BACK TO THE BASICS

By Albert Makendenge

For any upcoming farmer who is still starting out and looking to make it big in the business of agriculture, it is important that they familiarize themselves with the simple and basic ways of livestock and crop production. For any farmer that has hit rock bottom or has encountered failure along the way, the thinking should not be about giving up but simply going back to the drawing board and following through all of the simple and basic agricultural rules and principles, some of which are laid out below.

Agriculture is the science, art or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products. Agronomy, plant breeding, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, horticulture, soil science and agricultural economics are some of its many branches. Going back into the 19th and 20th century there are some basic scientific principles that can be identified that are still totally relevant today.

Soil and water testing to begin with. Soil and water are important elements that make up the agricultural environment and ensuring that these are just suitable for whatever venture or activity a farmer intends to take up is very important for future success. In the face of climate change and global warming, greener and more environmentally friendly agricultural practices of old need seriously need to be brought back into the picture to sustain the industry. This can be well cemented by taking up good agricultural practices such as conservation agriculture and organic farming. Not forgetting the daily, weekly and monthly tasks of budgeting and recording to take note of every transaction or activity that happens within and outside the farm setup. Lastly, going into production as informed by the dynamics of demand and supply in the market and not just rolling out commodities.

These are some of a lot of other basic rules and principles that farmers in Zimbabwe need to follow in order to get back on track or as they start their journey in the agricultural industry. vaMudhumeni understands this so we have condensed all this information and more on our blog at https://www.vamudhumeni.org/blog and through articles and videos that we share via our social media platforms. Knowing the basics empowers a farm to be able to come up with a working plan about how to structure and run their budding farming venture. Our goal has been and continues to be #helpingfarmersgrow.

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