Zambia Agribusiness Society

It is spring and that means it is time for farmers to get out into the fields and start planting. Farmers have to dodge rainstorms and when skies are clear they might work through the night to get seeds into the ground. Iowa has amazingly rich and robust soil for those seeds to germinate in. That rich, black topsoil does need some preparation for the ideal growth of seeds. But, have you ever wondered why farmers plow their fields before they plant? Seeds are typically only planted an inch below the soil surface. Farmers want to give those seeds the best chance of germinating and growing. That means mechanically preparing seed beds by breaking the ground. Soil can become dense and compact. Plowing also makes it easier to plant. Plowing breaks up the blocky structure of the soil which can aid in drainage and root growth. Plowing fields can also turn organic matter into soil to increase decomposition and add nutrients from the organic matter to the soil. Many farmer...

We get into business with different motives. However, because entrepreneurship is a jungle of sorts only the very best survive as the weak ones are easily eliminated. Statistics show that 80% of businesses in operation today will fail in the next 5 years. So what makes some entrepreneurs better than others? What type of entrepreneur are you? I would like to present to you 6 types of entrepreneurs and how they cope with challenging times. 6 types of entrepreneurs exposed 1. Survivalists They were forced by circumstances to become entrepreneurs. For instance, they finished college or high school, tried looking for jobs but weren’t lucky enough. Because they had to find means of survival, they moved on to the world of business. They simply sell to survive. If they are lucky to get an employment opportunity, they normally quit entrepreneurship and off they go into the formal economy. Most of their businesses don’t live to see their second birthdays. 2. The copycats A good n...

Poultry farming is one of the fastest-growing businesses in Africa. It's a highly profitable business if you run it in the most appropriate manner, which provides a conducive environment for the birds. If you are planning to invest in poultry this year, here are 10 key areas to focus on to stay ahead of the competition. 1. Don't buy cheaper feed Feed is the biggest component of the cost of any chicken production, be it meat or egg production. It accounts for 70 percent of all the other components. The major component of feed is maize and soya and those two are not cheap. Buy feed that will consistently give you the target kilo of meat per feed fed and the target amount of eggs per kilogram of feed at a lower cost and not at a cheaper cost. The two are different. 2. Measure the feed you give your flock daily Some farmers just give feed to their birds. This must stop if you want to make a profit. You must measure a gram per bird of all the feed allocations daily as per the establ...

So here are the top 10 questions about raising backyard chickens: 1. Do I need a rooster for my hens to lay eggs? Okay, stop laughing! You didn’t always know the answer to this question. I will tell you that this is the most commonly asked question we get, so no one should be embarrassed. The answer is no, unless you want chicks. If you’re just looking for eggs to eat and /or some nice yard pets, hens minus the rooster can provide you with plenty of farm fresh eggs without a single crow to wake you up in the morning. 2. How long do chickens live? The life expectancy of most standard chicken breeds shielded from predators and deep fryers can range from 8 to 15 years. There are many reports of pet chickens living as long as 20 years! With the increasing popularity of raising chickens as pets, I imagine someone will develop a new line of chicken coops such as nursing coops or assisted living coops for the growing population of elderly chickens. All joking aside, chickens are very hardy an...

A shortage of nitrogen is the single most common reason for a cabbage crop not reaching its full yield potential. This applies equally to the quantity applied as to how to conserve it and maintain its correct level. Nitrogen comes in different forms and can easily be leached from the soil. We should anticipate leaching and take appropriate measures when it happens. A wait- and-see approach will cause a loss in yield. All the required nitrogen can be applied at planting and some farmers do so successfully. But they may lose out badly if heavy rain leaches the nitrogen from the soil. How much nitrogen is required? Usually around 200kg N/ha. It depends on how much is already present in the soil before fertilising as well as how much nitrogen is tied up in organic matter and becomes available when the organic matter mineralises, which in turn depends on weather conditions. Many variables are involved. But with a significant difference in profitability between an average crop and a good...

It’s no secret that most new entrants to poultry farming go bankrupt. Jan Grobbelaar, training director at Dumela Poultry Solutions, discusses common errors and how to avoid them. Over the past decade, Dumela Poultry Solutions has conducted more than 80 evaluations of failed emerging poultry farms in northern Gauteng, the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and elsewhere. In many cases it was found that poultry houses were empty and in various states of dilapidation. These houses, including equipment, chickens and other commodities, had invariably been donated by different donors – private and government. Why did they fail? This is difficult to answer, as poultry production is a complex farming enterprise that can be compared to a wheel with spokes – if one or more spokes break or malfunction, the wheel collapses. Poultry production is dependent on various role players and crucial management procedures. Here are some of the more common reasons these farmers failed: 1. No feasibility study ...

Agriculture has been known from time to be the major source of wealth, livelihood and economic growth for any nation and Zambia, is not an exemption. Agriculture can be a very lucrative business for farmers and investors alike as the cash crops, food and fruits produced coupled with poultry and snail farming and fish business will always yield good income as food is a very important commodity which people can never get tired of. Agriculture is very important in any nation’s economic growth and therefore, its consistent contributions to the evolution of mankind is overwhelming. Agriculture is a very great opportunity for one to make an income either on a large or small scale. There are also a lot of career options in agriculture. As the world keeps revolving, there are now different ways, you can earn from agriculture without owning a farm or even physically being present on the farm. There is also the use of online farming which can be done from the comfort of your home, all you...