Most farmers experience a lot of losses because they lack a plan. This article details the eight key factors you should consider before investing in agriculture.
1. Why do you want to get into farming
Before investing in agriculture, it’s good to consider why you want to get into farming. Is it for commercial purposes? For home consumption? As a side hustle or as a hobby? A clear purpose will help you decide about other factors, especially the sector in which to invest.
2. The specific sector to invest in
Agriculture is broad; thus, selecting from animal or crop production, support services, insurance, market, or even technology will be easy, depending on your purpose. After settling into a specific sector, please take a deep look at what is required of it and its pros and cons.
3. Area of specialization
After deciding which sector to venture into, go deeper and determine what subsector you can specialize in and be good at. The subsector has more benefits and fewer risks and does not require intensive management skills. An excellent example of dairy farming is choosing between dairy cows or dairy goat farming.
4. Risks involved
Analyze all the possible risks associated with the subsector. When and how do these risks occur? What are the associated costs? Is it possible to mitigate them? Are there insurance policies for the risks? The area of specialization should have as minimal risks as possible.
Read Also: How To Farm Strawberry In The Most Economic Way
5. Market Research
One of the common risks is price risk. Conduct a good market survey to determine the price trends, demand, and other market regulations that affect your production area. Price trends will help to determine the expected revenue estimates. The research will also help to determine the cost estimates of inputs
6. Return on Investment (RoI)
This is a ratio between net profit and the cost of investment. Net profit is revenue minus total cost. The higher the ratio, the better the investment.
7. Payback period
This is the length of time an investment reaches a breakeven point. That is, the amount of time it will take for you to get back the amount you invested. The shorter the time, the more desirable a project is. Some agricultural projects may have a minimum of 21 days to 2 years.
8. Weather and environment
The success of crops and animal production is highly dependent on the weather. Carry out an analysis of the weather patterns for at least one year. Does the location experience landslides, flooding, hailstones, or even droughts? The political environment also has an impact on the market and service delivery.
Conclusion
They say ignorance is expensive. Take your time before making any agricultural investment, regardless of its size. You will never make a good loss, even if it is only one dollar.
About Post Author
Leave a Reply