₦airaland Forum

The worst part is that nothing will be done. No heads will roll for this international disgrace.

Farmerakinloye6:
Sold 28k this morning.

What variety did you plant?

JJacko:
Hmm. Many thanks for the info. Experience is the best teacher.
Have you tried the filteration/aeration/biodegradable system that's supposed to minimize water usage? Or is it all another 'promise and fail'?

I saw an implementation of the filtration system in 2014. It was eventually scrapped because it relied on power 24/7. Even with the system in places, the water began to smell after a few days.

Aeration is good and can be incorporated into any of the systems. I run a 24/7 flow-through for my hatchery and the traditional model of changing water every 2 days in my grow out section.

JJacko:
I guess because snail can be invaded by fire ants? But cost-to-profit ratio of snail is higher from my calculations, also less maintenance, less startup capital is needed. Getting a ready market might be an issue though.

I ran both businesses side-by-side. So, this is first hand info "based on my experience."

Timeline: It takes snails 12-18 months to reach large sizes. I used to have customers that insist on buying only jumbo sizes. However, you can achieve sellable sizes in 8 months.

Fish, on the other hand, can be sold off in 3 months as melange or 5-6 months as table sizes.

Given these timelines, a lot of things can go wrong in one year as opposed to 3 months or even 6 months. If you have the funds to sustain you through this period, go for it.

Cost: There's no arguing the fact that it's more expensive to raise fish. The cost of fish feed is super expensive. For context, at current market prices, you'll spend over 2M to raise 1,000 pieces of catfish to 1kg sizes. On the flip side, it wouldn't cost the same amount to raise snails.

I've seen people selling the idea of just build a greenhouse and leave your snails to reproduce and mature. That's nonsense. You'd have to complement with formulated feed for the best results. Also, there's zero accountability in this method. Staff can rip you off and you wouldn't know.

Sales: Which do you think is more marketable? Fish or snails? Although, my buyers bought in several hundreds, I had to do a lot of marketing to get them. You may not be able to sell to market women, especially during the dry season. They'd rather buy from those that pick in the bush. So, you need to invest heavily on marketing.
However, you may have seen videos of using every part of the snails - slime (blue blood) and shell (calcium).

Fish can be easily sold. In December, it took a single market woman to clear my farm, even though I still consider myself a small time farmer.

There are several other pros and cons but I'll stop here. I'm not against snail farming, I ran it successfully for about a year on a small scale before expanding. But I'll choose fish farming over it again and again.

PS: My snail farm has been converted to a catfish hatchery.

JJacko:
Following.
Did you build this pen yourself or contracted it out?
I've been debating between catfish farming and Snail farming I don't know which one to take.

Catfish

yMcy56:
Many other platform does it right.
In fact, some other broker's platform set "limit

For new comers, MERISTEM is not recommended for now.......
Go for better broking house with responsive customer care department.

Which do you recommend sir?

FatechAgro:
Every challenge has a solution. I will share my own tips when I get to that stage.

Absolutely. Good luck my brother.

Good luck chief. I hope you did extensive research and soil testing before venturing into this?

I had to recently convert my snail greenhouse into a fish hatchery because of fire ant invasion.

visaclick:
no need arguing, it’s everywhere on tiktok those who spent millions and are regretting while solar guys are cashing out.

Permit me to wade in here. This is what happens when people jump on the bandwagon without knowing the intricacies of a system.

Are there solar guys that don't know jack about the trade? Absolutely yes!
Does solar work effectively? Yes too.

I have been 100% off-grid for the past 3 years - no nepa light, no generator. My system is not very expensive but I haven't had a blackout of up to 10 days in the past 3 years.

What does my system carry - 2 deep freezers, iron, pumping machine, fans, virtually everything. People jump on the solar bandwagon, proceed to misuse the system, and them complain that solar is bad.

Start by calculating your load requirement, ask the right questions, and go for people that know their onions.

I know I don't post regular updates on this thread. But what started as a little experiment at my backyard is growing into something I can be proud of.

Delve:
Well done sir. Please I need your help. I wish to start this and not for business for now. What is your advice sir about:
1. The size to buy
2. Using bowl and and water from well
3. Feed to buy
4. Minimum number of fishes that I can buy.

I wish to do catfish

Hello man:
1. Start with juveniles, they are easier to manage as a first timer

2. You can raise catfish in a bowl. Like all living things, they need space to grow. You can start with two pieces of these 1000 Litres white tank. If funds are an issue, buy one and reduce the number of fish you stock.

3. Bluecrown or Aqualix. If you have the funds start with a few kg of foreign feed.

4. You need 1,000 litres of water to train 100 pieces of 1kg fish. If you buy only one drum, I'll advice you to stock 100 max if you plan on raising them to table size. There will be mortalities and you may end up with around 80.

If you buy two tanks, stock 150 pieces and sort after 2 weeks.

Bami87:
Thanks for this thread..Please sir can you kindly put me through on catfish farming?
I am a beginner.

Hello Bami, I noticed you sent an email. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to that email. What would you like to know please?

I believe myself and others here will be able to assist.

samnaija:
Update, i have finally acquired a 10 kva inverter and for the last 2months i have sampling and pushing the limits of the inverter. Thanks to everyone that gave suggestions on the brand to buy.

I settled for Felicity ivps100 48. Purely inverter and non hybrid. I can comfortable power 2 ac , use threadmill while my wife is using hotplate. I have thrown different gadgets with different scenerous at it. You name it water heater, with ac, pumping machine all. The inverter stand no shaking.

Since i am okay with this, like i wrote way back on this thread. I don't sell most of solar items after an upgrade its been a journey of 13 years. I have to create space and let go of things.

Up for sale
two 5 kva inverters both 48v. ( Wall and standing type).
2. 5 kva inverter 48v (standing type)
3.5 kva inverter 24 v (wall).

All inverters are transformer based. Will upload pictures of the inverters for sale.... Thanks again everyone...

How much is the 5kva 48v? I don't have an immediate need for it as my setup is currently 24v but I know I'll be upgrading soon. @saintace how you see am bros?

Ferdiwar:
A friend of mine that is based in Enugu told me that the state governor is currently taxing people using Solar when I tried to convince him to go Solar.

I'm yet to validate this claim Sha.

Wahala. It is not impossible. If the community can come and tax you when you try to drill your own borehole, nothing sounds strange again.

Don't be surprised if the government introduced Solar tax.

I am guessing your farm is in Rivers State. How have you been able to navigate taxation and levies from community, CDC, council, etc. Where's your farm located and what's the dimension of your greenhouse?

Thanks in anticipation.

Valto:
it can be reassembled as 12v 110ah,removing 4pcs of cells or getting a single 100ah cell to replace the damaged one. since cells make are different, an 8S 2A balancer bms can help to an extent, atleast it can be managed for the time being.

Thanks

isangjohnson:
Sorry about that.
Keep your battery Sir and let me look for that one cell as replacement in china.

Thanks, I hope it yields positive result.

Good evening DIYers. Please bare with me, it's a long read.

I think it's time to bring this to the larger house maybe I'll be able to get tangible help.

I purchased my first lithium bank from the Jos guy (jemag) in December 2022. The capacity of the bank is 24v 110a. In August last year, I purchased another battery bank 24v 100a from @valto.

I already noticed that my first bank had a hard time running from night till morning. On most nights it does by 2am. Reason I opted to purchase a second bank.

My night time load is between 100 to 200w (two 60w standing fans). So at the very least, I expected the Jemag battery to last till morning.

The way my system is setup, I have 1.2kw and another 1.8kw on both sides of my roof. Each set of panels go to their individual CCs before going to the batteries.

I began noticing significant deterioration in March this year. The battery may be full but shuts down within 30 minutes after a 200w load is introduced.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed there was a bad cell inside. One of the cell drops from 3.2v to 2.4v within minutes, triggering the BMS to shut off.

When I contacted the Jos guy, he proposed sending the bank back to Jos from Port Harcourt, an unnecessary step if you ask me. I opted for DIY, opened the bank and saw that one cell was seriously swollen.

I notified him again but he was angry on why I opened the battery. He was particularly about sending the bank to Jos for them to compress but I refused. This guy barely responds to messages.

Mind you, he used Sinopoly cells to build the bank. I asked if he had a replacement and he said yes, I paid around 50,000 for the replacement in May 2024 only for him to call days later that the cell they found was swollen but in perfect condition.

With no alternative at hand, I asked him to send the so call battery. That was a mistake on my part. When it got to me, the rating was not only different (3.2v 200ah) but the battery was worst than the existing piece.

I decided never to contact him since he never checked back. I abandoned his battery since March.

Now to my question:What can I do to salvage my battery? Do I sell of as scrap? Are there buyers?

Xanderone:
I also had issue with one of the packs I helped someone to buy from him. 24v 102ah pack married to 4 pcs 350w monocrystalline via powerMr MPPT CC. It went bad before one year warranty ran out and I immediately notified him to which he was positively disposed to me sending it back for checks. But cos it happened during the peak of the sunny season, the problem only comes up when the sun is down and the battery runs down within 2 hrs on just 213L deep freezer which is the only appliance person uses it for. And since there was no immediate alternative to keep her freezer working while the pack is sent for repairs, she still hung on to it and kept managing it like that. Then came the rainy season the following year, which was already going to two years after purchase, she couldn't manage it anymore. So I had to remove one of my stacks of 24v 50ah lithium stacks and gave her to use pending the time it's sent for repairs. I have 4 stacks of the Lithium (self assembled) which I use so I'm down to 3 stacks at the moment.

September 2023, I called. He said he wasn't on ground in Jos but that he has his technical person on ground there and gave the details of the recipient. I spent 19k to send it to Jos using speedaf express so as to ensure careful handling. After three days, technician called that he'd repaired it and I spent another 11k5 to bring it back, also via speedaf cos I specifically demanded for that method.

After I received it, I was busy for about 1 week so couldn't even check what he did. The second week upon testing it, I was shocked to discover that ńa still exactly the same problem. As if the guy didn't open it up (although the warranty seal was broken sha which suggested it was opened). But walahi, na like say dude just kept it for 3 days and then called me that he'd repaired it without opening it up.

Dejectedly, I just packed it in one corner and hadn't bothered so much since the woman that owned it is doing well without complaints with the stack I gave her from mine. I chatted the Jos guy (not the technician o) up and he indeed expressed concern that the issue persisted and suggested we do the diagnosis together via video chat. But aswear, I never get time to do that since that time. To even carry the battery alone, cos it's heavy, ńa headache for me. So trying to hook it up to any set up for diagnostics is already worrisome for me.

Please note: This is the only battery that had problem out of the many I bought and referred to him. In total over the past three years, I gave him four referrals and I bought two for personal use from him. It's only that one that had problem. So he scored at least 84% assessment from me.

I don't have any issues against him except for his failure to respond to WhatsApp messages. At the time I made my own complaint over 3 weeks ago, he was online but didn't read the messages or maybe he read it but turned off read receipt.

Beyond that, a customer called to complain about your product. The modest thing to do is to follow up but nothing so far.

If getting across to him is proving to be a problem, I can't just blindly send a package to Jos hoping for the best outcome. Imagine your own case. I'll open the battery myself and see if I can get a replacement cell.

Amador1:
Hello good morning everyone.
I’ve just spoken to the Jos guy this morning and he said I should take the battery to someone on his team here in Lagos to help check it out. He has sent me the persons numer.
I Will be updating the group on the outcome. Thanks to everyone for their concern and advice.

What exactly was your issue with the Jos guy? One of the cells of the battery I got from him 3 years ago has gone bad. He wants he to send the full bank back to Jos. I have not made up my mind yet because he is not responding to my WhatsApp messages (even though he is online) only calls.

This role is still available.

.

Company: Rabs N Veggies
Company Profile: @rabsnveggies on Instagram
Location: Rivers State
Preferable candidate: Female (males are welcomed to apply)
Nature of Business: Farm
Role: Offline
Base Salary: #100,000

Rabs N Veggies is a farm startup that is on a mission to transform the food industry with organic, fresh, farm-to-table options. We currently operate a snail and catfish farm, with a processing facility on thr side.

We are searching for a passionate and results-oriented sales and marketing expert to join our growing team and shape the future of our brand.

In this exciting role, you will:
1. Develop and execute strategic sales and marketing plans to drive brand awareness and revenue growth in both local and international markets.

2. Conduct market research to identify new sales opportunities and understand customer needs.

3. Lead the creation and implementation of innovative marketing campaigns across various channels.

4. Analyze data and campaign metrics to measure effectiveness and ROI.

You are a perfect fit if you have:
1. Prior experience in sales and marketing within the food industry.
2. A proven track record of success in developing and executing high-impact campaigns.
3. Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
4. A deep understanding of consumer trends and the food industry landscape.

What we offer:
1. Competitive salary and other added perks.
2. The opportunity to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
3. A team atmosphere that values creativity, collaboration, and fun.

Now, let me cut the chase and skip all the formal jamboree to save both our time. I am the founder of Rabs N Veggies, and I've successfully managed this business for over a year alongside two full-time on-farm staff.

On product quality, I can boldly beat my chest and say nobody does it better in the whole of Rivers State but a quality product is not enough to build a business. But it's time to scale up and I can't do that alone. This is where a marketing expert comes in. I need someone that knows their onions, is not afraid to experiment, and deliver results.

I understand the fears of job seekers and I've read stories of funny employers. I don't owe salaries; never have, never will. You won't also be subject to mental torture or abuse. All I ask for is results!!!

I encourage you to check our company profile on Instagram @rabsnveggies and apply if the role appeals to you.

Kindly submit your resume and cover letter to 1stclem@gmail.com or send a WhatsApp message to: 07035107792 to get things started. I look forward to working with you.

Trippledots:
All prices have changed, kindly reach out to confirm prices.

Timubu, thank you sir.

Shoot me a message on WhatsApp

Good morning guys and all the gurus in the house. I bought my first set of shares way back in 2008 when everything was still manual. I recently dabbled into equities and mutual funds about two months ago after taking an online course.

Assuming I have 1 million to spare. How would you advice I split it. My goal for investing is long term gains; 3 to 5 years or more.

nurey:
You will need to modify the rear suspension setup if you wish to use the sienna to carry such heavy goods.

Good morning sir. Following your recommendation, I've decided to settle for the Sienna but the prices of car is not smiling a bit.

I spent the whole of yesterday searching for a car. Someone is offering to sell an 01 xle for 3.3 million. He claimed he used it for just 3 months. We drove this and it was sharp.

My mechanic insisted I go for an 05 model but the one I saw had a terrible paint job for 3 million. According to him the newer model consumes lesser fuel and has a more premium feel.

I saw 4 other Siennas. A 2,000 model with very sound engine but already repainted and dirty interior for 2 million.

Another with first body (extremely clean interior and exterior) 1999 model going for 2.35 million. I like this one but there's a issue with the steering pump, shaft, back shocks, AC, and velocity side of the tacometer. We went under and it's absolutely rust free.

What are your thoughts, please?

jceesquare:
Just to add to what was said, it comes with RWD (great for hauling) unlike the Sienna's FWD, and it's a mid-engine sleeper (if you get the supercharged variant).
It's an overall sturdier family hauler.
The major issue you might face here is sourcing for good parts cos of its age.

Thanks boss.

nurey:
It is easier to modify, has a 4WD variant, has manual transmission as manual transmission is better for the work you want to do and manual will last better than the auto also manual is mostly maintenance free. yes it has similar room in fact the previa is mainly used for those kind of work

Nice, thanks.

nurey:
But for me i will advice you look for a 4wd manual transmission toyota previa first generation, it is sturdier than sienna and easier to use. I think it started from 95 to 2004 or so

Why a previa please? Does it have similar room space? And yes, it's mainly knock about work.

I handle my supplies once a week on other days, the car will be mostly idle since I have a smaller car.

This may change next year if I give the smaller car to madam.

nurey:
It's a very fancy Camry same engine and transmission in camry V6

Hello sir, I just stumbled on a post where you talked extensively on your experience using the Sienna. I'll like to seek your honest and humble opinion.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I have decided to sell my Xterra to buy a Sienna. The primary reason for the car is to carry 50kg gas cylinders. I do a lot of gas supplies and need something that can carry the load. On two occasions, I've seen dealers use Siennas and I was impressed. The last 1 I saw loaded 11 50kg cylinders. Mas my Xterra can do is 7.

That said, what model would you recommend? Would you recommend a Nigerian used?

Good morning guys. So, I'm looking to sell of my current cars to get something more economical.

I have an 01 Xterra that I use for gas supplies and farm runs.. No doubt, the car is a work horse but it drinks fuel. I also have an 01 Camry that I've use for almost 5 years, very strong and reliable car but given the current state of things 35k is not enough to fuel just my Camry for a week. I haven't used my Xterra since August as I gave it out to a relative who had an accident. I've been using my Camry for all the heavy lifting.

Now to the matter, I am seriously considering selling my Xterra to buy a Nigerian used Sienna for my gas supplies and selling my Camry to get a Honda City or Civic. Please what are your thoughts guys?

Cc kingdemu nurey