Agriculture has gone through periods and eras of change to the point where it is right now as revealed by this post, the Evolution of Agriculture and Roles you can Play Lucratively.
We all know that once upon a time, our ancestors farmed with very rudimentary tools and found it difficult to feed their people.
This would have continued had it not been because of innovation which seemed to have started with the Egyptians.
This blog post will educate on the phases that have been passed in the agricultural industry, where we are now and how you can get yourself involved in the 21st-century Agricultural industry.
THE PAST
The bedrock of civilisation is agriculture, and this is clearly understood because we all seem to know that without food, a population cannot thrive and therefore, a civilisation would perish.
Man’s first occupation was rearing of animals and cultivating the land because let’s face it, and he knew that if there were no food on the table, the family wouldn’t grow.
The problem with the farmer of the past is that they didn’t have enormous libraries of information like us who have the biggest library of information – the internet.
The people of the past didn’t have advanced tools as we did, and this made cultivating the land difficult. Imagine yourself farming with sticks instead of a shovel, rake and tractors…I don’t wish such complicated means for anyone.
Most of the farmers of the past lost their animals due to diseases and didn’t know how to perform a post mortem test to decipher what killed their animals.
Imagine how it would have been to rear animals without the kind of research and data that has been collected over many years through research…you would be buried under a pile of animal problems and not have a clue of what to do.
THE PRESENT
Currently, the world has evolved to a stage where we involve data in everything we do, and this has extrapolated production in agriculture.
With the data collected from soil test analysis has led to us knowing the exact type of soil needed to grow certain crops. This clearly means that:
- You spend less time on the farm
- You know what nutrients your plant needs to grow and how to get it
- You can successfully carry out any planting because of the stock of data we have.
With an increase in the world, population agronomists looked for better means to increase production rates, and this has led to trends like hydroponics, aeroponics and now precision agriculture.
Related Content: Reasons to Save your Nigerian Naira in Dollars (USD)
Presently a farmer doesn’t need to go to the farm 24/7, all he simply has to do is monitor his farm through unique software that will inform him what is going on in his farm and all he has to do is push a button and voila the problem is solved.
Involving technology in agriculture has made life easier for many farmers across the world, it has
- Reduced time spent on the farm
- Increased production
- Reduced risks
- Helped in managing risks
- Lessened the burden placed on the farmer
In rearing animals, technology has made it easier for farmers to feed their animals through automated feeders and drinkers, especially in the case of poultry and swine farming.
This has dramatically increased productivity, and since data has been collected over time on how the chickens or pigs feed, this now makes it easier for the farm technologist to program when the feeder and drinker should supply feed and water respectively.
This is a great new age for anyone who wants to venture in agriculture as we have passed the initial stage and have advanced into one of great flexibility with a lot of ease.
THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY
Many will ask ‘how do I key into the industry’, and this post will help you understand where you can fit in. There are many ventures in agriculture and knowing which one you want to go into is important. There are multiple ventures in agriculture and here is a list of some
- Poultry
- Fishery
- Piggery
- Apiary
- Cattle rearing
- Snail rearing
- Crop Production
- Processing of crops and animal products
The list above is some of the significant ventures in which you can go into, and with proper management, you can make it very profitable.
Before engaging in any venture here are some questions you need to ask yourself
- Which venture am I going into?
- Do I have the capital needed?
- What levels of difficulty are involved in each venture?
- Is there a market for the venture in my area?
- Do I see myself doing this long term?
After asking yourself such questions, you can then start. I wish you good luck. You can also subscribe to our newsletter for more updates at your fingertips. This article; the Evolution of Agriculture and Roles you can Play Lucratively is the first in our Agro Career series of this website.
In our subsequent guides, we will be sharing a few practical guides on how you can start and grow a lucrative agro firm, from anywhere in the world.
Valentine Nnanyere is the founder and lead instructor at Jobreaders.org, an e-Learning community that focuses on technology, profitable skills, and high-quality knowledge sharing. Nnanyere is a digital marketing consultant, website/software developer, and new media advertiser with an undiluted interest in spreading high-income knowledge and career opportunities. For business, inquiries, support and partnership, kindly mail [email protected]