TOP AGRICULTURE BUSINESS IDEAS WITH SMALL STARTUP

Making money from an agricultural business requires some experience in developing a business. Before you decide on an idea, create a business plan that includes research on market demand for the products you grow and how to get them to the market. You’ll also need a proper financing plan, as most agricultural businesses require access to large area of land and farm equipment to get started.

Below compiled are the most profitable agriculture business ideas which can help those entrepreneurs in deciding their preferred business to start with and make money from within a very short period.

Top Lucrative Business ideas in Agriculture

1. Flour milling

You can start your own flour milling business and start converting grains like wheat, corns, millet and cassava into flour. Wheat flour is a product that is in high demand in the baking industry. Flour milling is something you can do from the convenience of your home if you have a small space that you can mark out for it. If you do not have space within your home, you can rent a small space and start from there and as your business expands, you can opt for a larger space. You can easily get wheat, corns, millet or cassava from local farmers, and then learn how to process it and make it into flour. Some of the procedures include cleaning, grading and separation, tempering and then grinding the wheat.

2. Fruit Juice or Jam Production

Our fore-fathers used to make their own jam and fruit juice at home by themselves before some smart investors recognized the business potential of these items and started making processed and packaged fruit juice and jam for sale. As a young entrepreneur, you can start making your own fruit juice or jam and supply them to supermarkets and food stores around you. There is huge demand for natural fruit juice now as more people are now learning how to eat healthy and avoid artificial and overly preserved foods and drinks. You can buy fruits in large quantity from local farmers and make your own natural healthy fruit juice at home.

3. Groundnut Processing

Groundnut is a popular snack that is loved by very many people. Take a trip to a nearby supermarket and you will see bottled groundnuts branded and packaged in a fanciful way. Very little effort goes into frying and packaging those groundnuts for sale and distribution. With as little as $200, you can start your own groundnut processing and packaging business. And of course, you can do it from the comfort of your home. If you can start your own groundnut farm, you will get access to groundnuts cheaply but if you don’t have a space for groundnut farming, you can still get cheap raw groundnuts from farm markets.

4. Cashew Nut Processing

Cashew nut processing and packaging is similar to groundnut processing, the only difference is that cashew nuts are more expensive and difficult to get than groundnuts. Raw cashew nuts are readily available in local village farms and markets where you can purchase them, bring them home for processing and packaging and sell them at a good profit.

5. Livestock Feed Production

A lot of people are going into livestock farming like fish farming, pig farming, poultry farming and a whole lot of others. As a smart investor, you can start producing feed for people to feed their animals. However, you must ensure that you carry out a lot of research and come up with a product that is rich in nutrients and would promote quick growth and good health of the animals. To start a livestock feed production business, you will need a grinding machine, mixing machine, weighing machine, customized packing bags and raw materials for production.

6. Quail egg Farming

Recently, a lot of people have come to discover the amazing health benefits of quail egg and a lot of people are now going into quail egg farming. Depending on how you decide to go about it, Quail egg farming business can be started with less than $150

7. Mushroom Farming

It is similar to quail egg farming and not many people know that this business brings up to 500% profit. If you have a clean space in your home, you can start your own mushroom farming business today and start selling mushrooms to hotels, exporters and pharmaceutical companies in the next 21 days.

8. Snail Farming

Snail meat is a healthy alternative for meat. People who are on a diet or suffering from a health condition that prevents consumption of too much cholesterol usually turn to snail meat instead of meat.

9. Soya Beans processing

Soya milk, soya flour, soya sauce, soya bean oil. Soya bean milk is a healthy and nutritious drink that is in high demand by health conscious people. You can start a soya bean milk processing business for a little capital.

10. Agricultural Equipment leasing

With the increase in people going into the agricultural business, you can make money from hiring out equipment like tractors, ploughs, sprayers, harvesters and irrigation machines to farmer.

11. Spices Production

Spices used to make food like curry, thyme, cayenne pepper to mention a few are usually in high demand at food stores and supermarkets. Take advantage of that by processing and packaging your own spices. .

12. Poultry and meat production and packaging.

There is the general belief that manually packaged meat or poultry are not too hygienic because of the way they might have been handled. A lot of people are now making good money from machine processed and packaged meat.

13. Medicinal and Herbal plant cultivation

Medicinal plants and herbs are in great demand both locally and for export. Growing medicinal herbs commercially is one of profitable agriculture business ideas. Having sufficient land and knowledge about the herbs marketing, an entrepreneur can initiate medicinal herbs farming with moderate capital investment

14. Vegetable Farming

Vegetables are one of the highly consumed food items in the world. Starting a vegetable farm is one of the simplest and easiest businesses in the world with a high profit margin of up to 500%.

15. Aquaculture farming

Catfish farming, Tilapia farming and crayfish farming are very good businesses for young people who are interested in agriculture.

16. Agricultural Brokerage and consulting

You can start a business in agricultural brokerage by linking sellers of agricultural produce with buyers and get commission for it. You can also become a consultant and offer expert advice or organize training and seminars.

17. Hatchery

Another very good business for young entrepreneurs is starting a hatchery for eggs and selling day-old chicks to poultry farmers.

18. Florist

Fresh flowers are generally used for home decorations or event decorations and you can make money from growing flowers for sale. An entrepreneur also can generate a substantial online sale by offering customers door-step delivery.

19. Facilitative services (credit, insurance, marketing, storage, processing, transportation, packing,distribution.).

20. Fertilizer Distribution Business

Fertilizer distribution business in Nigeria is highly controlled by Government regulation. It is one of the profitable agriculture business ideas one can start with moderate capital investment

21. Poultry Farming

Poultry farming in Africa has transformed into a techno-commercial industry from the status of backyard farming. Poultry farming is the fastest growing sector in agriculture and farming business.

22. Bee Keeping

Beekeeping business opportunity demands day-to-day monitoring with close supervision to the bees. With the increasing awareness about the health, demand for honey is growing globally. Beekeeping for selling honey and other products like wax is a profitable venture to start with less startup investment

23. Export business

An entrepreneur can start export business of farm produce by collecting them from local farmers. One can start this business from home location only having phone and computer with internet connection

24. Micro nutrient Manufacturing – Folier and Soil Application

Micro nutrient has an immense potential in agriculture business. Having a strong distribution strategy, one can start this manufacturing business with substantial capital investment.

25. Botanical pesticide

This is one of the most profitable agriculture business ideas. It is an essential and mandatory product for organic farming. The demand for this product is increasing highly.

26. Basket and broom production

Are very common products in rural agriculture scenario. An entrepreneur can start this business by sourcing these products from rural makers and after giving a ornamentation, it can be sold as utility or decor item through retail and online both. To start profitable basket-weaving business one requires thoughtful planning and a high level of creative mind having flair for design. Using a wide range of raw material an entrepreneur can initiate customized basket-weaving business from home location with moderate capital investment

27. Fish hatchery

This is a place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing through the early life stage of fish and shellfish in particular. Hatcheries produce larva and juvenile fish primarily to support the aquaculture industry where they are transferred to on-growing systems.

28. Piggery

Having a sufficient landholding an entrepreneur can start piggery business. Among the various livestock species, piggery is most potential source for meat production and pigs are more efficient feed converters after the broiler. Pig farming requires small investment on buildings and equipment.

29. Tea growing business

Tea business has huge potential and demand for the product is increasing globally. Tea plants typically fare best in acidic soil and regions with heavy rainfall (around 40 inches per year), although they can be grown anywhere from sea level to altitudes as high as 1.3 miles above sea level.

30. Grocery E-shopping portal

This is the most trending business in recent phenomena. This tech-based business opportunity demand proper planning and strong online marketing strategy to start.

31. Landscape expert

This is a personnel who have enough knowledge in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water management, sustainable design, and construction specification and ensuring that all plans meet the current building codes and local and federal ordinances.

32. Dairy Farming

You can start making your own dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese and butter for sale Commercial dairy farming is one of the most profitable agriculture business ideas. Apart from milk it produced a quantity of manure. There is a tremendous scope/potential for increasing the milk production through profitable dairy farming.

33. Goats Farming

Goat farming are among the main meat-producing animals. This meat is one of the choicest meats and has huge domestic demand. Due to its good economic prospects, goat rearing under intensive and semi-intensive system for commercial production has been gaining momentum for the past couple of years.

34. Potato Powder

Potato powder has wide application in the processed and snack food industries, it can be used in any recipe which requires mashed potatoes. Potato powder is used as a thickener or base for preparation of ready to eat vegetable gravies and soups. Processing method is also not very complex. Potato powder processing business can be initiated semi-automatic small scale basis.

35. Corn Farming

Corn (Maize) is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions. Globally, maize is known as queen of cereals because it has the highest genetic yield potential among the cereals. Commercial corn farming by using modern technology with quality seed is one of the most profitable agriculture business ideas..

36. Soil Testing Lab

Soil Testing is agronomically sound, beneficial and environmentally responsive tool used for monitoring the nutrient as well as making precise fertilizer recommendations for various crops and cropping sequences ensuring no damage to the environment. Establishing a soil testing lab with a Government certification is one of the most ideal agriculture business ideas.

37. Horticulture Crop Farming

Horticulturists produce fruits, flowers, and plants in greenhouses and nurseries. Selection of the crops and method is important in this business.

38. Potato Chips Production

Commercial small potato chips production line can process both potato chips and french fries. As it is a FMCG product demand is increasing globally.

39. Fodder Farming for Goats and Cows

Fodder is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as chickens, horses, pigs, cattle and goats. The term refers to food given to animals, rather than the food they forage for themselves. Types of plants typically grown for fodder include alfalfa, barley, oats, clover, grass and wheat.

40. Agro-Farming Blogging

As internet facility is spreading fast, even farmers from remote villages have access to internet. There is a growing need for unbiased, honest advices for farming related activities. People having knowledge and expertise in farming related activities worth consider agro farming blogs

41. Agriculture Consulting

As with other consulting services, agriculture consulting requirement is surely expected to grow with coming days. People with experience and knowledge on a specified field of farming activity can consider offering consulting services to organizations and farmers.

Culled from: practicalbussinesideas.com

BEST USE OF FARM ANIMALS POOPS

 

FARM MANAGEMENT

Animals have more to add to your farm than meat, milk, eggs and fiber. Here’s how you can turn their manure into a valuable fertilizer for your soil.

While animal waste is a smelly reality on any farm, if used right it can provide valuable fertilizer to your cropland. Every barnyard species’ manure has its merits and risks for use on the small-scale farm. Couple knowledge of your soil’s nutrient needs as determined in a soil test with the characteristics of the manure you have on hand to create a soil recipe that best suits your crops and pastures. Knowing your animals’ average daily manure volume and weight can help you plan for storage and processing needs, but keep in mind the manure’s moisture content will evaporate, reducing volume and weight over time.

Below are the dirty details you should know about your livestock’s poop before using it on your farm. These numbers can vary based on the animal’s diet and stage of growth and production, so you might consider having your livestock’s manure tested by your state department of agriculture, a private lab or your local cooperative extension for more accurate measurements. The measurements below do not account for bedding, only manure. While they might seem tedious to remember, keep the guide close at hand so you can make the healthiest soil possible.

1. Chicken Manure
Don’t Get Burned: The nutrients in fresh chicken manure are too strong to use directly on your vegetables and ornamental plants and will “burn” them, preventing germination and retarding growth. Composting chicken manure before use on your veggies is a best practice, though fresh chicken manure can be used to help establish forage crops. The University of Georgia advises using fresh chicken manure sparingly when seeding legumes into existing grasses.

The Load: One chicken produces approximately 1/4 pound or 0.0003 to 0.0004 cubic feet of manure per day.

An Eye on Health: Dry chicken manure has an average N-P-K ratio of 3.55-2.25-1.75. Be aware that this nutrient content can vary depending on your chickens’ housing and whether they’re raised as broilers or layers.

Moisture Content: 75 percent

Apply It: Chicken manure—especially from laying hens—is high in calcium, making it useful for land deficient in this micronutrient. Symptoms of calcium deficiency in crops include slow root growth; blossom-end rot in tomatoes; and tipburn—brown lesions on growing leaves—in cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce. A soil test will confirm calcium levels. Use no more than 1/3 pound of chicken manure per square foot of land per year

2. Horse Manure
Stop Buggin’ Out: Compost horse manure before spreading it on pastures to kill parasites and their eggs.

The Load: A horse produces 50 pounds or 0.80 cubic feet of manure per day

An Eye on Health: A slow-release fertilizer when dry and rapid-release when fresh, horse manure has an average N-P-K value of 1.5-1.4-1.75. Altering your horse’s diet will affect these numbers; for example, feeding legume hay will increase the amounts of nitrogen, calcium and magnesium in the manure.

Moisture Content: 78 percent

Apply It: Composted horse manure should be spread a maximum of four times during the growing season at approximately 1/4-inch thickness so the nutrients can be best utilized by the pasture plants. Avoid adding any more than 1¼ pounds per square foot of land per year.

3. Cattle Manure
Weed Before You Seed: Uncomposted cattle manure will often contain weed seeds. (The same goes for horse and sheep manure—the animals eat the weeds in their forage.) Applied fresh, these weeds will sprout in pastures and garden beds, but the heat generated by proper composting will kill the weed seeds.

The Load: At the top of your farm’s manure-producing chain, one cow can provide 63 to 106 pounds or 1 to 1.7 cubic feet of manure per day.

An Eye on Health: Cattle manure has an N-P-K value of 1.25-.55-1. Switching cattle from a high-grain diet to a high-quality hay-based diet might reduce E. coli content in manure.

Moisture Content: 88 percent

Apply It: Add no more than 1 pound of cattle manure per square foot of land per year. An alternative to spreading manure yourself is to institute an intensive grazing management plan on your farm, especially in areas that will be tilled after the manure is deposited.

4. Pig Manure
The Pathogens Stop Here: Many cooperative extensions caution against using pig manure on food crops or in a garden-compost pile because some parasites in the manure can be harmful to humans and might not be killed during composting. Have your pig manure tested for pathogens before applying it to your food crops. Pigs fed coarsely ground meal diets are less likely to produce manure testing positive for Salmonella than those fed finely ground pelleted diets.

The Load: One pig produces 7.2 to 9.5 pounds or 0.12 to 0.15 cubic feet of manure per day.

An Eye on Health: On average, pig manure’s N-P-K value is 0.4-0.3-0.45. It’s higher in sulfur content than most manures (except chicken manure), so it’s useful for sulfur-deficient soils. Signs of sulfur deficiency in crops are yellowing of young leaves, spindly looking plants, slow growth and delayed maturity. A soil test will confirm sulfur levels.

Moisture Content: 89 to 91 percent

Apply It: When using, add no more than 2 pounds of hog manure per square foot of land per year.

5. Sheep Manure
Steady as She Goes: Sheep manure is an overall balanced soil fertilizer, having valuable—but not particularly rich—nutrient and micronutrient levels.

The Load: A sheep produces 4 pounds or 0.06 cubic feet of manure per day.

An Eye on Health: The average N-P-K content of sheep manure is 2.5-1.75-2. Sheep manure has more magnesium than all other farm animal species’ manure except chickens. This can be a beneficial addition to magnesium-deficient soils. Your soil might be magnesium-deficient if you find crops with yellow or white areas or dead spots between the veins of older leaves, older leaves with a purple or bronze color, and plants with stunted growth and yellow appearances. A soil test will confirm magnesium levels.

Moisture Content: 75 percent

Apply It: Add no more than 2/3 pound of sheep manure per square foot of land per year.

Warnings to the Wise
Sick or stressed animals are more likely to shed harmful pathogens in their manure, according to the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension, so if nutritious fertilizer is what you’re after, it’s important to treat your animals right. Follow common-sense animal-care guidelines: quarantine new or sick animals, use parasite control and fly control, provide appropriate shelter, regularly provided fresh feed and clean water, allow appropriate space in indoor and outdoor areas, schedule regular manure removal and bedding maintenance, and control temperature and ventilation inside barns.

And never forget: Always practice caution when using animal waste as fertilizer. Be aware that using any form of manure above the recommended rate can lead to increased nitrate concentration in forages, posing the risk of nitrate toxicity to grazing animals. To prevent food-borne illness, do not apply fresh manure to land where food crops come in contact with the soil within 120 days of harvest, and avoid applying fresh manure to other cropland within 90 days of harvest.

Let’stalkagric.com

CAUSES OF SWOLLEN ABDOMEN IN CHICKENS

Before heading to the vet, learn what diseases and disorders could cause your chicken’s abdomen to bloat.

A bloated or swollen abdomen in a chicken could be a symptom of any number of illnesses or health issues, several of which directly or indirectly affect the hen’s reproductive system. In veterinary medicine, there is rarely one cause of a condition, so we usually begin with a list of differential diagnoses and use lab tests and physical exams to differentiate. With this in mind, your best course of action is to reach out to your county-extension poultry personnel or veterinarian for help in differentiating the various causes of a swollen abdomen. Veterinarians can perform a physical exam and run diagnostic tests, including X-rays, to distinguish between fluid and solid contents in the abdominal cavity.

Approach the diagnostic process with a clear sense of the animal’s financial value to your operation: Although some services might be available free of charge through a land-grant extension office, the expense of some diagnostic tests and treatments can add up quickly. While it’s always worth your time and money to identify a bacterial or viral infection that could potentially impact more than one member of the flock, this might not be the case with a condition that only affects one hen.

Poultry keepers who keep genetically improved breeds, bred for high egg production, might see these problems more frequently in their flocks, as production breeds—most of which are usually kept for 12 to 18 months in commercial settings—do not have the genetics to support three to four years of egg-laying. The risk of reproductive disorders increases with age in layers. These afflictions aren’t exclusive to production breeds, however—they can show up in any small-scale flock. Although it’s best to have a veterinarian examine your chicken, here’s a short list of differential diagnoses.

1. Ascites (aka Water Belly)

Fluid can accumulate in the abdominal cavity, secondary to heart disease or tumors in the heart and liver. Fluid in the abdominal cavity is usually accompanied by respiratory distress and cyanosis (bluish color) of the combs and wattles. There is no treatment for ascites.

2. Tumors

Several diseases, such as Marek’s disease, lymphoid leukosis and various adenocarcinomas, cause tumors and enlargement of a chicken’s internal organs, such as the liver, which might, in turn, distend the abdomen. Tumor diseases tend to be chronic, and affected chickens slowly suffer weight loss and decreased appetite. All day-old chicks should be vaccinated for Marek’s disease at the hatchery. Lymphoid leukosis can be transmitted from hens to developing embryos; therefore, disease-free chicks should be purchased from reputable hatcheries. There is no treatment for tumor diseases.

3. Fat Deposition

Extremely obese hens have a thick fat pad that can distend the lower abdomen. Obesity, normally caused by high-energy diets, also predisposes chickens to a condition called fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, where the liver is infiltrated with fat and can contribute to abdominal distension. The syndrome causes acute death in chickens when blood vessels in the liver rupture and cause internal bleeding. It’s seen increasingly in backyard and pet chickens that are fed table scraps high in calories. It’s also very common with small-scale flocks fed free-choice via feeders. Chickens should be fed a well-formulated and appropriately portioned diet to avoid FLHS.

4. Cystic Oviduct

Normally, only the left ovary and oviduct of the hen are functional, but sometimes, the right oviduct is functional and becomes cystic. The cysts appear in a range of sizes, and overly large cysts can distend the hen’s abdomen and compress internal organs. Your veterinarian might be able to drain the cyst nonsurgically using a sterile syringe and needle.

5. Impacted or Egg-Bound Oviducts

These oviductal disorders are seen in obese hens, older hens or pullets that come into lay too early. The oviduct becomes blocked by an egg or a mass of broken eggs and eventually eggs are pushed back into the body cavity as the hen continues to lay. Affected hens walk like penguins when the eggs in the abdomen are excessive.

There is no technical difference between impaction and “egg-bound;” however, I don’t like using the term egg-bound, as it’s more appropriate for what happens in pet birds, such as parrots, where one fully formed egg is stuck in the oviduct.

In chickens, the obstruction can result from several lodged eggs or a mass of broken shells, shell membranes, or a mass of yolk and egg white, and the result is the same. When impaction occurs in the front part of the oviduct (aka uterus), which is usually the case, eggs enclosed by shell membranes might be found in the abdominal cavity. This indicates that eggs continued to form but were refluxed back into the peritoneal cavity. The prognosis for affected hens is poor. The use of antibiotics might prolong an affected chicken’s life for a few months, but it will eventually die from the condition.

6. Salpingitis

This inflammation of the oviduct occurs frequently and can be introduced through the cloaca by various means, including pecking. The most common infection is by E. coli bacteria. In later stages of the condition, the oviduct and abdomen become distended due to masses of foul-smelling, cheesy contents in the oviduct. The cheesy masses are sometimes mixed with egg contents; as a result, salpingitis can frequently be confused with an impacted oviduct.

A chicken with salpingitis can remain healthy for a long time—until the late stage when oviductal contents start to impinge on vital organs. The chicken then becomes sick, refuses to eat and slowly declines. Antibiotics seem to help only temporarily, and while some veterinarians might attempt surgery, the chicken’s oviduct is so friable that the procedure is unlikely to be successful. Affected birds will die.

About the Author: Jarra Jagne, DVM, DACPV, senior extension associate, Veterinary Support Services, Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center.  This article was vetted by Dr. Lyle G. McNeal.

PROPER FEEDING OF DAIRY CATTLES

Proper feeding is very important for the success of dairy farming and represents the highest single variable cost in livestock production. First, a farmer needs to understand the nutritional requirements of his dairy animals in order to provide the right ration.

To maximise milk yields, a cow must be fed on a balanced and adequate ration according to its requirements.

Feeding dairy cows for efficient production involves supplying five classes of nutrients in appropriate amounts. In order of descending priority, the nutrients are used for purposes of life maintenance, growth, reproduction and production.

For instance should a cow on its second month of lactation be indisposed through disease such that its feeding is impaired for a few weeks, the animal first responds by cutting on milk yield.

Afterwards, the cow fails to show heat signs and if it had been served already, conception or pregnancy failure follows before it gradually grows thin and eventually dies.

The five classes of nutrients are:

1. a) Energy

High producing cows usually cannot consume adequate feed during early lactation to meet their energy requirements. The energy deficiency is made-up by converting body fat to energy.

However, this leads to loss of body weight where the cow could lose as much as 0.7 kilos per day. This loss should be kept to a minimum to avoid metabolic disturbances.

Bearing in mind that early lactation is the period when peak milk yield is attained, the farmer therefore needs to feed a dairy cow adequately during the last trimester of pregnancy.

This activity is commonly known as steaming up. The main sources of energy are provided by carbohydrates and fats. Common sources of carbohydrates include maize, sorghum, oats and grasses such as Kikuyu, Rhodes, star, brachiaria and Napier.

1. b) Protein

Proteins constitute approximately 3.2 to 3.5 per cent of milk meaning that a cow producing 25 litres of milk per day secretes about 800 to 900 grammes of protein daily.

Unlike energy, proteins cannot be mobilised in significant amounts when the requirement is greater than the demand. Adequate amounts of protein must therefore be supplied daily in order to avoid depression in milk production.

Protein is an expensive nutrient and giving a cow more than it needs is a waste of money as protein is not stored in the body but is broken down by microorganisms in the rumen and excreted as urea. Protein is usually measured using the nitrogen content of the feedstuff, hence the term crude protein (CP).

Much of the protein is usually first digested by rumen microbes before being availed to the animal as microbial protein. Dairy rations are balanced mainly on the basis of CP requirements as it is among the most limiting nutrients.

Depending on milk yield, a lactating dairy cow’s daily ration requires between 14 to 18 per cent CP on dry matter basis. Rich CP sources are legume forages (such as lucerne or desmodium), plant oil seed meals (such as cotton seed cake, sunflower cake or soyabean) and animal origin meals (such as fish meal or blood meal).

Non-protein nitrogen sources, such as urea and poultry waste which contains uric acid, can be used by microorganisms in the rumen to synthesize microbial protein.

However such sources must only be included in small amounts as they can be toxic. Grains and non-legume forages are somewhat deficient in protein and usually require supplementation for dairy rations.

Legume crops like lucerne are best planted alone but others like desmodium may be intercropped with crops like Napier.

1. c) Minerals

Major minerals not adequately supplied by most feedstuff are calcium, phosphorus, sodium and chlorine. Most rations will therefore require supplementation with these minerals in various forms like sodium chloride salt and limestone.

Other minerals such as copper, manganese and selenium are only required in trace amounts. These trace elements also need to be supplemented to ensure maximum productivity. Young calves, high-producing cows and pregnant animals have higher mineral requirements.

Mineral deficiency results in conditions such as depressed heat signs, poor conception, abortion, low milk production, deformed skeletons in young animals and metabolic diseases like milk fever.

Luckily, mineral premixes containing both major and minor minerals can be bought at agro-vet stores across the country. However it is wise to source the minerals from reputable animal feed firms to avoid sub-standard products.

1. d) Vitamins

With the exception of vitamins A and D, the other vitamins needed by dairy cows are generally present in proper amounts in common feedstuff or are manufactured in adequate quantities by micro-organisms in the rumen.

Though rare, deficiencies may occur under certain conditions such as prolonged stress periods like during illness as well as feeding animals on poor quality roughage or lots of grain. Vitamin supplements are expensive and hence feeding too much of it may bring economic loss to the farmer.

1. e) Water

This is a very important component of feeding. It is required to maintain many body functions like blood circulation and to produce milk. Water constitutes about 87 per cent of milk and should be provided at all times without rationing.

High producing cows may drink as much as 200 litres of water daily. Provide water in a well lit area within 15 metres of the feeding trough. The amount of water consumed at free will increases with an increase in diet dry matter content and intake, milk yield, environmental temperature and salt intake.

Groups of feedstuff

Feedstuff can be divided into two groups namely roughages and concentrates. Roughages include bulky feedstuff relatively high in crude fibre content like fresh grasses, hay and silage. Good quality roughage is the basis of a high milk production and should be fed to the cow at the right stage usually around plant flowering.

If possible, a farmer is encouraged to grow them to reduce costs. Kikuyu grass, Rhodes grass and maize are normally more superior nutritionally compared to Napier which as the only feedstuff will support less than 10 kg of milk. Napier is best at no more than a metre tall, wilted, chopped and mixed with good quality legume roughage.

Roughages rich in both energy and crude protein are essential in providing cheap balanced rations.

Concentrates, on the other hand, contain high proportions of nutrients, less crude fibre and cost more than roughages. They are products like cotton seed cake, maize bran, maize germ, fish meal, brewer’s waste and di-calcium phosphate (DCP). These products are usually combined and mixed in varying ratios to formulate rations like dairy meal for supplementation.

A dairy cow of good genetic potential fed only on quality roughage containing both energy and protein sources can produce about 8 litres a day. As a rule of thumb, 1 kilo of dairy meal is provided for every 1.5 litres of milk above the 8 litres.

A balanced ration should contain between 60 to 70 per cent roughage and between 30 to 40 per cent concentrates.

BEST VEGETABLES FOR BEGINNERS

 

When you first start out gardening, the last thing you want to do is start out with vegetables that are tough to grow. You will probably get frustrated and abandon the idea rather quickly. Fortunately, there are easier options in the vegetable world. If you are relatively new to gardening and want to grow something fairly easy, the seven vegetables listed below are your best bet. They will give you the fewest problems along with the best results on average. The whole idea is to have fun, grow some food and enjoy eating! Here are seven great beginner vegetables to get started with:

1. Green beans – Green beans are very easy to grow and they take very little maintenance. In some cases you can even grow them around other plants like corn so that you don’t have to put any stakes or string up. You can also try the bush beans, which require no staking at all. One of the best things about green beans is that they keep producing after you pick them. That means you can harvest them over and over again.

2. Potatoes – Potatoes are the easiest veggies to grow because there are so many options and very little maintenance involved. Put your potato starts and a bit of compost in a potato bag. Water and keep adding compost. Once the bag is full all you have to do is cover it with dirt and keep it watered. When the potatoes are ready, you just pull the bag up and get your potatoes out!

3. Peas – Peas can grow in cooler climates, so these are a great choice for just about any area. The only special consideration is that they may need some support. Taut string or chicken wire fence usually does the trick.

4. Onions – It doesn’t get any easier than growing onions. Start saving the roots that you cut off when you use onions. Plant them in the garden and water with the rest of the garden. In no time flat you will have onions to enjoy all season long.

5. Garlic – Garlic is as easy as onions. Instead of planting roots, just use the existing cloves so you can multiply your garlic stock. Plant and maintain them the same way you do the onions.

6. Summer Squash – Summer squash is easy to grow and is a very hearty crop so you don’t have to worry much about pest or disease. Just plant 6 seeds to a hill and then thin the hill to 3 strong plants. Make sure you keep these watered thoroughly and deeply.

7. Kale – Kale can be planted as a seed or transplanted as a plant. The key to great kale is moist soil. Kale does well with a lot of exposure to the sun too so you don’t have to worry about overexposure. The only problem is that it can attract pest so you need to be vigilant about monitoring your garden for eggs and other forms of insects.

A PROFITABLE AGRICULTURE BUSINESS IDEA :FISH FARMING

Fish farming business opportunity demands special knowledge, skills and day-to day careful monitoring. Commercial fish farming has proven to be an economically successful business venture throughout the globe. Fish is healthy, protein-rich and tasty food with low cholesterol and calories. The requirement of the fish is one of the main components of animal protein in diet computed 11 kilograms per year per person. Increasing popularity of having varieties of fish as food boosting business opportunity of fish farming globally.

In starting a profitable fish farming business you will need to have substantial financial resources with land and good quality water bodies. You will need to be enough knowledgeable about the process of fish farming. You will need to procure necessary equipment and machinery for the business also.

A) Benefits of Fish Farming

1. Fish farming is one of the fastest growing food production sector in the world

2. Fish and fish product has huge and increasing demand throughout the globe.
3. Market demand and price is always high for fish and fish related products.
4. Fish farming plays an important role in the economy, providing thousands of jobs in operations and ancillary services.
5. Different several types of fast growing fish species are available. Farming those fast growing fish species ensure rapid returns of your investment.
6. People with other occupation or job can also start fish farming business.

B) Cost Calculation of Fish Farming

Two types of capital investment broadly includes in fish farming. One is capital cost and other one is operating cost. Capital cost includes land & building, crafting ponds, vehicles for transport, plumbing arrangements, several tanks, oxygen meters etc.

Operating cost includes purchasing eggs or fingerlings, fish feed, electricity, fuel, labour, chemical, medicine, tax, insurance, telephone, transportation and other maintenance cost involved.

Before getting into the business, carefully prepare detailed cost calculation of your proposed fish farming project. Calculations will be different as per the types of fish you are choosing for fish farming. And also according to your desired output and total land area.

C) Important Consideration About Fish Farming

Feasibility analysis and business planning is must before starting fish farming business. Do an intensive market research before get into fish farming. Understand the local market demand. If you are going to start fish farming for export, then talk to fish processing units prior. Prepare an alternative marketing strategy to rely on. Choosing right species of fish plays major role in getting success in fish farming business. Decision should be based on market demand, maintenance point of view, availability of resources etc.

Having skill is important in starting fish farming business. You can get training from Government running farms that conduct training. Working at a successful fish farm will also teach you how to perform water quality management, disease control, feeding, marketing and processing skills.

1. Ensure that you have a continuous source of quality water.
2. Check whether your water temperature is optimal for the fish species reared or not.
3. Ensure an easy access to the pond for feeding and harvesting.
4. Test the water in which you are starting fish farming both chemical and bacteriological.
5. Learn about the modern technical method of risk assessment and as well as risk management.
6. Finding out reliable suppliers for fish eggs, fingerlings and fish feed is very crucial in fish farming business.
7. Figure out legal compliance and permission needed to start fish farming business in your locality.
C) Different Types of Fish Farming

1. Fish Hatchery

A fish hatchery is an artificial place for breeding, hatching and rearing through the early life stages of animals, finfish and shellfish. Selection of right species is important in starting fish hatchery business. Some species that are commonly raised in hatcheries include Pacific oysters, shrimp, Indian prawns, Carp fishes, salmon, tilapia and scallops.
2. Tilapia Fish Farming

Tilapia has become third most important and popular fish in fish farming after carp and salmon. High protein content, large size, rapid growth (6 to 7 months to grow to harvest size) and palatability; are the major reasons that make tilapia fish farming highly profitable and popular.

3. Shrimp Farming

Commercial shrimp farming has been developed for more than a century in Southeast Asia. Extensive shrimp farming operation is considered the simplest culture approach. Market demand is very high and can be initiated small scale basis.

4. Crab Farming

Intensive commercial crab farming can be performed in smaller areas and at greater densities, minimizing land and labor, but the environmental impacts of these techniques can be significant. The mud crab (Scylla serrata) is a promising aquaculture species due to its fast growth and good market acceptability and price.

5. Prawn Farming

The world-wide demand for prawn is increasing highly. A freshwater prawn farm is very similar to a freshwater fish farm. With the help of modern improved technology one can start prawn farming to meet local and export demand both.

6. Ornamental Fish Farming

Ornamental fishes are colourful, fancy and generally known as aquarium fish. According to a NABARD report the ornamental fish trading industry with a turnover of US $ 6 Billion and an annual growth rate of 8 percent offers lot of scope for development. The overall domestic trade in this field cross Rupees 1000 lakh and is reportedly growing at the rate of 20 per cent annum.

7. Cat Fish Farming

Commercial catfish farming is very profitable. Aquaculture farmers can initiate catfish farming alone or combined with other species. Catfish farming can be initiated with comparatively low cost and at small scale basis.

8. Carp Fish Farming Rahu / Katla

Carp are omnivorous, with a high tendency towards the consumption of animal food, such as water insects, larvae of insects, worms, molluscs, and zooplankton. These food habits plays a major role towards the profitability of carp farming.

9. Salmon Fish Farming

Salmon farming is the commercial production of salmon from egg to market in a net-cage, pond or contained system. Salmon are carnivores. On average it takes two to five kilograms of wild fish (used in feed) to produce one kilogram of farmed salmon.

10. Indoor Fish Farming

An entrepreneur can initiate indoor fish farming from home location with moderate capital investment. You can also integrate integrate an aquaponic system to grow plants with your indoor fish containers and raise fish, vegetable and herbs at the same time.

“For Further Reading”
1. Tilapia Fish Farming: Practical Manual: Volume 1 (Tilapia Fish Farming Information)
2. Tilapia Fish Farming (Tilapia Fish Farming Practices)
3. GROWING CATFISH FROM FINGERLINGS TO TABLE SIZE (Fish Farming Book 1)

4. Freshwater Fish Farming
5. Complete Book of Aquarium Fish (Pet reference books)

GIVE COWS THE TIME THEY NEED TO EAT AND RUMINATE.

 

Optimizing the health and production of dairy cows is largely achieved by ensuring that cows maintain sufficient nutrient intakes to meet their requirements. For that reason, high-quality diets need to be formulated to meet those requirements.

However, just because we put great feed in front of cows, does not mean cows will always get the most value from that feed. In many cases, cows do not consume enough of the feed. Also, from that feed and resultant digestion of it, not all the available nutrients consumed may be fully utilized by the cow. These problems may be directly related to the way cows eat and ruminate their feed.

Eating behaviour

The ways cows eat directly relates to how much they consume, as well as to their rumen health and digestion. How much a dairy cow eats is simply a function of her eating behaviour; that is the total intake (kilograms per day) of a cow is the result of the number of meals consumed daily (meals per day) and the size of those meals (kilograms per meal).

Similarly, intake can be expressed as a function of the total time a cow spends feeding per day (minutes per day) multiplied by the rate (kilograms of dry matter per minute) at which she consumes that feed. Therefore, if a cow wants to consume more feed, she needs to adjust some aspect of her eating behaviour.

In recent research, we have shown that greater feed intake, as well as milk production, are more consistently associated with cows spending more time at the bunk, with more frequent, smaller meals (as opposed to eating larger, faster meals).

This type of eating pattern is not only good for production, but also for rumen health and efficiency. Maximizing time spent feeding at the bunk, in smaller meals, is also important for keeping the rumen stable – this may further translate into improved fibre digestibility and improved milk fat content.

The importance of time

The importance of devoting sufficient time to rumination also should not be overlooked. Dairy cows rely on rumination to digest their food. When cows ruminate, feed particles are broken down into smaller pieces; this not only allows rumen bugs (microbes) to do a better job at digesting that feed, but also helps assist in moving the material from the rumen once digested.

The faster digested feed is removed from the rumen – the more feed the cow can consume. Thus, allowing for cows to maximize their time devoted to rumination contributes to the ability of cows to maximize their feed intake. While cows ruminate, they also produce saliva, which contains bicarbonate, a substance that helps reduce the acidity levels in the rumen. Therefore, maximizing rumination further contributes to a more stable rumen environment, favourable to good feed digestibility.

Maximizing time

The question then arises, how do we make sure cows maximize their eating and rumination time?

It starts with a well-balanced diet, formulated to meet their production requirements, with adequate effective fibre to promote slower consumption and longer rumination times. Beyond that, we also need to ensure that cows are stimulated to access their feed throughout the day, as well as have the time and desire to ruminate their feed.

In a series of studies, we have shown that the most consistent and effective way to stimulate feeding activity is to deliver new feed, which creates much more of a feeding response than the time of day, milking or pushing up of feed.

Delivering feed more than one time a day helps promote those favourable eating patterns described above, resulting in improved digestion efficiency and greater milk fat content. Producers are, thus, encouraged to deliver fresh feed as often as feasible across the day.

The next most important thing, in between feed deliveries, is to ensure that cows always have access to feed that is in the bunk. Pushing up feed in the bunk frequently will ensure that, no matter when or why the cow is at the bunk, there is feed available for her.

If most of the cows come rushing to the bunk once the feed is pushed up, it means that cows have gone too long without feed available to them and need their feed pushed up more frequently. This type of behavioural response may also be an issue on farms that feed for very little, to no, refusals. If cows are without feed at the bunk for too long a period of time, they will, upon the next feed delivery, consume their feed too fast, in much too large of a meal.

Access to feed may also be influenced in group-housing situations by the level of competition for resources in the pen, such as feeding space. When we overcrowd pens of cows, such that not all cows can eat at one time, cows will change their consumption patterns, consuming larger, faster meals or altering their patterns of intake whereby they may forgo eating opportunities at time of the day when they are motivated to do so. Thus, our goal should be to provide enough bunk space so all cows can comfortably feed at the same time.

Time spent ruminating is largely dictated by the diet consumed, as well as the amount consumed; however, the factors which influence the daily activity patterns of cows have the potential to influence the amount of time devoted to rumination. Dairy cows typically ruminate in a diurnal pattern, with the longest period of rumination occurring when the animal is not active (eating or milking), but when at rest (lying down).

As such, most rumination activity occurs while resting at night, with other major bouts of rumination occurring during the middle of the day while resting between other periods of activity. It is not surprising, therefore, that any disruption to a cow’s normal rest time may result in a decrease in rumination time; this may then lead to reduced feed intake and production.

Maximizing rest time is then a key component to optimizing rumination. This is accomplished by providing stalls (tiestalls or freestalls) that are sufficiently sized to allow cows to lay down and stand up without hindrance, as well as that have a comfortable lying surface (i.e., deep bedding or sufficient bedding on top of mattresses). Rumination is also maximized by minimizing heat stress, as well as limiting social stressors found in group-housing situations (e.g., overcrowding and regrouping of cows).

In summary, feed consumption, digestion efficiency and production are optimized when cows have the ability to maximize their time spent eating and ruminating. This is accomplished by not only providing cows a well-balanced diet, but ensuring that cows always have feed in front of them, can access feed when they want to, are stimulated to access that feed throughout the day and have sufficient time and opportunity to rest.