TradeInvest Africa (Cape Town)
Jaco Maritz
11 February 2009
interview
In January 2008 TradeInvestNigeria published an interview with Graham and Judy Hatty who, together with a group of other Zimbabwean farmers, had been invited by the Kwara State Government to start with commercial agriculture in Nigeria. The article proved to be one of our most popular stories. Now, one year later we again talk to Graham to find out what happened over the past twelve months.
What would you say were the highlights of 2008 with regards to the farming operation?
The highlight for me was starting to sell my cassava. I am presently selling 60+ tonnes of fresh cassava tuber per day! The second highlight was the agreement between the farmers and the Federal Government regarding the installation of irrigation to all the Shonga farmers.
And the disappointments?
A big disappointment for me was the slow start to the cassava selling. We should have sold a lot more cassava than we have at this point in time. However, the situation has been addressed, but the delays have cost me dearly. The other disappointment has been delays in availability of funds, necessary for me to finish my development. We are also disappointed in the delay in the installation of electricity. Generators cost a lot to run!
Did you witness any significant growth in Nigeria's agriculture sector over the past year?
I wouldn't say that the growth has been significant. I would say that it has been slow and steady. Recently, we visited the other group of Zimbabwean farmers in Nasarawa State. Some of them are working hard and two farmers are putting in a cassava flour mill, which is a very significant development. More commercial farmers are needed - thousands more!! I do think that Nigeria is becoming more agriculturally aware. There are still huge shortages of agricultural products. For example, Nigeria imports 700,000 tonnes of fish per year! This could all be produced locally.
When we last met you said that you had problems with adequate electricity supply and irrigation at the farm. Has the situation been resolved yet?
Electrical poles have been erected in Shonga and some are on the farms. We should have electricity by the end of 2009. All Shonga farmers have been visited and have put their irrigation requirements forward. A South African water engineer is working closely with the governor of Kwara State and other Nigerian consultants and engineers - to ensure that the Shonga irrigation project becomes a reality in 2009.
What are the main challenges you still face in operating in Nigeria?
Our main challenge is the lack of understanding, particularly by commercial banks, of long term, medium term and short term finance. Our other challenges include lack of reliable transport systems and lack of spares/poor back up service for our equipment and vehicles.
Last year this time you were struggling to find suitable transport for your cassava to processing facilities. Has the situation changed?
We have addressed the transport problems for my cassava crop, thanks to assistance from the buyer of our product - Nigerian Starch Mills. However, we still urgently need processing factories in Kwara State. Preferably in our area.
The viability of transporting crops long distances on, sometimes, very bad roads - is not really a long term option. I am doing it at the moment, but the buyer of my crop will be putting up a processing factory in the near future, which will make cassava production more viable and easier to manage. No factories have been installed, as yet.
Any interesting developments on the farms of the other Zimbabweans?
The dairy syndicate have made great progress this year. The cows arrived from South Africa earlier in the year and the processing plant is up and running. Marketing of their products is a problem at the moment, but they are working tirelessly on this aspect.
The poultry syndicate are also working very hard to install their feed mill, abattoir and climatically controlled chicken houses. Significant progress has been made and the first broiler chicks are expected within a few months.
The crop farmers have imported some combine harvesters, have planted a bigger hectarage of crops and have had better yields this year. However, maize yields are the same as last year. Crops grown in 2008 include - maize, soya beans, rice, cow peas, bananas, ginger and pineapples.
One of the cassava growers is putting in a factory to make fufu from cassava. (Fufu is a fermented cassava meal).
Any other interesting incidents or stories that happened on the farm over the past year?
We are working with the local Emir, to establish a security system, to control the theft of crops, and to protect residents of the farming project and local villagers. This is the start of the whole community (farmers and locals alike) working together.
Nothing too exciting to report on the social side because we are all so very busy, all the time! We've had some interesting visitors from overseas and from Africa - and journalists are always very intrigued as to what we are doing. Basically it's work, work, work! Once our projects are developed, we can start doing entertaining things!
What are you hoping 2009 will bring?
Irrigation!!! With irrigation, my cassava yields should double! I cannot wait to turn the tap on my first centre pivot! I am also hoping to develop the new cassava varieties that I've had on trial for two years. I want to invent (with the help of my engineering colleagues) a cassava forage harvester. I have bought a regular forage harvester and now need to adapt it to cope with the huge vegetative mass that stems from cassava tubers.
Read the original interview with Graham and Judy Hatty
Read comments. Write your own.
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Dear my friend, How are you? I am pleased to have this opportunity to introduce my compnay again and hope to work with you. Engaged in farm machine for the past many years,Shandong Pengrun Industry Developing Co., Ltd., located in Weifang city-the world famous power city, specializes in manufacturing and exporting walking tractors, power tillers,cultivator,tyres, and spare parts for mini-agricultural machines We also supply OEM service,for example,tyre,gear box and other spar parts for the main engine according to your request. Please feel free to contact me if there is anyting I can help you and I look forward to your reply soon. We also supply OEM service,for example,tyre,gear box and other spar parts for the main engine according to your request. Please feel free to contact me if there is anyting I can help you.I would like to send a detailed Export List and price list to you. Best regards,
Why am i not surprised, A commercial farmer from Zimbabwe making a success of farming wherever he/she goes. Imagine the amount of food and jobs which would of still been in Zimbabwe if it was not for Bob's cockup.
Let other african countries BENEFIT from those farmers they deserve their BLESSINGS for rescuing them from Ebagume OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES SHOULD TAKE THOSE THAT ARE NOW BEING TOLD TO PACK UP AND GO ONE WONDERS IF EBAGUME WILL EVER LEARN TO USE HIS BIG GOB PROPERLY
Dear my friend, How are you? I am pleased to have this opportunity to introduce my compnay again and hope to work with you. Engaged in farm machine for the past many years,Shandong Pengrun Industry Developing Co., Ltd., located in Weifang city-the world famous power city, specializes in manufacturing and exporting walking tractors, power tillers,cultivator,tyres, and spare parts for mini-agricultural machines We also supply OEM service,for example,tyre,gear box and other spar parts for the main engine according to your request. Please feel free to contact me if there is anyting I can help you and I look forward to your reply soon. We also supply OEM service,for example,tyre,gear box and other spar parts for the main engine according to your request. Please feel free to contact me if there is anyting I can help you.I would like to send a detailed Export List and price list to you. Best regards,
Famine is what takes place in a country endowned by rich agricultural land when a bloodstained dictator decides one day to expell most farmers who, by coincidence, were all whites!
Perhaps Nigeria will now have pity on Zimbos going without food and will authorize the Zim farmers settled in Nigeria to export to Zim some of their produce.
Lunatic bloodthirsty Mugabe had other means at his fingertips to exercise closer control on the use of natural resources of the country instead of grabbing well administered farms! One means was to tax the farms output and set up a special fund out of the proceeds to finance the setting up and operations of black farms.
That is what RSA and Namibia are doing. But criminal Mugabe had to play devillishly on the emotiuons of Zimbos to distract them away from his own policy failures.
Who said devil Mugabe was a patriot? Rather a demoniac with greed to grab as the main motive.
I’m happy that the white Zimbabwean farmers are…sort of doing well in Nigeria. They are wanted in Nigeria, they are a political liability in Zimbabwe. Also, not fully appreciated in Zimbabwe, as maybe Nigeria. But, I sense that things are not as rose as potrayed in the article. No electricity, no good road, problem with credit, criminals (Nigeria is know for that) and the weather is terrible in Nigeria.
Phiri, you're such an idiot-like your fellow south africans, who will sit in their crime infested country and be talking baldadash. What do you know about Nigeria? Our weather and environment? Your statements shows how much of a foul you are and wallowing in your stupidity you're writting for all to see. The zimbos that came to your country were blacks like you yet you kill them for not committing crime you stuck on them. The crime taking place in RSA in a day will only be equal to two decades of crime in Nigeria if you must know. Even those Delta boys that are in the news for all sorts of kidnapping did not kill people as your criminal brothers and sisters in South Africa does. Never you comment about our good gesture and nature to spoil our good people because of the few eastern Nigerians(Igbos) in Joburg which you help produce on your bloodbath streets. You must school yourself and the rest of your never-do-well poorly educated ignorant blacks that parade themselves as saints. the point is get you facts and figures right before you comment. sis!
See all comments (48).
i agree with what you say and think that every country in this modern age has to become part of that country and people for them to respect that country and do well in that country. It is a shame that many that think like that have had the same treatment as those that could not care less!
My point is that in modern farming you only need a few people to farm 1000's of acres! This means there is no real chance to do what the person before our posts suggested and being a person that has just started farming his knowledge on the subject is next to useless and shows he does not understand the subject at all!
My concern for the good people of Zim is the way it has been done and what is being said by mugabe and regime means no person or company would dream of taking the risk of buying land or investing in Zim. It makes the world know they are not welcome. The saying goes"money talks and the rest can walk" but in Zim for 30 years, money talks for a week and then you can just walk away from your money and your investment because there are no rules at all except ones that change day to day depending on what mugabe and regime need themselves and not for the country and its people. Anyone that thinks mugabe and regime care about the people of Zim is kidding themselves. If you think they do name what they have had to go without while there people starve and die!