NewStats: 3,263,952 , 8,182,068 topics. Date: Monday, 09 June 2025 at 02:18 AM 34ih

I'm a practicing crop producer with 10 years experience and for lack of better words will call this thread philosophy of crop production as I try to distill the essence of crop production as seen through my eyes....

Even with 10 years experience I still consider myself a learner as there are many problems I still don't have practical solutions to


So let me start the ranting

Crops Generally are high bulk low value, this is why many would be good farmers run away...

As a farmer how will you handle this bulk........ Your planting materials are bulky, fertilizers bulky and when your produce comes out its even more bulky

Can you easily estimate this bulk.....

Use the fact that Crops are generally high bulk and low value to your advantage, It determines the point of entry of thief's and people that want to cheat you

Crops generally in Nigeria is supply driven as there is no industrial base to bring about demand driven agriculture.......

I thank God for the processors of cassava in Lusada, Agbara and other places in Nigeria, If not for them, cassava won't have been rescued.... It would remain an extreme low value crop.. ..... This industries have introduced life back into cassava and have given competition to garri producers.....

To move from supply driven Agriculture to Demand driven Agriculture pls ensure you buy local produced goods.........

Imagine the success in cassava being replicated in Sugar.........There will be more sugar cane farms than cassava,then you will start hearing the varieties and local names for sugar cane, many farmers will move from cassava to sugar cane, this will increase both the income of the sugarcane and cassava farmer as there is now competition for land for the crops......

Give or take once you get into crop production, you are forced to think in of a unit of human labor.....its better to engage labor for a year and give them a one off payment. This will force you into the acquisition of land so that they would be busy

If you can locate all your farms in one place you are lucky. At any point in time 2 laborers should be engaged with 7.5 acres minimum for there to be profitability, this is the standard for maize and cassava...It is better to engage 3laborers as there is no year you won't get people that won't finish their yearly labor, you can start with 3labor and by year end you end up with 2 due to all manner of reason ...Technologies like pesticides,machines , Good seeds and fertilizers are the owners input to increase profitability.....

Understanding how each affects profit is key to profitability

Growing crops on a large scale is extremely risky, you can watch helplessly billions of naira go to waste.....On a large scale I prefer to watch other farmers make it trying newer techniques before I the band wagon

Personally I won't quickly change tried and trusted techniques in the name of pursuing yield

If u are a rainfed farmer please understand the rainfall pattern in your area.... For example if you grow corn pls let your corn tasseling, silking and flower formation coincide with the period of assured rainfall..... In my own locality this is the month of June and October...... Any other thing outside this period means greatly reduced yield, if u like plant seedco 719 or tela maize...... In fact if ur hybrid tassels in this window period and all other agronomic factors are intact, you will sur the d yield

Before venturing into the varieties game, pls ensure you know the crop hands down and factors that affect the yield bought in ur locality.....
For example, why buy pioneer or tela maize when you don't have a mechanical planter at your disposal then sell the maize fresh, you are only increasing your cost input...... There are cheap local varieties with very big cobs ....... Also don't plant the local varieties with big cobs then sell dry and you expect the yields of hybrids just because you have the same number and size of cobs "corn corn O!!!!!!!"

Hone your powers of estimation.... Learn how to transpose scientific measurement into local measurement, for example you should quickly be able to transcribe acres or hectares into for example local Yoruba measurement like alakpin or egba no matter how irregular shaped the land...... You don't need gps or surveyors tape for this.........

betabread:
Hone your powers of estimation.... Learn how to transpose scientific measurement into local measurement, for example you should quickly be able to transcribe acres or hectares into for example local Yoruba measurement like alakpin or egba no matter how irregular shaped the land...... You don't need gps or surveyors tape for this.........

How can I reach you please sir?

I'm want to go into either cassava or pepper farming, I'm considering siting my farm around Atan Lusada/Owode Idiroko... I would love to get your guidance sir.

Thanks sir

In Nigeria there is no such thing as a part time farmer, If you can't visit your farm daily pls form a coalition of similar minded people and float the farm........

The bulk of daily task on the farm is basically casual work, its so easy to tell the owner we have done it meanwhile nothing was done

If you keep records pls record only what you witnessed.. ........its too easy to get lost in records and forget what's going on physically on the farm

mayowade50:


How can I reach you please sir?

I'm want to go into either cassava or pepper farming, I'm considering siting my farm around Atan Lusada/Owode Idiroko... I would love to get your guidance sir.

Thanks sir

If you are a beginner forget pepper, that's for expert , do cassava for 3 years before proceeding to corn

As a farmer, there are a lot of hidden cost in the business, take for example cassava sells for 400,000 per pickup.......

Understand that the price paid by the buyer is not what comes to the farmer, there is money for uprooting , and loading , all on the initial 400k paid by the buyer

Ur main concern is what should come to the farmer.....

U should compare prices and juxtapose if using bikes, pickup, cabster or canter will favor ur situation

In other crops this wahala is done by the market women especially vegetables, they buy and transport themeselves

Given a choice between volume and quality 98% of Nigerians go for volume, factor that when selecting varieties especially if you grow grains and starches

The average Nigerian hardly cares about taste and texture....

Some years ago a friend grew pioneer variety of Corn, the Ogi seller that bought the first batch came back wanting to buy the remaining stock but it was finished, on asking y she finally opened up and said she got more than twice the volume of Ogi than from normal corn

Upon twice the profit she made, she was not ready to add a dine to the normal market price for corn...... Its way better to get that variety that gives you volume over quality, this helps as the cost of fertilizer is on the high side

Give the market what the market wants

Factories that can buy high quality corn prefers importation

🫤

Zero fluff.

Ok

I got a lot of information that will be of benefit.

We will continue to farm no matter the odds.
Farming has been a mainstay of my family's economy.
The good thing is my profit is always 50%-100%+ RoI.
What i fear the most in farming is inconsistency of government policies towards agriculture and weather uncertainties.

betabread:



If you are a beginner forget pepper, that's for expert , do cassava for 3 years before proceeding to corn

Lolzzzzz 🤣

the

Reading your philosophy, one can categorically say that you are a master of the art of crop production. Sometimes last year, I attended SeedCo's end-of-the-year display of harvest in Kaduna. There, I learnt the rudiments of crop production. The workshop annihilated my fear of unemployment or poverty.
Dear young graduate, please, don't hesitate to attend workshops at any given chance.
As an astute quantity surveyor, estimating is what I do almost every day. Blessed is the day I choose quantity surveying over all other courses.

G

Nice thread. Following

Crop production...
Crop cultivation

The hardest crime to control on a farm is not outright theft but pilfering......... At every point of Hugh expenditure or revenue generation, there is so much opportunity for pilfering to set in

betabread:
If u are a rainfed farmer please understand the rainfall pattern in your area.... For example if you grow corn pls let your corn tasseling, silking and flower formation coincide with the period of assured rainfall..... In my own locality this is the month of June and October...... Any other thing outside this period means greatly reduced yield, if u like plant seedco 719 or tela maize...... In fact if ur hybrid tassels in this window period and all other agronomic factors are intact, you will sur the d yield

Hmmmmm
Where is your farm?
Mine is at Kobape, 30 acres currently.
Planted maize and cassava but it has not been easy honestly.
Labourers are a big issue so am trying to reduce as much as possible the human s in my farm.
I just bought and importing a multi-implement from china and it will arrive next month.
It will plant, fertilize, spray at the same time reducing human factors.

I will be following your thread and we can share knowledge

betabread:
Before venturing into the varieties game, pls ensure you know the crop hands down and factors that affect the yield bought in ur locality.....
For example, why buy pioneer or tela maize when you don't have a mechanical planter at your disposal then sell the maize fresh, you are only increasing your cost input...... There are cheap local varieties with very big cobs ....... Also don't plant the local varieties with big cobs then sell dry and you expect the yields of hybrids just because you have the same number and size of cobs "corn corn O!!!!!!!"

So you mean the improved varieties may not produce well if planted manually? Can you explain a little?

hmm

emmaodet:


Hmmmmm
Where is your farm?
Mine is at Kobape, 30 acres currently.
Planted maize and cassava but it has not been easy honestly.
Labourers are a big issue so am trying to reduce as much as possible the human s in my farm.
I just bought and importing a multi-implement from china and it will arrive next month.
It will plant, fertilize, spray at the same time reducing human factors.

I will be following your thread and we can share knowledge

@ emmaodet
congratulations on the purchase of ur equipment
do u mind if I ask how much does it cost?

also kindly reply m dm