In this exclusive chat with our correspondent, a mental health professional and Chief Executive Officer of Hethsfarms.ng, Ibadan, Miss. Fiyinfoluwa Olajolo speaks about how she started her agro-logistics business about a year plus ago as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the business. Excerpts:
How did you get started in agro-logistics, and what motivated you to farms?
Being a farmer and an agripreneur myself, I had had some experiences. Farmers were constantly at the mercy of transporters and this has led to losses, most transporters are not even skilled in handling farm produce especially the perishables. Therefore, we as an organisation saw this gap and decided to intervene so that we can reduce post-harvest losses and increase food security in Nigeria.
Miss. Fiyinfoluwa Olajolo.
How do you operate?
We operate on an order basis, we take from the farm and deliver to the market, we also deliver agro chemicals and fertilizers.
Can you share some specific challenges you’ve encountered while assisting farms with logistics, and how have you overcome them?
Bad roads! We often encounter bad roads on the way to and fro the farm which is a major challenge for us, but we are winging it pending the government’s intervention. We also now have the challenges of fueling; the increase in fuel costs is a major challenge for us, while trying to balance considering our clients and making profit.
In your experience, what are the key factors that contribute to the success of agro logistics for farms?
Having a vision to run with is very important. For us at Hethsfarms.ng, we say, movement should not be so much of a trouble for farmers.
Miss. Olajolo’s logistics team at work.
What types of farms have you worked with, and are there specific agricultural products that you find particularly challenging or interesting to handle logistically?
We have worked with vegetable (tomatoes, pepper, sweet corn) farms, other tuber farms, livestock farms to help them carry chicken droppings and chicken feed.
Could you share a success story or a notable achievement from your work in agro logistics over the past year?
Absolutely. In less than 18 months, we have helped over 30 farms and farmers move their loads and we have farmers coming back to use our services! We believe that we would serve even more before the year ends.
How do you ensure the efficient and timely delivery of agricultural products while maintaining the quality and freshness of the produce?
As a moving company for agro produce, we try our best and give our best always to fellow farmers out there. Despite so many challenges, we are bent on taking off the stress and worry of movement and delivery on farmers.
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