Cluster Farming In Nigeria

Cluster farming is the in-thing in Nigeria right now because of the many benefits associated with it, it's surely the best way to involve graduate youth in farming and a sure answer to unemployment if well supported by the govt and international agency, thanks to FAO, IFAO, WHO, USAID and many other have contributed there quarters in making sure this is well propagated in Nigeria as they are giving grants and funding to make sure Nigeria is weaned off of oil dependency by opening our eyes to the numerous opportunities which abounds in the agric-value chain.

Cluster farming refers to a group of small holder farmers who collaborates on joint sharing of buying and using implement, negotiations, selling to same buyer, central packing logistical system is also inbibed, cluster farmers are generally in the same locality.

Merit of Cluster Farming

1. This is by far the best mode to farm if you don't want to incur heavy loss or damage either due to natural occurrence, diseases,cattle rustler etc in farming, negative occurrence are shared or well taken care off because you're not the only one there so solution cokes faster with heads put together.
2. Cluster farming are always at the radar of government interventions in accessing loans and grant.
3. It is cost effective as the sum total of capital investment is divided among all the group members with effort and work shared which encourages division of labour.
4. It comes as the fulfilment of the 17th Sustainable Development Goals of Partnership For Goals,
   
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5. Ability to bid for more better selling price together.

Challenges Of Cluster Farming.

1. At the instance of sever and fast spreading disease outbreak like Tomato Ebola, virus in animal husbandry, farms get wiped off in a split second.

Presently, government is helping youth in different state to get involved in agribusiness through Cluster farming , Nasarawa state (a northern state in Nigeria ) groups 1,000 youths under the cluster farming to cultivate 500 hectares of land for farming, Ondo State (A south western state in Nigeria) in 2015 trained and equip 500 youth in different fields in agribusiness and also group them to cluster.
This Innitiave is spreading like wild fire all across progressive and agric-value chain minded Nigerian youth to come together and contribute there quarter in Nigeria agribusiness .
Would you care to know is more? Stay tuned to this blog, We all have a lot to learn and nothing to lose.
Thanks.