As an entrepreneur, I’ve always looked for ways to invest in the agricultural sector because agriculture offers more than just business opportunities. It's a way to create jobs, generate wealth, and contribute to food security. 

I ventured into agriculture many years ago to create jobs, create wealth and food security so iykbethany farms is a project that is very important to me, but the journey hasn't been easy at all. There have been trials and errors along the way and I have been documenting everything so others can learn from the process, my mistakes and struggles.

I already have other farms for banana, plantains, oil palm and pineapples but one other venture that really caught my eye was greenhouse farming due to its immense potential to improve crop yields and maximize the use of limited land.

 Here is a link to my journey with Malaysian Supergene Oil Palm Seedlings: https://www.nairaland.com/8190065/sowing-future-journey-1000-malaysian#131594024

The Decision to Venture into Greenhouse Farming
The idea to invest in greenhouse farming came from my observation of Nigeria's agricultural sector.
Agriculture remains a critical part of our economy, yet many farmers still rely on traditional open-field farming, which is vulnerable to weather fluctuations, pest infestations, and inconsistent crop yields. With greenhouse farming, I saw an opportunity to leverage controlled environments to optimize crop growth, especially for high-value crops like habanero peppers.

Initial Setup and Consultation
The first year I ventured into agriculture, I went into Plantain and cassava farming without consulting any professional so the project failed woefully. So these days I do a lot of research and I consult widely. Since greenhouse farming was a new venture for me, I knew that consulting an expert was critical to ensuring the project's success. So I turned to a greenhouse expert I met on Nairaland. After several discussions, I hired him to oversee the construction of the greenhouses and other necessary infrastructure on the farm.

The project plan included:
Setting up two greenhouses: One dedicated to habanero peppers (Habanero F1) and the other for bell peppers (Hercules F1 red and Abbey F1 yellow).

Constructing a water tank stand: This would support two large water tanks that were crucial for the irrigation system.
However, it wasn’t long before we encountered a significant setback.

Unfortunately, the tank stand collapsed on the very day we filled the tanks with water. It turned out that the contractor used inferior materials, specifically low-quality metal, for the structure. As a result, the tank stand could not support the weight of the filled tanks, leading to its collapse.

Damage and Financial Losses
When the tank stand collapsed, the two water tanks were severely damaged, leaving them unusable. This resulted in unexpected financial losses, as I had to buy two new water tanks.

Moreover, the entire tank stand had to be reconstructed from scratch but this time I used manual labour and I decided to use blocks and cement. 

The total damage and reconstruction costs included:
The cost of buying two new water tanks.
The expense of reconstructing the tank stand with stronger, more reliable materials—this time, I opted for a tank stand made from concrete blocks and cement instead of metal.

Lessons Learned from the Setback
While the setback with the water tank stand was a major hurdle, it also taught me several valuable lessons about managing a greenhouse farming project. As an entrepreneur, it’s essential to not only focus on the potential profits but also to be mindful of the process, quality of materials, and the people involved in the project. Also, I have found out that water tank stands made of block and cement are stronger than those made of metals. And it is cheaper as well. 

After completing the greenhouse construction, I decided to hire a farm manager/agronomist to help oversee the operations. I will never repeat the mistakes I made years ago when I planted cassava and other crops without proper supervision. So I found someone from UNIPORT who had the knowledge and skills I was looking for. Since he’s still a student at Uniport, he requested free furnished accommodation on the farm, along with cooking utensils, to make it convenient for him to manage the farm while continuing his studies.  

This is a pilot project so I am still learning and documenting the whole process. 

Phase 1: Seed Germination and Nursery
- Raised 1,000 seeds each of red and yellow bell peppers and habanero peppers- Germination occurred after 7 days- Nursery duration: 28 days before transplanting

Phase 2: Farm Preparation
- Cleared the farm
- Created ridges
- Installed irrigation system
- Opened holes for planting
- Applied manure and NPK 15.15.15 fertilizers

Phase 3: Transplanting and Greenhouse Setup
- Transplanted seedlings into two greenhouses:   
- Habanero F1   
- Bell Pepper (Hercules F1 red and Abbey F1 yellow)
- Set up:   
- Binding wire (upper and lower lines)   
- Staking rope

Feeding Pattern
- Week 1: Plain water
- Week 2: Nitrogen application
- Week 3: Calcium nitrate application
- Week 4: Potassium nitrate application

Conclusion
Greenhouses are a valuable tool for improving agricultural productivity in Nigeria, especially for crops like habanero peppers and bell peppers. By providing a controlled environment, greenhouses help farmers overcome the challenges of traditional farming, such as unpredictable weather and pests. The structured approach to farming, from seed germination to transplanting and feeding, ensures high yields and quality produce.

Most Nigerians do not know that the reason foodstuffs are expensive is because of insecurity in the North. Northern Nigeria is our food basket but sadly bandits and terrorists are attacking farmers on a daily basis. In some Northern states, farmers cannot access their farms without paying hefty ramson to bandits and there is no guarantee you will come back alive even after paying the ransom.
If the government can tackle insecurity, food prices will drop dramatically.

.....

The reconstructed tank stand
I found out its cheaper to use cement, iron rods and blocks. And the best part, its cheaper too...

This was long time ago at the pineapple farm that failed due to lack of supervision.

https://iykbethanygistville.com/2020/09/10/farming-agriculture-in-nigeria-my-journey-so-far/

iykbethany:
This was long time ago at the pineapple farm that failed due to lack of supervision.

https://iykbethanygistville.com/2020/09/10/farming-agriculture-in-nigeria-my-journey-so-far/

You are doing well (in the voice of akas baba)

iykbethany:
As an entrepreneur, I’ve always looked for ways to invest in the agricultural sector because agriculture offers more than just business opportunities. It's a way to create jobs, generate wealth, and contribute to food security. 

I ventured into agriculture many years ago to create jobs, create wealth and food security so iykbethany farms is a project that is very important to me, but the journey hasn't been easy at all. There have been trials and errors along the way and I have been documenting everything so others can learn from the process, my mistakes and struggles.

I already have other farms for banana, plantains, oil palm and pineapples but one other venture that really caught my eye was greenhouse farming due to its immense potential to improve crop yields and maximize the use of limited land.

 Here is a link to my journey with Malaysian Supergene Oil Palm Seedlings: https://www.nairaland.com/8190065/sowing-future-journey-1000-malaysian#131594024

The Decision to Venture into Greenhouse Farming
The idea to invest in greenhouse farming came from my observation of Nigeria's agricultural sector.
Agriculture remains a critical part of our economy, yet many farmers still rely on traditional open-field farming, which is vulnerable to weather fluctuations, pest infestations, and inconsistent crop yields. With greenhouse farming, I saw an opportunity to leverage controlled environments to optimize crop growth, especially for high-value crops like habanero peppers.

Initial Setup and Consultation
The first year I ventured into agriculture, I went into Plantain and cassava farming without consulting any professional so the project failed woefully. So these days I do a lot of research and I consult widely. Since greenhouse farming was a new venture for me, I knew that consulting an expert was critical to ensuring the project's success. So I turned to a greenhouse expert I met on Nairaland. After several discussions, I hired him to oversee the construction of the greenhouses and other necessary infrastructure on the farm.

The project plan included:
Setting up two greenhouses: One dedicated to habanero peppers (Habanero F1) and the other for bell peppers (Hercules F1 red and Abbey F1 yellow).

Constructing a water tank stand: This would support two large water tanks that were crucial for the irrigation system.
However, it wasn’t long before we encountered a significant setback.

Unfortunately, the tank stand collapsed on the very day we filled the tanks with water. It turned out that the contractor used inferior materials, specifically low-quality metal, for the structure. As a result, the tank stand could not support the weight of the filled tanks, leading to its collapse.

Damage and Financial Losses
When the tank stand collapsed, the two water tanks were severely damaged, leaving them unusable. This resulted in unexpected financial losses, as I had to buy two new water tanks.

Moreover, the entire tank stand had to be reconstructed from scratch but this time I used manual labour and I decided to use blocks and cement. 

The total damage and reconstruction costs included:
The cost of buying two new water tanks.
The expense of reconstructing the tank stand with stronger, more reliable materials—this time, I opted for a tank stand made from concrete blocks and cement instead of metal.

Lessons Learned from the Setback
While the setback with the water tank stand was a major hurdle, it also taught me several valuable lessons about managing a greenhouse farming project. As an entrepreneur, it’s essential to not only focus on the potential profits but also to be mindful of the process, quality of materials, and the people involved in the project. Also, I have found out that water tank stands made of block and cement are stronger than those made of metals. And it is cheaper as well. 

After completing the greenhouse construction, I decided to hire a farm manager/agronomist to help oversee the operations. I will never repeat the mistakes I made years ago when I planted cassava and other crops without proper supervision. So I found someone from UNIPORT who had the knowledge and skills I was looking for. Since he’s still a student at Uniport, he requested free furnished accommodation on the farm, along with cooking utensils, to make it convenient for him to manage the farm while continuing his studies.  

This is a pilot project so I am still learning and documenting the whole process. 

Phase 1: Seed Germination and Nursery
- Raised 1,000 seeds each of red and yellow bell peppers and habanero peppers- Germination occurred after 7 days- Nursery duration: 28 days before transplanting

Phase 2: Farm Preparation
- Cleared the farm
- Created ridges
- Installed irrigation system
- Opened holes for planting
- Applied manure and NPK 15.15.15 fertilizers

Phase 3: Transplanting and Greenhouse Setup
- Transplanted seedlings into two greenhouses:   
- Habanero F1   
- Bell Pepper (Hercules F1 red and Abbey F1 yellow)
- Set up:   
- Binding wire (upper and lower lines)   
- Staking rope

Feeding Pattern
- Week 1: Plain water
- Week 2: Nitrogen application
- Week 3: Calcium nitrate application
- Week 4: Potassium nitrate application

Conclusion
Greenhouses are a valuable tool for improving agricultural productivity in Nigeria, especially for crops like habanero peppers and bell peppers. By providing a controlled environment, greenhouses help farmers overcome the challenges of traditional farming, such as unpredictable weather and pests. The structured approach to farming, from seed germination to transplanting and feeding, ensures high yields and quality produce.

Most Nigerians do not know that the reason foodstuffs are expensive is because of insecurity in the North. Northern Nigeria is our food basket but sadly bandits and terrorists are attacking farmers on a daily basis. In some Northern states, farmers cannot access their farms without paying hefty ramson to bandits and there is no guarantee you will come back alive even after paying the ransom.
If the government can tackle insecurity, food prices will drop dramatically.

Keep it up! Keen observer

Thanks for sharing. I was discussing the importance of green house with a friend this morning.
Pls can you share the cost estimate of construction of this green house excluding the irrigation system?

idealtailor:
Thanks for sharing. I was discussing the importance of green house with a friend this morning.
Pls can you share the cost estimate of construction of this green house excluding the irrigation system?

Though I am quoting this comment, but I am directing my message to the OP

Likewise I am also humbly requesting for the information the above poster is requesting for if you wouldn't mind sharing sir. It will be of great benefit to others like us who also want to venture into this line of farming project without loosing money due to insufficient information needed as a guide.

I look forward to your response OP

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.

iykbethany:
The reconstructed tank stand
I found out its cheaper to use cement, iron rods and blocks. And the best part, its cheaper too...

very impressive work,I hope you are not using that spacing I am seeing for habanero,it is good for bell peppers but habaneros is a different ball game,that spacing will reduces the total yield and production of habanero by 50-60%

okoroemeka:
very impressive work,I hope you are not using that spacing I am seeing for habanero,it is good for bell peppers but habaneros is a different ball game,that spacing will reduces the total yield and production of habanero by 50-60%

Can you kindly tell us the spacing in exact measurements that you see from the picture?

Why not allow the OP tell you what spacing he used before you immediately conclude just by looking at the picture that the spacing is not optimal?

stagger:


Can you kindly tell us the spacing in exact measurements that you see from the picture?

Why not allow the OP tell you what spacing he used before you immediately conclude just by looking at the picture that the spacing is not optimal?

just the picture is enough for a farmer with 30 yrs experience,that seedlings is not more than 40 days old and the leaves are barely more than 30cm away from each other,it is ok if it is bell pepper due to their smaller non branching size,but for habanero,it will be a very tight spacing,I am just saying from experience,we are currently seeing such problems at a similar client farm in owerri,they followed goggle farm recommendation of 50cm by 60cm spacing it was a disaster

okoroemeka:
just the picture is enough for a farmer with 30 yrs experience,that seedlings is not more than 40 days old and the leaves are barely more than 30cm away from each other,it is ok if it is bell pepper due to their smaller non branching size,but for habanero,it will be a very tight spacing,I am just saying from experience,we are currently seeing such problems at a similar client farm in owerri,they followed goggle farm recommendation of 50cm by 60cm spacing it was a disaster

Well there is room for learning by experience. Maybe he can discover something that will add to the body of knowledge. I have personally done experiments with maize that have provided me with a protocol that is not in any textbook or online resource.

I am also learning here.

okoroemeka:
very impressive work,I hope you are not using that spacing I am seeing for habanero,it is good for bell peppers but habaneros is a different ball game,that spacing will reduces the total yield and production of habanero by 50-60%

My manager used the same spacing. He said we can expect the same yield gotten from 10x50 to be the same with 10x30.

The guy is a uniport student who has managed some other farms before we recruited him, so I believe him.

Since you are an expert I also believe you but even if the spacing is wrong I don't want to stress myself thinking about it, I'm already going through alot. I nor wan get High blood pressure bro.

This is a pilot project bros, and I expect some mistakes here and there, and that's why I'm documenting everything.

This aluu project is not that big, our main farm is in imo state where we have over 100 farmland dedicated to different cashcrops Oil palm, banana, plantain, cassava, yam, maize, cucumbers, pineapples, etc.

We are experimenting with pepper and tomatoes this year, and by next year, we hope to go into large-scale farming of these two if we have the funds.

This is what they looked like as at 2 days ago.

okoroemeka:
just the picture is enough for a farmer with 30 yrs experience,that seedlings is not more than 40 days old and the leaves are barely more than 30cm away from each other,it is ok if it is bell pepper due to their smaller non branching size,but for habanero,it will be a very tight spacing,I am just saying from experience,we are currently seeing such problems at a similar client farm in owerri,they followed goggle farm recommendation of 50cm by 60cm spacing it was a disaster

That's why we are all here brother man, to learn. This is a pilot project so mistake is inevitable but they will be corrected when we go into mass production.

I recently met someone who relocated from Europe a few years ago to start farming. He said he has made over 80million Naira from pepper and tomatoes this year. The normal pepper, so he used open fields. Its more economical instead of spending millions on greenhouses. He sees greenhouse and exotic pepper farming as waste of time and money. His pepper farm in river state has generators and 7 boreholes. Massive farm.

I'm currently studying his template.

Please did anyone know where I can get habanero pepper seed here in Oshogbo?

iykbethany:


That's why we are all here brother man, to learn. This is a pilot project so mistake is inevitable but they will be corrected when we go into mass production.

I recently met someone who relocated from Europe a few years ago to start farming. He said he has made over 80million Naira from pepper and tomatoes this year. The normal pepper, so he used open fields. Its more economical instead of spending millions on greenhouses. He sees greenhouse and exotic pepper farming as waste of time and money. His pepper farm in river state has generators and 7 boreholes. Massive farm.

I'm currently studying his template.

this is massive, so technically speaking open field farming is the best?

Besides, I am learning stuff about farming, I intend to start something when I have the funds, can I reach out to learn about your greenhouse setup above?

iykbethany:


That's why we are all here brother man, to learn. This is a pilot project so mistake is inevitable but they will be corrected when we go into mass production.

I recently met someone who relocated from Europe a few years ago to start farming. He said he has made over 80million Naira from pepper and tomatoes this year. The normal pepper, so he used open fields. Its more economical instead of spending millions on greenhouses. He sees greenhouse and exotic pepper farming as waste of time and money. His pepper farm in river state has generators and 7 boreholes. Massive farm.

I'm currently studying his template.

there is a farm in imo state we supervised,they planted super habanero and red scorpion open field in batches on one hectare,last time I was there they harvested 30 bags from 4 plots of land by #60k a bag then,total #1.8m in one week from 4 plots,my brother I don't doubt this your story
The key in open field pepper farming is to start early( nursery Nov/Dec) before the constant rains of August will come and bring bacterial and fungal disease headache you have already cashed out big time,if you have source of water to irrigate

solacong:


this is massive, so technically speaking open field farming is the best?

Besides, I am learning stuff about farming, I intend to start something when I have the funds, can I reach out to learn about your greenhouse setup above?

Open-field farming is a more cost-effective in my opinion because greenhouse farming comes with a hefty price tag.

Also, greenhouses are typically used for cultivating exotic crops like habanero peppers and bell peppers. However, if we're talking about the common red pepper used in everyday cooking, then open-field farming is the more suitable and preferred method, and that's the approach the man in question is taking.

you can contact me anytime you want to learn anything about this greenhouse project. I'm more active on FB with the same username.

iykbethany:



Open-field farming is a more cost-effective in my opinion because greenhouse farming comes with a hefty price tag.

Also, greenhouses are typically used for cultivating exotic crops like habanero peppers and bell peppers. However, if we're talking about the common red pepper used in everyday cooking, then open-field farming is the more suitable and preferred method, and that's the approach the man in question is taking.

you can contact me anytime you want to learn anything about this greenhouse project. I'm more active on FB with the same username.

Thank you, I will reach out

okoroemeka:
there is a farm in imo state we supervised,they planted super habanero and red scorpion open field in batches on one hectare,last time I was there they harvested 30 bags from 4 plots of land by #60k a bag then,total #1.8m in one week from 4 plots,my brother I don't doubt this your story
The key in open field pepper farming is to start early( nursery Nov/Dec) before the constant rains of August will come and bring bacterial and fungal disease headache you have already cashed out big time,if you have source of water to irrigate

I will like to ask what do you think is the cause of flower abhortion.

We planted pepper this year by february, everything went well till flowering then flower abortion set in, spacing used was 60×45 and 60×60

At flowering was when i believed the saying that the single most important thing in farming is the spraying equipment, even with massive pruning , we cant get in between rows as i speak to u

The pepper now is riddled with disease as i speak, in my locality pepper got as high as 170k but we never had any for sale cos of abortion

betabread:

I will like to ask what do you think is the cause of flower abhortion.

We planted pepper this year by february, everything went well till flowering then flower abortion set in, spacing used was 60×45 and 60×60

At flowering was when i believed the saying that the single most important thing in farming is the spraying equipment, even with massive pruning , we cant get in between rows as i speak to u

The pepper now is riddled with disease as i speak, in my locality pepper got as high as 170k but we never had any for sale cos of abortion

that is what I said earlier about goggle farm and their spacing,if you cannot give hot pepper a minimum of 4ft square spacing or length of shovel forget it,the problem that will come from only that poor spacing will be in series, first hot pepper exhibit a form of crown shyness when branches aviod touching each other or grow away from each other,the moment they have no option but to touch and tangle flower abortion starts naturally due to stress,the simple movement of workers in the farm wading through entangled crops will drop off most flower due to mechanical action,keep on applying agrovert or best harvest fruit and flower booster weekly and hope for the best,even that massive pruning maybe counter productive, because you are cutting off the branches that will bear fruit and naturally the crop will refocus it's energy to growing new branches instead of flowering and fruiting,leave it like that,apply manure and with time they will adjust and adapt,also the disease is helped so much by poor spacing,the leafs retain moisture for much longer due to poor ventilation and inadequate sunlight penetration giving bacteria and fungal spores the chance to grow and thrive,also your workers wading through the thick brush will help in spreading the disease rapidly

okoroemeka:
that is what I said earlier about goggle farm and their spacing,if you cannot give hot pepper a minimum of 4ft square spacing or length of shovel forget it,the problem that will come from only that poor spacing will be in series, first hot pepper exhibit a form of crown shyness when branches aviod touching each other or grow away from each other,the moment they have no option but to touch and tangle flower abortion starts naturally due to stress,the simple movement of workers in the farm wading through entangled crops will drop off most flower due to mechanical action,keep on applying agrovert or best harvest fruit and flower booster weekly and hope for the best,even that massive pruning maybe counter productive, because you are cutting off the branches that will bear fruit and naturally the crop will refocus it's energy to growing new branches instead of flowering and fruiting,leave it like that,apply manure and with time they will adjust and adapt,also the disease is helped so much by poor spacing,the leafs retain moisture for much longer due to poor ventilation and inadequate sunlight penetration giving bacteria and fungal spores the chance to grow and thrive,also your workers wading through the thick brush will help in spreading the disease rapidly

If i go by 4ft (120cm), what can i interplant with pepper , to make use of space, i would have taken water melon but harvest time will coincide with rainy season

betabread:


If i go by 4ft (120cm), what can i interplant with pepper , to make use of space, i would have taken water melon but harvest time will coincide with rainy season

go with watermelon,we tried it last year it worked,intercropped with pepper,forget the myth about melon and rain,good agricultural practice will bust the myth,good and timely pruning of melon to a max of 2-3 vines and weekly application of fungicide will solve the fungal problem, especially the pruning very critical,at 5-7 leaf stage remove the growing tip,it will try to grow vines from the leaf base,,leave 2-3 and remove the rest,this will make all the vine to grow uniformly,also remove any other lateral vine coming out from those selected vines the crop will focus all energy on those vines,when you have one pollinated fruit on a Vine remove the growing tip,the whole energy will focus to make the fruits bigger faster and you have a farm free of useless leafs and vines everywhere,causing poor ventilation,,poor pollination,lack of sunlight penetration ,small fruits,and cause of fungal diseases

okoroemeka:
go with watermelon,we tried it last year it worked,intercropped with pepper,forget the myth about melon and rain,good agricultural practice will bust the myth,good and timely pruning of melon to a max of 2-3 vines and weekly application of fungicide will solve the fungal problem, especially the pruning very critical,at 5-7 leaf stage remove the growing tip,it will try to grow vines from the leaf base,,leave 2-3 and remove the rest,this will make all the vine to grow uniformly,also remove any other lateral vine coming out from those selected vines the crop will focus all energy on those vines,when you have one pollinated fruit on a Vine remove the growing tip,the whole energy will focus to make the fruits bigger faster and you have a farm free of useless leafs and vines everywhere,causing poor ventilation,,poor pollination,lack of sunlight penetration ,small fruits,and cause of fungal diseases

Please can I have your WhatsApp contact?, I'll like to make some confirmations if you don't mind

I got these chemicals today, (STRONG FORCE and HALAKAT) for TRIPS treatment.

Catalysttt:


Please can I have your WhatsApp contact?, I'll like to make some confirmations if you don't mind

08119942049 Whatsapp

Te idea to construct a high frame for heavy tanks was poor. A tank half or one metre above the drip irrigation level will effectively support the system and that can be achieved with 40 blocks and a rigid flat surface. Dont forget to include all inputs, their cost and yields.

Is there a company that builds this green house or it's something one can do ?
Also how will the plants get adequate sunlight in the greenhouse?

LillyandDaisy:
Please did anyone know where I can get habanero pepper seed here in Oshogbo?

ARE U IN OSOGB0?

Princeadebayo11:

ARE U IN OSOGB0?

No, but planning of moving to Oshogbo