The last corn cultivation I engaged in was in 2022, and the farm size was an acre of land. I was not actively involved since the farm location was two hours away, and thus, I had to pay workers and supervisors to take care of the land. Another challenge was not having access to a tractor early, and we had to plant in mid-August. The yield was fair but could have been better.
During the period of cultivation, we had uprooted all the excess stems of corn that was planted, which was going to affect the yield, such that we left three to four stems in a spot. We also applied fertilizers, NPK and urea, at a 4-week interval. By the time the drought affected most farmlands, our farm had passed the level of serious water demand and was almost ready for harvest. We left the corn to dry on the farm, and since the rain was absent, it had an abundance of sunlight.
For 4 acres of farmland, it would have been comfortable for us if we hired laborers, but with the current economic hardship and also because we had friends and family to help out, both of us went to the farm yesterday for the corn harvesting. Of course, we didn't expect to finish harvesting, but we hoped to cover significant ground. Employing the services of friends and family massively reduced the cost of hiring laborers.
We arrived at the farm at about 10 a.m. and went straight into the harvesting. Six of us focused on the corn harvesting, while two of us went ahead to complete the remaining cassava stems we could not plant as a result of the drought. However, three hours later, we all joined in the harvesting. It is always good to work as a team. Some of us peeled the shaft right from the stem while others harvested it whole for peeling later.
Although a majority of us didn't eat before leaving house, we got some light refreshments, such as satchel water and bread. It's better than nothing but kept us going for a while.
Few of my people walked barefooted on the farm, but it's yet advisable to move about with footwear, even if the boot wasn't available. Also, we ensured moving as a pair. You never can tell when someone would need help. This was a situation where we encountered a snake. My partner saw the snake, and we quickly nailed it to the ground. Of course, we invaded its habitat, but our safety was at risk. So, while on the farm, even when in a haste to tidy up with farm work, it's wisdom to stay vigilant.
I secured a hilux to help us transport the farm produce home. This was much more convenient for us, as all we needed to do was fuel the hilux with ₦10,000. Hiring a vehicle or van to the farm would have cost us nothing less than three times the fuel money.
The harvest was quite encouraging, as the corn came out fine. Unfortunately, we could only cover two acres with our manpower and available mobility resources. You can call it bountiful. We worked from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and got home some minutes to 8 p.m., where we offloaded the produce into my apartment.
The next assignment would be to schedule another time for the second phase of the harvest, and that would mean for the remaining two acres of farmland.
Hopefully more resources would be available against the next planting season, which is next year, while the need to own a farmland can be looked at since this index farm was on lease. Also, owning a farm truck would be a great plus to ease and encourage transportation to the farm. Exploring other crops remains top also as we navigate food insecurity in Nigeira.
Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.
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