Hello farmbois hope you guys are doing great today!
Pls allow me to wow you with cool pictures and videos from my farms.....
ENJOY!!!!
Okay here we go...
First of all let me apologize for my inability to start from the onset, but as goes the saying
"Better late than never".... So😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E4uvLAVIw8?si=bgBILgC-MGZmIc1I

Following



Wittyness

Nairaland won't allow me to post pictures

To the glory of God I have added 1 more farmland to the existing two I have cultivated last year.
Am going to post them here I.e main farm and others as sub-thread...

Here we go....


I usually do most of the work myself



I have cleared the farmland myself and so does the Agrochemicals..
These are; 5 litres of Gobara General weedkiller, 4 Forceup and 6 litres of Paramash contact herbicides.


Cost: 3,400*5=17,000 for Gobara
3700*4=14,800 for Forceup
And 2,700*6=16,200 for Paramash.
TOTALS #48,000.
Labour cost at 300 naira per every 250ml of herbicide.
Labor cost for herbicide application #18,000 Naira.
Grand total #66,000Naira only.

Note; I usually though not always apply the chemicals myself, so the cost doesn't weigh my pocket.


Mode of application
I used knapsack sprayer 15ltrs of water /250ml of the herbicides.

LAND PREPARATION
It cost me 42,000 naira to plough the first farm, 26,000 naira for the second farm and 18,000 for the 3rd farm respectively.
That's 42,000+26,000+18,000=86,000 Naira for the 3 farms.
cost of feeding not included

SOWING/PLANTING
I hired 15 laborers at the rate of 1,500 Naira each plus me to sow the farms, and i have used 30kg worth of locally sourced seed to sow the farms, plus 5kg SC719 seedco late maturity maize variety which cost me #8,000 Naira
COST; 22,500 Naira for sowing (mine inclusive), 100g of seed treatment chemical (broad spectrum) insecticide&Fungicide, and that one cost 500 Naira.
i.e 22,500+8,000+500=31,000.
cost of feeding not included

Two weeks after sowing I have sprayed
Liquid fertilizer to supplement the inadequacy of the critical nutrients necessary for the plant growth and also cut cost, as me applying slow release fertilizer pellets will cost me a lot.
So I bought 2ltrs of Super agro liquid fertilizer at the rate of 2,500 Naira each, and applied.... have done that one myself
So... the cost it's on me😁.
The fertilizer cost me 5,000 Naira in total.

POST EMERGENCE OF WEED CONTROL
6weeks after sowing, I have applied (Atrazine & Nicosulfuron) a selective weed herbicide for control of both narrow and broadleaves weeds in maize crop.
ATRAZINE use to control broadleaves weeds in almost all grain crops except rice. open for correction
While
NICOSULFURON is for control of both narrow and broadleaves weed in Maize alone.


So I have bought 5 bottles of Nicoview (Nicosulfuron) at the rate of 5000 Naira each, and also 4 satchets of Atrashi (Atrazine)
@the rate of 5000 each. Totals 45,000.
LABOR
I have done that myself so, the labor is on me!

FERTILIZER APPLICATION
8 weeks after sowing, that was 3 weeks ago, I have applied 400kg i.e 8 bags of granular fertilizer 5 NPK and 3 UREA. The fertiliser application was done with the help of my siblings and friends, so it was kinda virtually free expect the cost of food and logistic.
The fertilser cost 30,000 per bag
30,000×8=240,000

Logistic & food
2,500+3,000=5,500

Totals 245,500 only.

I have planned to interplant the farms with beans, so to do that i have to spray contact herbicide PARAQUAT to killed the weeds that survived the atrazine and nicosulfuron i have sprayed and killed the lower leaves of the maize crops to reduce shed, as that will hinder the genaral performance of the beans.
So i have bought 4 ltrs of Paraeforce (contact herbicide) to clear the sheds and the stubborn weeds that survived the earlier agrochemical blix in the farm.

I have then hired 9 labors to plant the beans, i didnt plant the beans plenty just 15kg
Cost as follow
4 ltrs of Paraeforce 3800×4=15,200 as there was a sudden jump in the price of farm inputs.
Labor for sowing of beans
1,500×9=13,500
Total 28,700 naira.

You mean that you used only Super Gro for your first fertilizer application?

Deco7:
You mean that you used only Super Gro for your first fertilizer application?

LOL yes
There was a serious hike in the cost of farm inputs, so to cut cost, i have to resort to the old ways... Spraying liquid fertiliser every week.
It works well but super stressful.

Farmwithmarkus1:

LOL yes
There was a serious hike in the cost of farm inputs, so to cut cost, i have to resort to the old ways... Spraying liquid fertiliser every week.
It works well but super stressful.

After harvest, I would like to see the picture of your cobs. Confirm for me that you use a teaspoon full of fertilizer for the second fertilizer application

Deco7:



After harvest, I would like to see the picture of your cobs. Confirm for me that you use a teaspoon full of fertilizer for the second fertilizer application

Ok i will definately do that... Unfortunately, every farmers nightmares came true, three hellful weeks of DROUGHT wreck havoc on the farms almost a week after our main, thats second fertilser application.
On the teaspoonful of fertiliser application... LOL! thats mean Farmboi, i have actually more than that hahaha

Farmwithmarkus1:

Ok i will definately do that... Unfortunately, every farmers nightmares came true, three hellful weeks of DROUGHT wreck havoc on the farms almost a week after our main, thats second fertilser application.
On the teaspoonful of fertiliser application... LOL! thats mean Farmboi, i have actually more than that hahaha

Drought ke. But rain has been falling all year na. I don't believe you again joor. Rain has been falling here in SW almost non stop all year

THE ARMAGEDDON/RAGNAROK/THE DREADFUL DAY EVERY FARMER PRAY AGAINST
August 15 was the last day we had rain for the month August, the month when rainfall is at its peak, the month whibh most if not all maize crop is at tarseling stage, a month critical to maize crops stage of developing cobs was when rain seize... Damn! it all begins like a dream... Until when its clear to all eyes that its real... Kan uban chan!
We had a whopping 3 damnful, dreadful, nightmarishingly, whouling weeks of little to no rain... Come and see how maize crops are withering, how thousands of millions worth of maize and rice farms are failing! I have cried, cursed, regret my coming back to the village to farm this season. whenever i went to my farms, the ever greenish landscape that always welcomed me turns to wrinkle, horrofic scene... withered stems of crops looking helpless in the ever blazing wrath of the avenging sun rays. damn, i sick, i depressed i got fever got phobia for my farms... A place where i usually find solace

Deco7:


Drought ke. But rain has been falling all year na. I don't believe you again joor. Rain has been falling here in SW almost non stop all year

Thanks 4 d interest in my thread though

And who told you that i live in the south?
BELIEVE! Hmm well,
I have never asked u to dat in d first place.

Continuation...
It lead to a point where my guts of going to any of the farm turns 0%, farmboi is just home everyday godforsaken day feeling sick, depressed and helpless...
To the glory of God, heavens open again though after weeks of prayer and fasting that we had the first rainfall for the month of september. It was September 11, hours after we observed prayer service organized by CAN, we prayed for God to blessed us with rain, unfortunately that was the same day when the aftermath of Storm Daniel wreck havoc in Lybia RIP.. we had our own showers of blessing from above HALLELUJAH! AMEN! The thirst of our crops was queched. Hahaha
I cried out in joy blessed Gods Holy name, cause he saved my ass and thousands of others.

Before the rain, hmm! Regrets HEAPING ON MY WRETCHED Life, The hundreds of thousands of Naira i have spend in the farm... TEARS! My life in the city start reflecting before my eyes, how i left my 40k monthly salary job... me just here laying helplessly on my bed.. but after the rain, Souls are been revived, hopes became lively... There was a great setback but There is still a tonnes of hope for a bumber harvest...
Thanks to Heavens

@Seun for heavens sake do something about this picture uploading sh!t. I just don't know why I can't upload a quality pics, but thumbnails!
I hate it

wittywriter:
Following



Wittyness

Use this hold body
pics failed to upload

Thank you @ farmboimarkus. Your post is highly inspirational. I feel you because I have been where you are now. I had over 8 hectares of maize farm last year after spending more than N1,500,000 (N1.5M) but due to a number of factors like the fertility of the soil which was not obvious at the onset, the harvest was not what we expected and I lost my investments. I spent money on land preparation, herbicide, manure (N200,000), fertilizers (NPK, UREA) etc, supergro, Biowish, humic and fluvic acid, insecticides/pesticides (Army worm), Seeds, labour, food, etc. it was a traumatic experience for me. But I did not give up. I changed farm land, learnt from my experience and this year the difference is clear. DON'T give up. Fluctuation in rain fall can be very devastating.......................... Am sure I did not make up to N600k.

Hmmm...next time , plant drought tolerant varieties like seedco sc719... Then also, make sure u run the soil test before investing ur money... Agriculture is very hard to start, but if u start the right way u will become unstoppable.... May God bless our hustles

Jonnic1:
Thank you @ farmboimarkus. Your post is highly inspirational. I feel you because I have been where you are now. I had over 8 hectares of maize farm last year after spending more than N1,500,000 (N1.5M) but due to a number of factors like the fertility of the soil which was not obvious at the onset, the harvest was not what we expected and I lost my investments. I spent money on land preparation, herbicide, manure (N200,000), fertilizers (NPK, UREA) etc, supergro, Biowish, humic and fluvic acid, insecticides/pesticides (Army worm), Seeds, labour, food, etc. it was a traumatic experience for me. But I did not give up. I changed farm land, learnt from my experience and this year the difference is clear. DON'T give up. Fluctuation in rain fall can be very devastating.......................... Am sure I did not make up to N600k.

Please where's your farm located? I farmland ooo

I really appreciate you for your efforts. Thanks for sharing real practical experience.
Sometimes in agriculture and in life, you plan for everything thinking you've got everything covered but suddenly you realize that certain things will happen that are beyond you.

That's why we must never forget the God factor in everything we do. God will surely bless our hustles.