Agriculture
I earn N7m annually from growing tomatoes, pepper — Gombe farmer
Mr Saleh Maikudi, a 35-year-old farmer from the Bula community in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, says he earns over N7 million annually from growing tomatoes and pepper.
Maikudi, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in the Bula community, said he became a millionaire from growing vegetables.
He said that investing in tomato and pepper farming yielded good returns.
Maikudi said he spent over N1.5 million on 30 hectares of farmland which he cultivated in 2023.
“In 2023, I made N7 million from cultivating tomatoes and pepper.
“I only spent N1.5 million as the total cost of preparing and planting the vegetables.
“I cultivated tomato, bell pepper (Tatashe), chilli pepper, Cayenne pepper (shombo) and Scotch bonnet (hot pepper) on my farmland.”
Maikudi, who is also the chairman of Vegetables Farmers’ Association in the community, said he cultivated 30 hectares of the vegetables annually.
He said that it took 10 weeks after cultivating the vegetables to start harvesting the commodities for another period of 10 weeks.
The farmer said that in the present wet season, farmers had started harvesting and off-takers had been coming to their community to buy the commodities for supply to various states of the country.
He said that the year’s rainfall, which he described as moderate, was good enough for his vegetables to grow and that his tomato and pepper did well.
“If the market is good this year, I am expecting nothing less than N10 million because my vegetables really did well.’’
Maikudi advised the government to build a modern market in the community.
According to him, the facility will help standardise the marketing of vegetables and other agricultural produce as well as provide farmers with the platform to centralise the selling of the commodity.
“Also, the government can establish mini-processing factories to help farmers cut post-harvest losses, boost food security and provide more jobs for youths in the state,” he said.
The Borno Government has announced the creation of Ministry of Livestock and Fishery Development to align its
Development strategy with Federal Government initiatives, and boost the state’s economic potential.
Gov. Babagana Zulum made the announcement on Tuesday during the swearing in of two commissioners at the council chambers of the Government House.
Zulum underscored the importance of livestock and fisheries as vital sectors with untapped revenue potential.
He emphasised that the new ministry would focus on high-yield livestock breeds, milk production and fisheries, targeting both domestic consumption and export opportunities.
The governor said that “no state government can make substantial money in livestock alone, but we believe with the right investment and political will, the sector can generate significant revenue.”
He said that the growing demand for milk by yogurt companies and the proximity of Maiduguri to Asian and Arab markets, are great opportunities for dairy exportation.
The governor, therefore, assigned the Deputy Governor, Dr Umar Kadafur, to oversee the activities of the new ministry, citing his practical experience and passion for livestock development.
He said “livestock development is not just about academic qualifications, it is about practice and the deputy governor has demonstrated capability in that regard.”
According to him, the ministry will prioritise procuring high-yielding livestock varieties, enhancing milk production and creating sustainable rural projects to support
Local communities.
He said that projects in Mafa, Gajiram and in Southern Borno will soon be launched under the new ministry’s purview.
The governor urged civil servants and ministry personnel to take ownership of the new initiative, adding that the ministry’s success would contribute to the states
Long-term economic stability and self-reliance.
The Port Harcourt Refinery, managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) through the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) has commenced operations after undergoing rehabilitation and modernisation.
The refinery with 210,000 bpd refining capacity located at Alesa, Eleme, in Port Harcourt, comprises two operational units which were established in 1965 and 1989.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the old plant refines a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), while the new plant refines 150,000 bpd.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government, under former President, Muhammadu Buhari, had in March 2021 secured a 1.5 billion dollars loan to rehabilitate the facility which contract was awarded to an Italian firm, Tecnimont S.P.A, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group.
NAN) reports that Malam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd. is leading the team to inspect the first lifting of petroleum product from the facility after its rehabilitation.
Alia appoints head of agric company, others
Gov. Hyacinth Alia has approved the appointment of Mr. Donald Aorkwagh Akule as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Benue State Agricultural Development Company (ADC).
The governor also approved the appointment of Dr Aondoakaa Asambe as Principal Special Assistant (PSA) on Livestock Development and Animal Transboundary Disease Control.
The appointments were announced in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sir Tersoo Kula, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Friday.
According to the statement, the governor also appointed Mr Abraham Agogo as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Community Mobilisation.
The statement added that the appointments take immediate effect.
It said that Akule brings over 15 years of experience in agricultural systems, community development, research and development, and food processing.
He holds a B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, and is a Certified Fellow in Agricultural Systems Development under USAID and Lagos Business School.
Meanwhile, Asambe, a member of the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association and a registered veterinary surgeon with the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, has been a lecturer at Federal University, Dutsima, for the past 12 years.
He holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi (now Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi).
He also holds a postgraduate degree in Food Animal Medicine at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
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