Agriculture is a goldmine and at the same it is filled with risk-mines that can blow your operation up and mess you up.

As we begin this farming season and prepare for land cultivation,there is need for adequate risk management.

Many years ago,I was busy pressing my calculator calculating millions WaleAgro and our partners would make from our almost-harvest-ready plantain plantation when I received a call from one of our farm workers

"Hello sir"
"Our farm is on fire"
What!!!
The farm is on fire?
Who put fire?
How did it happen?
Which area of the farm?
Many questions were running on my mind simultaneously and I was so confused.
The fire was so much that it took volunteers from the local communities that share boundaries with our farm to put out the fire.
Trucks,cars were used to ferry water to quench the fire
At the end of the day,about 70 acres were destroyed by fire

Unfortunately,we didnot insure the farm and have to pay for that mistake.

That taught me a lesson
"Always insure your farm whether it's a prevalence occurrence there or not,always prepare for unforseenable, unexpected and uncontrollable outcome"

That's the only way to manage risks
It saves you time and resources and also you are able to bounce back quickly if anything goes wrong.

And it's just between 2.5%-5% of the cost of cultivation or cost of livestock you are insuring and % insurance charges also varies from one insurance company to another

You want to sleep and sleep well in the night,not thinking of anything going wrong with your crop/livestock.

You also don't want to have high BP when you are told that your farm is on fire because you know that your farm is insured and be compensated to start all over again.

Insuring your farm is a major risk management tool to manage eventualities like flooding,climate change,fire,act of God etc that might come up during your way of making money in farm business.


#agriculture

Two things I learnt from over a decade of engaging in farm business and what you can learn too

Farm business though promising can be one of the hardest venture you engage in.


You have multiple of risks ,the one in your control and the one out of your control to tackle;

Climate change,acts of God (flood,fire, storm etc),market instability, yield ,disease outbreaks etc


If you fail,learn from it but don't throw in the towel


Every failure is a stepping stone to a higher breakthrough


Don't see failure as the final verdict on any activities you are engaged in.

When you fall,dust yourself up,adjust, learn from the situation and start all over again


Though,I must admit that it is not easy to start again but you must do it nevertheless


Every successful agropreneurs I know today have had the urge to give in but the vision of the end goal seems to be stronger than the immediate urge.


I have had my own share as well.


In 2011,I wanted to give up, a good friend encourage me to keep at it.


Also in 2016 as well,the urge came when I thought we were not pushing as much as we should,a mentor encourage me and like they say,the rest is history


two things I have learnt 


First,surround yourself with positive people


Second,when you have that urge to give up,don't do it because you are about to turn the corner to your breakthrough.


Anytime the urge come is a signal that something huge is about to happen positively


Now with tens of thousands of acres on our farm estates across different states,I am happy I didn't give up.


Although we still have a long way to go

Giving up wouldn't have got us to where we are now.

There is always light at the end of the tunnel


So NEVER GIVE UP!
#agriculture#nigeria#agrubusiness

Due to prevailing economic situation in the world right now, logistics challenges,increase in prices of input prices,increase in transportation costs are some of the things that will have direct impact on farmers and agro-preneurs

Prices of ploughing with a tractor is already on the high side; from N8,000 to between N12,000-N15,000 depending on location due to increase in price of diesel

Even before Russia-ukraine war started,we have seen increase of inputs such as fertilizers,herbicides etc go up.
As the two heavyweight in potash production (the raw materials for fertilizer production) continue their war,we will see low supply of fertiliser which will ultimately affect yield (low production)

A bag of fertilizer around August 2021 was around N10,500 - N11,500
Early this year,it skyrocketed to N15,000 and I am predicting,we might have upward movement in price.

So as a farmer who heavily depend on some of this inputs,how do you save money without compromising on yield?

The basic answer is finding alternative that can be locally sourced and used here.

On cultivation with machineries,kò sí à bù jà lóró òpe (there is no shortcut in climbing palm tree); you have no choice on this one,but you can add the cost on the cost of your produce when selling.

Instead of using fertiliser,you can substitute with innoculant or organic manure.
Mixing with the soil during ploughing or harrowing is the best way to it

Pesticides can also be substituted with neem.
Fortunately,we have plenty of those neem around us here and are very less expensive with access to the raw materials.

You can also buy these inputs in bulk now and store before price doubles again during the planting season.

Generally this year,prices of food is expected to go up
If you can successfully substitute some of these critical inputs without compromising on the yield,then you should have a good outing.

#agriculture

#doagricitpays

Doplantain
It's one of the farm business you should consider venturing into
#itpays

Dear farmers,
This is another monday in the 2nd quarters of 2022,it's another opportunity to push toward our goal of food-securing our nation.
The sustainability of over 200 million people lies in our hands.
Continue to improve on your operational processes to be able to scale and produce more.
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
The whole nation looks up to you
The food crisis is upon us
It's time to till and work
Don't forget to manage the risk associated with your work and at the end of your activities when your efforts start yielding fruits,don't hesitate to take time out to rest and refresh.
This is my today motivation talk
Thank you

Someone posted in the comment section about recent writeups encouraging food hoarding and I think I need to address that this morning

There is a great difference between hoarding food primarily to cause artificial food scarcity to make huge profit and providing storage facilities to extend the lifespan or to add value to it for better revenue.
Imagine having spent lot of money on cultivation of maybe tomatoes ,or any other perishable produce and lost it all to lack of storage or processing facilities or was taken advantage of by the value chain vultures (a.k.a the middlemen/women); paying far lesser amount than the market price.
Would it not be wise to provide these facilities in order protect yourself against those forces?

Afterall, regulatory marketing board that should fix a fair price for farmers' produce has been scrapped so it is now how you can add more value to your produce to get the best price

Don't let anyone guilt trip you

It is about getting the best reward for your efforts by reducing wastage on the farm and this can be done by providing facilities

Imagine a world where we have access to all of our food in fresh state all year round,this cannot be achieve if you don't have the enabling facilities.

Adding value to get the best price from your produce is the best way to go in the economic system we find ourselves

How to avoid losing million of naira from farm theft

Your farm business will not work if you didnot have a secured environment to conduct your farm enterprise

Theft of farm produce,farm properties,machineries,issues with straying cattle rearers (Fulani herdsmen), are some of critical issues that can make or mar the success of your farm enterprise.

If you operate a small scale farm maybe between 1 -50 acres,then you should looking at fencing the land perimeter.

This will solve most of the security issues above

If you operate a medium scale farm,from between 50 and maybe 200,then maybe few security guards will solve some off the security challenges associated with farm business.

If you operate on a larger scale of 200 and above like we do then you should look into incorporating few things into your farm

First,Take care of the community/ies you conduct your venture

Provide social amenities like electricity,road access,water,schools etc if they are lacking.

You can save small percentage of your annual farm income to do this.

This is very important I cannot overemphasize it

Secondly,introduce whistleblowing policy

It's difficult to adequately secure cultivated farm size of 500 acres or more from theft.

In the community,everybody knows everybody.

Where you farm,what you cultivate,when you farm etc

You only have a yam farm and you are bringing in plantain to your house,then it means you are stealing

Whistleblowing policy allows members of the community to identify,and report cases of theft to you on the basis that their identity will be protected and they will be rewarded for that.

Plantain is one of the crop you can cultivate that can give you sustainable source of income for decades if we'll maintained.
It's one of the crop you should consider venturing into

How to earn income consistently for 40 years from this farm business

Like I stated early this year, Two things are very important to WaleAgro this year
First,Generating more income for our partners by increasing number of acres cultivated and bringing efficiency to our operational process
Second,training and mentorship for newbie farmers, agro-investors who want to venture into agriculture.
The more you learn ,the more your potential to earn
And that's why this free ebook was written for you to learn how and where you should get started from
This is one of the ebook you should read before you get started in farm business

Register through this link below
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WEgAPuswyrkJ_EU9AVOdMfaFpYDskJ7Y9eiLy58UGxE/edit#response=ACYDBNgRc92U_ob7bQphUnXZdo1v8ytXH9IsTNGvSzmW7364ezqvHm1RgrmuK5qAniYd18U

#happysundaymypeople

How to choose a perfect crop/s or livestock/s to cultivate

Many years ago when we first started farm business,I thought we could make money from any crops or livestock farming but I was very wrong.

Looking back now,I wish I know better what I know now.
And over the years,I have seen many new agro-investors and farmers make that same mistake and it's costing them much.

I was asked recently
"You are a farmer,you should get involved cultivating plantain,rice,corn,wheat, cassava,beans,poultry,piggery,cattle,sheep" etc
And that is the first mistake new entrant into agriculture make
You want to venture into everything

The secret to a successful farm enterprise is to be selective

I will explain how to choose rightly what to cultivate later in this post

That you have the knowledge or a fertile land in a place to support what you are about to cultivate doesnot mean that the enterprise will have great success.

One thing practical farmers can testify to is your paper calculation not matching your reality outcome

You might thought,

"If I plant 1000 plantain suckers on an acre,and at the end of the day,I sold a bunch at N1000,that's N1M"

With 100 acres of plantain,I have the potential of N100M as income

Yes,that maybe possible if all forseenable and unforseenable factors works together for your good but have you find out whether the land is okay to support commercial cultivation of plantain or you have acquire the requisite knowledge about it's cultivation or more importantly,there are no issue of monkeys,disease outbreaks or high rate of theft in the community/ies you are cultivating your farm.
Any of this issue that happen can bring the potential of your farm to zero naira.

Before you make decision on what to cultivate,you need to check all of the boxes
Fertile land ✔️
Knowledge ✔️
Disease outbreak prevention ✔️
Theft prevention ✔️ etc

I remember cultivating watermelon many years ago in a community around ogun state
The watermelon farm was as successful one until when it matured and it was used to serve breakfast; many members of the community passing by stopby to have a taste of the watermelon and some also very wasted because of late harvesting.

So,the type of crop/livestock you choose to cultivate should be one thats immune against theft in the location,even if you don't have enough time to attend to it,it will still do very well.

You do office work from Monday to Saturday,what are you doing with piggery,or fishery that requires your every hour presence
Why can't you look into the sheep,goat or cattle that might not need your everyday attention and still do very well with one or two hands.

That's why on any of our farm estates,we investigate and tick all of the boxes to determine what crops/livestocks we or new entrants who acquire piece of land on the estate engage in.

About 8 years ago,I wrote an article about how agriculture will revolutionalised the Nigeria economy and the various mind blowing opportunities Nigerians are not taking up.
He saw the post and immediately got in touch
"Boss
"Thanks for your post"
"I want to venture into agribusiness but don't have much"
"But i want to be bringing clients to you for commision"

That same year,he earned 6 figures in referrals which he use to buy an acre on one of our farm estates for cultivation

Recently,I was invited to see his new farm and was astonished about the hundreds of acres under massive cultivation
If you are waiting for resources to come you before you take advantage of the numerous money making opportunities,then you will have to wait forever

Never give. Up on your dream!
Good morning

M

U

The business of agriculture seems to be easy but it is not....thinking of giving up,don't yet,hold on a bit you are about to turn a corner.
Unlearn old methods,skills and techniques
,relearn new ways of doing things and apply it to your agricbusiness
Every Successful agribusiness also felt like given up one time or the other by they keep pushing.
There is light after the tunnel
Good morning

Get practical.knowledge if you want to succeed in the business of agriculture
Join the link though the first thread to register for our agricbusiness class

Agricpays

#Gogreen

In the early days of starting out as a farmer, I bought a farmland size of about 250acres with the plan of cultivating about 50 acres for plantain and the remaining for livestock farming.

Unfortunately,it did not go as planned due to factors beyond my control; have to abandoned the land and find another location to

Two years after I purchased it,I discovered many local farmers around start approaching me for land to cultivate.

I thought "instead of allowing the land lie fallow,why can't I lease it out and start generating some money"

That was how I started leasing land for 7k per acre per annum turning some few 7 figures annually

Over the years,I have seen many abandoned farmland wasting away in the rural area, who has owners and should be generating revenue.

This is for our brothers and sisters in the diaspora who buy large acreage and leave it for years.

Even if you don't have the time,or the needed resources for cultivation yet,you can acquire farmland and lease it either to the local farmers or to someone else.

According to estimate,we have about 2 million local farmers looking for land to cultivate their usual 2-3 or 5 acres farm size every season
#agriculture

One of the things that can make farming difficult for you is acquiring farmland not accessible.

In 2012,we hauled about 10 tons of maize � from a farm down to the buyer.

 The road from the farm leading to the main road was poor to the extent that the truck got damaged about 3 times.


The journey of a normal 15mins turned to 2 hours.

The cost we incurred due to poor accesibility was even close to the amount we were to sell the maize.


Like I always say,distance should not be the decision on where to acquire your farmland.

Afterall,what you eat this morning or what you will consume this evening is likely to be from the North especially if you are based in southern or eastern part of the country.


Farm accesibility is everything

Is it accessible?

Can you take your car/truck to the farm with no issues?

Can you transport your produce from the farm easily down to the buyer with no issues?


Fortunately,for those who are yet to make decision on acquiring farmland,our farm estates in ogbomoso, Ilorin,apomu, ijebu-igbo are the right plug for you to acquire your farm; it's very accessible


So in your decision on acquiring farmland,make accessibility one of your major decision process
#waleagro#agriculture

Great piece as usual. We are following solidly. you are a great encouragement. Thanks man.

Lease or outright purchase?

Let me quickly share this for those looking for land to cultivate long term crops such as plantain,oilpalm,cashew,coconut etc

Many years ago,I saw a very good farmland in ijebu-ode to cultivate plantain.
After few findings,I approached the landlord and strike a deal for long lease of 6 years with verbal agreement to re-lease the land for another 6 years after the expiration of the first one.

We started clearing and cultivation and we got a good harvest and yield in the first year and the second year
By the third year,I got a call from my landlord that he has a buyer who is ready to buy outrightly
I was like "but my lease has not expired"

"Don't worry,I will pay you back the fee for the remaining years"

I thought "so all of my established plantain will be gone"
I was not only surprised,I was totally shocked
We scrambled to relocate the plantain stands but it was too late.
Even long farmland lease don't work in our clime here.

If you are looking at leasing,then maybe you are cultivating short term crops such as corn, groundnuts,cucumber, soybeans etc

Outright purchase gives you peace of mind and you are able to take absolute decisions on whatever you want to cultivate on your land.

Jonnic1:
Great piece as usual. We are following solidly. you are a great encouragement. Thanks man.

You are welcome

Lesgupnigeria:

You are welcome

For someone planning to purchase a plot of farmland, like how much should the person prepare?

Nicoswit:

For someone planning to purchase a plot of farmland, like how much should the person prepare?

Maybe 80k or so

Lesgupnigeria:
Maybe 80k or so

Thank you

Nicoswit:

Thank you

You are welcome

#doagricitpays

This is a must watch video for every farmer/agropreneur out there by multi billionaire Dr Cosmas Maduka.

Agriculture is not a get rich quick scheme.

When you fail,you learn from it,make corrections,try again,learn again,try again before finally succeeding.

It's the only way sustainable wealth and success can happen in this farm business

Dr Cosmas Maduka has few words to share in this video.

Watch full video on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=644eUu7QisE

Great opportunity is here