Prof. B E.

UDOM
COMMENCEMENT OF SIWES PROGRAM
I, ETEFIA, SALOME SATURDAY commenced my industrial training program
(SIWES, Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme) on the 27th of September,
2021.

This was a platform where the students were given proper orientations both from the
Students industrial work Experience scheme coordinator Professor B. E. Udom and
also from the various unit heads. Though the whole processes was going to be
stressful but it was made known to us that it was an experience worth participating
and going through.

This program is didvied into two sessions, first sessions was meant for all FIELD
WORK, this includes all the farming activities/practicals while the second session
was the CLASS ACTIVITIES which involves writing of various reports and also
carrying out any pending important practicals that was needed to be carried out before
the program ended.

Prior to the unforeseen situation (That is, the commencement of the ASUU STRIKE
which started on the 14th of February, 2022), the industrial training, though was on
the verge of finishing line had to stop. It affected lots of work that was suppose to be
done during that period. But I thank God because I was able to grasp enough
experience for myself. The industrial training (The field work) came to an ended on
the 9th of February, 2022.

COMMENCEMENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING

PROGRAM (SIWES)

1
The industrial training program commenced on the 27th September, 2021. The
following functions were Carried out, assigning of each students into their respective
groups and then allocation of plots to students for various practicals to be carried out.

2
 CHAPTER ONE

1.1.) INTRODUCTION

1.1.) A BRIEF REVIEW ON SIWES PROGRAM

SIWES (Student's Industrial Work Experience Scheme) is a program organized by
Industrial Training Fund (ITF) under decree 47 of 1971 as amended in 1990 to help
students acquire skills and laboratory exposure outside tertiary institution. The
Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme is the accepted skills training program
which forms part of the approved minimum academic standards in the various degree
gap existing between theories and practice of Engineering and Technologies, Science,
Agriculture, Medical, Management and other Professional Educational program in the
Nigerian Tertiary institutions. It is aimed at transitioning students from the university
to the place of work easier, and thus, ehnaces student's contacts for later jobs
placement. The scheme is a tripartite program, involving the student, the universities
and the industries (employers of labour).

Consequently, This is a thorough report of my participation and activities in the

2021/2022 industrial training. We (Students) carried out our SIWES program at the
University of Port Harcourt at the Faculty of Agriculture in Rivers State. During the
course of my study in the institution, PPE was given to me (PERSONAL
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT), there were already Agricultural tools available at our
disposal and was provided by the Faculty and some which were not available were
purchase by me and my colleagues, we wereposted to various units within the
institution which had different tasks and responsibilities that were carried out in it.

1.2.) OBJECTIVES OF SIWES

Few of the objectives of SIWES (Students industrial work experience scheme)
includes,
1.) Provide an avenue for the students to acquire industrial skills and experience in
their are of expertise.
2.) Expose students to new methods and how to go into mechanized system of
Agriculture.
3.) Prepare students on how to survive in the society after graduation.

Industrial training (IT) is the training given to students in order to broaden their
already acquired knowledge gotten from the classrooms in the form of practical work

3
within the period of one of year (12 months). Industrial training in the Agricultural
sector is more of learning the practical aspect of it. The University of Port Harcourt
was able in conglomerates with the Federal Government to develop a program called
SIWES.

SIWES is the Acronym for Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme, a skill
training programme which was designed in 1973 by the Industrial Training Fund
(ITF) which is an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, charged with the
responsibility of mediating between the tertiary institutions and industries in order to
enable students to participate in Industrial activities prior to their graduation. We all
know that Agriculture is a broad discipline that requires about five good years to be
able to digest but due to the great minds we have in the faculty, they were able to
congest a five years program into a twelve months where it is divided into five main
unit where the students can learn, understand and defend with ease. The five units are,

* Mushroom and Marketing unit,

* Institute of Agricultural Research and Development,
* Crop production and Horticulture unit,
* Poultry and Rabbitary unit,
* Ruminant unit.

The students were grouped into five groups (5), i was respectfully grouped into the
last group, GROUP FIVE (5), The duration of the Agricultural industrial training
lasted for the period of twelve months, where the chosen site was the University of
port Harcourt Demonstration farm located both at Choba Campus (The units located
there are, Mushroom and Marketing unit comprising of the mushroom subunit,
Extension outreach unit and Commercial and research unit and the Poultry and
Rabbitary unit) and Abuja Campus (Institute of Agricultural Research and
Development, Crop production and Horticulture unit and lastly, the Ruminant unit.).

During the course of this program, various activities that relates to Agriculture was
carried out at the various unit respectively, new idea were gotten as each work or
project were carried out, The production of Mushrooms through various techniques
while in the Mushroom unit, participated in the Floral Arrangements while in the
Horticulture unit, we also learnt about Landscaping, typical examples are the
ZENITH BUILDING and CROP AND SOIL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT, Lawn
establishment, here our minds were enlightened that the football pitch is as a result of
Lawn establishment using the TILLER METHOD OF LAWN

4
ESTABLISHMENT, Culitvation of Zea mays (Maize) while in Crop production,
Where it was harvested and then sold, Formulation of feeds for swines (pigs) and
hunting of fresh grasses to be grazed by the ruminants animals at the Ruminant unit,
Cultivation of Telfairia occidentalis (fluted pumpkin) and maintenance around the
different species of oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis) while at the Institute of
Agricultural Research and Development and lastly, Maintenance of the pens, Weeding
around the poultry birds farm house and also painting of the battery cages for the
poultry birds while at the Poultry and Rabbitary unit. A total of about one months was
spent in a unit before moving unto the next unit.

Another great tasks given to the students to carried out prior to the industrial training
was reporting to my units on time, Filling my logbook, Attending to my Assignments
and carring out every important tasks assigned to me by the units coordinators. It was
really a remarkable experience to go through.

1.3.) ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

5
CHAPTER TWO

6
 2.0.) GENERAL AGRONOMIC PRACTICES CARRIED DURING THE
COURSE OF THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING

Some of the Crops, Ornamental plants and Animals that undergo this agronomic
practices are prior to the SIWES program are,

 CROPS; Fluted pumpkin - Telfaria Occidentalis, Cucumber - Cucumis sativus,

Yam - Dioscorea rotundata (White yam), Cassava - Manihot esculentus,
(TMS- 30572, TMS- 3572 and TMS- 30007), Oil palm - Elaeis guineensis,
Maize - Zea mays, Okra - Abelmoschus esculentus, Plantain - Musa ×
paradisiaca, Cowpea - Vigna unguiculata, Tumeric - Curcuma.

 ORNAMENTAL PLANTS: Ficus aurea, Gardenia jasiminoides and West

indises).

 ANIMALS; Non- Ruminants (Poultry birds, Rabbits and Swines) and Ruminants
(Cattles, Goats and Sheep).

This are the lists of Agricultural practices carried out by the students during the course
of the industrial training;
1.) SITE SELECTION; The choosen site that the Industrial training students carried
out thier industrial training was at the University of Port Harcourt Demonstration
farms located at Choba and Abuja campus, all Experimental Projects ranging from
land preparations to Storages were carried out at the sites.

2.) LAND PREPARATION; Land preparation is clearing and removal of bushes on

the surface of the land, this is performed differently. In this second step, the main
practices i carried out are ploughing, harrowing, ridging, making of beds, digging of
holes and moults making and mulching.

3.) SOIL ANALYSIS; This was not carried out by my group but by the people in
group one (1) during their cultivation of Cucumber - Cucumis stivus A soil analysis
is used to determine the level of nutrients found in a soil sample. As such, it can only
be as accurate as the sample taken in a particular field.

4.) SOWING/PLANTING; In this steps, it involves both the Crop production and
the horticulture. Here, we practicalized and learnt that the loosening and breaking up
(tilling) of the soil is generally the raising of crops. Its could also be the act of setting

7
seeds, crops, etc into the ground to grow.

5.) MANURING/FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS; This was done using a

knapsack sprayer. The herbicides used was VANQUISH at the rate of 75 ml in a 25 L
of water, The fertilizer we purchased and used on the soil was NPK 20:10:10
(Nitrogen- 20, Phosphorus- 10 and Potassium- 10). The students contributed to the
purchase of Poultry dungs use in the cultivation of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus and
Sweet corn (Zea mays).

6.) IRRIGATION; This was not carried by my group but for the students in group
three (3) while cultivating Cucumber - Cucumis stivus. They carried out the irrigation
method called FURROW IRRIGATION METHOD, where DRIP METHOD OF
IRRIGATION was applied.

7.) MAINTENANCE: (Weeding, Clearing and Sweeping); The act of removing wild
plants from a place where they are not wanted. Weeding is one of the major
maintenance the students carried out in Agriculture in all the units where they were
posted to. The students weeded around the unit premises and cultivated farms where
we grew crops of different types.

8.) INTEGRATED PEST AND DISEASES MANAGEMENT; The herbicides we

used in pests and diseases managements of our crops was VANQUISH at the rate of
75 ml in a 25 L of water. Equipment worn for protection was the PPE ( PERSONAL
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT).

9.) HARVESTING; Among steps of farming practices, harvesting needs significant

care otherwise it will result in yield reduction. We carried out all the harvesting in
each units where either crops were cultivated or produced mushrooms.

10.) STORAGE (Crop yields and Animals products);

This was carried out in the Commercial and Mushrooms subunits under the
Mushroom and Marketing units. Harvested Beef, Mutton and Porkmeat were kept in
the refrigerator while the Eggs in their crates were kept in a safe corner in one of the
unit head's office to avoid damage by the students.

11.) MARKETING: This involves selling of the produces gotten from the farm. This
wasn't an easy tasks for me because the fixed prices I placed on my produced to sell at
the end of the day, wasn't the price I sold to the buyers. They were several

8
disagreements on the prices of the goods, example is my yam sales under my Faculty
project, the initial price tag was #3,000 but after much deliberations between myself
(seller) and the buyer, the agreed price which I sold the yam was #2,000 which I
remitted the money to the department. Another example is during the sales on Zea
mays, six (6) cobs of corn was to be sold at the rate of #2,000 but after deliberation
with the buyer, I ended up selling at the rate of #1,500.

12.) FINANCIAL ANALYSIS; Financial analysis is the process of evaluating

businesses, projects, budgets, and other finance-related transactions to determine their
performance and suitability. Typically, financial analysis is used to analyze whether an
entity is stable, solvent, liquid, or profitable enough to warrant a monetary investment.

2.1.) VARIOUS UNITS, THIER AIMS, FUNCTIONS AND PLATES

(PICTURES)

 MUSHROOM AND MARKETING UNIT:

Mushroom and marketing unit is a unit under the Faculty of Agriculture in University
of Port Harcourt to undergo a SIWES program for students doing their industrial
training with the course code CPS403.2. It is divided into three subgroups, namely;

A.) MUSHROOM SUBUNIT;

This unit is involved in the nursing and production of highly nutritive mushroom
either for market sales or edible purpose. "Mushrooms are fungi that grow on soils,
under the woodlogs or composed, its lacks roots, lacks chlorophyll, contains tissues
and exhibits saprophytic mode of nutrition". Mushroom cultivation can only be
carried out in two methods, Tissue culture and Multiplication/Replication method.
The procedures in mushroom production are Grain sterilization, Substrate preparation
(Bagging), Inoculation, Incubation, Friuting and Harvesting.

B.) EXTENSION OUTREACH UNIT;

This unit involved in the process of working with rural people in order to improve
their livelihoods. They also help farmers to improve their productivity of thier
agriculture and develop their abilities to direct their own future development.

Their major aims is to disseminate information on Agriculture to the near by

community and also NEEDS assessment is carried out to farmers to help solve their

9
Agricultural problems. Some of the outdoor activities carried out were, printing of
banner indicating the Health benefits of Eggplants (Solanum incanum) and its
cultivation.

C.) COMMERCIAL UNIT;

This is where all the produces made and gotten from extension subunit, Mushroom
subunit and the Ruminants unit are sold, recorded and remitted back to the Faculty of
Agricultural bank account. The following are th variou Record books found in the
Commercial unit Customer book, Receipt book, Remitta book and the financial book,
Advertisements (Various means of carrying advertisements are individual method,
Group method and Mass methods) and Sales promotion (Examples Price discount,
Rebranding, Packaging and more).

 INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT (IARD)

This unit is involved in the development of new or improved varities of crops, thier
nutrition, yields, or diseases resistance in crops or livestock through genetic
hybridization or other genetic modification. They help improve farmers' access to and
use of Agricultural knowledge, Technologies, marketing systems and infrastructure,
for the purpose of contributing to higher productivity, Profitability and farm incomes.

The project assigned to me and my group mate was the cultivation Telfaraia
Occidentalis, planting distance is 100 CM X 100 CM, A bed was made and then
cultivated the seeds, one seed per hole, it was a shallow planting method.
No fertilizer or manure was used and the yields were high but Applications of dried
mulched was done so as to protect the emergency from adverse climatic components
(Excessive Rain and Sunlight).

10
  CROP PRODUCTION AND HORTICULTURE UNIT
A.) CROP PRODUCTION SUBUNIT:
Crop production technique (CSS) is a unit focused in the production of crops for food
and fiber for animal either for subsistence purposes or commercial purpose. Their
aims includes To increase crop yield, adapt crops to adverse climatic conditions,
induce resistance to pests and diseases in crop plants.

Due to the course of the Siwes program, were given a project on the cultivation of
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) which became a failed project due to improper
maintenance of the crops but the construction of a Macro propagation chamber was
used in the replacement of the failed project. A Macro propagation Chamber is also
called Tissue culture. Plant tissue culture is a collection of techniques used to maintain
or grow plant cells, tissues or organs under sterile conditions on a nutrient culture
medium of known composition.

B.) HORTICULTURE SUBUNIT

Horticulture is a sub unit under CSS unit, Horticulture is the branch of Agriculture
dealing with garden crops, generally fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants.

It is divided into several branches, namely, Pomology (This is the production of fruits
in large or small scale, It is also called FRUTICULTURE), OLERICULTURE (This is
the production of vegetables either for commercial purposes or subsistence purposes),

11
FLORICULTURE (It deals with the production of ornamental plants).

The four major activities the students carried out in Horticulture units are, Raising of
ornamental plants (The students were divided into different subgroups of two where I
and my group maye were able to raise an ornamental plant called Ficus aurea), Floral
arrangement (It is the art of using plant materials and flowers to create an eye-
catching and balanced composition or display), Lawn Establishment (Lawn can be
defined as the green carpet of a landscape. Lawn is ground cover of grasses. It
provides a perfect setting for a flower bed, a border, shrubbery or a specimen tree or a
shrub.) and Landscaping (It is defined as a business using plants and other materials
to purposely protect and beautify the environment. The following should be
considered, color of the building, Topography (This helps to know whether to
established a Lawn or a Landscape), Soil Test and lastly Wind Direction (This helps to
direction to which the plants are to be planted, because the will actually serve as wind
breakers).

PLATE 8; A RAISED FICUS AUREA PLATE 9; FLORA ARRANGEMENT

12
PLATE 10; LANDSCAPING PLATE 11; LAWN ESTABLISHMENT

PLATE 14: HARVESTED Zea mays

 RUMINANTS UNIT
The units is mostly concern in the practice of ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, it is the
science of breeding and caring for farm animals. Under the tutelage of Mr. kingsley,
we had lectures on different sections in the unit, we learnt that

Animal husbandry is diivided into two broad way of management practice,

Traditional livestock and Modern livestock management practice, we also learnt
about feed formulation for pigs. It is noted that maure gotten from swine's are not
really a good supplements for the soil due to the following reasons, Even though pig
manure is a commendable raw material of organic fertilizer, lots of pig manures carry
E. coli, salmonella, parasitic worms and a host of other organisms, so it is necessary
to compost pig manure before using them as fertilizer into soil directly.

Feedings in pigs is a very fital practice that should be considered when going to pig
rearing, thier feed contain, Wheat brown, palm kernel cake, glycine, Pills of tuber

13
crops, plantain mostly for the matured ones, Blood meal (Not their blood),
Supplements (Mineral Premix, Salt (its reduce the population of micro oragnims in
their guts), Soya beans and Pkc (Palm kernel cake). The recommended feeds for the
piglets includes Spent grin, cassava ( this are dried in order to reduce the water
contents) or pills of plantain, Palm kernel cake and Wheat brown. They are given
three square meals a day.

PLATE 12: PIGGERY UNIT (GILTH) PLATE 13: SHEEP AND GOATS

 POULTRY AND RABBITARY UNIT

A.) POULTRY UNIT
This unit is in charge of the production of meat for consumption, poultry dungs fro
manure and feathers used at the fashion industries. The major activities carried out
were mostly maintenance around the poultry pens, painting of newly arrived battery
cages for the poultry birds.

14
B.) RABBITARY UNIT
The Agricultural practice that involves the breeding and raising domestic rabbits as
livestock for their meat, fur, or wool is CUNICULTURE. Rabbits can be produced
for many different markets requirements: for breeding stock, as medical and
educational lab animals, for pet food, as pet and show animals, and for their wool and
skin. The breeds of rabbits observed at the University of Port Harcourt Demonstration
Farm includes New Zealand, Chinchilla and Dutch belted.

PLATE 14: RABBITS PLATE 15: POULTRY BIRDS

CHAPTER THREE

3.0.) CONCLUSION
This SIWES program has expose, challenged and adjusted my mind set, it has helped
me to know how important Agriculture is and how lucrative Agribusiness can be. I
have come to see by participation (Beyond class room explanation), how the various
aspects of Agriculture interrelates, how it relates to other aspects of the economic as
well as it's role in National development.

15
I have also discovered how relevant it is for anyone intending to practice Agriculture
to be versatile in the filed in other to be successful. The SIWES programme is very
important in prepararing future graduates so as to be able to survive in the labour
market, therefore should be able sustained and continually improved to come up with
tasted and improved ways to solve emerging technicalities in the labour market.

 CONSTRAINTS DURING SIWES PERIOD

1.) Time constraints.
2.) Financial exhaustion.
3.) Inadequate farm implements.
4.) Health challenges.

 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
1.) Provision of farm implements
2.) Payment of funds to students.
3.) Prior to the SIWES program, there should a well structural functional schedule
so as to help students run the industrial training smoothly.

 ADVICE FOR THE FUTURE SIWES PARTICIPANTS

1.) Always put God first in all of your dealings.
2.) See the SIWES program as a trading ground that will help you in labour
market in the near future.
3.) Be diligent, dedicated and submissive to you work.

3.1.) REFERENCE
Dr.Udom Bassey (2022) Field Lectures on Zea mays cultivation.

Dr.Orluchukwu Joseph (2022) Field Lectures on Telfairia Occidentalis cultivation.

Mr Lobato (2021) Lectures on the various techniques for Mushroom production.

Mr. Pamenas (2021-2022) Lectures on Horticulture, Landscaping and Lawn

16
Establishment.

University of Port Harcourt Demonstrations farm for Non- ruminants Animals, choba.

University of Port Harcourt Demonstration farm for Ruminants animals, Abuja

campus.

17