Despite growing around cattle, Mitchell Simataa was never inspired to take up farming at a tender age. In fact, the sight of cattle scared him - their huge horns and bulky appearance was anything but inviting for Simataa. At the time, it was clear that he would never come close enough to cattle in a long time, let alone farm with
them.
Several years down the line, Simataa has not only managed to farm with some of the most accomplished cattle breeds but also managed to make a success of it. It was clear that his farming adventure had taken off.
“I never knew that some years later as an adult I will embrace farming and that will become my life. If someone had asked me as a child what I wanted to be, a farmer would have featured at the very bottom of such a list,” he said.
His love for farming - which he had developed over the years through an Aunt, took him to even greater heights. The aunt - Agnes Limbo - herself an accomplished farmer who was also featured in an earlier edition of AgriToday, made sure that Simataa reached his potential as a formidable farmer by constantly encouraging and directing him on various farming techniques.
The mentorship paid off, as Simataa is amongst a handful of young agriculture influencers who have made it a point to mentor and help others reach their true potential of farming through constant nurturing and advice.
“People always think my father was the one who encouraged me to get into farming, but it was my aunt. My father could not understand how I could be scared of cattle as a man, but my aunt gradually introduced the concept to me in a way that made me love farming instantly.
Today, Simataa has groomed himself well as an agriculture influencer of note, assisting upcoming farmers in various critical areas of the sector and also volunteering information on successful farming tips.
His most prominent mode of disseminating such information has been through social media, most notably YouTube, where he hosts a channel dissecting various agriculture topics.
The channel did not only help him
reach his objective of assisting others, but it has also led him on a new learning
path.
“I realised that I knew more about livestock farming and knew very little about horticulture and other modes of agriculture. As such, every time prepare for a new YouTube show on such topics, I was forced to do proper research to correctly inform those that followed it,” he said.
The YouTube channel has been popular amongst upcoming farmers and those willing to learn a thing or two about farming that they do not know. Part of his services also includes assisting farmers in the right selection of livestock for breeding purposes, especially breeding bulls.
Also, he offers advice on correct infrastructure planning and how to set up a farming operation that would bring both joy and money to the farmer.
“I always believe that the mistakes I made starting up farming should not be repeated by someone else. I have managed to clear those hurdles but that was very costly, as such my services are to ensure that no one else goes through the same thing,” he noted.
He said many upcoming farmers commit grave mistakes that often cost them their ability to continue with farming. Often, he noted, such mistakes are also costly, which means such a person is forever discouraged from ever considering farming again.
Simataa noted that the somewhat complex nature of entrepreneurship calls for good planning and an equally well-crafted execution to remain relevant and profitable. Failing to achieve any of this in one’s farming operation often spells disaster for the farming operation, he said.
“We need to assist each other as much as possible as challenges in this dynamic industry keep changing and we are called upon to adapt to these changes. One never stops learning as far as farming is concerned; it’s a learning curve all the way,” said Simataa.