Let’s say you own a big farm plot and you are carrying out other agricultural activities like producing tomatoes, onions, chickens etc. Goat farming would not be a bad idea.
Mission
To make K10, 000 per month from the goat farming business within a
space of 3 years. If one big sized fat delicious goat is sold at K500, then you
just need to sell 20 to make K10, 000. A she got can produce up to 5 kids per
year that means you just need 48 She Goats (does) to help you make K10, 000 per
month in a year (5 kids x 4 x 12 months). Of course you will sale off older
ones and males to keep the herd fresh and productive but for now you want to
aim for K10, 000 in a month from just the goats.
Market
Analysis (SWOT Model)
1. Strengths
Goats are an alternative source of nutrition in the local Zambian
Home. Goats have marketability because of their low-fat content, high protein,
unique taste and faster growth rate than Beef. Also men believe that they can
get libido by eating a male goats testicles.
Endeavouring in this business will help you yield a return quickly,
especially that you wish to set it up in a rural setup. Currently Zambia is
suffering a rise in grain prices which is directly affecting the animal feed
prices for commonly eaten meats like Chicken. Goats and their inexpensive
maintenance provide a cheaper alternative to supply demand.
2. Weaknesses
Goat farming is a numbers game that also requires time &
patience. A goat farm requires a continuous search of a feeding ground for the
goats if the owner wants to reduce the costs of the feed for goats. A big land
means running the business from a remote area which brings about the
inconvenience of transporting the goats to the market and also managing the
staff that look after the goats. Because of their large number, it is hard to
identify which goats are pregnant, which ones have given birth, which have died
legitimately or were just sold or eaten for Christmas by your staff. Unless you
are there, management is nearly impossible.
3. Opportunities
Other than the direct sale of Goat meat to butcheries, there are
opportunities that we can explore with goat farming.
Other
Income Streams
We are looking at the following to be the income flow of business:
i) Making small goat meat takeaways stands for soup ya mbuzi at
drinking places to maximize profits.
ii) The selling of goats to other farmers for breeding purposes.
iii) The possibility of introducing goat milk to the community for
medicinal purposes.
iv) Exploring the benefits of making goat milk soap.
v) The selling of goat pelts for animals that we process
internally.
vi) Cultivating of vegetables that do well with goat manure.
vii) Offer of mating services for other goat farmers.
4. Threats
Goats are not vulnerable
to disease but a single outbreak can wipe the herd. Theft is
also a big problem, because goats have to graze, it means they travel distances
which puts them at risk of being stolen and served at jazz as soup ya mbuzi.
Construction
of the Goat Shed
Construction of a goat shed, this has to be a secure place and
easily structured to prevent disease, help sorting out of goats by sex,
breeding plan, pregnancies etc... However the owner would like to separate
them. We also want to ensure that the shed prevents theft of goats or harm from
dangerous animals. We would like the goat shed fully secure. We are willing to
invest a maximum of K5, 000 for this establishment.
The
Purchase of Goats
Revenues
If one she goat gives you 5 kids per year that you sale for K500,
which is a total of K2, 500 per year (K500 x 5 kids). That comes down to K208
income per she goat per month (K2, 500/ 12 months). This revenue is before
expenses of feed, labour and transportation to the place of sale. So you need
to keep a certain amount of goats to breakeven. If you have costs of say K3,
000 per month which includes (Labour, Feed, and Vaccines etc.) You need about
15 She Goats per month to just cover that (K3, 000/ K208 Income per month).
Conclusion
This business analysis has killed my excitement in writing it when
I calculated that it’s K208 per month per She Goat before expenses and the
management of it is entirely based on the integrity of your workers. In my
opinion this is not a profitable business to run as a solo revenue stream , you
need to be doing other things to cover the fixed costs such as chickens,
vegetables etc. But just goats alone awe boi.
Let me know your opinions and tell me if I am missing a point somewhere?
For further info, you can Download the following PDF guide Goat Production in Zambia now. Feel free to copy and share this with your friends and family.
by Fareed Inambao
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