PIG FARMING IN NIGERIA

Pig production business in Lagos state alone has the potential of generating about $2 billion (N300 billion) annually. Gbolahan Lawal, the commissioner for agric, Lagos state revealed this recently at a forum in Lagos organised by the Commercial Agric Development (CADP) team.
Currently two piggery estates exist in the state. These are Oke Aro and Gberigbe in Ifo and Ikorodu local government areas respectively) with a total of 250 pens being managed by 1200 farmers of the total 2,350 pig farmers in the state.

Pig farmers are also spread across Ojo, Alimoso, Badagry and Ikorodu local government areas; that the state has a total of 205,696 pigs of which about 43 percent are reared in the Oke Aro and Gberigbe estates.
Oke Aro Pig Farm Estate has the largest concentration of pig farmers in the West Africa Sub region and has patronage from as far as Republic of Benin. Leveraging on this huge potential in piggery value chain will increase pig production by 20 percent, increase sales by 30 percent as well as employment generation by 30 percent in the next five years
The Oke Aro Farm Settlement has been a good source of income for men and women that come from Oke-Aro itself, Agbado, Ope ilu and other surrounding towns and villages.

Raising pigs can be pursued as a small-scale operation as source of family meat and supplement income or it can be made into a large-scale operation. Pigs may be raised in highly controlled environments (hog lots) indoor, in open spaces or barns as breeding sows or grown and sold for slaughter to butcher shops. Here are the aspects of pig raising that a grower must carefully consider:

Choosing Piglets to Raise
Pig feeders can be obtained from stock breeders, and producers, in auctions and classified ads. Pigs are of different breeds some of them are well suited for specific environments, indoor or outdoor. Crossbred pigs tend to grow faster, consume feed more efficiently and are vigorous. When buying a feeder, choose the large and healthy looking ones, at least 25 lbs. If you are choosing a male, which is observed to grow slightly faster than females, get one that is already castrated. Male or female, they are preferably immunized. Ask the breeder for health information and stock of the breeder.

Proper Nutrition for Pigs
Pigs feed on both grains and meat. They can also be fed with cooked table scraps and vegetables. Corn is their most common food, but they could benefit from having a diet with protein from soybeans or cooked meat. Further, they grow faster with vitamins and other supplements. Piglets have higher protein requirements than mature ones. Feeds can be bought packaged and in bulk. Pigs must also have adequate supply of drinking water daily, about two to four gallons. Provide water either through a tub or automatic nipple waterer.

Ideal Housing for Pigs
Pigs need housing to keep them warm during cold temperatures and to shelter them from excessive heat. Pigs are sensitive to heat and could die from heat stress. When housed indoors, temperature conditions must be well regulated. Controlled temperature conditions can help maximize growth. Cooling mechanisms for pigs can come in the form of drip water system or a wallow (for a hog pen).

Pigs can be housed indoors in individual stalls, pens (in groups or batch) or in barns. Even if the pigs are raised outdoors they would need a shelter during cold and hot weathers. The housing should have a space for feeding and bedding.

Pig Farm Sanitation
Sanitation is important to keep the pigs disease-free. A mechanism for easy cleaning and removal of waste is necessary for any type of pig housing. Some use slotted pen floors to make waste collection easy. Hosing a barn and removal of manure daily are recommended. So is keeping the floor dry to reduce odour.

After five to seven months, pigs are likely to reach ideal market weight of more than 70kg-90kg.
Apart from the challenge of sourcing for roughages, I don’t think there is any other one. The return on investment in the business is very high because a female pig gives birth to about 10 piglets twice in a year, and each piglet sells for about N5, 000
Are you frustrated with the limited quality of Pig Raising books on the market? Are you disappointed again that they are difficult to follow? Not enough information? Do you have questions on raising pigs properly that need to be answered?
You have tons of questions about raising pigs and you’re sick and tired of searching for information from all over the place, struggling to get the true and complete facts.

The gestation period in pigs is 115 days;(3months,3weeks,3days) so, they reproduce regularly to provide income for the farmer. The business requires patience. Anyone who wishes to go into pig farming must have a passion for the business. Feeding pigs takes a period of seven months before they mature for selling. You need to start with the weaners which go for about N5,000 while pregnant pigs are sold for N30,000-N40,000. Those who don’t have good knowledge of the business can end up feeding their pigs for 10 months and get just 50kg. But if you really understand the nitty-gritty of pig farming, at seven months after weaning, you can get 80kg to 100kg. Pigs are sold according to their weight @N260  per kilogramme.

Our guide will run you through questions you need to consider before construction of your pig farm. It will also give you a basic idea on what to expect when operating and managing your pig farm business.

E-Book Manuals for start-up

Call Fastagric for more information
07033477992

Chicks now available

Hello Nigeria
FastAgric farms now selling
Broilers,Local Turkeys to rear, Imported or Foreign Turkeys for December
Rams, Cow and Eggs in Crate's.

Call now 07033477992, 08186415464
www.fastagriculturestore.blogspot.com.ng
Twitter, Instagram: fastagric
Facebook Page: Fast Agriculture Store
https://www.olx.com.ng/ad/broiler-birds-ID15K5zQ.html

GET TRAINED

Tap into the wealth of sustainable agriculture by expanding and unfolding the potential opportunities in Agriculture, Agribusiness and its value chain.
You can't afford to miss this power-packed Agricultural workshop knocking at your door.
FOLLOW THE LINK TO ATTEND: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IwhFduWJ8WS1bHiYgo2QoK1bkQj66pXUxGCyVdoXfCc/viewform?edit_requested=true
its going to be unforgettable experience
#Plantoattend
#itsallaboutagriculture
#Ogumogfarmsamdfarmersacademy
#SheAgric
#DIPA
#PROUDLYFARMER
#PositiveNigeria
#FastAgric

5TH NATIONAL AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT SUMMIT, TRAINING & EXHIBITION

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE 5TH NATIONAL AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT SUMMIT,  TRAINING & EXHIBITION ON LIVESTOCK'S&CROP MANAGEMENTS IN NIGERIA

In Today’s Agriculture industries, Nigeria Farmers Face Numerous  Challenges e.g High Cost of Feed Ingredient, Low Quality Available Raw  Materials, Low Quality Pelleted Feeds without Mycotoxin Binders, Bad  Livestock Diseases and Feed Managements Systems, Bad Crop  Production,Storage, and Environmental Challenges, Crops Mycotoxin  Managements, Oxidation of Raw Materials, Diseases and Environmental  Bio-security Managements, in-Efficient Funding, Structured Market/inappropriate Pricing of Produced Products and Human Resources  Managements and poverty.

In View of The Solution To The Above Stated, AQUATECH  COMMUNICATION,NIGERIA Division of AQUATECH NIGERIA LTD(Registered  Agriculture Communications Company in Nigeria) Invite YOUR COMPANY FOR  PARTICIPATION AT THE 5TH NATIONAL AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT SUMMIT,
TRAINING&EXHIBITION ON LIVESTOCK'S&CROP MANAGEMENTS IN NIGERIA.

PROGRAM ARRANGEMENTS.

DATE: Wednesday 3rd - Friday 5th of August, 2016.

VENUE: Green Springs Hotel, old-ife road,Ibadan. Oyo state. Nigeria.

TIME: 10am-4pm daily. Exhibitions extend till 6pm

PROGRAMS:
(DAY 1-:)
WELCOME ADDRESS AND OPENING SPEECH BY  NIGERIA MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND OYO STATE GOVERNOR On "Effort
and Support of Nigeria Government and Oyo State Governor in The Development and Sustainability of Agriculture in Nigeria and Oyo State Respectively".

LECTURES BY INVITED GUEST OF –

(1) CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN) On "Effort and Support of CBN in the Development and Sustainability of Agriculture in Nigeria through Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF)".

(2). BANK OF INDUSTRY (BOI) on "Effort and Support of BOI in the Development and Sustainability of Agriculture in Nigeria through Cooperate Agriculture Processor Fund (CAP FUND)".

(3). NATIONAL AGENCY FOR FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL (NAFDAC) On "Procedure and Requirement For Exporting Agriculture Processed Food To Abroad";

(4). NIGERIA EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL (NEPC) ON " Effort and Support of NEPC in Exporting Agriculture Processed Food, Type of Agriculture Processed Food For Export and Procedure of Exporting To Abroad".

SUMMIT TRAINING  Lectures On Farming and Management of tomatoes,Watermelon, Vitamin A Cassava.

  Lecture on farming and managements of Poultry, Fish and Ruminants(cow, sheep, goat).

INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION FEE:
General Seat: N5, 000 for 3Days Food, materials,Certificate&Your Summit Tag.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION: There is Hotel Arrangement is for all Participants Coming from a Distance or Who Did Not Have a House or Alternative Residence for The Summit.

HOTEL ACCOMODATION
(1). Royal suite- N25, 000 per night
(2). Executive Double - N7,500 per night
(3), Standard - N5,000 per night

Please, if You Want To Attend, Pay for Your Food, Certificate, materials, Summit Tag and (Choice Hotel Room if Needed) at any

UBA BANK.
Account Number: 1014055868.
Account Name: Aquatech Communications.

Call MR.GEORGE ON +2347061025604 or +2348059571548 after Payment to Register
Your Tag Number.

Come To The Venue With Payment Teller.

PLEASE NOTE: No Tag Number, No Seat.

FOR ADVERT, EXHIBITION AND PRODUCTS PRESENTATION RATES
Back Cover – N 85, 000
Inner Front Cover - N 75, 000
Inner Back Cover   - N 75, 000
Front Cover Strip   - N45, 000
Inside Full Page – N70, 000
Inside Half Page – N50, 000
Quarter Page – N25, 000
Strip 3/3 - N15, 000
2/ 3 - N10, 000
Exhibition- 6m by 3m -N 85, 000
•Products Presentation For: 1 hour - N 30, 000 and for 30 mins. - N 20, 000•
, CALL MR.GEORGE ON +2347061025604 or +2348059571548

Turkeys Response To Weather And Environment

 
Sneezing Turkeys

Cause

The main causes of Respiratory Disease in turkeys are Mycoplasma and Avian RhinoTracheitis virus (ART). Often these agents occur together and without your vet carrying out a blood test there is no way of telling which one(s) are involved. Irrespective of the cause the treatment is the same.

It is important to note that Mycoplasma is carried by the bird for life and will remain dormant with little damage caused, however it can flare up during times of stress, such as moving to a new home.  The infected birds will then go on to infect the new flock.  

Mycoplasma can also be transferred through the egg from the hen to her poults.  It can cause joint infections in turkeys leading to lameness.  Mycoplasma and ART can infect chickens too.

What to look out for

sneezingrunny eyesrunny noselameness

Treatment

In mild cases the birds will recover.  However, if the birds appear dull or the condition does not improve then seek veterinary advice. 

If your vet gives your birds antibiotics, we recommend giving Beryl’s Friendly Bacteriaafter antibiotic treatment.  This is because antibiotics will kill the good bacteria along with the bad bacteria. This product contains over 200 species of friendly bacteria to help repopulate the gut. 

Note: Do not give Beryl's Friendly Bacteria until at least 48 hours after the use of antibiotics as their residues may kill the friendly bacteria.

As with all diseases, Respiratory Disease can take a lot out of you bird and we recommend using Chicken Vet Amino + containing essential amino acids and B vitamins to help build up your bird’s body reserves after illness along with Chicken Vet Energy to stimulate appetite and give the bird energy. 

Prevention

Only buy poults from reputable suppliers, not local markets.Try to buy vaccinated birdsIf you buy new birds, try to keep them isolated from your existing birds for 3 weeks.
Coccidiosis in Turkeys

Cause

Coccidiosis is caused by a single celled parasite which enters the cells of the bird’s gut to reproduce.  The parasite destroys the cells lining the gut wall leading to intestinal damage. The degree of damage will depend on how many coccidial eggs (oocysts) are eaten, which in turn will depend upon how contaminated the environment is with oocysts.

This damage reduces the gut's ability to absorb nutrients leading to weight loss and diarrhoea. The damaged gut allows harmful bacteria to reproduce causing a secondary bacterial diarrhoea and in severe cases this can cross into the blood causing blood poisoning.

Coccidiosis eggs (oocysts) have a very thick wall and as such can survive years in the environment.  The eggs can be resistant to many disinfectants so ensure that your disinfectant is licensed against coccidiosis.

Note: The coccidial species which infects chickens and turkeys are different.  They cannot infect each other but if you keep chickens and turkeys together, if the conditions are right for cocci to take hold in your chickens, then conditions will be prefect for the cocci species that infects your turkeys.

Which birds are at risk

Turkeys will pick up the eggs from faeces and bedding. As they become exposed to coccidiosis they will develop immunity against it (with or without clinical signs depending on the number of oocysts they consume). Birds that come into contact with their own droppings for the first time such as poults from 2 weeks to 2 months of age have no immunity and as such are vulnerable.

What to look out for

dull, hunched birds with ruffled featherssudden deathdiarrhoea (often wateryn and can contain mucus) - blood is rare compared to chicken coccibirds are often affected in varying degrees

Diagnosis

You should consult your vet if you suspect coccidiosis or you can use a Chicken Vet Faeces Sample Kit. Simply collect 10 fresh droppings, place into the pot provided, complete the submission form and post to Chicken Vet.  We will count the number of coccidial oocysts in the droppings to determine if your bird has coccidiosis.

Treatment

This condition needs veterinary intervention as an anticoccidial agent will possibly be needed along with antibiotics to control secondary bacterial infections.

Your turkey will not be absorbing enough water and electrolytes from its gut, therefore it should be given Anilyte + C in drinking water for 3 to 5 days. Anilyte +C contains electrolytes to rehydrate your bird and aniseed to give the water a pleasant taste, encouraging your dehydrated bird to drink. 

After antibiotic treatment, the good bacteria in the gut will have been killed in addition to the bad. BioStop contains tannis to maintain and support birds with intestinal upset. The product would be ideal following the immediate use of antibiotics as sometimes, when birds are taken off antibiotics, diarrhoea can return, albeit in a milder form.  BioStop should be given for 5 days at 0.5ml/Litre of water.

After BioStop we recommend giving your turkey Beryl’s Friendly Bacteria. This product contains over 200 species of friendly bacteria to help repopulate the gut. 

Note: Do not give Beryl’s Friendly Bacteria until at least 48 hours after the use of antibiotics as their residues may kill the friendly bacteria. 

During this tough time for your bird, it will have gone through weeks of poor nutrient absorption from the gut and will have lost weight. We suggest following up Beryl’s Friendly Bacteria with a five day course of Chicken Vet Amino + which contains B vitamins and amino acids to help compensate for the body having been effectively starved of nutrients during illness.

Prevention

Good hygiene is essential. Regular cleaning and disinfection of the house is necessary especially if you’re breeding or rearing poults. Always ensure you use a detergent before your disinfectant and that you use an approved disinfectant against coccidiosis such asInterkokask.

Diarrhoea in Turkeys

Cause(s)

Diarrhoea in turkeys can be caused by a number of harmful agents including bacteria, viruses (such as haemorrhagic enteritis virus) and coccidiosis.  These agents damage the intestine wall and can cause reduced absorption of nutrients leading to weight loss and a reduction in the amount of water absorbed by the gut, leading to dehydration. Depending on the cause, the diarrhoea may be contagious to other birds.

Poor quality feed or excessive/inappropriate treats can also lead to diarrhoea.

Dirty drinking water can harbour lots of bacteria to cause diarrhoea.

Note: Worms do not usually cause diarrhoea but large burdens may upset the gut. Ensure your bird has been wormed in the past three months with Flubenvet1%.

What to look out for

wet beddingloose droppingsweight lossdull hunched up birds with ruffled featherspasted vents

Treatment

If you are concerned about the possibility of worms or coccidiosis being an underlying cause then you can use the Chicken Vet Faeces Sample Kit. Simply collect 10 fresh droppings, place into the pot provided, complete the submission form and post to Chicken Vet.  We will count the number of coccidial oocysts and worm eggs in the droppings to determine if your bird has coccidiosis and/or worms. 

If your bird looks reasonably bright and is eating and drinking it may be worth tryingBiostop. Biostop contains tannins to maintain and support birds with intestinal upset.  This product should be given for 5-7 days in drinking water and can be given to healthy birds.

It is likley that your bird will not be absorbing enough water and electrolytes from its gut, therefore Anilyte + C will help rehydrate your birds as it contains electrolytes and aniseed which gives the water a pleasant taste, encouraging your dehydrated bird to drink. It can be given in drinking water for up to 3 days, and can also be administered at the same time as Biostop.

After Biostop use Beryl’s Friendly Bacteria, a powder containing a complex range of friendly bacteria. These friendly bacteria help to colonise the turkey’s gut forming a physical barrier against harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli and Clostridium perfringens. The product is particularly useful in the following circumstances:

 at time of hatchwhen birds are stressed (travelling, showing, breeding)if they have had a change of dietfollowing an illness, especially if the bird has had antibiotics and normal gut flora has been disturbedas an aid to older birds

Beryl’s Friendly Bacteria is approved for organic birds by the Organic Farmers and Growers and the Organic Food Federation.  It can be mixed with the feed, given in the water or mixed with water and squirted into the bird’s mouth.   

Keep the bedding clean and dry as dirty wet bedding is unpleasant for your birds and can harbour bacteria more readily to infect other birds.

If your bird appears unwell, is not eating or drinking, or does not show signs of improvement, take it to your local vet.

Prevention

ensure feed is clean, dry, and within use by datebe careful not to overdo treatsensure clean drinking water at all times that is changed dailykeep bedding clean and dry at all times - use Chicken Vet Dri Bedgive Beryl’s Friendly Bacteria every 8 weeks to keep the good bacteria in the gut topped up.

Worms in Turkeys

Cause

There are two groups of worms that affect turkeys - gape worms which live in the bird’s windpipe and cause gasping (these worms are exceedingly rare) and intestinal worms which live in the birds gut.  There are three species of intestinal worm: Capillaria, Ascaridia and Heterakis.

Capillaria (Hairworm) are the smallest of these worms (up to 2.5cm in length) and can live in any part of the digestive tract from the crop to the intestine depending on the species of worm. Don’t be fooled by their small size as these worms are the most harmful of the gut worms.

Ascarids live in the small intestine and although the largest of the worms (up to 12cm in length) they tend to cause only moderate damage and inflammation.

Heterakis is a small worm living in the caecum (Large intestine/blind gut). Whilst the worm is harmless it can carry ‘Blackhead’ (a parasite that is carried by the worm and causes liver damage and diarrhoea often resulting in sudden death in turkeys- they are very vulnerable to blackhead infection).

Note it is a common misconception that only Free range birds can get worms!

What to look out for

weight lossdullnesslack of egg production (in breeding birds)mild diarrhoea

Diagnosis

The only way to be sure if your birds have worms is to sample their droppings using the Chicken Vet Faeces Sample Kit.  Simply collect 10 fresh droppings, place them into the pot provided, complete the submission form and post to Chicken Vet.  We will count the number of worm eggs in the droppings to determine if your bird has worms and we will let you know if you need to worm your flock. 

Treatment

Give your turkeys a course of Flubenvet1% in feed for 7 days at 60g/30Kg of feed.

Note: This is lower than the dose for chickens.

Prevention

Either routinely worm your birds with Flubenvet at least every 6 months (spring and autumn) and ideally every 3 months.  Alternatively, send in droppings samples every 8 weeks to Chicken Vet.

When cleaning your chicken houses, use an appropriate disinfectant such asInterkokask, which is licensed against worm eggs.

Try to move your run if possible to prevent a build up of worm eggs on the pasture.

Note: Never let turkeys range with chickens or on pasture that chickens have been on as turkeys are extremely susceptible to blackhead.

Blackhead in Turkeys

Cause

Blackhead is caused by a single celled parasite called Histomonas meleagridis. Blackhead is carried by the relatively harmless caecal worm (Heterakis) and by earthworms, allowing blackhead to survive in the environment for years. Blackhead will affect chickens, pea fowl and turkeys but turkeys and pea fowl are more vulnerable to infection than chickens.

What to look out for

sudden deathdullnesbright yellow diarrhoeain very exceptional cases, birds will develop a black coloured head

Diagnosis

The only way to correctly diagnose Blackhead is for your vet to carry out a post mortem.

Treatment

Treatment will involve your vet prescribing antibiotics to try to kill the Blackhead as well as controlling secondary infections.

It is essential that birds with Blackhead are wormed to kill the Heterakis worms that may be carrying Blackhead.

Chicken Vet Oregano + can be given for 5 days after treatment as oregano has an anti-blackhead effect.

Prevention

Ensure your birds are regularly wormed every 3 months with Flubenvet1%.

Never let turkeys or pea fowl range with chickens or on ground where chickens have ranged in the past ten years.

Lameness in Turkeys

Cause

The most common cause of lameness in turkeys is Mycoplasma infection, which can be transmitted in several ways; through the air, through the egg and through mating.

In most cases, Mycoplasma causes swollen leg joints but one species of Mycoplasmacan cause twisted bones in poults.

Mycoplasma can also cause Respiratory Disease.

What to look out for

lamenessswollen Jointssneezingswollen facedullness

Diagnosis

Often lameness in turkeys is suggestive of a Mycoplasma infection.

Treatment

Antibiotics are recommended to bring the infection under control. Seek advice from your vet.

Prevention

Prevention is based upon keeping the disease out.Only buy poults or other birds from reputable suppliers.Ideally quarantine new birds for three weeks upon arrival.Try to keep wild birds away if possible by keeping their access to feed heavily restricted.

Haemorrhagic Enteritis in Turkeys

Haemorrhagic enteritis is a condition caused by a virus which infects mainly infects young turkeys, causing a bloody diarrhoea and death.

What to look out for

dullnessdiarrhoea (often with blood)sudden death

Diagnosis

A bloody diarrhoea in turkeys will either be due to coccidiosis or Haemorrhagic enteritis virus.

Treatment

Veterinary attention is needed immediately and will often prescribe antibiotics to control secondary bacterial infections.

In the meantime, your bird will not be absorbing enough water and electrolytes from its gut and it should be given Anilyte + C.  This contains electrolytes to rehydrate your bird and contains aniseed to give the water a pleasant taste thus encouraging your dehydrated bird to drink. Give Anilyte for 3-5 days in drinking water.

After the treatment the good bacteria in the gut will have been killed as well as the bad. Beryl's Friendly Bacteria helps restore the good bacteria population in your chickens' gut.

Biostop is a tannin based herbal product, used at times of runny or loose droppings.  This product would be ideal following the immediate use of antibiotics as sometimes when birds are taken off antibiotics, the diarrhoea can return albeit in a milder form. BioStop should be given for 5 days at 0.5ml/Litre of water.

Prevention

Good hygiene is essential with an approved disinfectant such as Interkokask being used.

 
Fastagric information desk.

Poultry Disease

poultry

Alongside respiratory disease - diarrhoea is one of the most common conditions to affect your chickens. Normal chicken droppings should be firm and brown with a white part on the top which is made from urates (the chicken’s urine) as chickens urinate and defecate in one motion. Any yellow foamy droppings or bloody droppings are abnormal.

There are a number of possible causes for diarrhoea in poultry:

Coccidiosiswormsviruses (such as rotavirus and adenovirus)bacterial diarrhoeakidney damagea  feed too high in protein

Coccidiosis  tends to cause bloody diarrhoea in poultry under 10 weeks of age, severe cases can lead to death. If you suspect your birds have coccidiosis seek veterinary help immediately.

Worms rarely cause diarrhoea in chickens but if they are present in large numbers they can irritate the gut causing a secondary bacterial diarrhoea, worm your chickens regularly or test faeces for presence of worm eggs.

Viruses -there are a number of viruses which can damage the gut causing diarrhoea such as rotavirus and adenovirus (in turkeys). Medications, will not treat a virus but there are products that will help to support the bird whilst it fights the virus. However, when a virus damages a chicken's intestine it allows harmful bacteria to grow out of control in the intestine leading to a secondary bacterial diarrhoea.

Bacterial diarrhoea is simply a disruption in the normal balance of good and bad bacteria in the intestine. This cause often results in an overgrowth of harmful Clostridiabacteria. It is thought that there is usually an underlying reason for this disruption such as:

gut damage caused by worms, coccidiosis or viruses.a sudden change in diet (different foods encourage different bacterial species to grow in the gut and a sudden change in feed can cause a sudden and overwhelming change in gut bacteria)dirty water (this will mean your chicken will be drinking lots of harmful bacteria)mouldy feed (Mouldy feed contains fungal toxins which can cause gut damage)

Once the harmful bacteria Clostridia takes hold it can damage the wall of the gut leading to worsening diarrhoea. In severe cases the wall of the gut can become so badly damaged that the bacteria can simply cross over from the gut to the blood causing blood poisoning which is usually fatal.

Kidney damage -if a bird is suffering from kidney damage many owners will report diarrhoea. Often this is confused with the fact that the kidney damage causes the kidneys to produce excessive quantities of urine, this mixes with the droppings before defecation, causing them to be more watery than normal. So you are actually seeing more urine.

Incorrect diets that contain excessive levels of protein causes wetter droppings since the extra protein is converted into urates. This causes your chicken to drink more therefore you will see an increase in urinate leading to wet, damp bedding.
Irrespective of the cause of diarrhoea it has a number of harmful effects:

less absorption of nutrients therefore causing your chicken to become lethargic and lose weightgut cannot absorb as much water as normal causing your chicken to become dehydrated which can lead to deathin severe cases the damaged gut wall will allow bacteria to leave the gut and enter the blood stream causing blood poisoning and deathdiarrhoea leads to the bedding becoming both wet and contaminated leading to further discomfort for the affected chicken and the flock. The contaminated bedding can become a source of infection for the rest of the flock. 

Fastagric information

Starting up a Farm is as Easy

Starting up a farm is as easy as a, b, c but when you don’t take the small things into consideration, you might end up wasting energy, time and your hard earned money. Agriculture is one industry that has a variety of potentials and other interesting and lucrative aspects that is both self fulfilling and income generating. Here are a few things you should take into consideration when venturing into the farming business;

Do you have the Agro-philia? – I made this the number one on the checklist as it is pertinent to point out that going into any business that one does not have a passion for is just like stacking up all your cash and setting it ablaze, you need to be totally convinced about farming, you need to have put away the old ideology that farming is meant for the poor people in the rural villages and you need to be as passionate for it like it’s the next thing after your first love. If you are going into farming because you think you don’t have an option, then you would definitely give up once something that seems more appealing comes knocking on your door.Crop or livestock? – You need to determine which aspect of agriculture suits you most or where your interest lies. Either of the two aspects comes with its challenges, right from experience/knowledge, amount of initial capital needed and the market for final sales and distribution. Managing a livestock farm requires having the right skill and expertise; not getting the right resource to set up and manage would lead to total loss of capital.

Planting crops is still easy to delve into as you can wriggle your way to the fundamentals if you can lay your hands on a few write ups from the internet, or watch a few videos. But this aspect is also dependent on  the type of crop you want to grow, as there are a variety of crops that requires a set of skill and care to achieve maximum yield .Capital: this is very much essential as it determines all other factors of production, the capital required also depends on how big you plan to go; a large scale livestock farm requires more capital than a small scale livestock farm the same applies to how much is needed to cultivate in a few acres of land as compared to cultivating hectares.Market: being sure of a ready market for your products, be it livestock or crop is extremely important, most times, a lot of people loose so much produce due to not having a readily available market, especially for crops. You need to be sure that a market is available, if not close but easily accessible and ready to purchase your produce. One needs to be sure of prices of products both on-season and off-season, having this knowledge helps you plan your planting cycle for crop farmers and also gives livestock farmers an idea on when to invest in one livestock or the other.

Human resource: having the wrong hands managing any aspect of your farm is the worst mistake one can ever make. Loosing everything is a sure bet if you don’t take your time to scout for the right human resources. This ranges from, farm managers, farm technician, farm laborers, sales personnel, farm supervisors and other casual hands that would be required from time to time.Research: one can never know it all, as we keep learning and making new discoveries each day, I always advice that people should do so much research on any aspect of agriculture they decide to go into, ask questions and compare answers from people who have already done it, focus on getting information on what their major mistakes were and how they went about making up for it, experience they say is the best teacher, but for a green horn you need to get close to someone who can clear your doubts, open your eyes to the real situation on ground.

Most times, hands-on experience opens your eyes to the bitter truth that what is mostly written on paper is far from reality when it’s actually being practiced.Consult: if you plan to invest huge in farming, I strongly advice that in as much as you follow all above listed guidelines, get an experienced consultant, this way you reduce your mistakes to a minimal/zero level; a good and experienced agricultural consultant would proffer solutions to a variety of issues, ranging from; land acquisition, seed acquisition, sitting of farm, either crop or livestock, market, human resource, pests and diseases and a whole lot of other important issues.

Don’t forget to follow and keep up with our blog as we keep bringing you more exciting and eye opening information on the agricultural business.
Do you want to set up a farm and ready to consult? just contact us now.

#FastAgric

Free Farm Manager Agribusiness Training

Training session will be covering but not limited to

1. The construction of green house using local materials such as bamboo, teak etc.
Participants will be involve in building the screen house.

2. Construction of solar dryer for fruits and vegetables

3. Growing different vegetables in green house.
Vegetable such as
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Peppers
Cabbage
Onions
Beet roots
Cauliflower
Brocolli
Lettuce etc.

4. Construction of a local preservative cooler for fruits and vegetables

5. Marketing the vegetables.
Hotels, restaurants and supermarket are paying enormously for organic vegetables.
Our products are purely organic.

6. Farm Manager job placement:
Yes. We have clients that needs experience hand on farm.
They require farm managers that can work with little or no supervision.
We assure you of good salary package, accommodation and others.
Terms and condition apply.

Duration
September, October, November

Farm Settlement Location
Ago Amodu, Saki East LGA of Oyo State.

Resumption Date
September 5th 2016.

We can only accommodate 30 participants.
Its first come first serve.

Registration closes by August 25th.

We made accommodation arrangement for participants for the 3 months at the cost of N15,000.

Registration is in progress.
To register call 08188540096, 08064688501.
Thank you
#FastAgric

RECIRCULATORY AQUACULTURE SYSTEM

COMPARISON TO THE FLOW- THROUGH SYSTEM

In the last few weeks, several fish farmers have asked for my personal view on these two systems.
The main reason being the supposed complexity of the recirculatory Aquaculture system and the acclaimed simplicity of the flow- through system of aquaculture.

As much as possible, I wish to do away with any technicalities of the recirculatory system of aquaculture; and I will rather focus on the reason why some farmers have adopted the system and also prefer it to the flow-through system.
The average fish farmer knows that wisdom in fish farming does not come overnight, it is acquired.
And acquiring this wisdom takes patience and broad carpet consultation.
Wisdom is like a baobab tree, no single individual can embrace it.

I wish to encourage fish farmers to consider the long term and put designs and structures in place that will bring the best out of every invested money.
There is general assumption that a man learns more when he loses than when he gains. So in running the two systems, what is lost, and what is gained?
What are the variables?

What are the constants!
The constants are the ponds and the fishes. The variables are the various inputs and consumables.
A lot happens to the fishes when the pond water is in constant motion. Ingested feed gets digested quickly and growth is ultimately promoted.
When the two systems are placed side by side, in which system can quick growth be better established? 

Can flow - through water generate enough turbulence that will promote quick growth?
Can water flow in a flow- through system be genuinely constant?
If it is constant, what exactly is the cost and scale of water pumping?
If water is 'renewable ', why allow it to 'waste'?
Experts are saying that the Nigerian economy is actually in a state of depression as against recession that some experts are suggesting. If the economy is in a state of depression, should  'waste ' of any sort be embraced?

During depression, which system can best help the farmer achieve shorter growth cycles?
Flow- through system  or recirculatory Aquaculture system?
Some people are of the opinion that the recirculatory system employs the use of excessive power. How true is this? Doesn't the flow - through system use power too?

Which power is more, the one that helps to get water from the 'water bank', or the one that helps prepare the water for re-use?
A lot of human error could be  made by several systems, aquaculture inclusive. How easy can the flow-through or the recirculatory system help eliminate these errors?

Can the flow- through system handle the rate of water flow the recirculatory system provides?
Although, with rates of water flow, the farmer must also consider rates of disease circulation and spread.
Healthy fishes are prone to infection from unhealthy ones in a recirculatory system than in a flow- through system.
The comparison of the two systems will definitely bring a lot of revelation and knowledge. This is a journey some people have taken before, but most are eager to learn, as always.

The cockroach that wants to rule over the chicken must definitely engage the services of the foxes as bodyguards. Of these two systems, which is the chicken, which is the cockroach?
The discussion is just starting, please come along..........

Written by fishmaster
Fast Agriculture Store

RUFORUM

#AfricanEntrepreneurs #fastagric
RUFORUM invites young (<40 years) African entrepreneurs and incubatees, to compete for 10 conference awards. 
The focus is for the young entrepreneurs to share their story at an International stage with close to 700 participants drawn from academia, business and industry, development organisations, practitioners, and philanthropists.
Deadline for submissions is 30th July 2016.
www.fastagriculturestore.blogspot.co.ng
For application, procedure visit:  http://blog.ruforum.org/

Eating Fruit on Empty Stomach

This will open your eyes ! Read to the end and then send it on to all on your e-list. I just did !

Dr Stephen Mak treats terminal ill cancer patients by an "un-orthodox" way and many patients recovered.

Before he used solar energy to clear the illnesses of his patients, he believes on natural healing in the body against illnesses. See his article below.

It is one of the strategies to heal cancer. As of late, my success rate in curing cancer is about 80%.

Cancer patients shouldn't die. The cure for cancer is already found its in the way we eat fruits.

It is whether you believe it or not.

I am sorry for the hundreds of cancer patients who die under the conventional treatments.

EATING FRUIT

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths.

It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when* to eat the fruits.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS!

FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH

If you eat fruits on empty stomach, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. 

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD

Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit.

The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so due to the bread taken before the fruit.

In the meantime the whole meal of bread & fruit rots and ferments and turns to acid. 

The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals !

You have heard people complaining : 

Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc.. 

Actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit onan empty stomach.

The fruit mixes with the putrefying of other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat !

Greying hair, balding, nervous outburst and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT *happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. 

If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the  SECRET of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only  fresh fruit  juice, NOT from the cans, packs or bottles.

Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. 

Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. 

You only get its taste.
Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice.

If you should drink the fresh fruit juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. 

You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse or detoxify your body. 

Just eat fruits and drink fresh fruit juice throughout the 3 days.

And you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look !

KIWI fruit:
Tiny but mighty.
This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY:
Protective Fruit.
Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging and free radicals. 

ORANGE :

Sweetest medicine.
Taking 2-4 oranges a day may _help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON:
Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system.

They are also a key source of lycopene the cancer fighting oxidant.*
Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium. 

GUAVA & PAPAYA:
Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.

Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation._

Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking COLD water or drinks after a meal =CANCER

Can you believe this ?

For those who like to drink cold water or cold drinks, this article is applicable to you. 

It is nice to have a cup of cold water or cold drinks after a meal.

However, the cold water or drinks will solidify the oily stuff that you have just eaten.*

It will slow down the digestion.

Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food.

It will line the intestine.

Very soon, this will turn into FATS and lead to CANCER !

It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal

Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

Fast Agric 

JULY OFFER ON OUR IMPORTED TURKEY

TURKEY SAVERS PACKAGE
Book for 3 get FREE DELIVERY IN LAGOS
IMPORTED TURKEYS AT N 6,000 INITIAL PAYMENT
FROM JULY PAY #2,000 TILL DECEMBER WITH NO DELIVERY PAYMENT
OFFER LAST TILL 30th JULY, 2016.
Plan for this DECEMBER friends!
Home delivery this Xmas season
Also available for you in December per1 @ #1,000 home delivery
Twitter: @FastAgric
Call: 08186415464

WhatsApp: 07033477992
Email: eleventhjuly1@gmail.com

The Federal Government Backing Agriculture

 The Federal Government recently underscored its commitment to the diversification of the economy with the approval of a N750 billion Agriculture Intervention Fund to be managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The cheering news was broken by Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Agriculture, at the 2016 National Summit of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN). Agriculture is a veritable route out of the present economic quagmire precipitated by our unwise over-dependence on oil. It is one of our strongest areas of economic strength and government is right to focus on it in a bid to diversify the economy.

We welcome this new commitment to agriculture. It is a sector which served the nation very well in the past, especially in the years before and immediately after our independence. As government re-traces its steps, and learns from the experiences of   nations where food security promotes national security and development, we urge it to move forward with good planning and disciplined execution of identified programmes.

Let government take necessary steps to make the N750bn intervention fund available for disbursement. We are not unaware that similar plans made by some of our past governments were never executed. We urge the government to ensure that this fund and others still in the pipeline such as Jaiz Bank’s $2.5 million and another   undisclosed amount from the African Development Bank (ADB) are made available to our farmers.

We recall that the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration similarly focused on agriculture in its bid to diversify the economy, and it recorded modest successes, especially in cassava and rice production.

The proposed N750bn is a lot of money. It has to be properly managed if it is to have the desired impact on the lives of the citizenry and the national economy. What this will require is for government and relevant stakeholders to painstakingly determine the special intervention areas the new fund will be deployed into and the expected outcomes. Just how much of the money should go into crop farming, for example? Which are the crops we are prioritizing and for what purpose? As Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, President of PAN, disclosed at the event, the government does not often consult widely enough before taking such decisions. This is wrong and should be quickly corrected, especially at this time that synergy is required to achieve the desired results in this critical sector of the economy.

It is good that government is making efforts to make this fund accessible and attractive to the people who really need it. One reason farmers find it difficult to obtain credit facilities in commercial banks is the high interest on loans which is unrealistic for agricultural purposes. The plan, therefore, to make the present fund available to farmers at less than six per cent interest rate is commendable. We hope that in subsequent years, efforts will be made to further lower the rate below three per cent as presently obtains in the most developed agricultural societies.

Having secured the fund, government must work hard to ensure that it does not go the way of other intervention funds in our recent history. We recall with pains, the good intentions of government in the establishment of special intervention funds, some of which later became slush funds for unconscionable public officers. It is, therefore, no surprise that they did not make the desired impact.

As a corollary, government must put in place workable modalities to secure this intervention fund. All benefiting farmers must know from the outset that the loans must be paid back. The inability of government to recover agricultural loans in the past made financial institutions to list such loans as high risk. The time has come to correct this poor perception of agricultural credit. The ability to secure and grow this fund for sustained intervention in the agricultural value chain is key to our breakthrough in the sector.

Government should be reminded about rural development as a cardinal policy to open up our vast rural areas to the huge potentials of agriculture. Necessary infrastructure such as good access roads, electricity, water and irrigation as well as transportation should be provided to support rural farmers. For agriculture to be truly attractive to our teeming unemployed youths, it must be mechanized and brought completely in tune with modern trends. Again, the examples from successful agricultural nations like the USA and Israel should serve us well in this regard.

To ensure total and integrated development of agriculture, all the states are advised to key into this Federal Government initiative. We are encouraged by the recent outing of the North-West Governors Forum on agriculture. In the South-West, a template for collaboration already exists from the Western Region days when agriculture was the mainstay of the economy of the region and that of the entire country. With effective use of the Agriculture Intervention Fund and other such initiatives, the country should be able to go back to the days when agriculture was the pillar of the economy.

Nigeria can be financially strong again and enjoy food security if we give agriculture the pride of place it deserves.

Source: Sun News paper online

Twitter: @FastAgric

Call: 08186415464

Email: eleventhjuly1@gmail.com

PROCESSING OF SPICES AND PLANTATION CROPS

History

Excavations in the Indus valley revealed that spices and herbs have been used even before 1000 BC
- India is considered as kingdom of spices
- There are 107 spices with 20 countries being involved in the production and Export ( India 50 spices)
- Total annual average production of spices in India is estimated as 2.49 million tones (30% world production)
- Of the total production 90% domestic, 10% export
- Indian export accounts for 30-40% world trade & nearly 20-37% of foreign exchange is from pepper alone. (black gold)
- India is the major producer of pepper, ginger, turmeric and seed spices
- India enjoys monopoly in the export of spice oils and oleoresins

Value addition
Definition: The maximum realization of the price of the product through processing, packaging and marketing.
Aromatic substances which enhance flavor are called as spices and condiments.
Spices: Dried roots/ barks / seeds whole, crushed or powdered
Herbs: Fresh leaves, stems or flowers of hebaceae plants.

Seasonings – Bulbous group, almost invariably used on fresh form Ex: Onion, Garlic
- Spices and condiments in general applies to natural plants, produce in whole/ground form used to export flavor, aroma and pungency to the food usually spices dominate the other two in flavor.

Benefits of value added products over raw spices
1) Easy to carry
2) Long lasting flavors
3) More volume can be handled / per unit area
4) Easy to store , free from bacterial contamination.
5) Increases foreign exchange as they are used in food industry, preservatives and pharmaceutical industry.

Regulatory Agencies on quality of spices:
―ASTA‘ – American spice trade association
―ESA‖ - European spice Association
―BIS‖ - Bureau of Indian Standards

Oleoresins:- Products obtained by solvent extraction containing flavor ingredients (soluble in the solvent)

Volatile - Aroma
―Oleoresin‖
Non volatile - Pungency / Taste flavor
Value added products from different spices
1) Black pepper – Oleoresin, Green pepper in Brine, dehydrated green peppers, canned green pepper, white pepper powder etc.

Seasonings – Bulbous group, almost invariably used on fresh form Ex: Onion, Garlic
- Spices and condineuts in general applies to natural plants, produce in whole/ground form used to export flavor, aroma and pungency to the food usually spices dominate the other two in flavor.

Volatile - Aroma
―Oleoresin‖
Non volatile - Pungency / Taste flavour
Value added products from different spices
1) Black pepper – Oleoresin, Green pepper in Brine, dehydrated green peppers, canned green pepper, white pepper powder etc.
2) Paprika – colour, paprika flavour
3) Ginger – powder, wines, dry ginger starch from spent ginger preserves, gingiberin oil oleoresin
4) Turmeric – Natural pigments, curcuminoids, oleoresins
5) Coriander – Powder, oleoresins
6) Cumin – powder, oleoresin

7) Fennel – sugar coated fennel, oleoresin, whole etc
8) Fenugreek – powder, dried fenugreek leaves etc
9) Tree spices – obesity regulators, stimulators, neutraceuticals
(cinnamom, cassia nutmug, cloves)
10) Chillies – powder, pickles, paste, oleoresin, oil, brined chilli, sauces.

Ground spices – cracked
- coarse ground
- fine ground
- Include spices milled to the degree of fineness
- Heat evolved during processing results in loss of flavour + Deterioration of Quality
- Solution to overcome this problem – cryogenic process of milling/ powdering has been developed
- This is done by feeding spices –liquid nitrogen simultaneously into the milling zone
- Cryomilled spices showed better retention of Aroma, colour – less loss of moisture.
- Quality factors like cleanliness, low pesticide residue levels, low microbial counts are essential.
Spice extracts : an alternative to whole / grounds
- Modified to suit the production needs like solubility, dispensability, aroma, flavour and colour
- Spice extractives – essential oil
- Oleoresin
- Micro encapsulated oil and oleoresin
- Essential oils: These are aromatic volatile components present in most spices recovered form plant / spice material by steam distillation.
- Essential oils are derived from
- Leaves – rosemary, peppermint
- Barks – cinnamom and cassion
- Rhizome – ginger
- And wood, flowers etc of the plant
- Essential oils are used in flavours and cosmetics development
- Essential oils are complex mixture of odourous and volatile compounds which are deposited in
 Subcuticulae space of Glanduear hair.

 Cell organelles
 Excretory cavities
 Canals
 Wood (exceptionally)

- Essential oils are composed of terpenes, Alcohols, Aldehydes, ketones, Esters, ethers, phenols, acids and nitrogenous and sulphur compounds
- Essential oils are highly volatile, hence water distillation, steam distillation / combination of both methods are generally adopted for manufacture of essential oils.

- Essential oils: - syrups
- Confectionery
- Tooth pastes
- Mouth washes
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Dentistry
- These oils are highly concentrated compound to fresh spices.
- Used at a low level of 0.01 – 0.05% in a finished product.
- They are highly irritant to slain – toxic to CNS it taken internally.

Oleoresins: Obtained by extraction of ground spices with an organic solvent as methylene bromide, Ethylene dichloride Acetone, Hexane or Alcohol.

more as we take the next subject on plantain method of preparation.
Sanwo Olatunde

How to Grow Cucumbers for Profit in Nigeria

Agriculture & Farming

In many nations of the world, the agric sector has been proven to be one of the major income generators. As a matter of fact, no nation can survive without a vibrant agric sector or putting in place a provision for the importation of food for its citizens. So as an entrepreneur if you are looking for a business to start, you can consider starting your own agriculture related business and one of the business you can successfully start is a cucumber farm.

Cucumber is a vegetable that is widely consumed all over the world in different form due to the health benefits it posses; in some quarters, cucumbers are referred to as super – food simply because of the overall health benefit one stands to gain when it is consumed. Some of the health benefits of cucumber are; it is a good source of vitamins A, B1, B6, C and D, it is used to stimulate hair growth and it is also used for the treatment of skin irritation. Cucumber are also effective in the fight against cancer, they are also used in the treatment of diabetes. They can be used to cure bad breath, hangover and to rehydrate the body.

Statistics as it that cucumber happens to be among the top 4 vegetable that is cultivated and consumed on a global scale. No doubt starting a cucumber farm can be considered to be relatively cheap and it is highly profitable. Now let us quickly consider the steps to follow to be able to start your own cucumber farm from the scratch;

Starting a Cucumber Farm: –

 Sample Business Plan Template

1. Conduct Your Feasibility Studies

Conducting a research and a feasibility study of the line of business you want to start is just the wisest thing to do. There are various species / breeds / varieties of cucumber and there are regions where these species can thrive the most; conducting your own research and feasibility studies will give you the information you need to start your own cucumber farm in the right location. Truly, the report you get from your feasibility studies will give you a clearer picture of the cost implication of starting a cucumber farm and how you can easily attract customers to buy from you once your cucumbers are ready for harvest. One good thing about cucumber is that it can be cultivated all through the year as long as there is adequate supply of water.

2. Write Your Business Plan

Writing a business plan for any business you are about to launch can never be over emphasized. Although the average farmer won’t bother writing a business plan, but the truth remains that if you can successfully draft your own business plan for your cucumber farm, then you will be certain that you will do pretty well with the business. Your business plan will prepare you to run an organized farm. As a matter of fact, with a good business plan, you can easily attract loans from investors and financial institutions to grow your cucumber farm into a highly mechanized farm.

3. Acquire Farm Land in a Suitable Location

Although cucumber can grow in any location as long as there are sunshine, and water supply but it grows very well in a rich humid soil. So if you want to struggle less and save operational cost, it is advisable that you choose a farm land that is located in an area that is humid and highly fertile – a farm land close to a water bed is ideal.

The truth is that if you choose to cultivate cucumber in an area with scarcity of rain and far from a river, then you will spend more on irrigation and operational cost et al. Just make sure that you consult expert to help you with a good location to start your own cucumber farm since you want to cultivate it on a commercial scale.

4. Prepare Your Land and Plant Your Cucumber Seed

Once you are able to secure your farm land, then the next thing to do is to prepare the land before planting your cucumber seedlings. Part of what you need to do to prepare your farm land for the cultivation of cucumber is to clear all the grasses in the land, till the land and apply fertilizer (especially if you are not interested in organic farming) and then dig holes of about 2.5cm deep to plant the cucumber seeds and then ensure that each hole is spaced 40cm apart to allow for good growth. You can also prepare your cucumber farm land (in rows and columns) to allow for easy passage of both human and tractors for the purpose of watering, weeding and harvesting.

5. Harvest and Market Your Cucumber

The fact that cucumbers are generally consumed all over the world because of its health values makes the vegetable very easy to market. The truth is that, you are likely not going to struggle to market your cucumber simply because cucumbers are always in high demand. So all you need to do is to inform locals that you have cucumber to sell and they will come rushing to your farm.

You also have the option to either sell in wholesale or retail your cucumbers in a fruit / vegetable market around you. You can also become a major supplier to companies who are into the processing of cucumbers. Just ensure that your cucumbers are big, green and attractive and you will struggle less to attract customers.

Lastly, you must ensure that you make use of the right pesticide whenever pest attack you cucumber farm so that your cucumber can come out beautiful. Another option that you can choose if you want to go into cucumber farming is to go the organic way. Cucumbers that are grown organically are more expensive than normal cucumber and you stand the chance of making more profit.

Starting a Pig Farm in Nigeria

PIG PRODUCTION 

Pig production business in Lagos state alone has the potential of generating about $2 billion (N300 billion) annually. Gbolahan Lawal, the commissioner for agric, Lagos state revealed this recently at a forum in Lagos organised by the Commercial Agric Development (CADP) team.
Currently two piggery estates exist in the state. These are Oke Aro and Gberigbe in Ifo and Ikorodu local government areas respectively) with a total of 250 pens being managed by 1200 farmers of the total 2,350 pig farmers in the state.

Pig farmers are also spread across Ojo, Alimoso, Badagry and Ikorodu local government areas; that the state has a total of 205,696 pigs of which about 43percent are reared in the Oke Aro and Gberigbe estates.
Oke Aro Pig Farm Estate has the largest concentration of pig farmers in the West Africa Sub region and has patronage from as far as Republic of Benin. Leveraging on this huge potential in piggery value chain will increase pig production by 20 percent, increase sales by 30 percent as well as employment generation by 30 percent in the next five years
The Oke Aro Farm Settlement has been a good source of income for men and women that come from Oke-Aro itself, Agbado, Ope ilu and other surrounding towns and villages.

Raising pigs can be pursued as a small-scale operation as source of family meat and supplement income or it can be made into a large-scale operation. Pigs may be raised in highly controlled environments (hog lots) indoor, in open spaces or barns as breeding sows or grown and sold for slaughter to butcher shops. Here are the aspects of pig raising that a grower must carefully consider:

Choosing Piglets to Raise Pig feeders can be obtained from stock breeders, and producers, in auctions and classified ads. Pigs are of different breeds some of them are well suited for specific environments, indoor or outdoor. Crossbred pigs tend to grow faster, consume feed more efficiently and are vigorous. When buying a feeder, choose the large and healthy looking ones, at least 25 lbs. If you are choosing a male, which is observed to grow slightly faster than females, get one that is already castrated. Male or female, they are preferably immunized. Ask the breeder for health information and stock of the breeder.

Proper Nutrition for Pigs
Pigs feed on both grains and meat. They can also be fed with cooked table scraps and vegetables. Corn is their most common food, but they could benefit from having a diet with protein from soybeans or cooked meat. Further, they grow faster with vitamins and other supplements. Piglets have higher protein requirements than mature ones. Feeds can be bought packaged and in bulk. Pigs must also have adequate supply of drinking water daily, about two to four gallons. Provide water either through a tub or automatic nipple waterer. Ideal Housing for Pigs

Pigs need housing to keep them warm during cold temperatures and to shelter them from excessive heat. Pigs are sensitive to heat and could die from heat stress. When housed indoors, temperature conditions must be well regulated. Controlled temperature conditions can help maximize growth. Cooling mechanisms for pigs can come in the form of drip water system or a wallow (for a hog pen).

Pigs can be housed indoors in individual stalls, pens (in groups or batch) or in barns. Even if the pigs are raised outdoors they would need a shelter during cold and hot weathers. The housing should have a space for feeding and bedding.

Pig Farm Sanitation
Sanitation is important to keep the pigs disease-free. A mechanism for easy cleaning and removal of waste is necessary for any type of pig housing. Some use slotted pen floors to make waste collection easy. Hosing a barn and removal of manure daily are recommended. So is keeping the floor dry to reduce odour.

After five to seven months, pigs are likely to reach ideal market weight of more than 70kg-90kg.
Apart from the challenge of sourcing for roughages, I don’t think there is any other one. The return on investment in the business is very high because a female pig gives birth to about 10 piglets twice in a year, and each piglet sells for about N5, 000

Are you frustrated with the limited quality of Pig Raising books on the market? Are you disappointed again that they are difficult to follow? Not enough information? Do you have questions on raising pigs properly that need to be answered?
You have tons of questions about raising pigs and you’re sick and tired of searching for information from all over the place, struggling to get the true and complete facts.

The gestation period in pigs is 115 days;(3months,3weeks,3days) so, they reproduce regularly to provide income for the farmer. The business requires patience. Anyone who wishes to go into pig farming must have a passion for the business. Feeding pigs takes a period of seven months before they mature for selling. You need to start with the weaners which go for about N5,000 while pregnant pigs are sold for N30,000-N40,000. Those who don’t have good knowledge of the business can end up feeding their pigs for 10 months and get just 50kg. But if you really understand the nitty-gritty of pig farming, at seven months after weaning, you can get 80kg to 100kg. Pigs are sold according to their weight @N260 per kilogramme.

Our guide will run you through questions you need to consider before construction of your pig farm. It will also give you a basic idea on what to expect when operating and managing your pig farm business.

drive from Fagba Road Lagos
Iju station Kola Bus stop or Ishaga Lagos Kola Bus stop
Just call 08036320607 for directions to the farm

Instant Help Desk
Mobile: 08036320607
Office 09082002651,07081447709
E-mail:Opeyemi.lamson@farmingbizsetup.com

Promoting Agriculture in Nigeria

www.fastagriculturestore.blogspot.com