Commercial Goat Farming Business Plan in Nigeria
When asked about agriculture, a lot of people believe it only involves the planting and harvesting of crops or the raising of poultry birds. Well, agriculture goes far beyond that, by definition, agriculture is the rearing of animals and the cultivation of crops for human consumption. This insinuates that any activity that has to do with rearing of animals falls under the umbrella of agriculture.
Also Read: Goat Farming Business Plan in Nigeria
The aspect of agriculture which deals with the rearing of animals is referred to as animal husbandry and it is one which keeps growing on a daily basis worldwide, churning great profits for the entrepreneurs involved. This article seeks to educate you on one major aspect of animal husbandry, goat farming or herding, which is seen as part of the African heritage. In this article we plan to provide you information on the most common breeds of goat reared in Africa, the kind of feed they eat, the kind of housing you can use, and more, it promises to be enlightening and highly educative.
One of the most common animals to be seen roaming the streets in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, especially in rural and semi urban areas, is the goat. In fact some of they are seen as constituting nuisance to the society because of their almost constant bleating sound and their seemingly stubborn nature. They will eat almost any crop they see, visit places where harvested food crops are spread to sun dry to forage, in reality they can be really annoying. What you must know however is that regardless of the number of goats thee owner possesses, they can be a source of income if properly managed. Other aspects of agriculture like poultry farming and fish farming are known to yield very high profits, goat farming is not left out as it is known to yield an amazing amount of revenue, especially in the Northern parts of Nigeria and India. In this article several questions on your mind about goat farming or herding will be answered to make it easy for you to start up your own farm.
What is goat farming?
This is one question a lot of people seek to answer as they are used to seeing goat roam the streets seeking for food on their own unattended. Goat farming or herding is defined in simple terms as the rearing of a single or diverse breeds of goat for commercial purposes. This could be done within an enclosed or confined space or on an extended piece of land. By commercial purposes, we mean to make money and there are several ways that goat products can be used to make good cash. Some of them include meat production, dairy or milk production, fiber production, and more. From this definition you will notice that goat farming is not just multidimensional, it is very lucrative and profitable, especially considering all the activities that be carried out simply by raising goats. If you are still in doubt as to the kind of business opportunities that abound in goat farming, the next section of this article is for you.
The business opportunities that abound in goat farming all around the world
Goat Meat Production. Statistically taking a study of countries around the world, it has been deduced that goat meat is one of the most consumed classes of meat around the world, with billions of people eating goat meat daily. Looking at markets and abattoirs around the world, one will notice that goat meat is in extremely high demand, especially in countries like the United States, Australia, India and our very own Nigeria, to mention but a few. Australia as we know it has one of the highest populations of goats worldwide and the country has channeled their efforts to ensuring that they are the largest exporter of live goats as well as other goat products globally. This has in turn created a great source of business expansion to local goat farmers who have the opportunity of exporting their products as often as they can churn them out. Ironically, despite the unimaginable amount of goats and goat products being exported by the country of Australia on an annual basis, the demand for these products worldwide seems not be satisfied as there is still a large deficit.
Bringing it home to Nigeria, it is no news that goat meat is very high in demand, from the roadside bars to the classy restaurants and the buka (mama put) joints, as well as families who consume goat meat daily. Workers are seen itching to leave their offices immediately it is close of business just so they can visit their favorite bar to consume some isi-ewu or goat meat pepper soup. This demand has seen the goat business expand rapidly as the need for goat meat keeps rising, with the increase in occasions especially, weddings, naming ceremonies, birthday parties, etc.
The Nigerian dwarf goat is seen as the most common goat raised within the Nigerian borders, especially in the South-West, South-South and South-East regions of the country. Most families rear goats for personal consumption or petty sale at the local markets. Presently the Nigerian population sits at over a hundred and eighty million, out of these an average of five to six million consume goat meat daily, this makes it obvious that there is a need for more goat farms in the country.
Dairy production. Dairy products are known to contain or be produced from milk. Goats are known to produce a substantial amount of milk and as a result products like cheese, butter, yogurt, milk and others are produced and sold commercially. Though in reality this aspect of the business is quite unpopular in Nigeria, it is a major source of revenue for farmers around the world. Goat milk is medically seen as more healthy to consume than cow milk as it digests faster due to the presence of smaller fat globules. For this singular reason many families abroad are seen consuming predominantly goat milk. The reverse is the case in Nigeria as people are not aware of the immense benefits available to those who consume goat milk. This could be a major source of income for you in Nigeria if you are able to properly package the milk and market your product.
What are the benefits of goat herding or farming?
- When considering the stress factor, it is far easier to raise goats than to raise poultry.
- It can be seen as a good source of employment when the right measures are put in place.
- It is an appetizing source of food.
- The initial capital outlay is flexible and not too high, except of course if you desire to startup on a very large scale.
- Goat herding is not really labor intensive, so you do not need to employ too many people.
- The goat droppings can be used on a crop farm for manure.
- Most weathers support goat farming, goat are largely recognized as very resilient animals.
- Goats are very free and easy going animals, as such all the different breeds can live with each other in one place and can also graze peacefully with the cattle.
- Goats and their products can be a major source of export revenue.
- Goats are a very important source of animal protein.
Setting up your goat farm
Get your Commercial Goat Farming Business Plan in Nigeria today.To order the business plan in Nigeria, pay N10, 000 to:
BANK NAME: FIRST BANK PLC
ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3066880122
After payment, text your full name, email address and title (e.g. feasibility study on goat farming in nigeria pdf) to 07033378184. Your business plan will be sent to your email within 15 minutes.
Below are a set of steps you should follow in setting up your goat farm, they are quite self-explanatory and easy to follow:
- Acquire a piece of land to use as your pasture. This is seen as one of the most important steps to take in ensuring that the goat farm idea achieves success. It is usually advised that the piece of land is not too far from the city even though it should be a bit remote to avoid disturbing neighborhoods. The land should also be large enough to accommodate the grazing needs of the animals, it should not be choked. Here are a few points to consider when planning to get a land for pasture:
- Choose a place not too far from the city to ensure accessibility for prospective customers.
- The land size acquired must be commensurate to the number of goats to be reared on it, it should not be too small so the animals can roam and graze freely.
- Ensure that veterinary services are easily accessible from the pasture land, as their services will be required quite often on the farm.
- There should be availability of clean and fresh water for the animals on the farm.
- There should be accessibility to a market where you can make a purchase of supplies for your animals as well as sell your animals when you need to.
- Fence the pasture land. It is important that you do this to prevent the animals from roaming beyond the farm boundary. The kind of fence constructed is usually a short perimeter fence which coated with barbed wires. Asides preventing the animals from roaming out of the farm area, it also helps to ward off other dangerous animals from coming in to attack your goats. In some cases, when it is noticed that the goats are trying to evade the fence too often, the barbed wire fence is replaced with an electric fence.
- Construct goat barns. The function of the goat barn is simply to accommodate the goats and give them shelter once their grazing time is over or when there is rain or excess sunshine. When the weather is not to favorable, the goats need a place of above to keep them warm and safe. It is imperative that the barns are built with segments for a few goats each.
- Acquiring of goat breeds. The kind of breed you will acquire is largely dependent on what is obtainable in your environment as well as what is in high demand. It will also depend on your reason for rearing the goats, whether meat production or dairy production, which are the two most common reasons for rearing goats in Nigeria today. Once you have been able to decide on what breed or breed to acquire, the next step is to purchase from a reliable source and be sure to vaccinate them on arrival at your farm facility to keep them safe from disease outbreaks.
- Make sure to keep a regular appointment with the veterinary doctor. This is also a very important step, a lot of people take this for granted and end up paying great prices for their laxity. You stay up to date with your appointments and vaccinations as a disease outbreak on the farm could result in losing all of your animals and investment.
What do goats feed on?
It is important to note that goats pay very close attention to what they eat, even thugh most people view them as animals that can consume anything. In reality, they consume a wide range of animal feed but can also be choosy and quite disciplined about what they eat as well. In general they concentrate on the accuracy of their meals, paying attention to the minutest of details. Due to the presence of mobile upper lips and prehensile tongues, they have the ability to easily graze foliage that other domestic animals would not. Goats however will not consume any food soiled by themselves or any other animal, some serious discipline you may say.
The most common breeds of goats reared worldwide
- Nigerian dwarf goat.
- Nubian goats
- Lamancha goats
- Alpine goats
- Oberhasli goats
- Boer goats
Selling your goats and their products
To several people this is the most important aspect of this article. There are several products from goat farming as we have seen earlier in this article and marketing them is important if you are truly going to maximize the profits from your investment. It is expedient to seek out hotspots where these products are most needed, some of which include abattoirs, bars, restaurants, pepper soup joints, markets, etc. You can also device ways to sell your products after making intense market research. In reality there is no prescribed way of making sales, it all depends on how creative you can be.
In conclusion, you will discover that goat farming can be a great venture afterall as it boasts of yielding great revenue for the entrepreneur. Do your homework and step in, you could be making a huge draught of profit.
Get your own Sample Commercial Goat Farming Business Plan in Nigeria ! To place order, Pay N10,000 to:
BANK NAME: GUARANTY TRUST BANK (GTB)
ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0044056891
OR
BANK NAME: FIRST BANK PLC
ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3066880122
After payment, send your full name, email address and topic (i.e.commercial goat farming in nigeria pdf) to 07033378184. Your business plan will be sent to your email within 15 minutes.
Commercial Goat Farming Business Plan in Nigeria © www.businessplan.com.ng
Leave a Reply