I have recently come across headlines about farming that concetrate on the brighter side of farming. These headlines cushion a story that gives an impression to a new-bie that this venture can make one a millionaire overnight. If one is not careful enough they’ll start up farming and get disappointed even before first harvest.
Farmers need to understand that farming is no longer business as usual. Farming has an ugly side that can scare one to death. I have seen farmers loose their produce few days to harvest. We have seen stories of farmers with farm produce but can’t get a buyer. We also have cases of natural calamities that sweep out the whole investment.
Rain-fed agriculture is increasingly becoming unrealistic in the drier areas where the issue is about getting any available water.
Farming is a profession like any other, that requires skills, values and knowledge. If you want to venture into farming because your neighbor bought a “probox” after harvesting and selling onions, kindly give it a second thought. There is a process involved for a farmer to make some profits from their farm produce.
Before you start off farming, kindly
1. Do enough market research.
Farming is a business with an objective of making profits. Therefore, it’s important to understand who buys your farm produce, from where and when. Market Dynamics keeps on changing so it’s important to do market scouting frequently.
2. Get some practical examples.
We are living in the internet era and we also have e-books about farming. This information is educative but it’s very okay to question the practicality of the content. Have seen many guys selling e-books without a supportive practical evidence. Take your time and visit another farmer doing a crop of your interest. Learn from a working example.
3. Differentiate between an agronomist and a sales agent.
Sales agents want to push sales and earn an extra income. They are never interested with what you’ll harvest, to some extent, they don’t even know the production process. They will swindle you just to buy their produce. The best agronomist is one who has a farm, he teaches what he has done practically.
4. Understand your farm.
Soil testing is one of the most important aspect before starting agribusiness. As a farmer, it’s important to understand the nutritional content of your soil. Your farm is your office. If I can manage to get a certain tonnage from my farm in central Kenya, it doesn’t mean you’ll get the same tonnage in Western Kenya. Educate your farm hands and farm managers. You guys need to share the same vision.
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