Agriculture, in recent times, has gained a lot of attention from International Authorities such as the FAO, IMF, World Bank and UNICEF. Not only is the research into the development of easier, safer and faster farming processes on the rise, there is also a lot of focus on the development of healthier, and purer agricultural varieties; all of these efforts geared towards the promotion of vitality and health. Perhaps you’ve always wondered:
What else can I do as an Agricultural Business if I can’t go into Farming?
Well, it will interest you to know that farming is only a tiny aspect of Agriculture and there are many other equal and even more profitable Agriculture business opportunities waiting to be tapped into. Some of them are briefly highlighted below:
1. SUPPLY CHAIN MARKETING: All you have to do is find a potential market locally or internationally and redistribute agricultural products from areas of production/low demand to the target market. Supply-Chain is perhaps the most simple and profitable non-farming agribusiness that you can invest in, regardless of how much capital you have. In most cases, you could strike a good deal with the local crop/animal producers to help them market their products; that way you don’t have to put in your money directly into the business.
You could also go a step further, if you have the means, to buy ready-for-harvest farms directly from local farmers, and transport the harvested products to ready local and international markets, it is also important for you to keep yourself abreast with daily Agro commodity prices in the international market. Supply-Chain Marketing can be practiced with food crops, cash crops, livestock, snails, fish varieties, etc.
2. Animal Feed Production: This is actually another highly profitable non-farming agribusiness. One of its up-sides is that it doesn’t require any elaborate structure to be set-up, any spacious room will do. Guinea pig farms, poultry farms and Fish ponds are always in high demand of highly nutritive, growth enhancing feeds and you can source your richly nutrified animal feed materials from local food processing agents. This is a highly cost-effective investment that can be ventured into as a source of residual income.
3. Production of Fertilizer and Other Farming Operation Chemicals: So, you have a degree in Chemistry or Agricultural Economics/Extension, or you’re just knowledgeable about how to make biofertilizers, organic fertilizer, Chemical fertilizer, pesticides, Herbicides or Weed Killers, you can put this knowledge into use and make cool money.
Even if you don’t know how to make any of these, you can do the research and perform some simple experiments; you’ll find out that most of these products are quite easy to make and require just a little capital to go into production.
4. Supply of Farm Machinery: Guess you weren’t expecting this idea? Well, it’s time to start thinking out of the box:
So, there’s an old tractor lying in the garage, or your friend’s dad runs a small farm and has some pieces of machinery which are mostly dormant for a greater part of the year…
All it takes is a simple bargain and you have yourself a running business.
The best part is, you only spend cash to create an ad campaign for the new business; aside from that, you won’t spend a penny to run a farm machinery rentals business.
5. Adding Value to Farm Products: is it true that when you mix fruits to make a blend, people always comment and smack their tongue?… Perhaps you have a special formula for making custard powder from yam, soybeans or maize or you have a special recipe for making baking flour; the possibilities are endless when it comes to adding value to agricultural Products because, in the end, it will always be an ongoing research.
So why not get rid of your fears and get into business; start by producing a small quantity that can be tested by your immediate circle of friends and family. Afterwards, you can go a step further by supplying local stores and markets… Who knows, yours could be the next blend to grace international markets.
All of the ideas highlighted agribusiness above are making a Millionaire of hardworking Agropreneurs on a daily basis; careful research of market conditions and proper feasibility studies will definitely guide you on your journey to success.
Credit: Agriculture Business, Nairaland