Guidelines to help you with your farm vehicle inspection Imagine that you are in your peak harvesting season and your tractor breaks down. You have no backup and are dependent on this one tractor, what would you do? I can only guess that this could cause a major setback in your operations and negatively impact your cashflow. The last thing that you want to deal…
Using digital technology to help you farm better The modern-day farmer who enjoys working with technology will stand the test of time. If anything, COVID-19 has taught us that we should all embrace technology and most importantly, use it as a tool to increase productivity, improve efficiencies and effectiveness in our everyday working lives. During the lockdown period, we have seen how many of us…
WATER is a crucial resource in any farming activity, therefore, you cannot farm without it. A serious challenge that threatens the farming industry today is drought and if farmers are already experiencing major losses due to drought, that alone should be an indication of how crucial water is to farming. It’s deeply concerning to read and or hear from individuals that have started farming but are…
The decision to seek funding or investment for your farm requires a significant amount of planning and detailed thought on what and how you are going to finance your farm. And if you are seeking partners within your business, you would also need to consider the amount of equity or shares you are willing to giveaway to the potential investors/ business partners. It’s important to…
It’s no secret that farming is a highly capital intensive business and if you are a farmer looking for funding to start or expand your business, the following companies may just be the best place to start: Capital Harvest Capital Harvest is a niche agricultural finance company based in Cape Town that focuses only on agricultural finance. Their financing model is similar to those of…
When seeking funding as an entrepreneur from a Venture Capitalist (VC) or Private Equity (PE) firm, it’s important to understand the difference between the two and their appetite for business. The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA), classes PE investment as a more long term investment, where fund managers raise third party funds from different investors to procure assets that are predominantly…
It’s no secret that technology has been at the forefront in driving change and innovation to the agricultural sector, to help farmers improve efficiencies on their farms. As a grower, I embrace the adoption of such technologies knowing first hand how overwhelming life on the farm can be, with increased workload and responsibilities. Listed below are some 6 farming apps (in no particular order) that…
Looking back at my journey and how I ventured into farming, I wish I could have consulted with more farmers and have done more planning and preparation into what I was getting myself into. Having learnt from some of my mistakes, I thought that I would share some important facts about farming that I think you should know, before quitting your job to become a…
If you have ever read somewhere or had someone tell you that farming is not for the faint-hearted, take it from me, it is not. As much as the idea of farming may seem glamorous, being out in the fields and doing what you love, some challenges can test you as a farmer making you question why you even began farming in the first place. …
Despite agriculture being one of the least favourable career sectors to pursue, it’s fascinating to see a high level of interest from people wanting to start farming. The most common question people often ask me is: how do I start farming? And so, listed below are the most important factors to consider when venturing into farming and they will serve as a guideline if you…
