18/09/2024
REASONS WHY SOME POULTRY FARMERS DON'T MAKE MONEY FROM THEIR POULTRY BUSINESS
Though I’m writing this post for poultry farmers, the content could be useful for every other areas of the Agribusiness too.
1. Most Poultry Farmers are Blind to their Market.
By this, I mean, they really don’t understand the market they are playing in.
It’s very common to see Africans waking up one day and think, “Since I have ### amount of money, which business can I start?”
The next thing he does is going to the internet or speak with some friends. Few days after that, he has read and heard from people that poultry, fishery or pig farming could make him money. The next thing he/she does is to start planning how to start a poultry farm.
Every successful entrepreneur knows that this is a wrong way to start a business.
Before you start any business, you have to spend quality time to understand the market you’re planning to sell to. In the case of poultry business (which we’re using as case study), you’ll have to consider what kinds of poultry products your target market loves and at what time of the year they prefer such.
This is what I mean. Are you planning to sell to a group of people who love to buy broilers, cockerels or only eggs? Would they buy your broilers only in the festive period or always? How much are they willing to pay for the eggs, broilers and cockerels? Plus, who are the competitors who are already selling poultry products for this market?
You get my idea. To have a successful business (poultry inclusive), an entrepreneur has to start with the end in mind. You have to take some time out, even before you start anything, to understand your target market and the forces of demand and supply.
This is what will give you a great insight into your market and how to play your game as an entrepreneur.
2. Not Seeing Poultry Farming as Business
I have seen so many people who are into animal husbandry as if they are “just farmers”. This mindset is common to most peopl