Farm Management

Scores of persons who attended the farmers market and buy crops such as tomatoes, carrots, pak choi, and other produce at unbelievably low prices, it must have seemed liked a blessing from God.  Even the supermarkets had a wide range of products at very low prices.  I wondered how it would be possible for the farmers to survive on such low prices.  It has raised the need for better management to help deal with these gluts.

The first problem that we encounter in the farming sector is that there seems to be no structure as to identifying what crops should be grown.  There seems to be a free for all and even a herd mentality where most farmers follow the lead of the first planter.  Thus, if someone grows tomatoes everyone grows tomatoes and we end up with a glut. Another factor that may contribute to this problem is that farmers tend to plant the crops that will mature fastest in order to get paid sooner.  I believe that RADA needs to do more in helping farmers to organise, because it  helps no one if we do not have a steady supply of all crops.  Allocating crops to certain areas for growing with the promise of assistance in the marketing of those crops would prove to be most useful.
However, in order to get the full benefit of the crops grown it is time to set up agro processing plants.  Agro processing offers the best option of dealing with the over supply of goods.  Items can be purchased and processed e.g. by canning to ensure that nothing goes to waste.  In addition, the process of canning will extend the life of the product adding value to the finished item and increasing the price that the farmer will receive.  It also ensures that prices remain more stable in the market place by eliminating the huge variations.  It is ridiculous to think that tomatoes have varied from a low of $55 a kg to a high of more than $400.  There is also the possibility of drying the products especially fruits or preserving it by making jams and jellies.
At a time when food supplies are short everywhere, agro processing is critical.  Fruit and vegetables that may be too ripe for export or sale in the supermarkets can be processed into other products.  In fact, if handled properly we could even import food for additional processing and subsequent re exportation earning much needed foreign exchange. If we are going to get ourselves out of a depressed economy then we are going to have to start thinking differently.  The use of yesterday’s methodology and technology will not solve the complex problems that we experience today.