7:56:00 AM
What's
the most affordable type of farming for people without loads of capital? I've
heard that organic farming - veggies and/or meat, makes for a good living and
are a good starting point for a cash-strapped young person looking to venture
into agriculture. Here is more farming ventures that you could start in.
Poultry farming
Poultry
farming is considered among the most successful agricultural ventures in Zimbabwe
in terms of return and it is true. Zimbabweans consume a lot of chickens every
year and farmers can barely meet the demand.
So
if funds are tight, try venturing into poultry production. Your choices are rearing
Broilers or the indigenous free-range chickens for meat and Layers for
(obviously) eggs.
Other
opportunities include starting a small hatchery where you buy fertilised eggs,
and place them in an incubator then 21 days later you can sell the chicks to poultry
farmers in your area. With one successful batch, you can break even. An
incubator will not take much space hence can also be done in urban areas.
Affordable greenhouse farming
Green
house farming does not require a lot of initial capital as many people think. Do
your research. A greenhouse can be good for anyone looking farm tomatoes,
capsicum, cucumber or strawberries.
If you
are really limited on funds, you can build a greenhouse with locally available
materials and the results won’t be far away from the expensive hydroponics. Even
in the rural areas, greenhouses can be easily set up and there materials can be
acquired cheaply.
Livestock farming
Livestock
farming is very labour-intensive but it can be a viable option for anyone
looking to start farming in Zimbabwe. Perhaps, the major headache will be substantial
land to keep cattle, goats, pigs and sheep - thus it is also suitable for rural
youth who can take advantage of communal grazing areas.
Funds
permitting, you can rent a farm close to your area.
A secret
for earning a lot of money from this is traveling to rural areas and buying
goats and sheep for low prices and transporting them to wherever you are – then
fattening them before selling them to locals, butcheries and abattoirs. Note that, you will need a transport permit
for the livestock.
Leasing land
For
anyone wanting to venture into farming and is limited by land, try leasing it
for a whole year or particular season. People are doing it nowadays and reaping
great rewards. Just plan ahead as you will probably need to be close to your
market or if you are planning to grow crops like potatoes, which will be three
seasons.
Urban farming
Urban
farming appeals to many city dwellers because it can be done in very little
spaces. Here, vegetables are planted in bags or tins that are mounted
vertically on poles. A 2m pole can give you 16 plants therefore having 10 or
more poles will provide you with a profitable garden right in your backyard.
Mushroom
farming also do well with this kind of setup.
Remember
to grow popular vegetables in your area, for example, Rape, tsunga and Muboora.
Please add other affordable types of
farming and agribusinesses below.
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