Agricultural modeling is an underserved market. Billions of dollars have been spent on field tests, genetic development, weather and soil sensors, and research associated with the performance of crops, and their nutrition and protection.

But relatively little has been spent on the analysis and forecasting of the complex interaction of the weather, with soil and water’s influence on crop growth, health and performance in the field.

Modern agriculture is a modified natural ecosystem, a networked web of chemical, biological, mechanical and technological environments. These systems are interdependent; a change in one can produce changes in the other systems. With the help of modern ways of technology, magic mushroom spores are available that you can use to produce mushrooms easily.

For instance, if the weather becomes warmer and more humid, this may lead to the quick development of a plant disease, or a need to irrigate at different times. All of these systems impact agribusiness in the most important dimension: yields and the overall profit or loss of the operation.

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Agricultural modeling can be useful for harnessing this complexity and to solve the practical problems present in agriculture today.

• What is Agriculture
• Types of Agriculture
• What Are Agricultural Activities
• What is the Agricultural Model
• Benefits of Agricultural Models
• How Climate Change is Affecting Agriculture in Africa
• The Main Problems of Agriculture in Nigeria
• 8 Ways Africa Can Revive It’s Economy With Agriculture
• What is Sustainable Agriculture?
• Method of Sustainable Agriculture
• Benefits of Sustainable Agriculture
• What is Agribusiness?
• Use of New Technology in Agribusiness
• Top Most Profitable Agriculture Business Ideas

What is Agriculture

Agriculture is the science and art of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities.

The history of agriculture began thousands of years ago. After gathering wild grains beginning at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farmers began to plant them around 11,500 years ago.

Pigs, sheep and cattle were domesticated over 10,000 years ago. Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of the world. 

Industrial agriculture based on large-scale monoculture in the twentieth century came to dominate agricultural output, though about 2 billion people still depended on subsistence agriculture into the twenty-first.

Modern agronomy, plant breeding, agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, and technological developments have sharply increased yields, while causing widespread ecological and environmental damage. 

Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal welfare and environmental damage.

Environmental issues include contributions to global warming, depletion of aquifers, deforestation, antibiotic resistance, and growth hormones in industrial meat production. Genetically modified organisms are widely used, although some are banned in certain countries.

The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels and raw materials (such as rubber). Food classes include cereals (grains), vegetables, fruits, oils, meat, milk, fungi and eggs.

Over one-third of the world’s workers are employed in agriculture, second only to the service sector, although the number of agricultural workers in developed countries has decreased significantly over the centuries.

Types of Agriculture

Pastoralism

Pastoralism involves managing domesticated animals. In nomadic pastoralism, herds of livestock are moved from place to place in search of pasture, fodder, and water. This type of farming is practised in arid and semi-arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India.

Shifting Cultivation

In shifting cultivation, a small area of forest is cleared by cutting and burning the trees. The cleared land is used for growing crops for a few years until the soil becomes too infertile, and the area is abandoned.

Another patch of land is selected and the process is repeated. This type of farming is practiced mainly in areas with abundant rainfall where the forest regenerates quickly. This practice is used in Northeast India, Southeast Asia, and the Amazon Basin

Subsistence Farming

Subsistence farming is practiced to satisfy family or local needs alone, with little left over for transport elsewhere. It is intensively practiced in Monsoon Asia and South-East Asia. An estimated 2.5 billion subsistence farmers worked in 2018, cultivating about 60% of the earth’s arable land.

Intensive Farming

Intensive farming is cultivation to maximise productivity, with a low fallow ratio and a high use of inputs (water, fertilizer, pesticide and automation). It is practiced mainly in developed countries.

What Are Agricultural Activities

Agricultural activities means agricultural uses and practices including, but not limited to: Producing, breeding, or increasing agricultural products; rotating and changing agricultural crops; allowing land used for agricultural activities to lie fallow in which it is plowed and tilled but left unseeded.

It also means, allowing land used for agricultural activities to lie dormant as a result of adverse agricultural market conditions; allowing land used for agricultural activities to lie dormant because the land is enrolled in a local, state, or federal conservation program, or the land is subject to a conservation easement.

Agricultural activities also involves conducting agricultural operations; maintaining, repairing, and replacing agricultural equipment; maintaining, repairing, and replacing agricultural facilities, provided that the replacement facility is no closer to the shoreline than the original facility; and maintaining agricultural lands under production or cultivation.

What is Agricultural Model

Agriculture models are algorithms that attempt to emulate a complex biological environment. There are many classes of models in today’s scientific arsenal; models such as statistical, mechanistic, deterministic, stochastic, dynamic, and simulations that can be used to explain, understand and improve the overall performance of the biological system.

Regardless of the type of modeling employed, or the application for which it is being used, weather and soil conditions are the most important variables for both tactical and strategic decision making.

To accurately model the risk associated with weather, simulations are often conducted in context to long, historical periods, often taking into account 30 years of historical information to account for the various management scenarios such as long-term crop rotation and crop sequencing models.

The world of agricultural modeling provides benefit throughout the entire cropping season and runs the gamut of science discipline, including ensemble weather forecasting and agronomic land surface modeling — that accurately predicts soil temperature and moisture — and algorithms and systems, which model nitrogen loss, predict plant wilting points and the potential for the emergence of pests or diseases.

Models have been proven to be very cost-effective tools for predicting the possible impact of climatic and technological change on crop growth and yield.

An agricultural system could also be defined as a farm with land area on which different crops and livestock are produced, each of which is managed by a farm family or business entity.

In this case, the enterprises of a farm interact in various ways, as described later. At a broader spatial scale, one may define an agricultural system as the land area in a region, district, or landscape that produces a particular commodity or various crops.

The system model for that set of users predicts total production of the crop or crops in that area as affected by weather, soil, management and socioeconomic conditions, including a capability to evaluate decision and policy options. This landscape or regional model may also predict the amount of nutrient leaching or soil erosion for particular practices and policies being analyzed.

Depending on the goals of the users, different approaches are used to develop the system model. But, typically at this scale, the models should include biophysical responses of crops and livestock as well as socioeconomic, environmental, policy, and business issues.

These same characteristics of system models are important at national and global scales, in that biophysical, socioeconomic, and policy components are needed to model the important interactions and production, environmental, and economic responses to different decision and policy options.

Recent years have seen increased interest in studying the interaction of agro-ecosystems with other managed and unmanaged ecosystems.

This has several motivations, including understanding the importance of ecosystems services such as pollination and biological pest control provided to agriculture by natural habitats as well as issues of managing biodiversity in landscape mosaics (or more generally managing multifunctional landscapes).

Another major application has been the analysis of potential for agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation through soil carbon sequestration.

Benefits of Agricultural Models

Crop modeling applications can be used in strategic decision-making such as helping to determine which cultivar to plant.

They can also be used for practical applications that help to determine when to harvest based on weather conditions and fuel, and they can forecast applications that prescribe treatment recommendations based upon the predicted future condition of the crop and the predicted weather risk assessment.

Models also complement, and in certain applications, replace the need to employ physical sensors. Although agricultural modeling can be expensive and complex, it solves many of the major problems associated with agricultural sensing: how to overcome the inherent limitations of sensors. They are generally sparse, faulty and expensive to repair, calibrate and to replace.

To help minimize cost and complexity, and to minimize the impact of business-plan-wrecking service costs associated with sensor networks, we have developed a new agricultural modeling service that we think “fills in the gaps” of sparse networks and provides the wall-to-wall environmental sensing coverage global agribusinesses need.

Agricultural system models have become important tools to provide predictive and assessment capability to a growing array of decision-makers in the private and public sectors.

Despite ongoing research and model improvements, many of the agricultural models today are direct descendants of research investments initially made 30–40 years ago, and many of the major advances in data, information and communication technology (ICT) of the past decade have not been fully exploited.

The purpose of this Special Issue of Agricultural Systems is to lay the foundation for the next generation of agricultural systems data, models and knowledge products. The Special Issue is based on a “NextGen” study led by the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

How Climate Change is Affecting Agriculture in Africa

African economies are heavily dependent on agriculture. The industry employs 65% of Africa’s labour force and accounts for 32% of the continent’s overall GDP.

Agricultural performance has improved since the beginning of the century but the recorded growth is not enough to satisfy demand. In sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural GDP has increased from 2.3% per year in the 1980s to 3.8% per year for the period 2000-05.

This growth, which was mostly a result of an increase in the area of land under cultivation, has since stagnated. Both agricultural land and productivity must increase in Africa to reduce hunger and maintain a sustainable level of food security.

Increases in temperature and rainfall reduction associated with climate change will further reduce agricultural production and increase the demand for more land and water to compensate for climate stresses.

The degree to which climate change impacts agriculture depends on a number of factors. These include crop types, the scale of the operation, the farm’s commercial or subsistence profile, and the amount of natural resources.

How climate change affects food security

Assuring that all people have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food is a formidable challenge. This is not only the case in Africa but also in other developed nations. The difference lies in the severity of the problem and the proportion of the population it affects.

The impact of climate change on food security will be greatest in African nations. Africa has the largest number of malnourished people, the fewest resources to adapt and the fastest growing population to deal with.

For example, Egypt expects a 15% loss from its wheat production with a two degrees Celsius temperature increase. Morocco’s wheat production will decrease sharply after 2030.

In North Africa, most countries import wheat and are therefore subject to price shocks, and droughts and production losses elsewhere. In sub-Saharan Africa, 95% of the food is grown under rain-fed agriculture. It is therefore extremely vulnerable to adverse climate conditions, projected to reduce rainfall and increase temperatures.

In developed nations, food security alleviated by providing targeted interventions, including direct food aid in the form of food relief, or indirect subsidies. These efforts have been successful in reducing food insecurity in developed nations but have had less success in Africa, which has an insufficient resource base and shorter periods of intervention.

Addressing climate challenges

Climate instability is already causing social unrest in many African countries. People are crossing deserts in Africa and seas to Europe in search of opportunity. The displacement of African people by climate change is an unjust consequence that is falling on those poor and vulnerable people who have contributed the least to climate change.

There must be big actions to match the effects of climate change given the size of the problem it poses. Several African countries are taking drastic action, including the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency, improvement of forest and rangelands ability to store greenhouse gases, and adopting low carbon transportation modes.

For example, Morocco issued a National Plan against Global Warming in 2009. The plan is based on two pillars: evaluation of vulnerability and adaptation to climate, and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. In pursuing the latter, the plan sets out many actions to maintain a low-carbon development policy. It focuses on renewable energy projects – notably a 2000-megawatt solar project in its desert.

Some North African countries, including Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, have implemented a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organiation initiative on water scarcity to apply new strategies to water resource management. These include water accounting, ranking options for future food supply in terms of costs and water requirements, and analyses that address water management for agriculture.

These large-scale mitigation options, along with education about climate change, could help alleviate the impacts of climate change on food security and agriculture in Africa – but there is still much work to be done.

The Main Problems of Agriculture in Nigeria

Today, the agricultural sector is one of the most important in the country, it employs around 70% of Nigerian Labour force. But the sector suffers because of low output, and because of that, it is getting harder to feed the increasing population. Let’s outline its main problems:

Poor infrastructure

The current state of infrastructure in many sectors resulted in a high level of migration among able-bodied youths. Youths don’t want to stay in rural areas because there is poor infrastructure and move to cities. Because of that, agriculture in villages loses its workforce which reduces its outputs.

Another example is bad roads, the situation with roads increases the cost and time of the transportation. Some goods perish during the transportation.

Dormant research facilities

Unfortunately, agricultural research institutions in the country don’t work efficiently and effectively. All these institutions don’t have clear coordination or direction of work. Most of the researches end up on shelves and don’t help to change the current situation. Most farmers, who are considered as end-users of these researches, can’t put into practice the data from research facilities.

Education and modernization

The lack of mechanized equipment and illiteracy of most farmers is the reason why it is hard to implement modern farming methods. Many farmers still stick to archaic farm practices. Most problems of agricultural marketing in Nigeria are related to a poor level of education

Unserviceable Machinery

From time to time the government import some number of tractors but there are no service stations to repair or replace parts for such machinery. If there is some problem with such a tractor, a farmer usually just park it and come back to the old way of farming.

Food processing issues

20-40% of the harvest is lost annually during the processing. Among the main problems we see the lack of proper storage facilities, because of that, the harvest is attacked by pests and the storage conditions themselves reduce the quality of the crops.

Government policies

There is a low level of hybrid seedlings importation, and it is still not easy to get fertilizer subsidy. Today we see some government programs aimed to develop the agriculture sector, but in past years there were no qualitative programs to boost the sector

Possible solutions to the problems of agriculture in Nigeria

Now we know the main problems of agricultural development in Nigeria, but what about the solutions? Viable solutions can ensure a new level of the agricultural sector in the country

Among the first ways to change the situation is training and raising the level of education. Skilled and educated workers can sustain the durability of mechanized farm tools. Modern agricultural education programs for farmers is a needed tool to change the current situation.

The mechanization of agriculture. Another step is to provide educated farmers with modern farm machines and farm equipment.

Upgrade the Agricultural Research Council to supervise, coordinate, and implement agricultural development.

Introduction of new government programs to provide the incentives for able-bodied youths to be involved in the farming sector.

There should be a local manufacturers of pesticides, fertilisers etc.

There should be developed system of available loans at reasonable interest rates/.

The government should take measures to curb the importation of food products.

The irrigation system should be reconstructed to solve the problem of unreliable rainfall.

In most cases, Nigerian agriculture products are organic because most farmers don’t use any chemicals to boost the harvest. In our modern world, where many countries need more healthy food, it can become an excellent factor to increase the export of agricultural products.

One more solution is to develop the usage of solar or wind power system.

People say that the sector requires strong leadership. Honest patriotic and caring Leadership is one of the main factors to solve all other problems

8 Ways Africa Can Revive It’s Economy With Agriculture

Countries that have developed successfully have shifted resources from agriculture to manufacturing. The Green Revolution benefited most regions of the world, particularly East Asia and the Pacific, where cereal yields quadrupled between 1960 and 1990.

But Africa missed out on this and the continued lack of progress in agricultural productivity has been blamed for holding back the region’s overall economic growth. So what can be done to boost African agricultural productivity?

Below are 8 factors that will increase farm productivity and revive the economy in the long run.

1. Develop high-yield crops

Increased research into plant breeding, which takes into account the unique soil types of Africa, is a major requirement. A dollar invested in such research by the CGIAR consortium of agricultural research centres is estimated to yield six dollars in benefits.

2. Boost irrigation

With the growing effects of climate change on weather patterns, more irrigation will be needed. Average yields in irrigated farms are 90% higher than those of nearby rain-fed farms.

3. Increase the use of fertilizers

As soil fertility deteriorates, fertilizer use must increase. Governments need to ensure the right type of fertilizers are available at the right price, and at the right times. Fertilizer education lessens the environmental impact and analysis of such training programs in East Africa found they boosted average incomes by 61%.

4. Improve market access, regulations, and governance

Improving rural infrastructure such as roads is crucial to raising productivity through reductions in shipping costs and the loss of perishable produce. Meanwhile, providing better incentives to farmers, including reductions in food subsidies, could raise agricultural output by nearly 5%.

5. Make better use of information technology

Information technology can support better crops, fertilizer and pesticide selection. It also improves land and water management, provides access to weather information, and connects farmers to sources of credit. Simply giving farmers information about crop prices in the different markets has increased their bargaining power. Esoko, a provider of a mobile crop information services, estimates they can boost incomes by 10-30%.

6. Adopt genetically modified (GM) crops

The adoption of GM crops in Africa remains limited. Resistance from overseas customers, particularly in Europe, has been a hindrance. But with Africa’s rapid population growth, high-yield GM crops that are resistant to weather shocks provide an opportunity for Africa to address food insecurity. An analysis of more than one hundred studies found that GM crops reduced pesticide use by 37%, increased yields by 22%, and farmer profits by 68%.

7. Reform land ownership with productivity and inclusiveness in mind

Africa has the highest area of arable uncultivated land in the world (202 million hectares) yet most farms occupy less than 2 hectares. This results from poor land governance and ownership. Land reform has had mixed results on the African continent but changes that clearly define property rights, ensure the security of land tenure, and enable land to be used as collateral will be necessary if many African nations are to realise potential productivity gains.

8. Step up integration into Agricultural Value Chains (AVCs)

Driven partly by the growth of international supermarket chains, African economies have progressively diversified from traditional cash crops into fruits, vegetables, fish, and flowers. However, lack of access to finance and poor infrastructure have slowed progress. Government support, crucial to coordinate the integration of smallholder farmers into larger cooperatives and groups, may be needed in other areas that aid integration with wider markets.

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture is a type of agriculture that focuses on producing long-term crops and livestock while having minimal effects on the environment. This type of agriculture tries to find a good balance between the need for food production and the preservation of the ecological system within the environment.

In addition to producing food, there are several overall goals associated with sustainable agriculture, including conserving water, reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and promoting biodiversity in crops grown and the ecosystem. Sustainable agriculture also focuses on maintaining economic stability of farms and helping farmers improve their techniques and quality of life.

There are many farming strategies that are used that help make agriculture more sustainable. Some of the most common techniques include growing plants that can create their own nutrients to reduce the use of fertilizers and rotating crops in fields, which minimizes pesticide use because the crops are changing frequently.

Another common technique is mixing crops, which reduces the risk of a disease destroying a whole crop and decreases the need for pesticides and herbicides. Sustainable farmers also utilize water management systems, such as drip irrigation, that waste less water.

Sustainable farming or Sustainable agriculture helps the farmers innovate and employ recycling methods, this apart from the conventional perks of farming. A very good example of recycling in sustainable farming would be the crop waste or animal manure. The same can be transformed into fertilizers that can help enrich the soil.

Another method that can be employed is crop rotation. This helps the soil maintain its nutrients and keeps the soil rich and potent. Collection of rainwater via channeling and then its utilization for irrigation is also a good example of sustainable farming practices.

Method of Sustainable Agriculture

1. Crop Rotation: Crop rotation is one of the most powerful techniques of sustainable agriculture. Its purpose is to avoid the consequences that come with planting the same crops in the same soil for years in a row. It helps tackle pest problems, as many pests prefer specific crops. If the pests have a steady food supply they can greatly increase their population size. Rotation breaks the reproduction cycles of pests. During rotation, farmers can plant certain crops, which replenish plant nutrients. These crops reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

2. Cover Crops: Many farmers choose to have crops planted in a field at all times and never leave it barren, this can cause unintended consequences. By planting cover crops, such as clover or oats, the farmer can achieve his goals of preventing soil erosion, suppressing the growth of weeds, and enhancing the quality of the soil. The use of cover crops also reduces the need for chemicals such as fertilizers.

3. Soil Enrichment: Soil is a central component of agricultural ecosystems. Healthy soil is full of life, which can often be killed by the overuse of pesticides. Good soils can increase yields as well as creating more robust crops. It is possible to maintain and enhance the quality of soil in many ways. Some examples include leaving crop residue in the field after a harvest, and the use of composted plant material or animal manure.

4. Natural Pest Predators: In order to maintain effective control over pests, it is important to view the farm as an ecosystem as opposed to a factory. For example, many birds and other animals are in fact natural predators of agricultural pests. Managing your farm so that it can harbor populations of these pest predators is an effective as well as a sophisticated technique. The use of chemical pesticides can result in the indiscriminate killing of pest predators.

5. Bio intensive Integrated Pest Management: Integrated pest management (IPM). This is an approach, which really relies on biological as opposed to chemical methods. IMP also emphasizes the importance of crop rotation to combat pest management. Once a pest problem is identified, IPM will mean that chemical solutions will only be used as a last resort. Instead, the appropriate responses would be the use of sterile males and biocontrol agents such as ladybirds.

Benefits of Sustainable Agriculture

1. Contributes to Environmental Conservation: The environment plays a huge role in fulfilling our basic needs to sustain life. In turn, it is our duty to look after the environment so that future generations are not deprived of their needs. Sustainable agriculture helps to replenish the land as well as other natural resources such as water and air. This replenishment ensures that these natural resources will be able for future generations to sustain life.

2. Public Health Safety: Sustainable agriculture avoids hazardous pesticides and fertilizers. As a result, farmers are able to produce fruits, vegetables and other crops that are safer for consumers, workers, and surrounding communities. Through careful and proper management of livestock waste, sustainable farmers are able to protect humans from exposure to pathogens, toxins, and other hazardous pollutants.

2. Prevents Pollution: Sustainable agriculture means that any waste a farm produces remains inside the farms ecosystem. In this way the waste cannot cause pollution.

3. Reduction in Cost: The use of sustainable agriculture reduces the need for fossil fuels, resulting in significant cost savings in terms of purchasing as well as transporting them. This in turn lessens the overall costs involved in farming.

4. Biodiversity: Sustainable farms produces a wide variety of plants and animals resulting in biodiversity. During crop rotation, plants are seasonally rotated and this results in soil enrichment, prevention of diseases, and pest outbreaks.

5. Beneficial to Animals: Sustainable agriculture results in animals being better cared for, as well as treated humanely and with respect. The natural behaviors of all living animals, including grazing or pecking, are catered for. As a result they develop in a natural way. Sustainable farmers and ranchers implement livestock husbandry practices that protect animals’ health.

6. Economically Beneficial For Farmers: In exchange for engaging with sustainable farming methods, farmers receive a fair wage for their produce. This greatly reduces their reliance on government subsidies and strengthens rural communities. Organic farms typically require 2 ½ times less labor than factory farms yet yield 10 times the profit.

7. Social Equality: Practicing sustainable agriculture techniques also benefits workers as they are offered a more competitive salary as well as benefits. They also work in humane and fair working conditions, which include a safe work environment, food, and adequate living conditions.

8. Beneficial For Environment: Sustainable agriculture reduces the need for use of non-renewable energy resources and as a result benefits the environment.

Due to population increase, it is estimated that by 2050 we will need approximately 70% more food than is currently being produced in order to provide the estimated 9.6 billion world population with their recommended daily calorie intake. This is by no means a small challenge, but unlike many other sustainability challenges, everyone can play a part.

We all need to eat, but by simply reducing food loss and waste, as well as eating diets that are lower impact, and investing in sustainable produce, we can make a difference. From countries, to companies, right down to consumers, we all have a role to play. The challenge is simply making people care in a world where we are surrounded by such abundance.

What is Agribusiness?

Agribusiness is the business sector encompassing farming and farming-related commercial activities. The business involves all the steps required to send an agricultural good to market: production, processing and distribution. It is an important component of the economy in countries with arable land, since agricultural products can be exported.

Understanding Agribusiness

Agribusiness treats the different aspects of raising agricultural products as an integrated system. Farmers raise animals and harvest fruits and vegetables with the help of sophisticated harvesting techniques, including the use of GPS to direct harvesting operations. Manufacturers develop increasingly efficient machines that can drive themselves.

Processing plants determine the best way to clean and package livestock for shipping. While each subset of the industry is unlikely to interact directly with the consumer, each is focused on operating efficiently in order to keep prices reasonable.

Market forces have a significant impact on the agribusiness sector. Changes in consumer taste alter what products are grown and raised. For example, a shift in consumer tastes away from red meat may cause demand — and therefore prices — for beef to fall, while increased demand for produce may shift the mix of fruits and vegetables that farmers raise. Businesses unable to rapidly change in accordance with domestic demand may look to export their products abroad, but if that fails they may not be able to compete and remain in business.

Use of New Technology in Agribusiness

The use of new technology is vital to remain competitive in the global agribusiness sector. Farmers need to reduce crop costs and increase yield per square acre to remain competitive. New drone technology is at the cutting edge of the industry. An article published in 2016 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) identified Six Ways Drones Are Revolutionizing Agriculture.

These techniques, including soil and field analysis, planting and crop monitoring, will be key to improving crop yields and moving the agribusiness sector forward. Key areas of concern for the use of drone technology remain safety of drone operations, privacy issues and insurance-coverage questions.

Examples of Agribusiness

Because agribusiness is a broad industry, it incorporates a wide range of different companies and operations. Agribusinesses include small family farms and food producers up to multinational conglomerates involved in the production of food on a national scale.

Some examples of agribusinesses include farm machinery producers like Deere & Company (DE), seed and agrichemical manufacturers like Monsanto, food processing companies like Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), as well as farmer’s cooperatives, agritourism companies, and makers of biofuels, animal feeds and other related products.

Agriculture Business categories

Agriculture Business can be divided into three broad categories and they are as follows:

• Productive Resources like feed, seed, fertilizer, equipment, energy, machinery etc.
• Agricultural Commodities like raw and processed commodities of food and fiber.
• Facilitative Services like credit, insurance, marketing, storage, processing, transportation, packing etc.

Top Most Profitable Agriculture Business Ideas

1. Agricultural Farm  

One can start an agricultural farm by investing reasonable money. You can produce items as per the local demand and sell them locally. For far areas you can even supply the product through distribution channels.  

2. Vermicompost Organic Fertilizer Production  

It requires a very low investment and hence can be considered profitable for the startup agricultural business. You can simply start this business by the proper know-how of the production process. 

3. Dried Flower Business 

Flower production is one of the fastest growing crop trends in today’s agriculture. It requires all types of flowers especially unique and hard to grow varieties. 

4. Fertilizer Distribution Business  

One can start this business with a moderate capital investment. It is mostly controlled by the government.

5. Organic Farm Green House 

The increased demand for organically grown farm products has led to the growth of this agricultural business. As there are many health risks in the foods grown with chemicals and fertilizers, people are growing organic food. 

6. Poultry Farming 

It has transformed into a techno-commercial industry from the status of backyard farming for three decades. It is considered to be the fastest growing sector of agriculture and farming business. 

7. Mushroom Farming Business 

 By doing this business you can make good profits in just few weeks. It requires a low start-up capital investment. Even with a little knowledge of mushroom growing and with a farm mushroom farming business can be done. 

8. Hydroponic Retail Store 

It is a new plantation technology which requires soil free way of plantation for both commercial and home use. 

9. Snail Farming 

 It is a process of raising land snails specifically for human consumption. It has a high rate of protein, iron, low fat and almost all the amino acids needed for the human body. Moreover, one should have a specific knowledge of modern technology. 

10. Sunflower Farming 

 The land is the primary requirement to start sunflower farming. Growing sunflower for oilseed requires the small investment. It is also known as Commercial Cash Crop. 

11. Bee Keeping Business 

 It demands day to day monitoring with close supervision of the bees. Beekeeping business is done for selling honey and other products like wax. Not to forget, as the demand for honey is growing globally. Opting for this business is a profitable venture which requires the small investment. 

12. Fish Farming 

 This business can be done at any time of the year. It requires modern techniques and moderate capital investment. 

13. Fruits and Vegetables Export 

One can start the export of fruits and vegetable business by collecting them from local farmers. It can be done through easy communication means like a telephonic conversation, computer with internet connection. 

14. Florist 

It requires a retail space and connection with the flower growers. It is one of the most profitable retail agriculture business ideas that can also be done online by providing customers with doorstep delivery of flowers.  

15. Frozen Chicken Production  

The demand for this product is growing globally. One can start this business by living in a metro or a suburban city. 

16. Botanical Pesticide Production

It is very essential and mandatory for organic farming. As the demand of this product is high, it is considered as one of the most profitable agricultural business ideas. 

17. Broom Production

It is a good and profitable business idea as broom has been used for centuries for cleaning purpose. It is a simple business and can be done with a moderate capital investment. 

18. Basket Weaving

One requires thoughtful planning and a high level of creative mind having a flair for design. It can simply be done from a home location with moderate capital investment. 

19. Flour Milling

Establishing your own brand product is highly profitable in this business. 

Some Other Profitable Agriculture Business Ideas 

• Livestock Feed Production
• Fruit Juice Production
• Groundnut Processing
• Cashew-nut Processing
• Quail Egg Farming
• Shrimp Farming
• Fish Hatchery
• Piggery
• Soya Beans Processing
• Spice Processing
• Vegetable Farming
• Chicks Hatchery
• Rajanigandha Farming
• Tea Growing
• Grocery E-Shopping Portal
• Landscape Expert
• Medicinal Herbs Farming
• Cactus Arrangements
• Dairy Farming
• GoateryFarming 
• Jatropha Farming
• Potato Powder
• Corn Farming
• Certifies Seed Production
• Soil Testing Lab
• Green House Flower Export 
• Horticulture Crop Farming
• Potato Chips Production
• Fodder Farming for Goats and Cows
• Agro-Farming Blogging