Denis Opudo
Gbolagbo, a 27 years old Nigerian is already living the dream of many Nigerian poultry farmers. Currently, he is managing two poultry farms the largest one being in Ogun state and the other one in Ikondu with a total of 300 chickens. Gbolagbo talks on how he has been managing his poultry business but gives a room for anything that will make him increase his productivity. Apart from Gbolagbo, many farmers still do not know that technology can play an important role in improving their rate of production.
The poultry industry in Nigeria is capable of generating revenue worth over N1.2 trillion. However, lack of knowledge has hindered the growth of that sector. Having been brought up in a family that practiced a traditional form of farming, Wale Ibiniale also wanted to venture into the same. He came out to test different innovative ideas with a desire that he will manage to put them to practical use. From there he managed to strengthen his entrepreneurship desire and founded CAD Digital Consulting.
CAD Digital Consulting is a three-pronged system that includes a business incubator, the consulting department, and software as a service (SaaS). According to Wale, farming has got various dynamics. It has to be operated just like any other proper business in case one wants to make a profit out of it. He added that profitability is best ensured by using the digital model of farming. In each agricultural production, there are standard business processes to be adhered to. However according to Wale, digital farm model is what brings the best out of production. For instance, the poultry management system that automates the production of eggs in poultry farming is a case use of digital farming.
The system keeps track of daily record of areas such as feed consumption, bird productivity, feed conversion ratio, the mortality rate among others. Furthermore, it is designed with a trade finger to indicate the business side of the operation such as HR, accounting and payroll management. A digital farm comes with a lot of merits since the data is what carries the emphasis. The collected data allows the farmer to make quick, informed decisions. Wale said that there is a possibility of making errors in case human judgment is used. Gbolagbo mode of farming ascertains the statement made by Wale. This is more so on farmers who majors in exportation.
Ojima Farm gives a true picture of what a digital farm is. Ojima Farm is one of the largest farms in Benin and a business client of CAD Digital Consulting. Apart from lack of digital knowledge by farmers, many of them fear the high cost of digital farming. This is because many of Nigerian farmers are small-scale farmers. This makes them see it as an expensive mode of farming. CAD Digital Consulting has used that notion to structure its business model strongly around farmers three important services. Apart from selling software, the platform also does incubation and a lot of consultancy and training. It recently carried out training with some poultry farmers training them on different international standards and how the services are used. At times they go a notch higher and visit the farms.
The platform sees the importance of taking part in the entire ecosystem of its activities. This helps to reduce the cost of a given service while covering it up elsewhere along the value chain. CAD Digital Consulting has its farm where it tests the solution before giving it to customers. During its 18 years of operation since its launch, the platform has proved that it is in a position to overcome the challenges. The market in a country like Nigeria with a population of more than 180 million consumers is always on standby for tapping. This is because the population is always in dire need of agricultural products. CAD Digital Consulting is looking forward to becoming a leader in the Nigerian agricultural technology sector.
