5:51:00 AM
Farming
as a business has evoked interest in many Zimbabweans – especially among the
young people who may be unemployed for one reason or the other. Wanting to
start a farm or a project (as some people say) should be seen as a noble idea
but farming is not easy if you have no idea of where to start and how you will
make it into a viable business.
If
you plan to go into farming for the long run, below are five things you should
probably consider to ensure greater chances of success in the sector.
Information/knowledge
Most
people jump into farming without considering this important question and after
a few months get frustrated and quit. Ask yourself how much knowledge about
farming do you possess?
Although,
you cannot know it all from textbooks and the web, it is important to treat
farming as any other profession that requires expertise. So time and resources permitting,
seek out knowledge – remembering that knowledge is not only found in
classrooms, but even from people who have been in the farming sector for years.
My
advice, gather information on weather patterns and soils in the location of
your farm; the crops to farm; livestock to rear and the market.
Passion/Drive
Trust
me, going into farming or any other business for the wrong reasons can be disastrous.
Ask yourself how much do you want to farm? What motivates you to become a farmer?
Farming needs a lot of work, devotion and the risks are many – only someone who
REALLY wants to make it in the industry can succeed. So don’t be fooled by the
tales of successful farmers in glossy magazines and simply think anyone can do
it – there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes. Sometimes, the returns won’t
be too much either, so you really need to be passionate about it.
Start-up Capital
Like
in any other business, if you are going into farming, you will need some form
of capital. See if you can get a loan from government and other agricultural
support organizations – or raise it from friends/family. I will provide
information on these loans and grants for farmers in the coming posts.
100% Commitment
Unfortunately,
nowadays there are people who engage in “proxy” or mobile phone farming. You
know, people who never set foot at the farm and just “direct” operations from
the city. It does not work at all!
Even
if your farm manager is excellent, there a number of things that will go wrong
without your actual presence on the farm. Be prepared to be on site when you
must…
Persistence
Honestly,
be prepared to be disappointed by your farming endeavours in the beginning. There
is going to be a learning curve and you are going to make mistakes. But instead
of hanging your gumboots, keep on trying – persistence pays in the end...
A
good idea is note down the mistakes and use them to avoid future failures.
Happy
farming!
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