For Damilare Babatope, an Ogun-based agro entrepreneur, involvement in farming has been a mixed bag, with the attendant opportunities and challenges associated with the value chain.
However, he has made a success in pig, fish farming, cucumber and watermelon growing, which are pointing the way to profit making.
Making a success in agricultural business is not easy. It is beyond blending different aspects of the business in the agricultural value chain.
To Babatope, much more is involved in driving livestock and crop farming. He started in March 2014. He went into livestock farming, with focus on pig farming. He then gravitated into fish farming.
Today, the business is large. He is very successful. From livestock, he explored fortune in growing cucumbers. He tried watermelon, raising cultivated land to five hectares. For him, that was one of the most effective ways to improve his life and make a triumph over poverty.
He is happy he has been able to use agriculture to create jobs, raise incomes and reduce malnutrition. But the inspiration to venture into the business came from a friend.
He said: “A friend of mine encouraged me. He told me there was money in farming as long as you are ready to get dirty. I was inspired by the money I could make from it. Eventually, passion took over. it was not about the money again. it was about passion.”
Babatope spoke about the challenges.”It is very hard to monitor the business since I run a side business in Lagos. Also, I had to raise money to build the pig pens, dig bore holes and it was a lot of expenditure,” he said.
He advised those who want to go into the farming to be patient and passionate. “I advise beginners to have a pool of funds to use in the first one year until they break even. Trust me after you have passed that you will still reaping money.”