Farming is so much more than a business opportunity for many South Africans, it’s a way of life. But living out your passions can be tricky: How do you start farming if you’re starting from scratch? The good news is that there are a few ways you can start farming in South Africa without any experience.
Starting your agricultural venture has to start somewhere. A good starting point is to research your market and see what can be profitable. Consider where you will have access to markets to sell your goods before you invest in a particular type of farming. This will also give you a clear idea of what you need to acquire to make the business a success.
In this article, we will look at three ways to start farming if you are not operating in the industry yet.
Option 1: Start Vertical Farming
A vertical farming venture uses little space to optimise production. This farming method uses stackable structures or modular containers to grow.
What makes this an ideal way to enter the agricultural industry is that it does not require as much space to turn a profit unlike traditional farming. Furthermore, initial input costs can be expensive with setting up the infrastructure, but if done correctly, subsequent scaling is easy and affordable.
Option 2: Lease Agricultural Land
Some landowners are interested in turning a profit on their land without needing to cultivate it. You can reach out to people in your area and find out if anyone would lease you an area to farm on.
Potential farmers can use the leased land for grazing for livestock or it can be cultivated for crop farming.
Option 3: Farm on Communal Land
Another option to start farming in South Africa is to team up with other emerging farmers who are also looking to enter agriculture. To find such individuals, you can use your network.
Your approach can be to collectively purchase or lease land that is then divided into sections that each person can cultivate. Alternatively, you can form a cooperative where each person contributes to a farm with one crop or livestock.
Option 4: Livestock Farming through Other Farmers
Some individuals have found it worthwhile to invest in a specific amount of livestock which they purchase from another farmer. Instead of moving the animals, they arrange for them to graze with the original herd, only paying a monthly fee for any additional feed, medicine or labour costs.
You can easily start farming in this way without needing to invest in land or taking care of your livestock by yourself.
Next Steps to Farming
Once you have your space allocated for your choice of venture (chosen through market research), you will need to understand the climate you are farming in.
Understanding the environment you are growing is important because not all crops behave the same in all climates. You might find that one variety is more resilient than another in warm climates, or others are frost or drought tolerant. Find out what the annual rainfall is like, the average temperature for summer and winter, as well as whether the area is prone to frost.
Unless you are taking a vertical farming approach, you will need to look at the soil requirements of each crop.
Should you choose to farm with livestock, you need to familiarise yourself with climatic issues such as pests, disease and predators.
Take the necessary steps to upskill yourself to make your farming venture a success. You can find short courses that provide you with vital knowledge about farming practices. Some veteran farmers are also willing to take newbies under their wing and guide them in the best way forward. Once again you can utilise your network, online groups or social media to find a mentor.
Funding, of course, is also important when you start farming in South Africa. There are a few places that you can apply for funding should you need the funds to purchase livestock, agricultural inputs or equipment. The list consists of non-profit organisations as well as government-funded initiatives.
Now that you know of alternative ways to start farming that doesn’t entail purchasing a farm and tilling the land, you can make your agricultural dreams come true!
