In the last 4-5 years, there has been a skyrocketing increase in the prices of Agricultural inputs both for livestock and crops.
We have seen an increase of up to 350% and with these increments in place, many small-scale farms have close up. The reasons are not far-fetched…. They couldn’t cope with the trend.
For instance, as at early 2020, the price of a bag of industrial palm kernel cake was 2100, as at June 2024, the price is 6000 naira or more in some places. Starter feed of broilers was 3800 around the same time, today it is 17000 – 18,000. Do we want to talk about fertilizers and other crop inputs?
If small-scale farms will survive, they must as a matter of urgency look beyond popular/conventional inputs. For instance, they can use cheaper non-conventional inputs to replace in part/full the expensive conventional inputs, this will help them reduce their production costs.
Examples of these non-conventional inputs include: blood meal, shea butter cake, Azolla plant, duckweed, animal dung, organic crop fertilizer and pesticides etc.
These non-conventional inputs were not used as much due to but not limited to the following reasons.
Availability
Limiting ingredients
Religious/customary beliefs e.g. blood meal
As we make a case for these non-conventional inputs, may I say that I personally utilize some of them and my results have been amazing. You do not need to use them to replace in FULL the conventional ingredients, using them to replace 10-30% of these expensive conventional ingredients will go a long way in reducing your production cost and put you on a part of more success.
