Mechanical Weeder Service: Increasing Farmers’ productivity and revenue.
WHO I AM
My name is Hassan Halimot Omotoke, 25 years of age, a graduate of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; I am the Mechanization Unit Head of GreenWealth Agripreneurs, Nigeria.
GreenWealth Agripreneurs (GWA), incubates of IYA was set up to harness the potentials in agribusiness and eventually create jobs for themselves and other youths. The GreenWealth Agripreneurs consists of a team of young talented graduates that have embraced agribusiness as a mean of wealth creation. The uniqueness of our team lies in the heterogeneity of disciplines that cuts across Social Sciences, Arts, Natural Sciences, Agricultural Sciences and Engineering and has managed good gender equality of both male and female.
WHY THIS PROJECT
Weeds are undesirable plants that reduce crop yield and productivity by competing with the crop for water, nutrients and light. It blocks drainage system on the field and increases cost of cultivation. Weeding takes 50-80% of the total budget of farmers; women contribute more than 90% of the hand weeding labour with the involvement of about 69% of farm children between the ages of 5-14 being forced to leave school and engage in weeding.
To reduce these negative effects of weed, weeding is necessary but manual weeding (using cutlass and hoe) is the usual and common method for weed control, this is labour intensive. However, the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds, environmental impact and increasing demand for chemical free foods has led to investigations of alternative methods of weed control. This led to the mechanical weeding machine.
This service addresses the weed menace by increasing productivity and minimizing drudgery of the hand weeding by women and children thereby saving women from spinal deformities arising from long periods of stooping using hoe and hand to weed, helps farm families by offering efficient weeding options, reduce spending on hiring labour for weeding. Aside from the weeding, the weeder can also till the soil, make vegetable beds and ridges. This project would generate revenue for us through service delivery of mechanical weeder; create lucrative job opportunities through access of youth especially women to the weeder because of its ease of operation, and increase the profit and productivity of the smallholder farmers.
STEPS TO ACHIEVING OUR GOALS
The weeding services will be rendered to smallholder farmers. The services will be based on farmers’ request.
Some unemployed youths would be employed and their capacity on how to use the mechanical weeders would be built. We would first acquire more mechanical weeders, Modify the weeder to suit our purpose, carry out aggressive marketing for this project, render Service to farmer and lastly carry out Monitoring and Evaluation based on the functional M&E structure we already have on ground.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR….
- We have modified the machines to Nigerian soil for different purposes such as weeding, tilling and ridging through the expertise of agricultural engineers
- We have done several preliminary field trials to ascertain the performance of the mechanical weeder on our local soil,
- Trainings on the machine’s operation and maintenance, weed identification, characteristics, best agronomy practices that address weed density for easy passage during weeding operation, best techniques for tackling the different weeds on various farm fields.
- We have conducted successful research works on its reactions to:
- Gender sensitivity while operating the machine
- Types of weed basically grass, sedges and broad leaf
- Soil type
- The machines benefit analysis over manual method (hoe and cutlass) i.e. Time management/efficiency, fuel consumption rate, increase crop yield and productivity
- Efficiency on different crops such as maize, soybean, cassava and banana
HOW WE WILL MEASURE SUCCESS
The success of this project will firstly be measured by the percentage of the total cost spend on weeding using our mechanical weeder in comparison to manual labour. It would also be measure by the increase in the profit/revenue of farmers. Finally it will be measured by the number of farmers that use this service on their farm and the number of workers employed by this project.
HOW WE PLAN TO USE THE US$5000 GRANT
LINE ITEMS – @ Unit Cost – Total
Purchase of Weeder and accessories (2 weeks)
Big Mantis Weeder (2units) @ $600 – $1,200
Small Mantis Weeder (2units) @ $300 – $600
Brush Cutter Weeder (2units) @ $60 – $120
Service kits @ $200 – $200
Protective goggles @ $40 – $240
Ear protectors @ $50 – $300
Modification of the Weeders (2 weeks) @ $200 – $1,200
Purchase of GPS @ $400 – $400
Logistics @ $740 – $740
Blogpost, video and picture submitted by Hassan Halimot Omotoke (Nigeria) – greenwealthagripreneurs(at)gmail.com
The content, structure and grammar is at the discretion of the author only.
This post is published as proposal #198 of “YAP” – our “Youth Agripreneur Project”.
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blog.gfar.net 
this is amazing. finally, youths are taking initiatives to eliminate drudgery in agriculture. this is definitely the way to go. thumbs up!
You can join in the publicity of improved mechanization in agriculture knowing this would attract more youth to agribusiness. Thanks for the motivation medalzwordpre
A very good idea with the use of improved technology which will help in improving agriculture from the use of using cutlasses and hoes.
thats the word, IMPROVEMENT!
without this, agriculture is going no where.
We all need to embrace the weeder to really tackle the menace of drudgery in our society.
Thanks for your believe and support Ojoniyi Oladoyin.
This innovation should be a welcomed idea to tackle the drudgery in Agriculture. Thump up Halimot.
Thanks for that understanding Veronica Magaji,Together we can achieve this.
This is indeed a very good initiative that can attract more youth to farming. Until we integrate modern technology to our farming system in Africa youth will find it difficult to participate. I strongly support your proposal.
Thanks for the support and believe,sincerely modern technology is the way forward to an attractive farming especially for youth involvements.
Great job there. So so interested in keeping up with your project.
you keeping up with the mechanical / motorized weeder will be a great pleasure and plus for the success of this project,with your support, this project is a real.
That’s a great discovery by the youth there who have chosen to take their destinies by their hands and also willing to reach out to smallholder farmers in Africa whose farming system have been very laborious due to manual way of farming. The grant will be a plus for them in realizing these laudable dreams if granted.
Thanks for realizing the need to reach out to smallholder farmers out there,The Mechanized weeder discovery could only be a reality with your support and believe.
we appreciate your encouragement Ovegho.
Super innovation, this will certainly reduce the time spent on weeding, better health for farmers and make farming more attractive to the youth.
Drudgery reduction is surely the target for increased productivity in agriculture, With your support,broadcast and encouragement the mechanical weeder is a success
This is a good development that is capable of attracting youths to agriculture especially when the youths know that the drudgery associated with traditional agriculture is reduced/eliminated. More grease to your elbow!
Thanks for your support Gbolahan.with your support, we will achieve that development.
patricia ogunsanya
Incredible. No more stressing oneself with cutlasses and hoes that will leave peels in your hands. Well done.
Yes, We now have an attractive agriculture.
the future is here and now!!! Thanks for your support, time and understanding.
thumbs up lets mechanize agriculture so it will be enjoyable and modernized
This is a very good and new innovation in agriculture; knowing Mechanization would attract youth to Agriculture and also generate revenue.
This is really an innovative approach to transform the face of agriculture among youths.
This will encourage youth to go into Agriculture
The usage of modern technology in agriculture is the best way for mind set change among youths also it increases yield output and reduces stress.
Good initiative. I like the fact that anyone either a man or woman can operate the machine…thumps up!
Pretty impressive. Nice to see Nigerian youths standing up for their own future. I need to go back home and contribute my own. I’m very impressed and inspired.
This is a very effective and efficient way of doing agriculture. It would encourage youths to go back to the land.
This will definitely make more youths and women attracted into agriculture thereby reducing the problem of unemployment. Fantastic initiative!
Agricultural mechanization is a production technology. In some countries, different levels of mechanization and application development are available, we need to embrace our little beginning,belief in our initiatives then we can move from developing country to a developed country especially in the agricultural business. In other words, mechanization in agricultural business depends on the technical and economic structure that is being implemented at different levels. Halimot! this development is one of the major factors that is being practiced in the advance world, our creative ability. you are doing well.Kudos.
Thank you for the encouraging word Olu-Olusegun. I really appreciate your interest in the introduction of mechanized weeder to agriculture. Without you and other African youth, it would not be a reality. Together we can achieve this vision!
Nice idea.
With mechanization farming cool.
Reblogged this on mustaphaismaila.
This is an impressive innovation that will in no doubt impact positively on mechanized Agriculture and improve revenue generation.
A clear and precise writeup “To unlock the commercial potential of Agriculture, Mechanization is definately the way foward”
Wow!!! this writeup is an act of creativity……..because to unlock the hidden potential of the enormous wealth embedded in Agriculture mechanization must be fully exploited
wow…this is supercool…nice innovation…love to know more about agripreneur
This is a very interesting initiative, i want to know how well this would work for Nigerian farmers and how profitable it would be to practice it as a business as you depict in your work. Nice work!!!
Reblogged this on bts9631.
Drudgery! The one thing that discourages youth from practicing agriculture is finally being addressed. This is very interesting. Good job. however, I believe this should be cost effective when compared to the manual labor?
I am wowed….its a nice work and I know the outcome will greatly encourage more youths to participate.thumbs up!
This is a brilliant innovation. It’s thoughtful and detailed. Good one Halimah.
Nice and brilliant innovation, this will encourage youths to go into Agriculture but how many people will gain employment through this project of yours?
This is so amazing.
Interesting ,Never heard of this
This will make farming more lucrating and attractive and encourage more youth participation in agriculture
go and move ahead…!
Wow… Nice one! Very innovative. Keep it up!
Nice idea. Eliminating weeds for bountiful harvest. Cost and time saving!
Wow nice idea keep it up
Laudable proposal…
Sounds good! please keep the good work going. I am sure this will encourage youth to participate in agricultural activities. Thumbs up