Nasarawa community where ex-militant’s vision of farming city blooms
of it is owned by the cooperative. The rest is community land and Tedheke emphasized that what they do is all about community integration.
NFGCS began with maize but realizing early that Nigeria is an import-dependent country, expanded to farming soybeans, cowpea, ginger, turmeric, melon seed, yam and several more. Now, we process what we produce.
“We currently have 60 tons of rice processing capacity per day. We already have machines on ground to process groundnut oil and soya bean oil. We are already building factories to make feed mill. Before the end of this year, we are going to start processing yam flour,” he said.
Tedheke pointed out that if there is no synergic relationship between the federal and local government, development will be a mirage. “Every single kobo that has been invested in this project has come from crowdfunding and loans from organizations like Kia Kia. The federal, state and local government have not contributed or supported this project financially. But the federal government has provided us with machines at subsidized rates. So, the federal government warehouse in Keffi has been open to this cooperative,” he said.
The ranch
The Nigeria Farmers Group and Cooperative Society provides employment for not only locals but for National Youth Service Corps Members (NYSC). Ruth Obende Oziofo, an indigene of Edo State, has been working on the farm for three months. A graduate of Purchasing and Supply, she keeps records at the warehouse just close to the ranch.
One of the most interesting places at the Ga’ate cooperative farm is the ranch where cows, goats and poultry are reared. Mr. Ogbeide Peter, who is from Edo State and NFGCS’s Farm Manager, explained that they thrive in using local methods to construct what they need. A typical example is the yam barn where a standard building was built with mats hanging from its upper walls to serve as insulators. Because yam has not been harvested yet, chaff from crops are kept there.
“Agriculture is a long value chain and chaff is essential for feeding the cattle during the dry season. Each bag of chaff costs about N2,500. In this way, we create jobs for those who can source for these and sell to us,” Peter explained.
In animal husbandry, foreign turkeys that weigh between 10kg and 15kg are reared. Presently, other rooms have been prepared for broilers and layers.
Away from the poultry, Peter pointed to the cows grazing within an enclosed environment. He explained that this is the typical way Fulani herdsmen rare cows. “You can call it a RUGA if you like. It’s a template of the way they do it. Inside the RUGA, there can be a poultry section because after you thresh the maize for the cattle, some of the smooth ones are eaten by the birds because the cattle don’t eat it.
What NFGCS has done as a cooperative is to plant the Ruzi Premium Grass which, according to Peter, can last for 60 years if properly managed. “We don’t allow cattle to go in and graze because they might kill it. All we need do is water it during the dry season so they can always have fresh grass to eat. We use the haymaker, fabricated locally to preserve the grass and feed the cattle in batches. We, however, allow cows that are not feeding well, or those that have health challenges, to graze from the Ruzi.”
Peter stressed that ranching should be adopted and taught in schools so people can graduate as cow rearers. He believes a curriculum can be created based on how the Fulanis have been rearing cattle since before Nigeria existed. “With a curriculum, our people can study it in their own way. This is what the cowboys and red Indians do in the United States, but unfortunately, we like to copy instead of doing it our own way,” he said.
Cows in the ranch include the Sokoto Gudali known for having very high milk production. The ranchers target cow fattening and milk production. There are also two bulls from Switzerland called the Friesian bulls known for their large size. The plan is to get the two different breeds to mate.
Peter pointed out that their plan in the near future is to use the concentrated waste from cows to generate electricity. “We are already working in that direction and a company has approached us. This is pure organic manure needed for crops. When we started in 2017, we spent about N5m to buy organic manure for the first maize we planted,” he revealed.
But how is the entire farm secured from armed robbers or thieves? Peter said apart from the Fulani and vigilantes who are part of the security structure, three policemen are stationed at the farm’s police post.
One of the managers at the ranch is Aminu Mohammed, a Fulani man from Ga’ate . He also joined the Nigerian Farmers and Cooperative Group from the very beginning. “We started from scratch and have learned a lot in terms of education and the relationship between farmers and herders. We fully understand the issues between farmers and herders. The herder simply wants to provide food for his cows and the farmer wants to take care of his farm and protect it from being encroached upon,” he said, adding that the cooperative has been a blessing.
Ga’ate and its neighbouring communities have benefitted a lot from the NFGCS. Anna Bulus from Mante community came to the farm a while back and sought for a job. Today, she ekes out a living weeding grasses , and as a result, has enrolled her two children in school. Hers is just one story out of many. By evening, the dusty road from the farms and the rice mills are filled with locals returning from a hard day’s work. Some are very young, some much older. Together, the people of Ga’ate and other neighbouring communities have put heads together and welcomed a business concept that works for all parties concerned.