₦airaland Forum

mrvitalis:
I love this trend... . I plan to go I into PAWPAW farming to raise money to start my pig farm hope I will have market
I plan to plant between 1000 to 2000 trees in my family land in I'm state and hope to market in rivers state
Please if any one have any advice please let me know I will really appreciate

Which part of Imo state?

Necessity, it is said, is the mother of all inventions, and no one knows this better than Mr Michael Kimuhu. Having brooded over an idea to make sugarcane juice for six years, he got tired of waiting for the right time to come and for the right equipment to be made. A retired health worker, he understood all the health benefits that could be derived from sugarcane.

Most of the would-be beneficiaries were not able to chew cane owing to their different circumstances. “The old people greatly benefit from sugarcane, yet they cannot chew raw cane. Children, too, can get a lot of nutrients from cane. But their teeth and jaws cannot possibly handle it,” Mr Kimuhu explains.

It is this realisation that made him aware of the necessity to acquire a sugarcane crusher. Like other start-up ventures, his innovation journey has not been smooth. On one occasion, for example, he had to sit in an equipment manufacturing firm, and explain the products he had in mind to the engineers.

Eventually, the engineers were able to develop a processing unit, which is specifically designed for boiling and stabilising sugarcane juice. On another occasion, he had to discard a faulty product, which he had ordered to be developed at a significant cost. The challenges notwithstand sell the juice commercially.

His value addition journey was not initially conceptualised as a profit-making venture. Rather, it was inspired by the need to have more people benefit from the nutrients contained in sugarcane.

“I used to crush cane manually, boil it and give it out to whoever I came across”, Mr Kimuhu, who is the lead secretary for the Kenya Older Persons Advocacy Forum, says. Interestingly, what started as a desire to help the old has led to the processing of sugarcane juice, which has interestingly, found a ready market in the most unlikely population – lovers of alcoholic drinks. Apparently, the juice treats hangovers .

According to Mr Kimuhu, many people do not know that sugarcane is an ideal source of calcium. It also contains nutrients, which, he says, cleanse the body and build immunity against several diseases.

He has been working with food scientists and a professor at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, who confirmed all the health benefits after analysing his product. Suca Processors – Mr Kimuhu’s company, gets sugarcane from Kisii County.

The region has two cane varieties namely Kituma and Kampala. He prefers the two because they guarantee him consistency in taste. Other parts of the country, especially central Kenya, do not grow these varieties. He crushes cane, processes it in specially designed equipment, and packages the juice in its natural form.

From one kilogramme of cane, he derives 600 milligrams of sugarcane juice, which is then diluted with purified water in order to fit consumers’ tastes and preferences. The final product has a one-year shelf life, yet, no additives or preservatives are used.

His target market is youth. The juice is selling well in Meru and Garissa among miraa chewers and in Murang’a. The product also retails in supermarkets and other outlets. It has been a year since he commenced commercial production.

Mr Kimuhu cannot quantify his returns, but says business is good despite market entry challenges. A 300ml bottle sells for Sh30 (N60) , while a half litre retails at Sh50 (N100). Sugarcane juice is not the only product he is keen on.

His sugarcane marmalade is awaiting approval by the Kenya Bureau of Standards. To him, the success of his innovations is just an incentive that inadvertently came his way. His greatest joy, however, comes from realising that he has demonstrated that value-addition is possible.

He hires 12 casual labourers, who work in the processing plant for 14 days a month. He is happy sugarcane farmers appreciate that he opened up one more avenue through which they can sell their produce.

lagbaja:
Pawpaw is not highly perishable. You can store it up to 2 weeks with the right storage methodologies. There is a huge demand for pawpaw, you can map your production to the market capacity and grow your production as demand increases. Moreover, you are the champion in the dry season if you are doing all season plantation.

Post-harvest handling is key but how many of our local farmers are into it? l give you example of one of the local markets in Anambra State, lfite-Ogwari to be precise and as most farmers markets in the South-East operates every four days, fruits like pawpaw, avocado pear etc are bought cheapest in the evenings when the market is rounding off because it makes no sense for their owners to take back home when they would be harvesting another set of fruits in 3 days time for the next market neither do most know how to preserve its freshness for the next market day. Even at the wholesale fruit market in Ketu/Mile 12 in Lagos we tend to see lots of wastages.

Just as there is huge demand for pawpaw so is there for mango but the percentage that goes to waste is scaring.

Like banana, pawpaw will continue to ripen at room temperature but with proper knowledge one can have it stored in a metal box which exteriorly has jute bag glued to it and permanently moist by water and it would preserves it freshness for up to a month.

INFOTECH2:
Good day

I have been reading a lot of different inspiring stories on setting up your farm. It either plantain or oil palm or cassava or cashew etc.

I would like us to discuss about the viability of carica papaya (pawpaw) on this thread.

How viable would it be if one sets up a pawpaw plantation? I know that there are lots of food processing companies springing up and it would be a component of their flavouring but I would like if we contribute on steps to take to have a profitable Pawpaw plantation in Nigeria

lf it is contract farming where a fruit processing company has a documented agreement with the farmer to buy off the harvest at a pre-determined price and quality, one already knows what he/she will be getting but the open market can be crazy with its price fluctuations and bearing in mind that Pawpaw is highly perishable, one may be forced to sell off in order avoid wastage.

That ministry is not too far from my hometown!

I tire..must states rely on federal allocation to stay afloat? lt seems their Internally Generated Revenue are for personal runs!

lanre2009:
I think you might be able to get to buy at Ilupeju.

l am not the one buying, someone who is new in Lagos asked me about it. Where exactly in Ilupeju? Parsley should be common as it takes nothing special to grow it!

l can never go beyond 2. l usually get 6 servings from one kilo of wheat, which is 6 meals for me.

ClockworkOrange:
No Nigerian man should ever agree to court Marriage. It is a trap.

But they willingly do that with a white woman, whom the Law protects more than the man! Even if the white wife kills him, his family may not likely get justice!

mercylicious:
This made me smile. It is only a woman that can decide when she wants to get pregnant or not.

It reminds me of mixing contraceptive pills in centrum or vitamins c/supplement pack.
If she is smart, she won't be caught.

Sometimes men delude themselves into believing they have a final say when it comes to pregnancy! In this case, the lady cannot be outsmarted with a pregnancy....cunny man die, cunny man bury am!

IYANGBALI:
Can't you impregnate her and keep her mouth shut

What if she aborts it, will he arrest her?

What is it with Kenyan women and Nigerian men? What is it with those short, stocky bearded West African mohines that make Kenyan women move planets for them?

We have heard enough stories about how Kenyan women borrowed loans for their Nigerian boyfriends to pay for ‘containers with goods worth millions’ stuck at the port only for the Nigerian man to disappear.

I know Kenyan women whose careers and lives have come to a standstill after a Nigerian man swept them clean, and I mean clean; car, house, land, money… everything.

So today, ladies, I chose to address this topic, once and for all. After this, I don’t expect any of you to be conned by a so-called ‘romantic’ Nigerian man. I will only say this once.

Stay away from Nigerian men! All Nigerian men are conmen. Repeat after me; “All Nigerian men are conmen”. There are no exceptions here. When you see a Nigerian man, run the other way. Don’t stop to invoke the name of Jesus or pray. Just take cover.

While you are at it, here are a few pointers you need to look out for in a Nigerian man. If he exhibits any of these traits, then you are dealing with a riff-raff.

1. He is too romantic: You have never met a man like him. He treats you like a glass statue and worships the ground you walk on. He is not like the unromantic Kenyan men who don’t text you back or return your calls. He calls you ‘baby’ all the time except when he calls you ‘my queen’.

You have never been immersed in so much love and affection. You are literally intoxicated in his love. He will even paint your toenails and shampoo your hair. Red flag.

He is fattening you up for slaughter. He is warming your heart. Softening you up by leading you to believe that you have found the one. It is not humanly possible for a man to be 100 per cent romantic, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That romantic Nigerian man is up to something.

2. He throws money at you: No man in his right mind will throw money at a woman. Kwani wewe ni nani? But this Nigerian is the most generous man you have ever met in your life. He even gives you money before you ask for it because ‘you are special and you deserve it’.

He debunks every myth you have ever heard about Nigerian men swindling women off their money. You relax and put your guard down. You think that the Lord has finally smiled upon you and given you a wonderful man who is not only loving, but also rich. All those prayers you prayed for a husband have finally been answered. Shock on you.

He is making an investment and he knows what he is doing. He will shower you with gifts and money amounting to Sh1 million (N2m), knowing very well that he will con you Sh3 million(N6m) and make a profit Sh2 million(N4m). Tax free.

One day, when you least expect, he will strike. He will be in dire need of some Sh2 million (N4m) for a deal and because he has created an illusion of wealth, you will readily give in. You will run to the sacco (Co-operative society) and borrow some Sh2 million (N4m). That will be the beginning of your downfall.

3. He moves in with you: So he gives you a cock and bull story about how he is putting up with a friend in Kileleshwa (a high-end neighbourhood) but has been unsuccessfully looking for a house. You pity him and allow him to put up with you in your house for a short while before he finds a bigger house for the two of you.

Every week, he has a new excuse. “Oh, I found one but it is too big.” “Oh, I found another one in Lavington (a high-end neighbourhood) but I don’t like it.”

A week turns into a month and before you know it, you are co-habiting with a Nigerian man who can barely speak English. But because he treats you so nice (and sometimes even washes the dishes), you are blind to his antics. Be very worried.

4. He drives your car: My friends told me this, and I couldn’t believe it. How does a woman give her man her car to go drinking out with the ‘boys’ as she takes a matatu (public transport) to work?

Only a woman with a Nigerian boyfriend can do that. So he uses cabs all the time and you think it is just unfair for him to spend so much money on cabs, yet you have a car. You lend him yours and before you know it, he is dropping you to work in your car, goes out drinking with his friends in your car and suddenly that car is no longer yours. Be warned.

A real man does not drive woman’s car and a smart woman does not allow a man to use her car to run his errands. If he doesn't have a car, let him use a cab or buy one.

5. He has mysterious ‘trips’: He purports to be a businessman but you are not exactly sure what he does for a living. He travels often to Dubai, China, Thailand and Singapore for ‘business trips’.

You don’t care what he does for a living mainly because of all the goodies he brings you. Lingerie. Expensive shoes. Perfumes. Dresses. Bags.

He says he does business but has never really taken you to his office, nor have you met any of his business partners. Be especially wary of those Nigerians who purport to sell gold or cars.

He hasn't given you a business card, but you are still okay with it because he seems flashy and talks big. Silly girl.

One day you are going about your business and the next day you are a suspect for a car-theft syndicate and police will insist that you are harbouring a criminal on Interpol’s watch list. And you thought he loved you for your great personality!

6. You run errands for him: He takes you on a ‘holiday’ to China and throws money at your feet. He allows you to buy whatever you like because ‘you are special and you deserve it’.

On your way back, he tells you to carry a package for him to deliver to his friend because he has no space in his bag. You readily agree. I mean, after all the bags he has bought you, you must have some space. Foolish girl.

That man is using you as a conduit for drugs and you only realise it when you are frantically calling your ageing relatives from the airport cells. The Nigerian man is long gone.

You have been warned. Stay away from Nigerian men.

http://nairobinews.co.ke/city-girl-things-that-tell-your-nigerian-man-is-a-big-con/

Hmm...if he is indeed guilty of these, life would certainly catch up with him as l can't vouch for anyone!

Inspiring.

May their souls rest in peace and to the injured. quick recovery.

castruccio:
lolzz... .. its true an average Nigerian is not concerned about his environment but i think if the Nigerian entrepreneur is enlightened and sees the pressing need for re-forestation, then there will be little or no problem

l am glad you used the word IF, the average Nigerian entrepreneur do not bother his or herself with the long term view regarding environmental sustainability, na oyinbo man headache. Let us use Lagos as an example, assuming Lagos is state that has lots of trees, the average entrepreneur after having depleted the trees in Surulere, would move to Ikeja and after Ikeja is Ikorodu and the movement continues He feels no guilt by justifying that he paid the locals for the trees and how many locals are that conscious with re-forestation?

Hmm...we have been seeing 'ACTION GOVERNORS' since 1999 and 16yrs on, we are still grappling with run down infrastructures. l pray he is exceptional.

castruccio:
When trees are cut down, they tend to grow back in due time, let us say less than ten years, so the entrepreneur will go for trees that are more than fifty years, the villagers will tell the entrepreneur about them.

Secondly, as part of giving back to the society, trees can be planted in the said forest by the entrepreneur once he establishes him/her self

There must be a purposed effort towards re-forestation, not leaving it to the whims of the locals. Let us be realistic, re-forestation is not in the DNA of the average Nigerian, we consume and ignore replenishing. l shuddered when l saw some empty-minded folks in a community in the North where desertification is already an issue, were cutting the little trees they had to produce charcoal!

l am a conservationist, so l will pass on this. What are the re-forestation plans of communities where these charcoals are being produced?

l have to admire your tenacity...humble beginnings keeps one grounded.

Which market can one get to buy fresh parsley in Lagos?

Anna F1 tomatoes being grown organically in bags.

Impressive.

Let him stay there and continue to recieve his Pounds, it is not as if he is aiming to win the World Footballer of the Yeard

One by one....

Dey form webmaster, it won't be funny paying Nursery school fees and ante-natal care when one is in his 50's!

We should focus on non-oil exports.

EbubeOnoh:
The Ogbete Main Market in Enugu was today shut down due to fear of detained Boko Haram insurgent that was transfered into Enugu Prison. Details coming soon............

Which of the prisons in Enugu state?

Millionjeff:
@pavore,pls i need your assistance,am set to start my pepper farming in edo state by next month,am actually relocating from lagos.Bros i need your technical-know in order to succeed in this new venture.pls let me have your phone number,so that i can chat with you.this is my phone number,08114511221,text your phone number to it.Many thanks for your usual help.i wish you God divine speed in all your human endeavourS.stay blessed.

Just as others had earlier advised, the surest path is understudying farmers who have already navigated the curves and now on profitability in order to avoid had l known. Also get to know the seasons of the market...when do pepper attract a higher price. Also invest in gaining knowledge in post harvest preservation of them so that you will not be forced to sell off your produce at a price you are not comfortable with all in order to avoid losing it to spoilage. l am not presently residing in Nigeria but you can always reach me on koboideas@gmail.com

unclec2015:
I want to start my own poultry farm, but before starting I will like to go for training for the course.
Please have anyone on this forum attended the International course on Poultry production and Feed Manufacturing at North Carolina University. This course is for one week.
If yes what is your experience and is it a good course to attend.

lt will be more beneficial to you to go for internship in a successful local poultry,

Informative....l still wonder what female suicide bombers are deceived with, that upon such gruesome death the god they believe in would reward them with!