The Making of Entrepreneurs-The Songhai Experience'09

The Songhai Experience

To become an entrepreneur in a challenged economy requires passion and leverage; not all budding entrepreneurs get this leverage, and might have to go through the proverbial carmel needle hole! For these guy,here is their story.

The fellows of the harambe Incubator for Sustainable Agricural and Rural Development-HISARD- embarked on the much envisaged training visit to the Songhai Integrated Systems on the 18^th to 24^th of October 2009.

Information about the Songhai centre 

The fellows were given an orientation tour by Mr. Pascal Jabee. The centre started in port novo in 1985 with a 1hectare plot of land and over the years has grown from that to 17hectares. The Songhai centre has sites in the northern parts, 240ha, the central part 300ha and the western parts of the republic, 30ha.

The centre gets its name from the flourishing agriculture of the Songhai Empire of the 15^th century.

The five-day visit to the Songhai Integrated Farms in the Republic of Benin has been a mot revealing experience; the Songhai farms being unique in the sense of the zero emission research initiative (minimal wastage).

The Songhai experience has proven that agriculture is a beautiful profession; another seemingly obvious feature of the Songhai Integrated systems is the use of locally sort materials is the different stages and phases of production.

The week long visit has further strengthened an undying resolve to bettering th agricultural sector.

The aspect of Songhai farms that really fascinated me the most is the Zero Emission Research Initiative policy of the farms, in which there is zero to minimal wastage. This system employs the conversion of plant and animal waste to compost, maggot and fish meals and Biogas, ensuring that there in maximal utilization of the resources.

Another fascinating aspect of the Songhai centre is the concept of training in learning by doing; an idea cherished and practiced by the Boy scouts. The staff and trainees of the centre have a daily routine of; resume at you unit by 7:30am, work till 9:45am, have breakfast at 10:00am, resume at your unit at 10:30am, work till 12:45pm, have lunch by 1:00pm, take a break till you resume at 3:00pm, and work till 6:30pm, go for dinner at 7:00pm and close for the day; ad infinitum.

The value chain of the Songhai Integrated Systems spans across the primary production phase (crops- animals), secondary production phase (processing and storage) and the tertiary production phase (commercial, / marketing).

Raw materials from the primary production are stored and processed into finished products and marketed by the commercial departments. In the chain, waste materials are collected to produce compost (organic manure) and biogas for cooking within the farm center.

The chain is simple but comprehensive. There is really no obvious aspect of the chain unattended to; however, the efficiency of the process can be improved upon by using more state of the art equipment in the juice processing plant, e.g. corking the bottles, placing labels, arranging in crates, etc.

The Songhai centre creates private value by the comprehensive staff training, internal raw materials production, which saves cost, having accommodation facilities within the farm and collaboration with the government of the republic.  

For social value, the Songhai centre provides agricultural trainings for the citizens of the republic at no physical cost. The centre also provides quality fruit drinks and syrups, improved cereals and vegetables. The centre has also facilitated a thriving market for people of the republic.

The Songhai centre employs the services of Agricultural Economists, animal scientists, crop production and protection experts, agricultural extensions officers, soil scientists, marketers, accounts officers, ICT experts, hospitality managers, and engineers/technicians.

The production process of the Songhai centre, being an integrated system, and actively a training and research centre will have the plant breeding, cultivation, protection and other plant related researches and training by the plant scientists or crop production and protection experts.

The animal related processes, production, breeding and selections are taken care of by the animal scientists.

The aspect of management, marketing and other control functions are taken care of by agricultural economists.

For effective running of the Songhai centre mechanical and fabrications department, the service of technicians and agricultural engineers will be employed.

Soil scientists will actively be involved in soil tests, so as to determine the areas that best suits a particular crop type and the necessary improvements. The service of a soil scientist lso comes handy in the manufacture of compost.

For communicating the results of research and on-farm training, the agricultural extension expert is necessary.

As an integrated system, the Songhai centre’s ICT department and internet café will have to be managed by experts, to ensure regular update of the organization’s website and internet server.

The accommodations and lodging centers are better manage by hospitality managers and the services of experts in family nutrition and consumer sciences experts will be taken care of.

 

The level of technological innovations at the Songhai centre is commendable, and more obvious in the secondary production process. The equipment are fabricated within the Songhai centre. However, some are imported.

The centre makes use of locally made ovens and water filters made of clay, locally made poultry cages of bamboo, and locally made storage facilities.

The locally fabricated equipment however serves the purpose for which they are made and are easily replicated by small/medium start-up entrepreneurs.

Units visited during the training

Agriculture is a practical profession. The implication of this is that little will be gained at any agricultural training without active participation on the process.

At the short but revealing ‘entrepreneurial’ training visit to the Songhai centre, training was carried out in the following units, and fellows were actively involved in the processes;

• Compost unit: Learnt how to make compost (organic manure)
• Market Garden: requirements and technicalities of planting vegetables. Cabbage, lettuce, carrots etc.
• Broiler unit.
• Yoghurt and milk production unit.
• Fruit juice processing: learnt how to produce mango and baobab juice, how to cork and pack the juice in bottles.

The training has really opened a lot of opportunities in agricultural food chain that can be harnessed and exploited as an agri-business entrepreneur.

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Poultry Production: Broiler Bird:

Broilers are poultry birds reared for meat purpose mainly. They can attain table size within 6-10weeks.

Gains from Broiler bird production

v Meat

v Manure

v Feathers

How to Sell off mature Broilers

v Live

v Finished and frozen

Technicalities

Location:

For small scale farms, the poultry house can be sited and constructed in a part of a spacious compound or an attached structure within a living area. When the poultry is located within a living area, proper and regular cleaning should be practiced so as not to constitute environmental nuisance.

Housing:

The poultry house could be cage or Deep liter system.

Wood shavings should be used for the day old chicks, and not saw dust, so as not to allow the fine dust to enter the nasal passage of the chicks.

The poultry farm should have the following;

v Poultry shed/house/cages

v Store room for feed and drug

v Drinkers and Feeders

v Source of heating for the young chicks, especially during brooding.

v A consulting veterinary Doctor.

v Source of good quality water

Marketing

Depending on the scale and the season, broilers and byproducts, such as manure, feathers, can be sold to;

v Neighbours

v Fast food outlets

v Restaurants and Hotels

v Small gardeners and horticulturists

Preparing the Brooder house

Two weeks before the arrival of the chicks, the brooder house should be washed and properly disinfected with dettol, so as to kill germs and other micro organisms that might have inhabited the brooder house.

Sweeping and disinfecting can be repeated two days before arrival of the chicks.

It is necessary for the brooder house to be in good hygienic conditions, so as to prevent sickness and diseases attacking the chicks.

Purchase of Day old Chicks

Day old chicks (DOC) can be purchased from hatcheries. (Ask for the closest one to your farm).

The DOC should be booked for in advance; this should be confirmed the day before the collection. On the date of collection, arrangements should be made to pick up the chicks very early in the morning, so as to reduce the travel stress on the chicks.

Before the arrival of the chicks, feed should be placed on the feeding troughs as well as clean water and anti stress/ vitamins; this will help the chicks stabilize from the stress of the journey.

Brooding

The following materials are needed;

·        Chick guard/ surround board

·        Coal pots or electric bulbs and source of power

Brooding should be done for about two weeks; here, the temperature and other environmental conditions are regulated.,

Feeding- Ad libitum

·        Chick marsh should be given to the chicks from day-old up to two/three weeks old, before the feed is gradually changed to growers’ marsh. This feed can be given until the birds are sold or slaughtered.

·        Finishing feed can also be given before the broilers are sold off.

Vaccination

Vaccines prevent diseases from attacking the birds. It is advisable you get a veterinary Doctor to assist in doing this.

This is a guide to the vaccine that can be administered;

·        Marek’s Vaccine

·        Vaccine against Infectious bursal Disease

·        New castle disease vaccine/ Lasota/Gomboro etc

Poultry hygiene

·        Avoid numerous attendants entering the cage/house of the birds.

·        Get a foot bath with disinfectant, wash hands before and after handling the birds.

Change the wood shavings or saw dust regularly.

Food Security and Entrepreneurship

The concept of Food Security is simplest of terms means capacity of households, States or Nations to mobilize sufficient food, either through production, acquisition, or distribution, on a sustainable basis, in the right quality and quantity, to live a healthy life style.
This Defination can be viewed as a soft blend of the definitions by the FAO and USDA; the quest for food security recently triggered a mega event at the Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, where great minds brainstormed on ways through which agriculture can get a boost, and Nigeria become food secure. below is a brief article of the event, as reported by Aigiomawu Nosakhare Omon.

An article on the Food Security and Agricultural Entrepreneurship Event held in Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday the 11^th of October, 2011.

By Aigiomawu Nosakhare Omon

The Food security and Entrepreneurship event organized by the United State Missions in collaboration with the Future Project served as an eye opener to budding entrepreneurs, as well as strengthened the Agro entrepreneurial spirit of the participants and mainly served as a networking opportunity between groups with varying interests.

This event saw a series of Short but loaded revelations by the stakeholders in key agricultural sub sectors, and exhibitions of indigenous products well package and with impressive quality; it revealed food and livestock feed options that a greater number of the participants never knew existed.

The expositions

Mr Godson Ononiwu, Director, Capacity Building & External Relations, and Bridge to MARKETS2, a project  of the USAID started this session by briefing on the Maximizing Agricultural Revenues & Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS) project of the body; emphasizing of the MARKETS approach as focusing on enterprises such as; Cowpea, Maize, Sorghum, Rice, Fisheries, Sesame, Cocoa, Cassava. Case studies on the Impact of the project in the Lives of farm families in the targeted locations were shared, and how yield increase in Rice production rose from less that 2MT/ha, to over 4MT/ha.

From his insight, more than one ways through which individuals and groups can collaborate with the USAID was revealed, however, to those with keen entrepreneurial eyes.

Professor Lateef   Sanni Oladimeji of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta followed with a brief on a workable extension strategy that can bring about a better developed agricultural sector.

This was immediately followed by the presentation of Prof Salako O., who represented the Vice chancellor, UNAAB, Prof Olaiya Oluwafemi Balogun, on the topic of discuss; He also mentioned the various enterprises that the University has developed over the years, vis, food products, beauty product, and a series of health and medicinal products from the University’s ventures. All these products were displayed for purchase as well as awareness.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Abdul-wasiu Gbolahan Lawal was not left out, as he was ably represented by Mrs Ovbiebo, to present some of the projects and collaborations on Agricultural Development projects been carried out by the Lagos State Government, vis, Apiary, Aquaculture, Poultry, etc. Mrs Oviebo pointed out that emphasis on value chain, and formation of commodity interest groups has been major initiatives that the Lagos State Government has used to achieve the success so far.

Mrs Lucy Kanu of Idea Builders was next, who despite been in her last trimester of pregnancy, followed her passion for supporting entrepreneurship, and some of the challenges entrepreneurs face and how to overcome them. She mentioned their support for women in rural areas as well as urban in areas of inputs support and trainings, farm trials, etc. She also mentioned encounters with youths in Agriculture.

Bayo Isaac talked on various issues, amongst them, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Foundation, and how support has been given to ex Corps members to start up various enterprises on Agriculture.

Chief Bayo Ajayi, Father Figure in the Agriculture recounts the pre independence Food Security Situation of the country and the groundnut pyramids, and other agricultural exploits of the different regions of the country. He lamented the present post independence food insecurity situation and the huge dependence on import of the country. He however expressed that although he is retiring in active farm practice, being over 80 years of Age, that he is hopeful that with the present position of certain individuals in the nation, that there is still hope for a food secure nation; he advised that individuals involved in Agriculture should endeavour to associate with umbrella bodies of the commodity group they belong to as this is mainly advantageous in best practices, technological advancements and access to subsidies etc.

Mrs Menasara of NAFDAC shed light on areas that most entrepreneurs never knew existed; she talked on issues of value addition, packaging, export standards, NAFDAC approvals and registration, and concessions that the regulatory body offers to young entrepreneurs to assist them meet up with standards at low or no cost, and that there are lots of support that NAFDAC has to offer if approached.

In-between these exposition, there was a questions and answers, as well as comment section, moderated by Prof. Sanni Lateef.

This Food Security and Agricultural Entrepreneurship event also had a networking and exhibition segment, and products from various companies were on display and sale.

It was a whole day event, and highly impacting, especially for product/services awareness, branding and networking.

It was another time for reaffirming that the pursuit for food security in Nigeria is possible; yes, even in our generation!

 Apologies: Sincere apologies for any mispelt name or typographical error that the above article/report might contain