80 bags of maize per hectare achieved in Soba Nigeria. By Zanau Hassan

[zanau]

80 bags of maize per hectare achieved in Soba Nigeria. By Zanau Hassan
Yesterday I met Mallam Tanimu Soba a farmer who achieved the highest yield of 8 metric tons per hectare (80 bags) under the Babban Gona Project in Soba, Kaduna state. I was in Soba to supervise a small farm project in company of my friend Samaila, who told me of Tanimu's achievement and how Babban Gona decided to make him an Agro Dealer to sell the Babban Gona farm inputs in Soba town as a reward for his great achievement. We rode on a bike to look for Tanimu who then took us to his agro dealer shop in the grain market.
Achieving 80 bags per hectare in a country where national yield average for maize is less than 2 tons/hectare (20 bags) is a feat that cannot be overlooked. In other countries, Mallam Tanimu will be visited by research institutes, ministry of agriculture and seed companies to investigate his processes and procedures in achieving 8 metric tons per hectare, while journalists and media houses will make him a celebrity, but that is not the case here in Nigeria where nobody cares.
For me, it was a honour meeting him to discuss how he made it happened. I listened very attentively from land preparation to harvest. He told me how he prepared his one hectare land by first of all incorporated poultry dung and rice husk (buntun shinkafa in Hausa) on the soil. This was done in order to improve the soil organic matter and the ability of the soil to retain moisture, nutrients and proper aeration. These are very critical in the performance of the crop roots in ensuring uptake of nutrients and moisture in order for the crop to do well.
Another thing Mallam Tanimu did was to innovate on planting, planting has been one of the challenge of the Nigerian farmer. I have spent four years trying to work out a planting solution to farmers that will increase plant population with accurate spacing and planting depth. Tanimu told me how he use 2 by 2 inches wood to create a 25cm pointed edges that when you press it on the ridges, it will create holes at 25cm each then another person will follow to drop one seed per hole and the same hole is create 5cm away to apply fertilizer at planting and buried.
After that, he talked about how he applied his fertilizer at 3 different stages. The first was that he used 2 bags of Diamonium Phosphate (DAP) and one bag of urea which he mixed and apply at planting. The second stage of application was at week 4 after planting, he mixed 2 bags of urea with 1 bag of Diamonium Phosphate (DAP) to bury it and the final stage was to apply 2 bags of urea when the maize has started cobbing. This brings total 3 bags of DAP fertilizer and 5 bags of urea fertilizer making it 8 bags of fertilizer in all per hectare.
He told me that the farm was closed up with canopy that you cannot enter through it and it was dark green. During planting, he ensured every seed germinated to ensure his plant population was intact and that the cobs per plant was 2.
At harvest, the Babban Gona team were around to thresh using their own threshing machine, bagging and weighing to certify his yield per hectare which they authenticated.
Having listened to processes, I then told him about some of the innovations we have developed over the last four years working with our rural farmers especially the innovation on improved planting, which was originally developed by Dr Yusuf Ballah of Albit & Agro Yola which is a manual planter that gives you even plant spacing and depth. It can be wooden or metallic, I drew it for him on a piece of paper, he was so excited and that he is a welder as well and will create one for himself. I also told him about the manual Hand Push Planter as well as the Portable Auto Seeder that plants and apply fertilizer at once.
We later talked about how it has become so difficult for farmers to achieve optimum yield and the challenges of lack of tools as well as the lack of knowledge sharing or knowledge hooding which has kept our farmers in the dark for many years. Also, how researchers have not been able to help solve some of the basic problems our farmers have been facing for a very long time. Imagine till date, we are not able to replace hoe or even develop tools that can enable farmers to plant and apply fertilizer with ease and accurately with less energy.
Achieving 8 tons per hectare of maize is miraculous in Nigeria, even though there is no magical about it, but it is surprising to many of us and farmers most especially. Innovations like this will make farming more attractive and very profitable.
On the return on investment of 80 bags at the average price of N13,000 per bag is N1,040,000 and you could imagine he did not spend beyond N250,000 per hectare out of which he spent a little above a hundred thousand on seeds, fertilizer and pesticides.
Yield increase is very critical to our agricultural development in Nigeria today and all that need to be done, must be done to support farmers to achieve optimum yield per hectare.

[bonama]

Whao! Whao!!!!!

This is fantastic! And to see how the man listed his steps is amazing! Thanks for sharing.

[kabiru98]

This is very interesting can you please give us more information about this babban gona

[Yunan]

Whao! This is really educating! Organic farming at its best!!! Mal. Tanimu should be celebrated honestly.

[Tobi]

What variety of maize did he plant?

[Achi]

Aliyu Ibrahim wrote in response to Zanau's post

Hello yes its achievable if the following condition are meet.. Good soil condition, no used of herbicide sprayer, application of organic fertilizer , with bio fertilizer as folier sprayer, manuel weeding, hybrid seeds treated with bio organic fertilizer before planting...

Guideline

1. Soil preparation apply cow dung, chicken dung or dried grass of 5matric as your organic matter in 1 hactare mix Bio liquid fertilizer, after good ploughing/harrow.. then leave it for 14days before planting.

2. After 14 days of soil preparation , Soak your maize 20kg with with 20mil of bio plant and 20mil pro plant in a 20ltr of water for 12hrs before planting. It will start to Germinate then. Sow you seed 1 per hole of 25cm by 75cm spacing..

3. Make sure you do not apply any selective and post emergency herbicide for weeding always get labor to do manuel weeding monitor them properly and ensure every spacing is planted with the seed..

4. Application of Bio liquid fertilizer Pro plant every 7days it help in growth increase, resist pest and insect attack , increase your yield by 50%..

Note : good soil preparation, application of organic fertilizer help in yeild increase, manuel weeding also help, application of folier spray also help, good management and proper monitoring also help,..

For more details you can reach me... via my inbox

Here is my raining season maize farm 2 ha... today 2 weeks of planting after 14days of soil preparation.. no single chemical has been applied in d farm
Its 100% organic maize farming

[gomssap]

Pls how can you help and give a detail step by step explanation to a novice.

[MustyJ]

Pls how can you help and give a detail step by step explanation to a novice.

I think the first post captured the man's formula. I want to try it in my small backyard farm against next year.

The steps I get from the report are:


(i) prepare land by first of all incorporated poultry dung and rice husk (buntun shinkafa in Hausa) on the soil. This is done in order to improve the soil organic matter and the ability of the soil to retain moisture, nutrients and proper aeration. These are very critical in the performance of the crop roots in ensuring uptake of nutrients and moisture in order for the crop to do well.

(ii) use 2 by 2 inches wood to create a 25cm pointed edges that when you press it on the ridges, it will create holes at 25cm each then another person will follow to drop one seed per hole and the same hole is create 5cm away to apply fertilizer at planting and buried.

(iii) apply fertilizer at 3 different stages. The first was that he used 2 bags of Diamonium Phosphate (DAP) and one bag of urea which he mixed and apply at planting. The second stage of application was at week 4 after planting, he mixed 2 bags of urea with 1 bag of Diamonium Phosphate (DAP) to bury it and the final stage was to apply 2 bags of urea when the maize has started cobbing. This brings total 3 bags of DAP fertilizer and 5 bags of urea fertilizer making it 8 bags of fertilizer in all per hectare.


The steps are pretty much easy to follow. I am going to experiment that in a 1000m2 of empty plot around my side. I will use hybrid seeds.

[Sabastine Osondu]

I am still in need of clue on how to access agric loan for large scale farming

[bonama]

I am still in need of clue on how to access agric loan for large scale farming

You have a couple of options. Bit you need to develop a very strong business plan cos many funding institutions will want to look at it. You may ask for the help of a professional in preparing the plan and get to arrange for all steps along the way; sourcing seeds, sourcing fertilizer, chemicals, machinery for pre-planting and harvest, and processing and sales. Also know that not all agricultural activities are backed by these banks. It's best to call them up and talk to their customer care reps, narrow the list and go physically to the short list to make enquiries.

(i) Bank Of Agriculture (07042262222, 07040202222)
The Bank of Agriculture gives direct loans (direct lending, on lending, collaboration, and credit monitoring). The requirements are as follows;

Operate and account with them for at least 6 months,
Loan Microcredit Agric and collaboration- 12%.
Lien deposits- 20%.
Customer account relationship minimum 6 months.
Deposit Interest Rate 2%.
You can approach them and negotiate

(ii) Commercial Banks have access to CBN interventions to help farmers. Banks like UBA, First Bank, Union Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank.

For example

Stanbic IBTC (0700 2255 7826242) or +234 01 270 9676

They offer structured advances and loans which take into account seasonal trends. They offer facilities such as overdrafts, asset finance, medium-term loans, a revolving credit plan and a production loan


Union Bank ( +234-1-2716816 and 07007007000)
You should have evidence of ownership or right to use the land. Open a bank account and deposit 10% of your loan request. Prepare a feasibility report and look for a Business Manage in your local branch. They offer -

Short Term Loan: - 1 or 2 years.
Medium Term Loan: - up to 4 years.
Long Term Loan; for Agric products that take long time to mature.
Fixed Capital: Loan to enable farmers acquire fixed assets
Working capital Facility.

Bank of Industry (07002255264)
Open an account, deposit of 20 percent equity contribution into designated account. BOI disburses the 70 percent loan in tranches direct in line with agreed milestones. Upon completion, MSME-friendly partner bank provides 10 percent working capital. Customer is responsible for running of the plant and full repayment. Visit their offices for more info.

Micro Finance Banks too are in the business of agriculture loans.

Good luck