Best model to start as a farmer
Farmer’s Diary with Sheuneni Kurasha
31 March 2019
Welcome dear reader to our column
where we explore all things farming.
I am grateful to many budding and
aspiring farmers who have been in touch, expressing their desire to become
successful farmers.
Let us continue in this spirit. Zimbabwe
needs as many farmers in order to ensure food insecurity and a well-nourished
population that contribute to economic development.
This week we tackle the business side
of farming, that is, what does one need to consider in terms of the business
model to follow, the specific farming activities to undertake and understanding
the market and marketing dynamics.
It is important to understand that
farming is a business like any other and as such, one needs to be clear from
the outset on the model of farming they wish to pursue. The models range from small
scale farming, medium-scale farming to large-scale commercial farming.
Given that farming is capital
intensive, often requiring considerable amount of money to start, it is always
advisable for budding farmers to start on a small-scale and grow in the
business. This is the best option for most farmers who are self-financing.
There are various farming activities that
require small capital to start, such as rearing small livestock like goats and sheep.
The advantage with small livestock like goats and sheep is that, whereas goats
are largely browsers, sheep are grazers and one can therefore, easily rear them
together. Small livestock also don’t require large pieces of land when compared
to cattle for instance. Not only are small livestock a valuable source of
nutrition and food security for most rural families but are a source of the
much income if well managed. Even for a commercial farmer, sales from goats and
sheep can finance running costs such as labour and animal medicine.
Starting small allows one the
opportunity to experiment on a micro scale first before expanding to commercial
level. I have interacted with many established farmers who started with as
little as five indigenous goats and expanded after they had acquired the
necessary skills and experience. The same applies for crop farming, before one
plants hectares of cabbages, it is advisable to start with a smaller area, draw
lessons and use that to grow.
To succeed as a farmer, it is
important that you identify your niche. Farming activities are very broad,
ranging from livestock to cropping. If you choose to pursue livestock farming,
you should decide if you will to focus on producing breeding stock for fellow
farmers (stud breeding) or commercial for meat and by-products. If you choose
to pursue cattle ranching, you will need to know the various breeds that are
available and their advantages and disadvantages in order to assess their suitability
to your farming area and business model. Same applies with crop production, it
is important to decide on the type of crops to focus on, whether food crops, feed
crops, oil crops or a mix of them.
When we wanted to start cattle
ranching years back, we had to decide the breed that was best suited for our
farming region considering the market and profitability. Although were not
quite familiar with it at the time, we settled for the Boran on account of its
impeccable attributes. From our research findings we learnt that the Boran had unique
genetic composition that makes it the best
choice for cross-breeding, longevity, high fertility rate, high calving
rate, early maturity, disease resistance, high food conversion rate and high
quality carcasses.
Understanding the market is also very
crucial to farmers. Before you venture and commit resources, one should have a
clear understating of the market and marketing dynamics: who is going to buy
your farm produce, where are you going to sell these products and how are going
to do that and the levels of competition that you are likely to face. This is
why market research is a must for every farmer.
Farmers must invest time to learn more
about their customers, understand the market better, identify existing market
gaps and position themselves to reach that market. For instance, a dairy
industry expert was recently quoted saying that Zimbabwe’s annual demand for
milk stood at about 120 million litres against the current national production
level of 65 million litres. That leaves a gap of 55 million litres annually.
This gap represents an immediate opportunity for farmers who want to venture
into dairy farming.
Farmers must also make use of local
offices of the relevant Government departments to get current data and
information regarding the farming activity of interest, including any regulations
and licences.
Based on the number of
inquiries I have been getting, next week we will focus on goat farming.
“Paswera badza hapanyepi” (results of
a noble effort always speak for themselves).
Let’s enjoy farming.
Sheuneni
Kurasha is a farmer specialising in stud breeding in boran cattle, boer goats
and damara sheep, as well as dairy farming. For feedback, kindly get in touch
on email: kurashas@gmail.com or
WhatsApp: +263 772 874 523.
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