The term, agripreneur, was not as popular ten years ago as it is now. It is now becoming a cliche for anyone that is involved in agriculture in one way or another, and, boy are we glad for that!
The potential for growth in agriculture is incredible and we need young people to get involved if we are to maximize the opportunities that are created daily in this industry. The opportunities include but are not limited to creating a structured marketplace, automation, logistics, and growing quality, industry-standard products.
To harness these opportunities and produce results that will significantly contribute to the growth of the economy, agri-entrepreneurs or agripreneurs must approach agriculture as a proper business, not a hunt for quick bucks.
Upcoming agripreneurs must embrace:
- Innovation
Agripreneurs must look for ways to improve on existing ideas or processes, proffer solutions and pioneer new products.
Instead of viewing agriculture as a standalone industry, you can come up with more innovative ideas if you view it as a part of a whole. Research all the industries and see how you can connect or integrate agriculture to create something new and useful. A cursory analysis of Farmcrowdy for instance, shows an integration of agriculture, technology, and finance.
Also, the ability to predict trends and foresee problems is as important as coming up with the solutions themselves. Areas that are yet to be fully explored include organic crop cultivation, processing crops into organic body/health products, growing climate resistant crops, curbing food waste, and more.
Instead of thinking in a vacuum or guessing what people want, innovators pore through data and spend time monitoring trends, listening to the news and getting feedback from people to know exactly what they want.
Innovators also validate their ideas first to see if its credible. Agriculture can be an expensive business and as much as you should leave space for errors, it is also important that you minimize error as much as possible.
- After-sales Support
For too long, farmers have only been concerned about growing food, and supplying their distributors or finding a third-party to do so. However, it is important that entrepreneurs in agriculture start providing premium after sales support to ensure that distributors are satisfied with their products. It is also important to get feedback from suppliers and distributors as this will not only encourage growth and loyalty, it may also be important to expanding your network.
- Education
Agripreneurs should acquire both formal and informal education to improve their skills as business owners. Agribusiness is for those who actively pursue self-development as there are a number of new technologies deployed per time and you have to stay up to date.
There are several courses that can be conveniently taken online, for free, from your mobile phone, so there is literally no excuse to not get educated.
Although you still have to pay for components of your school fees, you can definitely take advantage of the Tuition free Agriculture courses fromLandmark University. Courses include Crop Science, Animal Science, Agric Extension & Rural Development, Agric Economics, Agribusiness Management, Environmental & Natural Resource Economics, Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, Tourism and Recreation, Horticulture and Landscape management
You can also take free courses from sites like Udemy, Coursera, edX, etc.
It’s important to mention at this point that there are agripreneurs that are still technology-averse and very rigid to change. The quicker you realize that the modus operandi for businesses of the future will be powered by technology, the quicker you can restructure your business model and set up your agribusiness for success.
- Business Acumen
These days agripreneurs are not just producers growing food, they also have to play management, administrative, and leadership role, while improving financial performance.
Over and above that, agripreneurs must have a keen sense of direction for their business and be able to communicate properly throughout the whole organization. The ability to leverage the network of every member of the team, make the right decisions that will impact the company’s bottomline, and resolve conflict is crucial in running a successful business.
- Brand
If you want to stand out, it is important you build a brand that everyone can identify with. That is perhaps one of Farmcrowdy’s biggest strengths as a startup playing big in the Agric space.
Your branding starts from within. By this I mean company ethics, dress sense, communication style, and even job title. It also reflects in your marketing materials, extends to your logo, typeface, and colours. For instance, many agriculture firms use colours associated with growth and health – you may want to infuse these colours into your brand.
Speaking at events, exhibitions, and media features can also project your brand and attract the right people to your business.
Youth participation in agri-entrepreneurship is gradually on the increase and I hope this short guide has provided you with some insights on how to become a successful agri-preneur.
Sources:
https://lmu.edu.ng/agricultural-sciences
https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=agriculture
https://www.classcentral.com/tag/agriculture
Bio
Hannah is the Lead SEO/Content Development at Farmcrowdy. When she is not writing, she enjoys working out. Check her out on Instagram @trainwithhannah
For feedback and comments, please send an email to [email protected] or phone +234 (0) 907 579 1999
HANNAH EDIA
