Extension workers
can play a major role
in helping farmers
identify, investigate
and evaluate
opportunities
30
Entrepreneurship in farming
Post-harvest processing of products
Start processing or buy into businesses that process
agricultural commodities into more refined products
including:
• Milling maize and other grains;
• Cooking,
curing or drying meat;
• Drying fruits and vegetables;
• Mixing commodities
such as nuts and raisins;
• Create handcrafts with commodities such as grasses
and flowers.
Each of these represents a value-adding possibility
in which entrepreneurial farmers can become involved to
capture value within the value chain. If they can organise
the necessary finances, they can establish a business to
provide one or more of these functions.
However, for many newer farmer-entrepreneurs,
expanding into these areas may not yet be possible.
Still, they will recognise and evaluate these opportunities
and use connections and contacts to find ways to create
linkages so they can increasingly capture a share of the
value being adding along the value chain.
Extension workers can play a major role in helping
farmers identify, investigate and evaluate opportunities
in the value chain. They can also help facilitate access
into or linkages with these opportunities in a measured
and sustainable way.
* * *