Why I retired into farming – Yusuf Bomoi

A onetime Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier Yusuf Bomoi, has said his quest for nature by moving closer to plants and animals made him venture into farming after his retirement about five years ago. In an exclusive chat with our reporter in Abuja, the retired general said farming, apart from […]

A onetime Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier Yusuf Bomoi, has said his quest for nature by moving closer to plants and animals made him venture into farming after his retirement about five years ago.
In an exclusive chat with our reporter in Abuja, the retired general said farming, apart from its economic advantages, has made him to enjoy a quiet life since his retirement.
Bomoi said he grew up in rural community and had since then been appreciating farming, adding that his first orchard was established in Kaduna with another one being mooted in Bwari in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said he planned to diversify into poultry and had already started fish farming in Bwari, adding that he is planning to establish a hatchery for him to source fingerling for the fish farm. 
“The problem with fish farm is having a good source of fingerlings, if not, the farm would be badly affected and that is why I am planning to source them myself and if it proves effective, we will sell to other farmers,’’ he said.
He noted that lack of easy access to agricultural loans by small scale farmers as one of the major challenges facing the subsector in Nigeria.
“If you approach a bank for agric loan, apart from the high interest, you will be asked to provide collateral and many other conditions. How do you expect these farmers to get all these?’’ he asked.
Retired General Bomoi, however, expressed optimism that with the present administration’s commitment to agriculture, better days are in sight for the farmers.