15 Lucrative Business Ideas To Explore In The Agri Sector

13. Agricultural consultation / Advisory Services / NGO:

Due to the speed of agricultural innovation and growth, agricultural consultancy services are becoming more necessary than before. Are you an expert (or learn to become one) who can share your knowledge and contribute to the growth of agriculture and agribusiness? You can run an advisory or consulting firm that is solely dedicated to providing targeted solutions to farmers or other players in the agriculture value chain.

You can help farmers with financial management and literacy, feasibility studies, soil education, seed appropriation, green and sustainable agriculture, circular economy, precision farming, irrigation, etc. You can provide consulting services to governments, local and international businesses and organisations that are considering Africa’s agricultural space. You can sell your expertise as a farmer to other farmers at a fee.

Most farmers in Africa are peasants and uneducated and do not have a voice. Can you be their voice, and amplify their concerns to the right ears and provide support, training and education? Can you spot some gap in the sector where you can use an NGO to solve? Running an NGO that works with, and support peasant or smallholder farmers, creating solutions, advocating for policy reforms and running programmes that contribute to the development of agriculture in general and raising the economic status of farmers will draw many opportunities to you if you stay dedicated. Agrihouse Foundation and the Chamber of Agribusiness are doing very spectacularly in this space. You can take inspiration from them.

14. Agri-blogging or vlogging:
Do you love writing, storytelling, content creation and adventure? Just as there are fashion, tourism, show-biz, lifestyle and tech bloggers and vloggers, how about you turn your love for writing and content creation into a growing niche – agri-blogging or vlogging? Agri-blogging or vlogging is simply capturing stories, educating and creating thought-provoking contents to promote the agricultural sector.

You can highlight the success stories of farmers. You can educate on agri-tech or modern farming practises. You can present opportunities available to the youth to explore or spotlight on the challenges the sector is facing and engage experts to proffer solutions. Agriculture is huge and there are a lot of contents you can create from it. The advantage here is, depending on the contents you do and how well you brand and promote your brand, you will attract bigger brands and opportunities to further explore.

Agri-blogging or vlogging is also an option any creative farmer can also explore. As a farmer, you can write about or record brief, topic-specific videos to share your farming journey, agricultural knowledge and experience with the world, as well as educate people on important farming tips. Imagine self-teaching yourself, and becoming skilful in the cultivation of specific crop(s) or in the rearing specific livestock, and then teaching others through articles and videos on how to do same. This opens you up as an expert in that field and may draw other opportunities to you outside of the farming itself, such as partnership, consulting or advisory services. Agri-blogging or vlogging will certainly play a key role in the development of agriculture in Africa.

15. Importation:
I was stuck between keeping this point or striking it out completely since my desire is for Africa to get to the point where we can feed ourselves. However, since the continent has been importing a significant amount of food annually to supplement the domestic production, I would just have to keep this, grudgingly.

What we import do not come into the continent through space, someone or a business is importing them. The food import industry in the continent is quite huge. In 2021, Africa’s total food import value, according to statista.com, was around a whopping $100 billion. Well, this figure is expected to increase. Until we get to the point where we can grow what we eat and eat what we grow, you can study those imported food products that have large local demands and join in importing them. This is not limited to food products alone, you can explore the importation of agricultural inputs as well. Good luck to you.

In conclusion, the agricultural sector in Africa offers a lot of opportunities which, when well explored and harnessed, can make Africa economically liberated or at least, those individuals who have seen the potential and embraced it early enough. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina drives it home perfectly when he said, “By 2030, the size of food and agri business in Africa will reach $1 trillion. So, if you are thinking of how to make money, that is the sector to be in.”

Remember, every business involves risk. Give it time and don’t give up.

There is a Hero in you; unleash it.
Elorm Hermann,
Co-Founder, CADMA AgriSolutions

[email protected]