By Justina David Auta
Kaduna – Some unemployed graduates in Kaduna State said that they had embraced ginger farming as a means of livelihood and job creation.
They told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Friday that the high rate of unemployment in the country had compelled them to go into farming, sale of animal dung, poultry and other agricultural activities.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its Unemployment/Under-employment Report for the third quarter of 2016, said that the unemployment rate had risen from 13.3 per cent in the second quarter to 13.9 per cent.
Mrs Joyce Innocent, a graduate of Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said that she had been unemployed for over five years since her graduation.
She said that she had to come up with income-generation ideas, as part of efforts to reduce her over-reliance on her husband for all her daily needs.
“I had been without a job since I finished my NYSC in 2012, so l decided to initiate ideas that could generate money that would assist my husband and my aged mother. I, therefore, started my ginger business four years ago,’’ he said.
Innocent said that she usually bought bags of ginger at a cheaper rate from farmers after harvests in the villages at prices ranging between N8, 000 and N12, 000.
She said that would then cut, dry and repackage the ginger for sale at prices ranging between N21, 000 and N23, 000, depending on its market value at any point in time.
“I have been able to get a land in the village; the land was leased to me by my uncle at a very cheap rate to enable me to cultivate ginger with the support of experienced farmers.
“I have been able to make appreciable profit, while employing over 10 people to assist me,’’ she added.
Innocent, however, appealed to the government to support young farmers.
Mr Simon Amana, another unemployed graduate, said that he and his friends were into fulltime ginger farming in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“What we did was to pool our resources, we acquired a plot of land belonging to a relation, which he gave us free temporarily to farm ginger on a large scale, with the hope of packaging it for export.’’
Amana said that they produced more than 100 bags of dry ginger in 2015 and 2016, adding that they sold the produce in bulk to buyers.
“The government should assist us by connecting us directly with foreign markets so that we can export ginger to enable us make profit, rather than being exploited by middlemen.
“Government should also initiate suitable policies that would be favourable to us and protect us from exploitation,’’ he said.
Besides, Mr Kefas Sunday, a corps member, said that he used to buy bags of animal dung at N1, 000 per bag for onward transportation to villages in the southern part of Kaduna for sales.
He said that several farmers, who could not procure chemical fertilisers, often bought the dung at prices ranging between N1, 500 and N1, 700 per bag.
“ I have been doing this since I graduated from school; I started the business even before I went for NYSC to enable me get money to support my parents, especially towards the education of my younger ones,’’ he said.
Sunday, however, said the insecurity challenges in parts of southern Kaduna and the bad access roads to the villages had largely affected his business.
He said that the high cost of moving the manure from the city to the villages was another factor which also reduced his profit margin.
“It is so unfortunate that the insecurity challenges has affected the lives of the people; only few people now engage in farming, compared to the situation in the past, because of fear of insurgents’ attacks,’’ he said.
Sunday, therefore, appealed to the government to stamp out the recurring attacks and killings in the southern parts of Kaduna State so as to revive farming in the area.
Miss Faith Yohanna, an unemployed graduate who ventured into poultry farming, said that she learnt all about poultry farming from her late mother, who was a part-time poultry farmer.
“I learnt all these from my late mother who was into poultry farming to generate more money for the family.
“That is why it wasn’t difficult for me to just continue with the business immediately I finished my NYSC because I don’t have any godfather to help me secure a government job,’’ she said.
Yohanna said that she started the business with N100,000 capital and was rearing of 200 broiler chicks, which would mature for sales at nine weeks.
“I started the business with N100, 000 because I already have a poultry house, as well as feeding and cleaning equipment, which my mother used when she was in the business.
“I buy day-old chicks at N210 each and grow them for at least nine weeks before supplying them to hotels, eateries or traders at the cost of N1,100 to N1,400 per chicken, depending on the size.’’
Yohanna, nonetheless, underscored the need for the government to assist young farmers who had good ideas, saying that that such venture would reduce the youths’ over-reliance on the government for employment.
“If more and more people are employed, there will be a drastic reduction in crime rates, drug abuse and other vices because many people would be productively engaged,’’ she said.
Yohanna encouraged unemployed graduates to go into farming as an alternative source of livelihood, rather than waiting for government jobs.
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