Mercy Udoh, was a primary 2 class teacher, but instant success in farming vegetables encouraged her to dump teaching for business. Today, Mercy is now the proud owner of a flourishing farm and also a business woman, ADEOLA TUKURU, reports.
Mercy Udoh, 32, never envisaged she would become a successful farmer and also a business owner in vegetables. But as providence would have it, Mercy took the risk and dumped her teaching job as a school teacher for farming and trading in vegetables.
The Abuja based woman can now testify to be a proud owner of a flourishing vegetable farm.
Mercy, a primary school teacher from Akwa-Ibom state, and also a single mother of one came to Abuja in 2007 and started teaching in a primary school. Today, Ten years down the line, she is a proud owner of a vegetable farm located along Bwari, Area Council and also a vegetable trader.
In and around Dutse, where she resides, Mercy is one of the most sought after trader in vegetables.
The instant success that accompanied her business has made her a reference point in commercial farming particularly among youths in the area.
Taking the bold step
However, Mercy’s success did not come without hard work, strategic planning and implementation. she ensured she took care of her vegetables.
While recounting her experience to Business Starter in Abuja, she explained that when she came to Abuja, she sorted for and was employed as a teacher in one of the primary school around her area but realised that her money was nothing to write home about then she resorted to farming.
“I was earning N9,000 as a class teacher back then and I had a lot of responsibilities on me . My aged parents, my siblings and also my 5 year old son in school.”
“At first it wasn’t easy for me at all. Working for a whole month and earning less, so I made up my mind and started farming at the back of where I lived”.
“I started a very small vegetables garden, then increased it when I realised that it was in high demand by traders who sell it in the market ”
“I realised that I could also sell from the vegetables I farm and so I looked for a small space in the market where I display my vegetables. Now I am happy with the end result because I can comfortably send money to my parents, siblings and also take care of my son,” Mercy said.
Devotion: key to success
On how she manages farming and also trading in vegetables, “I always ensure I visit my farm every morning to inspect how the vegetables grow”.
She explained that vegetable sellers are known to earn up to five times more than the farmers that is why she started selling vegetables.
She further said obtaining direct access to consumers is also a good way to increase the profit potential of the venture.
“As the markets are flooded with vegetables during the wet season, prices are usually low and are likely to led to poor profits. A dry season focused strategy is sure to be very rewarding,” she said.
Mercy cited an example that a bunch of “Ugwu” mostly eaten in the eastern part of Nigeria, which was N50 now goes for N100 or N150.
On challenges of perishable crops Mercy lamented that she always run at a loss because she can’t preserve the vegetables, “At times, I sell a very cheaper rates to some of my customers and these doesn’t make me happy because I run at a loss”
Millions of Nigerian smallholder farmers work very hard to plant all sorts of crops and harvest them, but often can’t guarantee that the harvest will make it to the market.
President Muhammadu Buhari, during the National Economic Summit in Abuja, agreed that post -harvest losses are a major problem facing farmers in Nigeria.
He said, ‘Wastage of locally- grown foods, notably fruit and vegetables, which go bad due to lack of even moderate scale agro-processing factories and lack of feeder road’s is a major challenge”.
Success tips for aspiring urban vegetable farmers
Access to land close to the city markets is a huge advantage in this business. You should also arrange for water sources close to the farmland (wells, bore holes, pipe-borne water etc.) to allow all-year round vegetable farming.
Income from vegetable sales during the dry season can be up to three times the wet season prices. As a result, entrepreneurs must target a huge proportion of their production volumes to coincide with this period.
As the markets are flooded with vegetables during the wet season, prices are usually low and are likely to lead to poor profits. A dry season-focused strategy is sure to be very rewarding.
Vegetables that require a short duration (like lettuces and other leafy vegetables) can be used for immediate returns. However, it is important that African entrepreneurs understand and can predict the trend in demand for various vegetables in the local market.
Another important strategy is to sell beyond the farm. Vegetable vendors (who sell in the markets) are known to earn up to four times more than the actual vegetable farmers. Obtaining direct access to consumers will be a good way to increase the profit potential of this venture.
Restaurants, households, major supermarkets (green grocers), chefs and caterers are very good targets and will be glad to buy directly from farmers due to the lower costs (compared to the open markets) and freshness of the product. However, you must be prepared for the strict quality standards required by some of these customers.
Since access to land and water are major constraints to this business, entrepreneurs who have access to these can enter into arrangements such as:
- Share cropping: Allow experienced vegetable farmers access to your land and facilities and receive a share of the harvest (maybe 50 percent or more). This arrangement provides an ownership incentive to the farmers who will ensure a bumper harvest while the entrepreneur bears little or no risk. However, you may need to be very vigilant, especially during the harvest and sales, to avoid cheating or theft.
- Tenancy or Caretaking: Charge vegetable farmers a fixed fee or rent for use of your land and facilities. This arrangement is independent of the farm’s harvest or sales and is a very low risk option for the entrepreneur. Owners of undeveloped and fallow urban land without the time for close monitoring will find this option useful.
- Wages: Employ the services of cheap labour who can be taught to properly grow the desired vegetables and pay them a daily, weekly or monthly wage. This option requires a lot of involvement as the entrepreneur bears all the risks of the business. In addition, there is little or no incentive for labourers to ensure a quality harvest. However, if this arrangement is properly done, the entrepreneur enjoys all the rewards of the harvests; which can be huge!
