Undoubtedly the Zimbabwean farming initiative is a model example of large scale commercial farming operated in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. The initiative which was the brain child of former Governor Bukola Saraki in 2004, in which some Zimbabwean farmers were invited to the state to start the ventures, has survived in the last 10 years amidst controversy over its ownership.

The farm being managed by Shonga Farms Holding (SFH) is said to be jointly funded by some commercial banks with the state government having 25 percent shares. 

Though right from the outset of the project it was enmeshed in controversy over the land acquired for the project, stakeholders have been able to calm sprayed nerves and placated those aggrieved over the acquisition of the large expanse of land used for farming activities. 

The Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahaya, played vital role by convincing his subjects about the good intention of government in setting up the farm.

With large scale commercial farming practised in the farm, cutting across crop and livestock farms, the initiative has not only placed the town on the global map but also provided employment opportunities for natives, with close to 4,000 of them said to be employed in the farm.

Each of the 13 Zimbabwean farmers was allocated 1,000 hectares of land while another 1,000 hectares were set aside as demonstration farm, Daily Trust gathered. 

Out of the 14 farms located in Shonga, our correspondent visited farms III and IV recently which house the poultry and livestock sections. Other farms in the conglomerate deal with crop farming and the farmers are currently out of the farms as they anticipate the rainy season. Crops planted at the farm include cassava, maize, soya beans, among others.

It was observed that the land has been cleared and the sections are ready for farming activities as soon as the 2014 rainfall begins. "What we do here is that in between the dry and rainy season, we clear the lands ahead of the rainy season so that we start cultivating as soon as the rain peaks", said one of the farmers who spoke on condition of anonymity.

However, it was a beehive of activities at the livestock and poultry sections of the farm when Daily Trust visited. 

At farm III where Shonga dairy products are made, the exotic cows imported from South-Africa when the farm commenced operation have multiplied, tripled and reproduced.  

All the breeds were seen separated according to their ages in their various pens while buffaloes are also quarantined in an area. A buffalo is occasionally put among the cows to mate them.

Also noticeable at the dairy was the milking bay where milk is collected from the animals using modern milking machines. The milking is done in the morning at the milking bay while cows suffering from mastitis (mammary inflammation) are milked manually. 

They engage the local Fulani herdsmen who assist in the manual milking of the cows with mammary inflammation. Some of the cows in this category are also quarantined to protect other cows from contracting the disease.

"The milking is done frequently because one of the ways and means of protecting the cows from disease is the regular milking to reduce the excessive milk in their body", said one of the attendants.

Apart from supplying fresh milk to the milk company, WAMCO, the farm equally produces milk and yoghurt which are sold in various markets. 

On feeding of the cows, it was gathered that 200 hectares of sorghum and cassava were planted at the beginning to make hay and silage which the cow eats. The cows are fed four to five times daily to keep them fit and healthy, it was gathered.

Already, another milk company, Nutri C, has indicated partnership with Shonga Dairy. The company is setting up a factory in the farm for production of butter and cheese. It was also gathered that the possibility of partnering with Obudu Cattle Ranch is being explored as part of spreading the tentacles of the farm.

An attendant at the livestock section attributed the success of the dairy ventures to resilience and deployment of appropriate machines to ease their work.

"I want to tell you that this venture is doing well and succeeding owing to the solid foundation put in place when we started. For example, everything we need here to feed the cows is at our reach and this is as a result of adequate planning and survey.

"I can tell you that with what we are doing and the collaborative efforts we are forging within the country,  in about 10 years now, there would be no more importation of powdered milk. What we are doing is to encourage the local farmers to take advantage of our presence here to receive adequate training," the source said.

At farm IV where the poultry farm is located, there are 20, 000 broilers whose breeds are slaughtered at the abattoir close to the farm. They are supplied to food companies across the country especially in Ilorin. The broilers are slaughtered within 33 to 34 days according to an attendant.

Also within farm IV was a banana plantation of about six hectares. It was an all-round cultivation that covers both dry season and rainy season. The banana stretch was said to have been producing for seven years non-stop.

The plantation has 28 sprinklers of two meters apart for watering during the dry season while a borehole supplies water to the sprinklers.

One of the farmers in the farm, Mr. Ronnie Mapasure from Zimbabwe said: "We use borehole during the dry season for irrigation and we harvest three to four times a week. During rainy season, we harvest like six times in a week."

Also on the farm is a workshop where all their machines are repaired. "We fix our machines here", added Mapasure. According to him, the poultry is used in complementing the banana plantation as the chicken droppings is used as manure on the plantation.