19th Sep, 2016
While some of us were growing up in the 90’s, discovering the world and getting up to a little mischief, Agriculture and any association with it would earn an eye-roll and anything but a status symbol.
Instead, it would be considered retrogressive and you would quickly be appointed captain of the rural area folk (not so bad really!) and as long as you considered yourself a “born tao” as they would say, you were expected to cut all ties with that bracket.
After the school holiday- in 20th Century BF (Before Facebook), the most exciting thing about opening school was catching up on the first day. Everyone looked forward to telling the juiciest story about how their holiday was spent perhaps a week along the coastline, maybe a few days out of town with the family, others enjoyed hiking trips in the most adventurous locations but woe unto you my friend, who spent the entire holiday tending to your grandmother’s goats or tilling the land. You would be the class clown for the month with every opportunity exploited to make reference to you ‘action-packed’ holiday.
The struggle was indeed real at that time.
With the turn of the millennium, climate change and tough economic times have led the society to quickly change this notion. An entire paradigm shift around agriculture occurred as people soon came to appreciate the role of farmers in the society and their enormous contribution to the economy. Oh, how the tables have turned!
Now people who own farms and livestock are the envy of society. Agriculture is the coolest thing in town and true enough, it is one of the smartest investment because at the end you are assured of fruitful returns – pun intended. Yes, we dare say, Agriculture is sexy!
Technology has revolutionized literally every aspect of our life and Agriculture hasn’t been left behind. Farmers no longer solely rely on the government for subsidies on food produce because members of the private sector such as financial institutions have filled the gap.
KCB Group for instance introduced the farming world in the region to Mobigro which will offer credit solutions, collect market data, offer training and market infrastructure to both budding an established farmers. The full package! Over & above that, KCB’s Mifugo Ni Mali program has been revolutionary for Livestock farmers in the Arid & Semi-Arid areas across the country.
All this through the comfort of their mobile phones-pretty cool if you ask me.
With all this made possible at the touch of a button, smallholder farmers and pastoralists are now able to focus on effectively managing their agricultural businesses without a single worry.
There’s no doubt we all know some people who have gone the agricultural route and are smiling all the way to the bank. Jealous? No need to be. Why not try your hand at it and see if you were blessed with a green thumb?
We’re not saying drop everything you’re doing and take the risk, (although you can try and tell us how that goes) just that you may want to consider starting even on a small scale and see how it works out for you.
PS: Ever wonder where farmers’ kids go to school? … Kinder-garden.
