Looks like more people want me to talk about small farmers instead of commercial, but I have done this many times in the past. Well, let me say the truth in a practical way so you get it all again. I am 100% sure that if you don't follow this advice, you are on a dead end farming alone. This is the pure truth. You will only worn out yourself and destroy your skin in the hot sun. This is a truth for you again.

Let us cut the cost of individual set up drastically

There are 2 strategies you can all use. Listen to me, if you do not do this, you will fail. I want to see this strategy in NL. Let all bosses here tap into this. I support it. And I want enthusiastic people here to do it.


1. Do it yourselves
Since we know workers are not reliable, you can push your chances of being successful by doing it yourselves. If you come together, you can do your portion, yourselves. 1/2 - 1 plot, and let 15 - 30 people get on board.

Use casual workers for hard jobs which is mainly land preparation, staking and harvesting. Simple. The other activities which are what you can do, get them done yourselves. Get a very good sprayer (get battery type if possible) cos you dont have to exhaust yourselves spraying. It is not compulsory you fill it up. Carry what you can, and move. If 1/3 of the knacksack is what you can carry conveniently, do it. Monitor yours plants daily. Spray herbicides on weed since you are using mulch. Why do you want yo take the risk of getting impatient workers who will uproot your plants while weeding, and also bring diseases to your farm? Think. These are strategies I put in place, and I have been successful. My success rate is almost over 98%. If I cannot handle it myself, or I cannot trust the person there, I do not invest my money and time again. It is not worth it.

2. Unity
Reduce the cost of production for individual drastically by coming together. 1 ha should be shared among 15 - 30 people. If I am to do this, I will not accept ghost farmers (those who want others to farm for them). This is for people who are presently struggling. Get together. It means that 15 to 30 people will buy just 1 pumping machine together. That is N4,000 to N6,000 per person. You should buy your drips like this too. You will push down the costs drastically. After set up, you arent paying any worker again cos you are the one managing your plants. Tell me why you shouldn't make it if you have tackled most of the diseases which could kill your plants during soil preparation. What will make you not successful is trial and error.

Make rules before starting
All of you needs to put down rules guiding the farm, and the rules should disqualify any trouble maker who will forfeit everything there. That's it. When such rules are made officially, deal with the fellow if such causes trouble. That's it. You get to decide if to accept the person back or kick such away finally. Everyone will be serious. You all need to think very well what are the issues which can cause troubles and make rules officially, and give penalties. Make sure everyone has everything needed before you start. This is not an issue where one will leave farm in order to raise cash.

15 people coming together may eventually spend N200k each if they are going for the best which includes soil treatment. All the farmers on Nairaland dont do it ooo. I see people writing about soil treatment here, but I dont think they know about it. What you dont know, you cant do, but they will tell you soil treatment. How do they even treat their soil? With delicate crops, this is not ideal.

Get very good seeds
Your only bet is to get best seeds. It is your choice, but make sure you the potential harvest can give you 100 crates per plot. I know it's possible to hit 250 to 30 crates on a plot if you do the right things.

Let's predict sales
If you target harvest to take place when a crate is N15k to N20k+, you are getting N1.5million per plot. Down scale it or upscale it according to what you see when harvest starts. But make sure you are using what can give you 100 crates.

If you target 100 crates, nothing stops you from making N15million altogether. But most seeds tell you 100 tons per ha. If truly the seeds have such potential, nothing stops you all from making N32million. Remember that its strategically divided into smaller portions managed by people who put down money.

Checks
Do not just admit everybody and anybody. There are ill luck people who will fight there. They are just good for nothing. They are born destroyers. Fine, even you mistakenly take such, as long as there is an agreement, kick the person out. That's unity. Don't pity such. If he tries fighting, get together and tie him to a tree very well in the sun. By the time the sun hammer him all through the day, his brain will reset, and then, tell him to leave immediately. Ask the vigilantes in the area to escort him out. So pally with them before you commence the project. Those people will do it better than the police when you add the cost of tipping them to your general cost of production. Grab the person and push such away. Let the person promise hell to come down on the farm, kick such out. It is what I have done. The person will beg later. So, it's the group's decision to readmit such or not.

Where are the brave leaders here?
Get this rolling. Go and get a land near river, and make good arrangement for housing. Go to a bit farer, but not too far. As long as you have huge harvests everytime, you are covered. You can easily move your harvest to anywhere. So, start thinking of moving out of Lagos and Ogun. I do tell you to be closer, but the challenges in these areas are huge. Workers have gone to these states and are constituting nuisance. Better go to Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, than go to some deep places in Oyo and some places with terrible road network in Ogun. I dont want to mention any place. If you are to ask me, forget about Lagos. Just skip it. It doesnt worth it for this kind of scheme if you arent experienced enough on how to handle land owners and families.

Raise your probability of success
1. Treat your land scientifically. Do not guess. But if you choose to guess, then be ready for any outcome. The ball is in your court.
2. Keep to schedule. A weak link in the group can expose the farm to diseases.
3. Make sure you get the milestone (time it takes each activity and developmental stage) intact so you can get 2 above right. But this is what many cannot tell you. Even you start asking sellers, they stop replying. Lol. But you have to find a way to do it yourself. If you dont, you are taking a big risk which can make you run out of order. This is one of the main reasons many fail.

My View
If the whole group is united, 8kg to 15kg is possible depending on your choice of seeds which will determine the kind of drip to buy since spacing arent the same for seeds. If you desire, you can choose 1kg - 2.5kg per plant, but that's on you, and be contended with it. Do not pray what suppose to give 1.5 to 2kg gives 6kg. Dont even dream it, but I see many are hopful for what is not possible.

With the way many are doing it presently here, what I assure you is a great loss. Most of you cannot afford 1 acre, and setting up 1 plot is not worth it in most places since there arent land for such again close to the city. So, why dont you do 1 ha and get colleagues.

There is no need for you to constitute a nuisance here begging for funds to set up. People dont give out such funds again. It's time you wake up to reality. Also, most of you will collapse if you lose your 1 acre capital. So, becoming a public clown on NL attacking everyone cos you are unfortunate with your farm should not happen. Change your strategy and release yourself from deep bitterness of losing your mind, and stop envying those who are getting it right. It is time to do it right and stop cutting corners. Do it together.

PISTOTITA is back. thanks be to God. I guess he was not able to keep silent with all those wisdom, knowledge and experience. Please the rebaptised Atit dont disappear again abeg

dmz1:
PISTOTITA is back. thanks be to God. I guess he was not able to keep silent with all those wisdom, knowledge and experience. Please the rebaptised Atit dont disappear again abeg

lol

Hello Attit,

Please can you drop your contact?

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Please how can I reach Pistotita please is there a cell or what?

ndbros4justice:
All I had to do was read the epistles to know this was Pistotita.
Mehnnnn!
I love everything about you Sir. I must I am addicted to your write up. I buy your passion for healthy, easy and effective farming and wish to replicate your ideas. Quality farming is the concept and I love it.
I am a baby farmer or better still baby gardner let me put it at that.
I just started a crop farm of about 2plots in Umuahia, set irrigation all by myself (it is my first time doing it) I just like doing things myself because just as you have always preached workers who don't buy your vision will frustrate you and I hate people taking advantage of me besides I don't know how to impose myself on people so I do my things myself. I am still testing waters and the farm is still at setup stage.
I see myself getting a mulch later and setting up greenhouse before the end of next year. I see myself importing an electric tractor either Solatrak or Monarch or the one being said to be produced in Turkey. I don't know how long but I'll get there.
I have learnt from you that if farming must be business then the business must be well done. I believe one should invest in their business more so that their businesses can pay them not them toiling from year to year on one spot doing same thing and expecting massive output..... that's madness at it's peak even peak milk no reach that peak�
It is nice to read from you again Sir. I am proud of you Sir. I don't care what people say or think I know the quality of information you're dropping here. Sir you are a legend. Those who complain about your style should dish out same information let's see after spending time and money on research and pilot programs...no be beans abeg. These articles are facts! This knowledge is a rare privilege.
I'll continue to follow your write ups as long as I can find them even if you change 200 monikers
Your epistles na my second Bible. I am impressed having read threads: 40 cucumbers per plant...to the end, finding meaning to life....to the end, Twenty thousand and twenty one to the end, still hungry for more....lol.
I don turn disciple
God over bless you for me. Thanks a lot Sir. Can't thank you enough.

Kaka118:
Please how can I reach Pistotita please is there a cell or what?

Maybe the Mod put him in NL Cell . What do you expect from a tenant who is always threatening his landlord,? Always badmouthing and accusing the owner of the website and his Mod of collecting money from from members to push post to the Front Page. He takes pleasure in insulting people at will especially if you share contrary opinion with his, he lacks online sanity, he can spill all the secret chats and advice he rendered if you dare oppose his view in the public. The mod here humbled him and clipped his wings, since the day the mod warned to sanction him, he's gone low.

This is a great thread…..wish the op is available to answer questions