Our agric inputs are of international standard – CEO Tolaye Metal

As the government continues to encourage mechanisation in the agriculture sector and encouragement of local manufacturers to fill the gap, the Chief Executive Officer, Tolaye Metal and Technical Company, Mr Oladayo Oloyede, in this interview with JOHN OBA, says with government support for local manufacturers and fabricators, his company can bridge the demand gap
What is your company into?
Tolaye Metal and Technical Company is an indigenous company that is into designing, fabricating, construction and welding of agricultural equipment, vehicle spare parts and any other kind of machineries. We ease the stress of importation for machineries that could be remolded or fabricated in Nigeria. Once we see or get a replica of the machine, we can design it for such individual or company at a lesser price, it safe the efforts of traveling abroad to get should or spending millions to order from foreign companies.

What are some of the agricultural inputs or equipment that you have been working on?
Yes, we have several agricultural inputs, though because of lack of fund, we design and construct on demand, but we have fabricated several agric inputs for individuals farmers, cooperatives. We have fabricated cassava peelers, maize or rice harvesters, cassava blenders. We have also worked on a three-in-one cassava machine, that would peel, wash, blend and fry the gari. We design to meet the local demand, and it is durable, strong and easy to maintain. We have also designed and constructed, maize harvester, peelers, and scrapers, hand harvesters, hand weeders, bread roller, maize blending machine, fish feed machine.
In fact, there is no agricultural equipment we can’t fabricate, once we can get the design, even those type being imputed from China, are things we can do here. We also work on machine for fish feed mill. We can also mold vehicle spear parts, several types of block molding machines. Grinding machines, injector, Tuner, crankshaft, marble making machine, etc
Our products are of international standard, we sell our products to states in Nigeria and to smallholder farmers. We fabricates all parts of tractors working together with electrical engineers that handles the electrical aspect of our work. There is no farm inputs we can’t manufactured.

So you mean, you can produce those agricultural machines being imported from China by the government if empowered by investors?
Yes, we can produce any machines once we get the design or sample. If we haven’t produced it before, just show us the sample, and we will fabricate it l.

For how long, have you been into this?
We have been doing this for over 10 years.

Who are you customers?
We have several Nigerians, many from the states, cooperatives, and individuals. We’ve been getting order from different states. We also do for smallholder farmers. We fabricates block machines, grinding engines for women too.

Do you have customers?
Yes, we have manufacturing for farmers from several states, fish food millers among others.

What is the least amount for your machine?
It depends on they type of machine, we have machine as cheap as N40,000 but mostly, the cost depends on what the person wanted. Others ranged from N1.5 million, and above.

For agriculture, how much would you fabricate for smallholder farmers?
Our machine are cheaper that imported machine. Some goes for as low as N150,000.

How much is for the harvesters?
We have different size of harvesters, the small size will go for N120,000 and it will do the same work like the imported ones.

What are some of the challenges?
We have the challenge of irregular power supply. Now we run the company on generator, within a month, we spend over 35% of our income on purchase of diesel. Also we still need some equipment to make our work easier. We need the big Lenk machine for easy shaping. Also the cost of our raw materials has gone up, the steel we use are all costly now.

How do you think the government can help you?
All we need is government patronage. Like I said before, we need fund to expand our factory. We are planning to have our own inhouse electrical section instead of contracting it out.

 

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