply ratio can. Nigeria buys imported tomatoes of lower grade at N1000. Getting a better quality at for less is a big advantage.


National Bureau of Statistics you say?
Where and when last were data's collated?
In Nigeria?
Where did they get the figures?
Big Woooww.
I guess i give up.
Your postulations or whatever are not realistic.
And like i said I completely gove up.
quote author=jeffmyson post=30007747]And I also encourage agri business to focus on the mass market because that is where the money is not the elitist market. How many people can afford 400 Naira /Kg tomatoes in Lagos? Is the market sustainable? Can the demand supply ratio keep you in business? What is the minimum wage and what percentage of it does people spend on food (on average household spend 30% of food budget on vegetables), what is the population of the city and household calculations?

When doing postulations and feasibility let us always take advantage of data released by the National Bureau of Statistic (its always on their website and free) to determine if our proposed business makes "reasonable economic sense" and if available data on consumer earnings and buying behavior will support the business model![/quote]