Fadphils:
@Farmtech
I 100% agree with you on my mistakes and I learnt the hard way. I also forgot to mention that the land owner came harassing me for the remaining 170k which I took up to the local authority, we are yet to hear the final judgement but I was told is either the man calculates my money base on the hectare I use and give me back my remaining money or I use the land again for the next year planting season and also having a 2hectares for my maize and casava running till 2020, a very nice apartment and also a standard storage facility.

Really the experience and the exposure I have got aside farming but also on commodities outweighs the pain and also haven to leave among the farmers and learn so tricks has really really paid off not to talk of the contacts and influence made among the locals. Now am a legitimate citizen rooting the whole angles of the community like they are mine.

The greatest question am facing now is should I continue my journey there or pack my bags and move to the west which I don't think I can find such vast land in Lagos to farm rice neither can I find it in Port Harcourt except I relocate to Oyo state which I will have to start all over again by getting used to the locals.

..
The fact that few people dupe u does not mean all the locals are like that. So it's better u stay there, especially if u can find gud tractor service.

Fadphils:
To end it all, the expected tonnage was 20tonnes but right now as I am saying I have not gotten up to 1ton, the chaff gotten during the winnowing is as much as the grains gotten.

With all these I nearly reached the height of frustration and depresion after leaving everything behind for months to pursue a vision in a no man's land.

All the experience and problems encountered doesn't really sound technical but I will tell you it was a challenge having to do what you've never done before with any guidance or help from any expertise, and also been enclosed in an environment closed to information and people seeking out for your failure. It was disheartening and discouraging. But haven looked at the journey so far, I never regret ever taking the step for the problems caused me to seek for solutions and during the finding of solution it opened me up to a greater platform of connections and informtion. I found out million dollar opportunities laying fallow around and I see a future where my little loss is bringing great gains beyond borders.

My experience was a great one but am thankful for all the privileges, pains, pursuits, worries, suspense, connections and opportunities for they've all mode me and strengthen my mental strength for greater pursuits.


I choose not to write more about my friend uncle's deed because I can't tell what were hi true intentions though I found out alot of untruthfulness about the land and some suspicions about him having hand in the extortion but I can't validate my suspicions since I have no proof.

He came back during the harvest that he has been released and that he will like to continue with hi work, I told him his services were no longer needed.


Thanks for granting the privilege to share my little experience, I hope it helps someone who is going through the same and am also sorry for my grammar and typos.

Kindly enjoy the view of the rice gotten so far.

Thanks @Fadphils for sharing your experience with the level of details. Thank you also for the pictures.
Clearly, you and I made a lot of beginner errors, some of which are inexcusable. I like your positive disposition to the experience. I hope that you can make better success with your future farming endeavours borrowing from the learnings of this one.

Even though we place so much value on the knowledge and opportunities the mistakes led us to experience, as well as the discoveries that we made about people, places, and even about ourselves; other new entrants do not have to go through so much frustration or heart ache.

Prospective farmers, or entrepreneurs in general, should be able to approach new ventures systematically. ...conducting useful research, consulting widely, engaging in adequate risk analysis and management, developing a proper business plan etc. You and I are quite lucky to have 'lived' to tell the story; and even be in the position to still be considering proceeding with the venture.

I congratulate you. But I will be prouder if you can leverage the experience and networks to do greater and more successful things. And I am positive, you can. your grit is a good sign.

I hope when my farming story is told as well, that my 2017 experiences will be referenced as a bad start of a journey that became wonderfully successful.

To the question of whether, you should go back to Benue or not; I will say, you should go back. You have unfinished business there. It might take you 6 months or 2 years or 30 years to finish that story. Do not leave yet. Build on what you already have; but just make sure you do not repeat any of the mistakes.do not make any new mistakes that you could readily have avoided if you had been a little more careful.Above all have fun while at it.

While you are having that fun in Benue, you can still be open to opportunities in other parts of the country, South West inclusive. You can gradually infiltrate those other areas. The future is open....grab it with both hands

Cheers

fluentinfor:


It is only a business plan that will show you clearly what next to do. Hmmmm!

@TangoAlpha and I are working on improving some areas based on the revelations on this thread. Ok, let him come online, if he agrees to share more details especialy on the financial aspect of his farm, I will personally write a business plan for you. Yeah, anyone doing rice farm can benefit from it but i will prefer to limit it. Will not want to involve any other person for now or release it for anyone until the goal is achieved. People need to research more by themselves and not just "xerox" everything.

What we will work on will include Start up cost, personnel, outsourcing, Sales, Income Statement, Cash Flow, Business Ratios (ROI, ROA, IRR, etc up to 30 ratios), Balance Sheet, Inventory Analysis, Breakeven Analaysis, etc. You know we will get almkst accurate figures since two guys here have done it. Though, I was an observer of a rice project too recently. Lol

Above all, a pilot will commence soon and that is exaclty what we will rely on and use for the final plan.

Anyway, let him come online first. If he is in, we can do our best to move it forward.

Remember, the challenge is to find the best method to fight those frustrating tiny birds.

Bro, do not be surprise ooo. There are places in Lagos you can cultivate rice and irrigation is available. Ogun Osun River Basin in Ikorodu is a place you can look into. Though, i am not a fan of usimg governement land.

I will love to share as much details as I can. But I would rather we focus on the future.

That pilot Ofada rice is a project we should make happen. It is crucial to the 'future'. Let's first take the current veggies project (that you are helping me with) to an advanced stage.

When we start the Ofada pilot, implementing some of the suggestions we have discussed on this thread, we would gladly share the details publicly to the benefit of all, all things being equal.

Thank you so much for bringing so much illumination to the discussions; I have not met many people as passionate as you, who walk the talk.

You are a blessing. Stay blessed.

FarmTech:
@Fadphil u made lots of mistakes. In bizness, i wont advice u to put ur whole trust on sb, esp sb u dont know well enof. If u cant farm sth all by urself, take time and learn it b4 patnering. If u learn from this experience and dont give, u'll achieve greater things to the shame of schemers.

Bro are u a practicing rice farmer? If yes where is your farm located

ikelords:


Bro are u a practicing rice farmer? If yes where is your farm located

I'm a farmer but not a rice farmer. I have farmed cucumber and pepper and reared poultry. But I have interest in rice.

TangoAlpha:


I will love to share as much details as I can. But I would rather we focus on the future.

That pilot Ofada rice is a project we should make happen. It is crucial to the 'future'. Let's first take the current veggies project (that you are helping me with) to an advanced stage.

When we start the Ofada pilot, implementing some of the suggestions we have discussed on this thread, we would gladly share the details publicly to the benefit of all, all things being equal.

Thank you so much for bringing so much illumination to the discussions; I have not met many people as passionate as you, who walk the talk.

You are a blessing. Stay blessed.

Almost everyone introduced to the world of veggie and the opportunities in it always stays with it. When you read comments, you know who know what work and what don't work. And when you really sit down and you see what moderators move to the front page on this forum, you just have to check how Nigerians think and the hope of the future of this country. Anyway, this is by the way side. Let us discuss the issue at hand.

Yes, it is the rice pilot I asked our brother to join us and we do together. His experience will help. You have made up your mind to do veggie. It is fine and we are doing it. And I am happy you find my FREE service helpful. Didn't I tell you you do not need to attend any training with your high rate of intelligence? You just need to practice at your backyard and thenafter, move to your farm and do your thing.

There is another issue. I read you gave our guy the advice to return to Benue and so also another person on this forum. I will be careful with that. Why? Location is a major factor to the success of any project. I know some things about you and I can say you may not find it easy doing any project in the north, South South, or South East knowing fully well you always want to be in charge of your projects. Lol. Might be, our brother went there because he felt that was his only option. It is not a matter of culture, or returning to show the villager he can do it, or that it was the place he started farming and he must remain there....no no no. Rather, he must check some factors and be sure which area is the best for him. He has got options now: Lagos, Ogun, and Benue. I think only after doing a pilot and after looking at the figures he can decide where to choose. Let us be careful how we give advices. Only the guy can decide for himself in my own opinion. Afterall, i am not in his shoe. I do not even know what he does and where he lives. He should make the call of making the decision but what we can do is put all options on his table.

See discuss! I have been reading this thread for over a month,never closed the thread but was too busy to finish up.

I just loved the ways ideas flowed! I wish Nigeria would be great.... I really hope so! You guys here resonates what NIGERIA is.

I hope you all have fun and have success stories to tell soon. See y'all in Forbes!

Cheers!

Well. I came across a post where a falcon bird is offered for sale.

Is this bird of the same specie as those offering falconry services abroad??


@tangoAlpha, message me on whatssap, it's like I found something that will interest you!

saliubello:
Well. I came across a post where a falcon bird is offered for sale.

Is this bird of the same specie as those offering falconry services abroad??


@tangoAlpha, message me on whatssap, it's like I found something that will interest you!

Interesting. I will make contact in a bit. Thank you

greetings:
See discuss! I have been reading this thread for over a month,never closed the thread but was too busy to finish up.

I just loved the ways ideas flowed! I wish Nigeria would be great.... I really hope so! You guys here resonates what NIGERIA is.

I hope you all have fun and have success stories to tell soon. See y'all in Forbes!

Cheers!

Thank you so much for your kind comments. Looking forward to hooking up with you on Forbes.

I share your hope for a great Nigeria.

Many thanks to @fluentinfor for adding colour and depth to the thread. His well of knowledge and breadth of experience is inexhaustible, as evident in his contributions here and elsewhere.

It will be more fun if you shared your own experience with us too.

All the best

TangoAlpha:


Thank you so much for your kind comments. Looking forward to hooking up with you on Forbes.

I share your hope for a great Nigeria.

Many thanks to @fluentinfor for adding colour and depth to the thread. His well of knowledge and breadth of experience is inexhaustible, as evident in his contributions here and elsewhere.

It will be more fun if you shared your own experience with us too.

All the best

It is my pl

TangoAlpha:


Thank you so much for your kind comments. Looking forward to hooking up with you on Forbes.

I share your hope for a great Nigeria.

Many thanks to @fluentinfor for adding colour and depth to the thread. His well of knowledge and breadth of experience is inexhaustible, as evident in his contributions here and elsewhere.

It will be more fun if you shared your own experience with us too.

All the best

It is my pleasure and passion to brainstorm tasks using many options, and especially it is tougher in Africa since improvisation methods must be adopted. The truth is that in Nigeria, we are rich with resources but extremely poor in the area of using our brain.

There is an association of rice farmers in SW and I asked the members and president about the most efficient method they recommend, they all said employing kids to shoot stones. LOL. In December 2017?

Concerning purchase of a falcon, you do not just buy any falcon. You buy one which has been trained and you must be trained too. It is like your pet you take care of like your dog or cat. And you fly it every now and then. Most farmers just employ the service of people who fly them. It is an activity you learn. You cannot just release a falcon and expect it to do the job well, it will fly away. A well trained falcon must be used, and it must recognise you.

Right now, we are in dry season and work on farm is hectic. I prefer producing vegetables and it is what we are doing. Rice farming can be rewarding during rainy season and it may be possible this thread picks up again in March 2018. I might not be able to respond to messages on time now since vegetable farming is on - Cucumber, Lettuce, Spring Onion for now, while Tomato, Chilli, Hot pepper and watermelon from Jan. 2018. Kindly forgive me if I respond late.

@greetings, just wondering on scale 1 - 100 what figure this discussion falls into. If you are passionate about agriculture, you should get involved. I get very rare comments like yours because very few people actually think to such level. One major challenge you will face is working with low thinkers. Another challenge is working with low passionate and small achievers. And if you agree with me, you do not need to visit someone's farm before you know if s(he) is a real farmer. If one is intellingent and has some experience, it will show. And you as a smart person can easily spot him/her. I always ask myself how scammers, ebook sellers, consultants feed on people's money.

Well, what I am trying to say is that I do not think we have discussed what cannot be done but in Nigeria, this discussion stops where it is. Few are going to read it and maybe no one will ever use it. I wish we get the plan of chief Obafemi Awolowo and implement it with modern technology. I wish.

To your prayer, I say AMEN. We will all see our names on forbes list by the special grace of God. "See s(he) who is deligent with his/her work, s(he) shall stand before kings and not mean men".

This thread is so informative. Thanks to those who have contributed genuinely. Am so much interested in venturing into agriculture. Just gathering funds for now and hope I start sooner than expected. What's y'all take on oil palm, cocoa and plantain cultivation? and on the vegetable farming talked about, I'd also like to get more info on it if its that lucrative; I need the secrets too.The only issue we have down here in the east is the cost of lands but God willing, we'd conquer.Thank You.

My mum's sell food stuffs at a popular market in lagos.... I have been thinking on getting in on rice and beans because it's what my mum sells and also some of the popular foods we consume....
I'm talking of Beans to be precise, any idea where I could get good quality beans and thereafter resell for market woman..... You know what I mean...

fluentinfor:


It is my pl

Do you have knowledge about cultivating legumes, specifically beans?

miredia:
Do you have knowledge about cultivating legumes, specifically beans?

I am more interested in veggie. And cultivating one hectare for small scale farm business is more rewarding than cultivating grains on 100 hectares. For me, the Nigerian system and land acts/law discourage me from acquiring massive land area. It is not just worth it. Hence, I am comfortable with veggie. One hectare veggie will give a return of what 100 hectare corn, beans, cassava, etc can give in one year..

I have a friend who I always contract legumes farming to if i want to fix nitrogen in my soil. If he is willing to attend to your needs, I can hook you up but I need to ask him first. You may send me a mail.

twentyk:
My mum's sell food stuffs at a popular market in lagos.... I have been thinking on getting in on rice and beans because it's what my mum sells and also some of the popular foods we consume....
I'm talking of Beans to be precise, any idea where I could get good quality beans and thereafter resell for market woman..... You know what I mean...

If I were you, I would partner with her. I believe she is into small scale retailing. Well, for grains, just continue with buying and reselling. The only way you can do better is to find a way to buy in bulk and store. Buy when cheap and remove from it gradually to sell. You make huge product when scarce. My brother, you do not need to use those killing pesticides that are used in most stores. Many market women cannot store because they know they will kill everyone living in the house and in the surrounding. I am not going to mention any chemical here cos i know there are foolish people who think they are smart and will still use the chemical thereby killing other people around. Just by inhaling some of these chemicals used in storing grains kill. So, these people wrap these dangerous chemicals tightly in sacks so that the effect is minimal but still very dangerous. And the effect keeps pests away.

Anyway, there are bags from Isreal and other advanced nations which you may buy to store your grains. So, invest in them. Consult Nigeria Stored Product Research Institute, if you have time.

Personally, I will not cultivate grains to sell to market women. I will rather find a starch, corn flakes, mills or any company who needs grains and have a contract.

fluentinfor:


I am more interested in veggie. And cultivating one hectare for small scale farm business is more rewarding than cultivating grains on 100 hectares. For me, the Nigerian system and land acts/law discourage me from acquiring massive land area. It is not just worth it. Hence, I am comfortable with veggie. One hectare veggie will give a return of what 100 hectare corn, beans, cassava, etc can give in one year..

I have a friend who I always contract legumes farming to if i want to fix nitrogen in my soil. If he is willing to attend to your needs, I can hook you up but I need to ask him first. You may send me a mail.

I do not have your email. Kindly drop it. I just might be interested in the veggie farming. You've spoken so highly of it in your previous post.

miredia:
I do not have your email. Kindly drop it. I just might be interested in the veggie farming. You've spoken so highly of it in your previous post.

Use the mail button here. There is provision to email any member of this forum

TangoAlpha:


Thank you so much for your kind comments. Looking forward to hooking up with you on Forbes.

I share your hope for a great Nigeria.

Many thanks to @fluentinfor for adding colour and depth to the thread. His well of knowledge and breadth of experience is inexhaustible, as evident in his contributions here and elsewhere.

It will be more fun if you shared your own experience with us too.

All the best

Good day to you
I was in your farm on Sunday 07/01/2018....when are you coming to the farm?
Regards

arthurshelly:


Good day to you
I was in your farm on Sunday 07/01/2018....when are you coming to the farm?
Regards

Great!

I will be there tomorrow, Wednesday.
If you can make it down, it would be nice.
You may send an email

Hi,
I read someone mention chilli peppers on this thread.
Are there others in this line.
I'm looking for options and solutions for grinding dry pepper into powder or flakes. Asides from taking it to market grinders which I'd rather not do because I cant guarantee non contamination.
Any ideas (apart from investing in grinding mill)
Are there possible places where they do contract blending and filling fora price.

TangoAlpha:


Great!

I will be there tomorrow, Wednesday.
If you can make it down, it would be nice.
You may send an email

Sorry for late reapy...i was in your farm this evening 06/02/2018 I saw those equipment you just bought in the farm...weldone...when are you gonna be there again?

arthurshelly:


Sorry for late reapy...i was in your farm this evening 06/02/2018 I saw those equipment you just bought in the farm...weldone...when are you gonna be there again?

Thanks for your visit.

Why don't you come tomorrow? I should be there for the most part.

Regards

Sir how can I contact you sir, I pray thee that though become an agromentor unto me

24 pieces + 20% = $50,400



24 pieces + 20% = $50,112



3 pieces + 20% = $14,022



2 pieces + 20% = $6,228


Note: 20% = 15% accessories + 5% shipping


I think China can offer better prices with the same quality.
I am not sure 15% includes the cost of poles for the nethouse. It is better and cheaper to import even galvanised poles. This will be crazily expensive too. Here is a very rough guess:
Dimension: 100m × 100m
Lets say you have 5m btw poles
You will have 21 rows and 21 poles in each row. Total = 441 poles.
Galvanised pipes are in 18fts which is approx. 5.4m. If you divide one into two, by the time you bury 1 ft, you will have around 2.5m height. So, you will need 221 full length poles. Can 1 inch pipe diameter be situation for this job? Maybe 1.5 inches or 2 inches. Get the cost of each amd multiply by 221. Lets say the one you choose per unit is N2,500, you are spending N552,500.
Then add installation prices: cost of cutting the poles, cost of cement to make the poles fit inside the soil firmly, cost of adding flat tops to the poles, perhaps you need to weld some parts too etc. Finally, the cost of logistics (transportation) and labor should be added.
Now look at this price and see what it is if you are doing 20 hectares.

Note, the quantity of net for the sides ( perimeter) will be lesser. You can not just translate my projections above and multiply by 20. It will be lesser. However, multiplying by the number of hectares is a very rough good guess.
Best of luck everyone.