Using Hydroponics to boost Crops, Dairy Productivity, Control Feed Prices

Bennett Oghifo 

The federal government in partnership with African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources’ Resilient Africa Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) project, is encouraging farmers to use hydroponics which allows for the cultivation of crops without soil, using a nutrient-rich water solution. 

The aim is to boost dairy productivity, control feed prices.

Maize and other staples have become the most important forage component in dairy rationing. 

Hydroponics is today a game-changer in boosting crop yields, enhancing dairy productivity, and controlling feed prices.

In Nigeria where soil quality varies, hydroponics offers a way to grow crops in controlled environments, leading to higher yields per unit area. This can help meet the increasing demand for food as the population grows. One crop farmers now grow is maize. This is because it is a major component of cattle and other livestock feed. Livestock farmers are concerned whenever the price increases. It is a staple ruminant feed. The quality can have a significant impact on milk yield and composition. But growing it can take a long time.

In the North,  raising livestock is part of livelihoods. But there is limited fodder to feed them leading to poor quantity and quality of meat and milk available. Debo Onafowora is a social entrepreneur.  

He is the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Bic Farms Concepts, a company he founded in 2006.

He has been using commercial hydroponics technology to produce fodder production for cattle.  He said the call for Hydroponics was necessitated because of the challenges of urbanization which has taken over arable farmlands due to explosion in population. He described Hydroponics as a technique for growing plants without soil. “Hydroponics is simply water working, though it does not require much water and can produce food despite shortage of water. God’s resources are unlimited but we need technology to access it because we cannot go the traditional way and still expect to make much progress.” He further enjoined that Hydroponics technology is to make agriculture more attractive to the youth, as the nation’s aged farmers are going extinct. He added that with Hydroponics technology, 90 percent of farm produce gets harvested, fresh and timely, and turn over time greatly reduces.

He has been conducting an intensive campaign to promote maize cultivation using hydroponics.He believes it is ideal for increasing dairy production and controlling fodder prices.

He emphasised that a plant only needs some nutrients, water, and sunlight to grow.

He listed the advantages of hydroponics as high quality products, less space, and consumes fewer resources.One can harvest corn in less than a month, less time with regular planting.

His vision sits with the goals of the Federal Government and African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources’ Resilient Africa Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) project which is determined to harness the potentials in the dairy sector to address some socio-economic and national herd management issues.

There is a multi stakeholders platform(MSP) in Nigeria with the mandate to articulate a clear road map and strategies for the attainment of the development aspirations of the dairy industry through feed and fodder production.The Federal Government has received the support, collaboration and partnerships of all concerned stakeholders towards ensuring the success of the feed and fodder sector.

Chief Executive, Farm World Tech Limited, Don Ekesiobi also a believer in the MSP establishment empowers farmers with machines and kits for fodder production using soilless hydroponic farming method. According to him,  with the utilization of hydroponic technology for fodder production being promoted by the Federal Government and AU-IBAR, farmers can grow and other staples all year round.

For Nigeria to have a thriving livestock industry, with a functional fodder option,Feed & Fodder Data Expert,AU-IBAR, Leonard Muganda said efforts towards creating reliable data systems, must be strengthened.

According to him, the nation’s livestock sector has the potential to transform the lives of smallholders but inadequate, unreliable and unavailable data in some instances is a major challenge i.

He said livestock data could boost the adoption of interventions for improving animal nutrition, husbandry,  which is important for increasing productivity.
He said investing in creation of fodder k data is key to building successful agric businesses.

He said lack of data is not the major problem facing livestock but the capacity of policymakers to use the data available to make decisions.  
He said Nigeria needs to increase studies in livestock diseases and the involvement of smallholders in such studies, and cited the mismatch between academic training and entrepreneurship as a problem.

Managing Director, Azdoy Agro& Consultancy, Dr Azeezah Babalola said Nigeria need entrepreneurs who can help commercialise new technologies in fodder production.
She urged the government to support farmers to grow the livestock industry.