How to Become a Successful Farmer in Ghana

Agriculture has been an area receiving much attention in recent times, the government and high net worth individuals are beginning to turn to agriculture as the new safe haven for investments.

You might be wondering why this is so, well this is because many countries are trying to reduce their importation of lots of products which can be made available locally if farmers are encouraged to invest in these areas.

This is why a lot of people are turning to farm either as a fulltime job or a side hustle. Becoming a farmer is a very demanding yet rewarding career for any individual looking to have a job that can be handed down to their children later on in life. I would explain how you can transition into owning your own farming business in Ghana in this article.

What Does Farming Involve?

Farming is the activity of growing crops or rearing animals on a designated piece of land either for commercial or personal purposes.

Before one goes into farming you should understand the different types of farming available for you to practice, depending on your choice or area of interest you can decide to start:

• Arable farming which is focused mainly on growing crops
• Pastoral farming for rearing different types of livestock
• Mixed farming a type that involves growing crops and animals within the same space
• Subsistence farming just to have farm products for yourself and immediate family members
• Commercial farming could be mixed, arable or pastoral farming done on a large scale to make products available for a large number of people

In recent times there has been the introduction of organic and greenhouse farming as a means to improve the quality and lifespan of agricultural products. Eventually, your success as a farmer is dependent on how quickly you are able to decide what area of farming you want to be known for.

Read Also: How to Start a Profitable Fish Farming Business in Ghana

How to Become a Farmer in Ghana

To become a successful Farmer, there are some steps that you must take. Some of these steps are highlighted below.

1. Get Experience From People Ahead of You

Becoming a farmer requires little to no formal education if you are within the right community that would guide you and give you informal education about certain underlying principles in the farming business.

Many times it’s important to start your career by first learning by working with people that have been farmers for years, working with them gives you lots of benefits such as the opportunity to learn and make mistakes that can be corrected without having so much financial implication on your business.

If you take your training period serious, your boss could also become your mentor who would offer guidance to you at no cost when you eventually start a farm of your own. So it’s important that you build your relationship with people teaching you early enough.

2. Start Small

Often times, some people complain about recording losses in their farm business or being unable to get a loan from big banks to finance their business.

Well, this is due to a number of factors. First of all, it is great to dream big or have a vision for where you would like to be in the next few years but you have to learn to take little steps in the direction chosen.

Starting small gives you the opportunity to work more on your target market, it helps with managing losses better and even gives you experience as you advance. All these make it better to draft business plans that banks would be willing to finance once you are able to demonstrate where you started from and how you intend to grow your business.

3. Pick A Niche

The areas of specialization in farming is quite wide and can be sometimes draining to practice all, you do not want to be a jack of all trades but a master of one.

Picking a niche makes it easier for you to identify possible mentors who you would love to train you in becoming an expert in their field, asides this, farming requires dedication and long hours. Except you are just doing it as a hobby, you should be intentional about what type of farmer you would like to be.

4. Be Innovative

In the world of farming today, there are different areas calling for innovation to improve the experience in such fields, for example, the invention of tractors made the burden of farm work at the pre-planting stage less stressful whilst also saving time.

Joining a society of farmers and taking relevant courses both online or offline can be a way for you to identify gaps that can be exploited to generate a great source of revenue for you. Remember you have to be consistent and persistent before results yield but if you give it time, you would be glad you did.

5. Have the Right Skills

To succeed in the farming business asides your technical skills, there are other skills you should have to help you when starting out.

Having a positive attitude and the ability to embrace change is a good skill which keeps you going whenever a difficult time is encountered. Hard work, decision making, organisational skills and the ability to multitask would be helpful for you during your career.

Working as a farmer is considered a noble profession because your works not only contribute to improving the economic standing of your country, it also helps in land protection and preservation in the long run.

Various farming practices such as mixed farming, irrigation channels, fertilizer application e.t.c has helped to improve the soil content and texture of the areas used over time.