Long before the thought of establishing the simplest of farming tools came into the mind of the first mankind, the basic knowledge required to farm has been in his mind. Though the method was very crude at first, as time goes on, they were able to device simple farming tools that made farming relatively easier for them. All over the world, farming with simple tools lasted for a long period. With the assistance of large animals like bulls, horse, donkeys and camels, they were able to cultivate larger pieces of land and production increased. At first, using beasts of burden proved to be more productive; the volume of food consumed by these animals became the major downside. An unprecedented increase in farm output was not witnessed until mankind started using engine-powered farm tools in the first decade of the 20th century. The introduction and application of mechanically-powered machines on farmlands forever changed the method of farming and birthed the significant increase in farm output.
Virtually all the countries that successfully followed through the above transformation process experience no problem with food security. In fact, they are the highest exporters of cash and food crops in today’s global markets. How are they able to provide more than enough agricultural produce for the local market and still have several tonnes of the same commodity for export? Without mincing word, they were able to achieve so much because they took agricultural mechanization seriously.
The agricultural sector is the highest employer of labour in Nigeria. Yet, this sector is incapable of meeting the local demand for cash and food crops. What does this tell you about our farming method?
Except you are intending to farm on a very small piece of land, using labourers for commercial farming has proven to be an expensive method which will not only cost you more economically but also bring you lower farm yield. Imagine a situation where you want to plough three hectares of land in a day, how many labourers do you need to achieve that and at what cost? With a minimum fee of N1000 (which is highly unrealistic) per day, you will need more than 40 labourers to complete this task and it’s also unlikely that they will complete it in the desired time frame. With a tractor, you are guaranteed a more decent work which is completed in lesser time and more importantly, at a cheaper rate.
Not being able to afford any of these machines should not be a reason why you should stick to the use of labourers on your farmland. There are lots of support plan at TOHFAN that can help you significantly improve farm output with lesser manpower and at an amazingly cheaper rate. Not only do we rent out farm machines and assist with purchases that are capable of providing you with assistance right from the preparation stage to harvest, but we also provide consultancy services backed by years of quality on-field experience.
