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The Green Team

Yoruba Ko’ya Green Team Vision and Mission

The vision of Yoruba Ko’ya Green Team is to be a lodestar for the social and economic liberation of Yoruba people in the field of Agriculture. Our mission is to empower Yoruba people in Nigeria to achieve economic and social independence. The Green Team (Farming and Livestock) is involved in the establishment of model farms, by liaising with the local community to identify possible local trainees and trainers and will deliver produce and livestock to the Black team leader for processing and marketing.

In synergy with the other Yoruba Ko’ya teams dedicated to Agro-processing, Agro-marketing and Agrotechnology, we aim to inspire and empower Yorubas with an entrepreneurial spirit in sustainable Agriculture.

We shall provide the following services:

  1. Develop  model Integrated Farm and Training Centers at Eruwon and Lekris Farm: Snail and green vegetables at Lekris; and animal husbandry (Pigs, goats, cows) and food crops at Eruwon.
  2. Source for additional land for the Integrated farm and Training Centers in other towns and cities of Yorubaland.
  3. Develop Farmers Cooperatives.
    1. Source for land to be leased from and  to farmers in the Cooperative.
    2. Train farmers in the Cooperative in modern agricultural techniques, including animal husbandry.
    3. Source for funds and inputs to be loaned to farmers in the Cooperative.
    4. Disburse such funds and inputs in the form of seedlings, pesticides, land clearing services, etc., to farmers in the Cooperative.
    5. Supervise and  monitor  farmers in the Cooperative.

Green Team Farm Managers Trainee Project, 3rd August to 11 September, 2020 at Ijebu Ode.

Our first major project was the Trainee Farm Managers pilot project organised in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, from 3rd August to 11th September 2020.

The project was a two-pronged initiative to train Farm Managers at no cost to them while at the same time opening up 4 hectares of farmland at Odopotu, Eruwon, and one hectare of farmland at LEKRIS Farms, Ikofa, Ijebu Ode.

On Monday, 3rd August, 2020, the following trainees showed up: Mrs. Abosede Oludayo Akin-Taiwo, Mr. Bello Olatunji Shafi, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunleye, Mr. Gbenga Lanre Adekoya, Mr. Abiodun Olawale Balogun, Mr. Sherif Okunuga, Mr. Dupe Onabanjo, Mr. Kehinde Oluyoye, Mr. Adeolu Ogunbanjo, Mr. Yisa Gafar, Mr. Olatunji Bello, Mr. Rotimi Olukoga, Mr. Wakil O. Amuludun, Mr. Adebola Adeusi and Mr. Abiodun Bello Taofeek. A trained nurse conducted medical check on the participants and facilitators before the start of proceedings, everyone wore COVID-19 compliant masks and social distancing was rigorously observed. Otunba Tope Ogunnowo, Head of Business Committee, declared the Training open after briefing the participants on the vision and mission of Yoruba Ko’ya. Thereafter the training commenced in earnest on August 3, 2020; and ended on August 28, 2020.

The four days a week training empowered the Farm Managers with farming skills in snail rearing and vegetable production with attention paid to equipping them to be trainers in their turn. Topics covered included the various species of snails, their natural habitats, pens for snail farming, intensive production methods for high productivity vegetable production, soil suitability and land preparation, seeds, sowing and transplanting, the interrelationships between snail rearing and vegetable production. While some modest amount of live snail rearing practical was done, the dry spell in August was an off season for snails acquisition so actual rearing of snails could not be started. However, trainees underwent extensive practicals in vegetable production starting with assisted land clearing, preparation, creation of mini nursery beds for “shombo”, eggplant, tomato and “ewedu”. Direct planting of “ugu” was also begun.

Every fifth day of the week was spent learning Apiary or Beekeeping with the very successful Beekeeper, Mr. Tunde Oreyemi. Yoruba Ko’ya provided the trainees with five beekeeping costumes and LEKRIS Farm loaned the team another two. Thereafter the Managers went on hands-on learning visits to the modest bees colony in LEKRIS, and the more established apiaries in Oke Lamuren, Ogbo belonging to one of the trainees and Odo Epo where the Oreyemis have maintained a large thriving apiary across two generations. The Farm Managers learnt the ecological importance of bees to plants and to man, the advantages of beekeeping over traditional honey hunting, the structured and marvelous colonies of bees, bee hive products both primary and secondary as food, drinks, medicine and cosmetics (beeswax cream, soap, honey wine). Participants were taught to experience and overcome the fear of bee stings, handle beekeeping tools, and distinguish between pure and adulterated honey.

Yoruba Ko’ya beekeepers on field practicals
Yoruba Ko’ya beekeepers on field practicals
Yoruba Ko’ya beekeepers on field practicals
Yoruba Ko’ya beekeepers on field practicals
Yoruba Ko’ya beekeepers on field practicals

 

Poultry, Fishery and Piggery

On Monday, 31st August, the farm mangers were welcomed to the IDIPR Eriwe Farm Village by the General Manager of IDIPR, Mr. Marcus Adeniyi, for the second stage of their training which was personally supervised by IDIPR Chairman of Training Committee, Professor Abeke Adesanya. Professor Adesanya is also Vice Chairman of the IDIPR Board of Trustees and a former Deputy Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye. She and the other trainers took the participants through the fundamentals of Agribusiness as a community enterprise with the IDIPR as a highly successful, internationally acclaimed case study. For the rest of the week, the various subject matter experts tutored them on the rearing of pigs, poultry and fish farming. Mr. OgoOluwa Ebidinana lectured on Piggery, Mrs. Bisi Badejo on Fish Farming and Mr. Rasheed Adeyemi on Poultry.

Subject matter experts tutored them on the rearing of pigs

The Trainee Farm Managers project exceeded our expectations. The thirteen participants who finished the intensive training in piggery, poultry, fish farming, snail rearing and vegetable production were mostly youths but there were only three women, one of whom, interestingly turned out the best all-round farmer, acknowledged by both her peers and the trainers. In her report, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunleye expressed her deep sense of gratitude to the foundation (YKLTF) “for this laudable exercise targeted at food sustainability and empowerment of the Yoruba nation… Indeed, it was an undeserved privilege to be a pioneer farm manager for YKLTF personally, I will continue to feel indebted to the foundation.” The other lady, Mrs. Oludayo Akin-Taiwo, also enthused, “ From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate the opportunity given me to participate in this training project. God Almighty really used your ‘GOOD’ team with laudable vision to actualize my long over-due dream of an arable/livestock farmer.” This has strengthened our resolve to scout for more women, especially graduates, widows and single mothers in our next training cohort.

We allocated free plots of land at LEKRIS to three of the Managers, but sadly they were not able to use the land due to a mixture of lack of resources and difficult logistics from their towns of residence to Ijebu Ode.

However the Beekeepers on their own did a follow-up one-day workshop on secondary products from the beehive during which they produced candles, body cream, lip balm and hair cream from beeswax and essential oils.

We are eager for partnerships and support to enable us train more youths and women in organic and mixed farming and have available 40 hectares of farmland granted by the Fashoro Family in Adegbola Village, Isenyin, Oyo State and 10 hectares of farmland in Ijebu Igbo, donated by Senator Adegbenga Kaka, which will be allocated to future trainees.

Fish farming practicals at Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR) Eriwe Fish Farm
Fish farming practicals at Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR) Eriwe Fish Farm
Fish farming practicals at Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR) Eriwe Fish Farm
Fish farming practicals at Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR) Eriwe Fish Farm

 

ONGOING PROJECT.

The Green Team is seizing the opportunity of this rainy season to plant three hectares of cassava and maize at its Odopotu farmland while allowing some squatter farmers it met on the land to grow their crops till harvest time before re-possessing the remaining one hectare.

Our maize and cassava beginning to sprout.
Our maize and cassava beginning to sprout.
Our maize and cassava beginning to sprout.