Available Jobs Or Opportunities In The Farming And Agro Allied Industry

ns class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-2107257475197723" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-layout="in-article" data-ad-slot="6052668076" style="display: block; text-align: center;"> INAT (Improving Nigerian Agriculture Using Technology)
Intern Needed For Marketing/Advertising Position 

Description: 
INAT (Improving Nigerian Agriculture Using Technology) is looking to hire an intern with strong knowledge and understanding of the digital marketing/advertising landscape, including various social media websites. 
This intern should be prepared to work in a fast-paced team environment, and will finish the internship having gained broad experience in various aspects of marketing. 
Responsibilities
• Provide competitive research and analysis on Agriculture in Nigeria 
• Monitor and post on blogs, forums, and social networks 
• Online outreach and promotion using Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more 
• Write articles on Agriculture and submit to article directories 
• Help with collection and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data from reliable sources.
Requirements
• Undergraduate student reside in Lagos state 
• Ability to persist, research and generate creative ideas. • Good problem solving ability and analytical skills
• Person should be majoring in Marketing or Advertising. 
• Should have excellent verbal and written communication skills
. • Most have extensive knowledge of Web and social media. PowerPoint, Word and Excel experience is a bonus, and will be considered when choosing the best applicant for this internship position.
How to Apply To apply send your CV to info@inat.com.ng

Why Your Agrobusiness Need A Website.

Many in the agricultural world aren’t yet fully convinced that their farm, ranch or other agro related business can benefit from having a professional presence on the internet, or they may not believe it’s affordable and easily maintained. Below are some reasons why having an effective online presence is vital to any agricultural business.

The Internet has changed the way we buy and sell products and services and the way we obtain information, the way we communicate, even the way we are getting entertained. The Internet and the number of people connecting are growing at a phenomenal rate. More and more people are getting on the Internet every day. Over 2 billion people use the internet daily and over 70 million of them are Nigerians.
With the emergence of technology, Companies and other non-governmental organizations are now taking their campaigns, awareness, publicity efforts, products and services online if not for professionalism, but for the sake of communicating with potential customers and reaching a wider audience.

Research shows that 90% of internet users check up on various business and organization websites/Web app to buy goods & services or learn more about that Organization. This is because your website/web app is another arm of your organization that sells a product and conveys information and data. For example, an average internet user searching for information would run a search on the internet using various keywords and terms related to finding what they are searching, you are at a greater chance of winning over new members of the public if he/she can find your website/web app online.

Why is the Agricultural and Agribusiness Sector So Lucrative on Paper yet so Prone to Shocks and Failures?

By Saliu Bello

Why is the Agricultural and Agribusiness Sector So Lucrative on Paper yet so Prone to Shocks and Failures?
The saying that "a good numbers of start up companies close down before they are even started" applies to agricultural business. But why is this so? Different opinions have been documented in the literatures about the reasons for their closure. Inexperience, pausity of funds, mismanagement, change in government policies and a host of other reasons. 

Despite the lucrative nature of agriculture in all the various agricultural enterprises, why are they failing? I have seen large farms ( mechanised crop production outfits and Poultry farms) close down or still existing but struggling in the midst of abundance. 

But why?

Here are some of the reasons:

1.  IT STARTS FROM THE BEGINNING: The decision to invest in the agricultural or agribusiness sector is DEVOID OF ANY WELL LAID OUT PLAN AND VISION. 
The concept just pops up from no where! 

PREPARING POULTRY LAYER HOUSE

The ideal house should provide the birds with a comfortable environment and protect them from the extremities of the prevailing climate (rain, wind, sunshine etc). The house should provide adequate space for the flock to be kept in the house. The ideal stocking density is two square foot per bird (2 ft²/bird).

In the tropics, the ideal house is open‐sided to allow natural ventilation and have an east‐ west orientation to minimize the amount of sunlight entering the house directly. It is important that the house be rectangular in shape and has walls not higher than three feet on the longer side. The wall can be made from off‐cuts, iron sheets, silver boards or bricks. The rest of the side to the wall should have a wire mesh. The roof of the house should have a reflecting surface and be pitched with overlaps (see diagram). These factors aid in ensuring that the house is comfortable and well ventilated.

Cement floors are the best finish as they are easier to clean. There should be a foot‐bath at the entrance to the house for those entering the house to disinfect their foot ware.

To reduce the risk of rodents gaining entrance into the flock house, clear all the vegetation in an area 3‐4 meters around the flock house. The feed store should also be separate from the house.

HYGIENE AND SANITATION

In commercial layers farms an all‐in all‐out system is the best management practice as it prevents the build up of disease causing organisms and disease outbreaks. In cases where farmers want to keep flocks of different ages, then each flock MUST be housed in its own house, and have a distance of 10m between the units.

The flock house should be constructed in isolated areas to decrease the risk of contamination. The house should be fenced to exclude stray animals and visitors. The door should always be locked.

The wire mesh on the sides of the house should be of a small gauge ½” mesh, to prevent entry of wild birds, cats, dogs and rodents.

Only essential staff should enter the flock house. When visitors are allowed access to the flock house, a record showing name, purpose of visit and previous farm visited should be maintained.

Poultry workers should always wear clean, disinfected foot ware and clothing. When visiting birds of different ages, start with the youngest flock and always visit sick flocks last, irrespective of their age.

Take measures to control all rodents, wild birds and insects as they are known vectors of poultry diseases. Such measures can be mechanical, biological or chemical.

Do not permit the introduction of materials and / or equipment into the poultry house without thorough cleaning and disinfection as these items can be carriers of disease‐causing organisms.

As soon as the spent flock has been depopulated, the layer house and equipment must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

It is important to allow the house to remain empty for at least 2 weeks (after the manure has been removed) before the next flock is placed. This allows time to reduce the build up of disease‐causing organisms and to prepare the house effectively for the next flock.

After the birds have been removed from the house, remove all the equipment from the house and dampen the ceiling, walls and litter with water. This helps to minimize dust during litter removal.

Remove all old litter and dispose of it at least 1.5km from the farm. Do not store it on, or spread it near the farm as it can re‐contaminate the clean house when the wind might blow it back into the house or via workers boots if they walk over it on their way to the house.

  

All unused feed in the feeders should be disposed of and not stored for the next flock to minimize chances of disease transmission. Only feed in bags stored in a store separated from the house can be kept for the next flock.

Wash the house with water and soap starting with the roof followed by the walls and finally the floor. Allow the house to dry before spraying the whole house with disinfectant solution again starting from the roof. Simultaneously, wash and disinfect all the equipment from the house. Repair and maintenance to the house and / or equipment should be done during this time.

Once the house is dry, place four inches of litter material and put back all the clean and disinfected equipment into the house. Common types of litter are wood‐shavings, straw, rice husks and coffee husk. Good litter should insulate the floor and absorb moisture from the chicken droppings.

Prepare the brooder area at least 24 house before the chicks arrive.

Depending on the climatic conditions, the brooders MUST be turned on at lease 6 hours prior to the arrival of the chicks. This ensures that the house environment, water and feed are at the right temperature when the chicks arrive.

DAIRY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

(1) Extensive or Traditional system

Under the extensive system, the producers are generally scattered among rural communities at some considerable distance from the urban centres. The stock used consists of a collection of cows sometimes goats and sheep. The cows are not selected for high milk production or any of the other characters derivable in a good dairy animal. Milking is not carried out at regular intervals and very often there is no record for milk produced by each cow. There are no cultivated pastures on which to feed the animals. The animals rely on grazing on the open range grounds with the change of seasons. In most cases, this development results in a very low level of production. The milk produced is not usually processed and the system requires thousands of milking cows to satisfy the requirement of the market.

(2) Intensive (modern) system

This system involves the use of dairy animals specialized for milk production. This involves the investment of considerable capital. The size of the dairy herd could vary from 50-100 cows for small scale operations and up to 500-1000 cows for medium size operator. The large scale operation has more than 1000 cows. The animal used for this operation are high yielding European type of breeds e.g. Friesian. In some of urban dairies in Nigeria, crosses of European breeds with indigenous cattle, selected indigenous cow are used in urban dairies in Nigeria. Breeding records are kept and selection for high milk yield is intensively carried out. The milk is regularly tested for quality and AI is used to improve the milk producing ability of the animal. The animals are fed regularly on cultivated pastures usually green soiled or zero-grazed. They are also supplemented with concentrates usually rationed according to production. The animals are housed and milking is usually done in a dairy parlour under hygienic conditions. There is a considerable degree of mechanization in most of the operations. The animals are subjected to rregular veterinary inspection to prevent and cure diseases. Under this system of production, the farmer is concerned with making as much profit as possible. The example of intensive system in Nigeria can be seen in the Urban Dairy Scheme at Agege, Iwo dairy, Kano, Maiduguri, Vom and Maizube Farms in Minna.

Starting Poultry Egg Farming Business

Poultry egg farming is a very profitable business, and many people are making money all over the world by starting layers egg production business. However, to build a successful, sustainable poultry egg farming business, you require sufficient knowledge of how to efficiently keep the layers, good management skills, and a good poultry egg production business plan. This article will outline how to start the business, and the poultry egg farming business plan – PDF, Word and Excel.

Poultry egg farming is a lucrative business, providing income for millions of people from all parts of the world. However, there are some essential things you need to do before you venture into the poultry egg production business. You have to decide on the size of your chicken egg production project i.e. the number of layers chickens you want to keep per cycle; location of the business e.g. a layers chicken farm , and your target market. These choices will be affected by the amount of capital you have, and the size of your target  market.

If you do not have a lot of capital, you can always start small and grow your poultry egg farming business overtime, remember, Rome was not built in a day. You also need to carry out market research (Who are you going to sell the eggs to? At what price?) and write a poultry egg farming business plan before you venture into the chicken egg production business.

What you need

Land, Housing and Equipment for Poultry Egg Farming Business

The kind of housing you need and the size of the land will depend on the size of your poultry egg farming project. When choosing the location for your poultry egg production business, you have to balance the need for proximity to the market, with the cost of land, labor costs, security, and a good water supply. It is advisable not to locate the poultry egg farming project close to rivers or streams as this may result in the pollution of water by chicken drops during rainfall periods.

When you are planning to construct a layers egg chicken house, you have to select a site which is well-drained with plenty of natural air movement. Layers chickens cannot adjust well to temperature extremes, so it is very essential that the hens be housed, cared and provided with an environment that will enable them to perform egg production efficiently.

The design and size of the layers chicken house is determined by the number of layers chickens being kept, the cost and the climatic condition of the area. It is essential to house layers chickens of the same age together. This is to prevent potential problems like high risk of continuous infection. It also allows the farmer to administer the right feeds and follow the right method of lighting for the layers chickens.

Your housing for the layers chickens can be barns, layer cages, chicken runs or hutches. The kind of equipment you need depends on whether you are using the deep litter system or the cage system in your poultry egg production business. You should have equipment including feeders, drinkers, lighting system and waste disposal system. You will also need chicken layer nests where the layers lay eggs in. If you are doing the cage system, then you will have to purchase the cages for your layers chickens. If you purchase layer cages as housing for your layers chickens, the layer cages will already have the laying nests, feeders, drinkers etc.

Point of lay chickens/Layer chicks

Poultry Layers start to lay eggs at about 19 weeks of age. When starting a poultry egg production business, you will have to make a decision of whether you start with day old chicks or point of lay birds. You can buy layer chicks and feed them till they are 19 weeks. However, its usually easier to buy point of lay chickens (Layers chickens which are ready to start laying eggs).

You should purchase your day old chicks/point of lay birds from a reliable accredited hatchery or company where the parent stocks are well managed. Layers chicks from different hatcheries vary greatly in terms of quality, and thus will be a determining factor in the success of your poultry egg farming business venture.If you purchase point of lay chickens which are not well vaccinated then the layers chickens will have a low rate of egg production and a high mortality rate.

Layers feeds

To lay well, the layer chickens must get the best possible feed. Hens need plenty of calcium in their diets to lay eggs with hard, strong shells. The feed for layers chickens is called Layers Mash. The mash is specially formulated to provide all the nutrients they need in the correct quantities. Feed must be available in the trough at all times, as well as cool, fresh water in the bottles. On average, each laying hen requires 110g-120g of feed every day. The aim of the egg producer is to convert a given amount of feed into as many eggs as possible. It is very important to give the layers the right feeds, and the right quantities, so that they grow well and have a high egg production rate.

Management and Labour

The number of farm workers you need will depend on the size of your poultry egg production project. If you are operating a small poultry egg farming business e.g. 100 birds, you and your family may be enough to take care of the birds. However if you are keeping 2000 chickens for egg production, then you will need full time employees to manage the poultry farm.  There is need for good technical knowledge of poultry egg production techniques for success in the business, and good management skills.

Capital

The amount of capital required for the poultry egg production business depends on the scale of the project. You can get a loan from the bank, or funding from investors, to use as capital to start your poultry egg farming business. If you plan to raise capital from investors and a loan from the bank, you need a good poultry egg farming business plan. If you don’t have access to investors and bank loan, you can use your personal savings and start small, and grow your business overtime. Egg production business is very profitable. If you reinvest the profits you get, you can quickly grow.

Market for Poultry Eggs

The demand for eggs is very high. Over 65 million tonnes of eggs is consumed globally annually. That’s a lot! Eggs are considered an alternative cheap source of proteins. Almost every household consumes boiled/fried eggs. Increasing protein consumption and rising incomes drive consumption of eggs.  Around the world, consumption of eggs is on the increase. This increase is particularly notable in developing countries where changing diets have people consuming a greater number of calories from protein sources like poultry meat and eggs. You can supply your eggs to individual households, supermarkets / grocery shops, wholesalers, schools, restaurants, companies, organizations, events etc.

Challenges Of Pig Farming

The challenges of pig farming mostly ranges between these listed below:

1). Inadequate supply of a sort-after pig breed.

2). High cost of good quality pig feed.

3) Poor marketing.

4). Pests and diseases.

5). Unproductive pig stock.

6). Low quality feed from local suppliers.

7). Lack of experience.

8). High cost of water and electricity in some areas.

*Conclusion*

Pig farming like many other animal husbandry farming practices is a lucrative venture to get into. With the right training, funding, and general resources, you start and grow a successful pig farm.

*How To Setup Your Pig Farm*‬

*1). Secure A Location:*

When choosing a site for raising pigs, it’s important to pick a non-residential area. Since the pig business could ooze off unpleasant odours in the neighbourhood, choosing a farmland that’s slightly rural but close to the city is important.

Also purchase a wide expanse of land, preferably 5 to 10 acres if you’re trying not to start too small. The size of the land is very important because pigs love to forage. Setting them free during the day to get their own food within your pasture is an important piece to ensuring you secure a large area. Since  farmlands in rural communities are usually cheap, acquiring a large area for raising pigs is highly important.

The proximity of the farmland to the city too, will ensure it’s easy to transport the pigs to the market. For people who’d prefer to visit your farmland for a purchase, having a farm close to the city makes it a lot easier for them.

While many other factors are crucial to the success of your pig farm, picking the right site to set up your farm is one of the most important factors.

*2). Build Ideal Pig Pens (Housing):*

The pig pen must be built to protect them from the rain, predators, and to keep them warm or cool during odd temperatures. Due to the high sensitivity of pigs to oddly warm environments, it is important that the temperature of their pens are always regulated. Their houses can be cooled by using a wallow or a dripping water system. Wallows are largely used for a hog pen.

The pig pens should also be built to be spacious enough to enable a free roam among the pigs. This would not just help prevent pig violence, but would also reduce the chances of a disease breakout affecting all the pigs.

The drainage in the pens should also be well constructed, so as to allow a free flow of water. Asides the drainage, small pig pools should be constructed because pigs like to play a lot in water and also use it as a way to cool off. This water should be changed daily at the same time the pens are cleaned, so that pests and diseases do not become a misfortune that befalls your pig farm.

*3). Purchase Healthy Piglets To Raise:*

When starting a new pig farm, purchasing healthy piglets is too important. Their health status won’t just determine their mortality rate, but also their reproductive rate.

One way to buy the piglets, also known as pig feeders, is to approach the producers and the stock breeders. They’d advise you on which to get from them and especially what your budget can afford. Usually, pigs that were cross-bred are vibrant, have a high appetite, and grow faster. This makes a mixed breed a top choice for most new farmers.

When trying to purchase a piglet or feeder, it’s advisable you talk to a veterinary doctor to verify their health status. A healthy piglet for a new farm should usually be large and weigh a minimum of 25 lbs. The sex also determines the growth rate, as male piglets are know to grow faster than the female piglets.

*4). Pig Feed:*

Pigs can feed on almost anything, but the best meals for domesticated pigs raised primarily for commercial purposes are usually grains and meat. While corn is one of their most coveted meals, they can be fed with cooked vegetables, and left over meals in the house.

To ensure the pigs grow fast and healthy, it is preferable that they feed on vitamins, rich supplements, and heavy protein meals, which could span anywhere from soya beans to cooked meat.

The pig feed should be purchased in large quantities, and a larger part of the protein feed should be reserved for the mature pigs, since they consume more meals than the smaller pigs.

Their water supply should also be adequate because they consume an average of two to six gallons of water everyday. Ensure it’s always available, because water consumption has a major role to play in the overall health and growth of the pigs. The water can be provided through a sprinkler, trough, or a tub.

Since the pigs wouldn’t just drink their water, but would also step on it and wash their faces and body in it, it’s important the water should be changed on a regular basis.

*5). Carry Out A Period Pig Sanitation:*

The pig pens should undergo a periodic sanitation. Various methodologies have to be employed to ensure that the pig pens are well cleaned and taken care of to prevent an out-break of diseases.You can make the waste collection process easier by using slotted pen floors. This plus ensuring the pen floors are always dry is important for a disease-free environment to thrive.

FEEDING AND MANAGEMENT OF CATTLE

The major emphasis on the management of dairy cattle should be to treat each female so that it can produce calf each year. Fortunately, most breeds in Nigeria have genetic capability to calf annually if a well balanced dietary and management programme is developed to meet the nutritional need of the animal. This means providing good grazing pastures and minerals with calcium, phosphorus, salt lick and clean water during the wet and dry season. In the dry season, browsing plus additional dry grass, groundnut hay, cowpea hay, rice bran, guinea corn hay or stalks, various kinds of concentrates such as cottonseed, groundnut cake, guinea corn and millet should be provided.

Disease prevention and vaccination should be carried out. A herd of 5-30 cows will need one bull for servicing. The non-producing female and castrated male should be herded in a separate group and dispose of to save grass and feed for the producing animals. For feeding purposes, cattle should be divided into the following herds: 0-3months, 4-6 months, young heifers/breeders, pregnant and lactating herds.

0-3 Months Calves

After calving, the calves are left with their dam to receive colostrums. The colostrums contain antibodies which protect calf from disease. However, if calves are removed by birth, they are transferred to calves pen. It is essential to bucket feed the calves with 2-3 litres of milk/day at

the temperature of 37.5-38^oC. If the dam dies at calving or for other reasons fails to produce colostrums, then an effort should be made to obtain either surplus colostrums from another dam or feed colostrums substitute. A well known recipe is to whip up a fresh raw egg in 1 litre of milk and add half boiled water, 1 teaspoonful of castor oil. This will be sufficient for one feed and should be fed at body temperature 3 times a day for the first 3 days or ad libitum. Once the black jelly-like foetal dung passes along the feaces, the castor oil can be omitted. The milk should be supplemented with a mixture of soyabean cake and maize. They should be confined in another pen and allowed to graze during the wet season.

BREEDS OF CATTLE USED IN MILK PRODUCTION

In most temperate countries, milk comes mainly from domesticated cattle which have over several generations become specialized for milk production. In most tropical countries, on the other hand, milk comes from domesticated cattle as well as buffalos, sheep, goats and sometimes camel. Buffaloes are used largely for milk production in India, Zaire, Sudan and Egypt. The contribution of buffalos, sheep, goats and camels is just 20% of total milk production in the tropics. 80% milk comes from domesticated cattle.

Specialised Dairy Breeds

These include Friesian, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Ayrshire and Guernsey (All of temperate origin). Friesian, Brown Swiss and Jersey were imported to Nigeria for crossbreeding with indigenous cattle in order to raise the level of production.

Holstein-Friesian

It originated from Netherlands but it has spread to other parts of the world especially where emphasis has been on milk production. The colour is black and white or red and white. World’s highest producing dairy animal. Holstein-Friesian is a cross between the black cattle of the Batavians (Holstein) and white cows of Friesian bred to produce the most efficient milk with limited feed resources. Calf weighs 41 kg or more at birth. Holstein cow weigh 650kg and 147cm tall. Heifers are bred at 13 months and weigh 363kg. Holstein-Friesian

100 cows missing in Enugu - Fulani Herdsman

AN Enugu State-based Fulani herdsman, Alhaji Sodu has claimed that over 100 cows belonging to him were missing as a result of an alleged attack on a Fulani settlement in the state.

He also accused the youths of Aku community in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of masterminding the attack, adding that a herdsman sustained three gunshot wounds following the incident while three others were claimed to be missing.

Sodu gave the name of his injured son as Wareri ,17, while Musa, Buba and Mohammed were said to be missing. This came on a day, youths of Attaukwu community in Nkanu-West Local Government Area where herdsmen had on August 25, 2016, invaded the community slaughtering a Catholic seminarian,Lazarus Nwafor, and Ifeoma Agbo embarked on a protest over the continued stay of herdsmen in their community.

Visit to hospital A visit to the to the Refuge Hospital, Enugu in the company of the Chairman, Enugu Constituted Security Committee, Brigadier General Fred Eze ,retd, where injured Wareri was receiving treatment showed the latter was in high spirit. However, Sodu appealed to security agencies to quickly arrest the masterminds of the attack.

He said: “I am too old now to go into the forest in search of my three sons. I am appealing to security agencies to rescue my sons unharmed. The youths have slaughtered seven of my cows. Over 100 cows are missing now”.

Security committee chair allay fears Chairman, Enugu Constituted Security Committee, Brigadier General Fred Eze ,retd, who confirmed the incident, appealed for calm adding that the committee was on top of the situation.

Source: Vanguard