Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #19

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Fundamental greetings to all Steemians especially, the lovers of agriculture. It is another week to celebrate the goodness of Agriculture under the subject Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #19 today we will be focusing on an important and emerging concept in agriculture which is Agricultural Entrepreneurship.

This concept is made up of two important words and there are Agriculture and Entrepreneurship. Yo further direct our discussion, it is wise we give attention to the terms singly before pairing.

While Agriculture refers to the cultivation of crops, rearing of animals and taking part in other faming related activities for the provision of food, shelter, raw materials and precursors among others. This products are basically for domestic and commercial purposes depending on the scale at which there are being processed.

On the other hand, Entrepreneurship refers to the process of applying skills such as innovation, creativity, seizing opportunities, taking risks, applying modernized strategies in the establishment and management of a business with the aim of making better yield. Exposing this two concepts narrows us to the main bone of contemplation

This is a derivative of two words Agriculture and entrepreneur and it refers to the process by which innovative approaches and modern/improved strategies are being introduced into the Agricultural sector with the aim of improving agricultural productivity. These innovative and improved strategies ranges from effective management of farming activities, explorative usage of Agricultural products, strategic management and sales of Agricultural products to mention but a few.

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The importance of Agricultural Entrepreneurship can not be over emphasized as it enhances quality and effective food production, creates employment opportunities, brings about better yield, enhances creativity on the part of the farmer and as well, foster stability of economy especially in the rural and semi urban areas.

An Agricultural Entrepreneur is someone who is embedded with innovative strategies and skills to do something in a different way so as to enhance and maximize more profits. Summarily, its activities involves complex tasks such as risk management and simpler tasks such as autonomous decisions making. Specifically, it activities involves the following;

Farm Management
An agricultural Entrepreneur is someone who is saddle with the responsibility of overseeing the total management of the farm. He or she gets involved in the preparation of the land, planting of crops, control of pest and diseases, irrigation and harvesting of agricultural products. In the area of animal rearing, the Agricultural Entrepreneurship is always responsible for the complete and total well-being of the animals as he or she ensures that the animals are well fed, and taken care of.

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Agro-processing
In addition to farm management, Agricultural Entrepreneur engaged in value and innovative processes by processing their farm products into variety of semi finished goods and finished goods. For example, a mere farmer choose to sell his cassava while and Agricultural Entrepreneur may process the Cassava into Garri and even go as far as adding sugar and milk then parceling it for the final consumers who wishes to drink.
It may interest one to know that I mistakenly bought animal droppings thinking it was milk based on how it was packed by the entrepreneur.

Market Research and Distribution*
While many people sells their products where there were being harvested, agricultural Entrepreneur goes out there in Search of where his or her products would be highly valued. They achieve this through studying the market trends. One of the hidden strategies of an Agricultural Entrepreneur centers on their ability to perfectly distribute their products to meet their targeted customers.

Technological Adoption
While remote farmers may still center and embrace the use of crude tools for agricultural activities, an Agricultural Entrepreneur brings in modernized and improved tools So as to maximize their yield. They often introduces modern Agricultural tools such as drones and tractors etc.

Financial Management
The main purpose of integrating all these strategies by the Agricultural Entrepreneur is to make more profit. This makes financial Management one of the activities of an Agricultural Entrepreneur as he/she strife at spending less and maximizing more.

Some the importance of Agricultural Entrepreneurship are been highlighted as follows;

Food Security
This is achieved through the provision of better and quality Agricultural activities which inturns yields better Agricultural output. Majority of this output is always made up of food. By this, the supply of food is always made to meet the demands of food in the community.

Employment Generation
The divergent activities of the Agricultural Entrepreneur makes room for more open opportunities where people can work and this creates room for job opportunities.

Rural Development
This comes to play as a result of increase in population due to the creation of work by an entrepreneur. Secondly, the involvement of the entrepreneur in community activities would be such that promotes development holding to the fact that the market would be built, and roads constructed for transportation in most cases.

Innovation
This is a function of creativity on the part of the entrepreneur in bringing out new and effective ways of solving complex problems. This innovations could be experienced on the area of eco-friendly activities and climate smart agriculture which plays significant roles in the reduction of environmental impacts.

As it as always been said, "to every merits there are demerits, Agricultural Entrepreneur is not an exception as the demerit may include financial constraints, market risk, Government policies climate change lack of skilled labour, power problems etc.

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Show me a nation full with Agricultural Entrepreneur and I will show you a nation filled with innovations creativity, adequate finance and great potentials to move to the highest level. At this point I invite @Zulbahri, @bossj23, @basil20 to please join the contest.