About Us

Aim
The aim shall be to establish an aggro Multi-purpose Co-operative Society.

Objectives
The objectives of the farm among other things shall be:

  1. To produce and market agricultural products;
  2. To increase the value chain of agricultural products;
  3. To boost food production;
  4. To provide the opportunity for staff of the University and other stakeholders to invest in  a cooperative venture to increase food production;
  5. To establish a farm that will serve as a centre for practical training for students; and
  6. To provide the opportunity for work-aid for students of the University

 

MODEL OF UNIZIK FARMS (AWKA) MULTIPURPOSE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD

In order to actualize the dream of establishing a University Farm worthy of the vision, the farm shall be modeled to incorporate the best practices in the agricultural enterprise. Accordingly, it is proposed that the Farm shall be modeled as follows:

  1. Agricultural mechanization and integrated farming are good ways to take off.
  2. All the waterways in the University should be harnessed for all year round farming.
  3. The farm shall also adopt the Songhai model of farming. The Songhai model is structured on self-sustaining zero waste and environmental friendly design with the following modern farming technologies:

 

  1. Harnessing the perennial water resources in the farm for drip irrigation that will ensure year round on-field farming of cereals (rice, corn and wheat) and legumes (soya-beans and pigeon pea).
  2. Use of polythene sheet weed-suppression technology instead of chemicals in on-field crop farms.
  • Effective micro-organism technology (EMT) for production of micro-organisms useful as pesticides, fruiting enhancers for fruit trees, odour-control and decomposition enhancers for compost manure, herbicides, growth promoters for poultry and fishes.
  1. Seed multiplication centres to develop improved seeds such as low growing and early maturing fruit trees.
  2. Greenhouse year-round farming of vegetables like tomatoes, okro, lettuce etc.
  3. Organic poultry and pig farming with little or no chemicals that often leave carcinogenic residues in foods.
  • Utilization of water hyacinth and poultry manure for biogas (methane) production and electricity generation.
  • Cultivation of medicinal crops like ginger, garlic, turmeric, mints that command high premium at international market.
  1. Cultivation of other economic crops like Jatropha highly valued for its biodiesel potentials and Moringa for its water purifying seeds.
  2. Mushroom production
  3. Establishment of maggotry (for maggot production), Lavarium (for black soldier fly larva production) and vermiculture facilities (for earthworm farming) with the aim of replacing scarce and highly exorbitant fish-mealin livestock and fish feed with insect larva and earthworm protein.
  • Establishment of processing facilities to add value to agricultural produce by transforming such produce to more durable, well-packaged forms for over the counter sales and for export.

MANAGEMENT OF FUNDS
No fund in the Co-operative Farms Account shall be allowed to lie idle. Funds  shall always be invested

CAUTION
Once an investment or deposit is made, it will not be recalled until after two (2) years from the date of such investment. If an investment fund is recalled within two years, it shall be without any interest or dividend.