As we continue reflecting on this important consideration, it is equally vital that we pause for a minute and revisit why we want to be farmers in the first place. What has inspired you to take up farming? Are you doing it as a hobby or a fully-fledged agribusiness? If your answer is the former, I have bad news for you – farming can never be done as a hobby alone.
Farming requires a lot of your time, energy and money to make it a success. That alone is too much to ask of a hobby. At one time, farming will become an expensive time-consuming and mundane hobby that offers no glitz and glamour.
At this point, you would most probably abandon it, and move on to collecting coins or painting ancient trees as a hobby. At least such hobbies will earn you great brownie points from whoever matters, and your boots will never be stuck in the drug-infested mud of the cattle kraal.
If agribusiness is your aim, then you would be glad you have read thus far as we are about to shift into a higher gear. All in all, the best approach is to find a nexus between farming as a hobby and carrying it out for a profit. When you achieve that, you would have satisfied both your heart or mind, and your pockets. Enough gibbering, let us continue with more farming mode options available to you as a starter farmer:
Poultry
Poultry farming is one of the most economical modes of farming for starters, as it requires relatively little start-up capital. It is a popular form of farming which can be used both as a business and as a form of sustaining your household. The market for poultry farmers, especially those trading in the chicken egg production sphere, is enormous and continues to grow.
Current players in this market are reaping these rewards, and there is still room for more players. There are some setbacks, however, as chicken feeds are costly and could set you back as a starter, while poultry is continuously challenged by disease outbreaks that could wipe out your entire flock in front of your very eyes. But it still remains a profitable venture for farmers.
Pig breeding
Breeding with pigs has been practised a lot over the years in many African countries. In Namibia, the industry remains lucrative, as there are not a lot of players in it. A pig production enterprise can grow into a formidable undertaking in no time. Pork remains a great alternative to beef, and at a reasonable price too. Also, almost entirely every part of it is consumed – from its head to trotters and even its skin.
This makes for good value-addition for those venturing into this mode of farming. Note, however, that pigs are opportunistic feeders and might set you back with a high cost of feeds. You therefore need to plan well in advance how you are going to continuously appease your products’ appetite.
Horticulture production
Taking up crop farming is no longer just for prestige or putting food on the table; it has now become a fully-fledged agribusiness that continues to rake in good money for those who have entered the market. Diversifying your type of crops and making sure you have a persistent supply from your field throughout both summer and winter seasons will make your horticulture production business stand out.
With institutions such as AMTA and AgriBusdev in operation, one can almost be entirely secured a feasible market for your produce. The fluctuating rain patterns, threats from birds, and limited supply of fertilisers could cause some setbacks for you as a starter crop farmer. Do preserve and remain determined; you will win in the end.
As an all-important sector, we will zoom in more on crop farming in the next column, where we will further dissect the various crops, and explain why some work and others don’t.