‘Sustainable farming practices offer numerous benefits for smallholder farmers’

Hakeem Disu is the founder of Kadara Agric, a sustainable agricultural practices solution hub that leverages technology to improve farm productivity. In this interview with JOSEPHINE OKOJIE- OKEIYI, he spoke about how his organisation is helping farmers increase yields and reduce waste through the adoption of modern techniques.

What inspired you to establish Kadara Agric?

I started Kadara Agric because I saw how hardworking Nigerian farmers were, yet many still struggled to make a decent living. The problem wasn’t their effort; it was a lack of access to the right tools, modern practices, and fair markets.

I wanted to change that. Kadara Agric was born to help farmers increase yields, reduce waste, and actually profit from their hard work. For me, it’s about turning farming from a struggle into a source of pride, opportunity, and sustainability

Sustainable agricultural practices, such as precision farming, are very low in the country. How do you plan to scale it, especially among smallholder farmers?

The truth is, not every crop makes economic sense for greenhouse farming. Perishable crops usually do better in greenhouses, while cash crops are often more profitable in open fields. This is why market research is critical before investing in any farming model.

My first advice to anyone is simple: capacity training and understanding your target market are key. Don’t go into sustainable farming just because it looks good on social media. If you apply the wrong technology to the wrong crop, you’ll likely run at a loss.

To reduce the risk, we encourage farmers to start small with trial plots and then scale up gradually. We also work with farmer clusters because peer-to-peer support helps them learn faster and scale more easily. And most importantly, we link them to off-takers and processors, so adoption translates to higher yields, less post-harvest loss, and more income. Our model basically makes sustainable farming both practical and profitable for small-holder farmers.

Is there any funding model/collaboration in place to ensure farmers can afford your services, especially in the supply of inputs?

Yes, affordability is one of the biggest challenges for smallholder farmers, and we’ve had to be very intentional about addressing it. That’s why we’ve developed different funding models and partnerships to make our services and inputs more accessible.

For example, we work directly with some farmer cooperatives to supply seeds, fertilisers, and other inputs on credit, so farmers don’t have to pay up front. We also partner with agri-focused lenders to create low-interest, flexible repayment loans for farmers.

There are several agribusinesses trying to help farmers transit to more sustainable farming methods especially around innovative practices but affordability remains a major concern. What are you doing differently?

What sets us apart is our focus on practical affordability and long-term value, not just the upfront costs. When we set up a farm for a client, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all solution. Every farmer’s reality is different, so we take time to match the right approach, whether it’s open field, greenhouse, or precision farming, to what makes sense in their market

Through models like input credit, pay-as-you-grow, and partnerships with cooperatives, microfinance banks, and off-takers, farmers don’t have to bear the financial pressure upfront. Instead, repayments are aligned with their harvest cycles.

Beyond financing, we provide end-to-end support. From training and demonstration farms to market linkages. We also work with clusters and farmer groups. This approach lowers the costs of training, speeds up adoption, and creates opportunities for peer-to-peer learning among farmers. So, while others may focus only on technology, we’re building an ecosystem of finance, training, markets, and collaboration that makes sustainability not just affordable, but profitable for farmers.

How will transitioning to sustainable farming practices benefit farmers’ bottom line?

Adopting sustainable farming practices brings tremendous benefits to farmers, particularly by enabling year-round food production, which directly increases revenue. It’s not just about growing more; it’s about achieving higher productivity with lower costs and less labor.

Take tomatoes as an example. In Nigeria, most farmers harvest an average of about 10 tonnes per hectare in open fields. To double that to 20 tonnes, they would need to expand their farm to 2 hectares, which isn’t real productivity; it’s just using more land. In contrast, in Europe, a single hectare of open field tomato farming can yield 80-100 tonnes, while a hectare of greenhouse can produce over 200 tonnes.

This illustrates the massive gap created by not adopting sustainable and precision farming practices. The same principle applies to dairy. In Nigeria, a cow produces around 500 liters of milk per year using traditional methods.

Meanwhile, in Israel, thanks to precision dairy farming, a single cow produces 10,000 –12,000 liters annually. With our precision farming technology, we can help improve seeds and better soil management, and farmers can harvest more from the same piece of land or livestock without the extra cost of expansion

Beyond yields, there’s also a clear market advantage. Buyers, especially in urban centers and international markets, increasingly prefer sustainably grown produce. Farmers who adopt these practices not only boost their output but also gain access to higher prices and premium markets.

What are some of your expansion plans?

One of our expansion plans is to bring farming to African cities through greenhouses and vertical farming. With this approach, perishable crops such as vegetables, habanero, and bell peppers can be grown closer to consumers, even within residential spaces while rural areas focus on larger cash crops like cocoa and oil palm.

In Europe, this model is already gaining traction for sustainability, and countries like the Netherlands are leading the way with greenhouse farming innovations. The goal is to decentralise food production so that every African community can sustainably feed itself, reducing reliance on long distance supply chains and imports. This not only strengthens food security but also makes agriculture more attractive to Nigeria’s 100+ million youths.

By integrating technology and modern practices, farming can become an innovative and appealing sector for the younger generation, no longer limited to rural villages; they can conveniently farm from the comfort of their home and environment. Urban greenhouses will focus on high-value, perishable crops, while rural farms continue to specialise in cash crops. This balance will ease the burden on traditional food systems and promote a more sustainable, self-reliant agricultural model.

With this process, we believe Nigeria can achieve true food security and reduce dependence on foreign food imports, while building a greener, more resilient future.

What are the major challenges you have faced since starting the business?

One of the biggest challenges we face is the knowledge gap among local farmers when it comes to modern agricultural technologies, particularly in areas like soilless farming and improved seed varieties. Most farmers aren’t fully equipped with the knowledge to use modern tools effectively

Many farmers still struggle with technology literacy and have limited access to the tools that could transform their productivity. Even when these technologies are available, affordability becomes another barrier. Solutions like herd and farm management systems, for example, remain out of reach for most farmers.

Another issue is the misuse of technology; competing in the same market with someone using old methods of farming simply doesn’t make a good business decision. Also, the lack of financing options for smallholder farmers continues to be a major constraint. Without accessible credit or innovative financing models, many are unable to adopt the very technologies that would help them thrive.

How have you been able to mitigate these challenges?

Our approach to solving these challenges is through partnerships and farmer-focused. We don’t try to do everything on our own; instead, we build an ecosystem of financial, technical, and market support around the farmer. We work closely with government agencies, development partners, and the private sector to ensure our projects align with national agricultural policies and tap into existing support systems.

On the financing side, we’ve designed input credit and pay-as-you-grow models in collaboration with cooperatives, microfinance banks, and off-takers. This way, farmers can access what they need without the pressure of heavy upfront costs

To drive adoption, we rely on demonstration farms, field schools, and early adopter champions. By showing real results, better yields, higher incomes, and reduced waste, we make the benefits of sustainable practices clear, and word spreads quickly among farmers

What plans are in place to help farmers access new markets where they value sustainable products?

Helping farmers access new and better markets is central to our strategy, because sustainability must translate into profitability. We work with supermarkets, exporters, and food companies that value sustainably produced crops, ensuring farmers have guaranteed buyers at premium prices. We help farmers meet international certification requirements so they can access export markets where sustainability is rewarded.

Looking ahead, we’re working on aggregating volumes of sustainably produced crops so smallholders can collectively meet export demand, something they can’t achieve alone. Our plan is to turn sustainability into a market advantage for farmers, giving them not just higher yields, but also access to premium markets where they earn more for their efforts

What mechanism have you put in place to help farmers overcome setbacks during the transition process?

We provide end-to-end capacity building and support; we don’t just train farmers and walk away. We stay with them through the entire cycle, right up to harvest, because we’re an all-in-one agribusiness solution partner.

We also understand that transitioning to another method always looks strange. That’s why we encourage farmers to start small with trial plots before scaling up. This way, the risk is lower and they gain confidence as they see results. Our training is continuous, and our support doesn’t stop at theory; we’re with farmers on the ground throughout their journey.

We also work with farmer clusters, where groups of farmers share experiences, lessons, and solutions with one another. This peer-to-peer learning makes adoption faster and helps them avoid mistakes others have already encountered.

What is your advice to young entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into your kind of business?

The first step is to clearly understand the value chain you want to operate in. Agribusiness offers a wide range of opportunities and services, so it’s important to identify where you can create the most impact. Begin by starting small but thinking big, embrace technology, and stay focused on solving real problems within agriculture, that’s where lasting value is created

Most importantly, leverage partnerships. Agribusiness is not a solo journey. Working with cooperatives, government agencies, financial institutions, and development partners will enable you to scale faster and more sustainably than trying to go it alone.