AGRIBUSINESS: MARKETING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE.

Agricultural franchising : leveraging on franchising to build your business.

 Franchising, this model grants an individual rights to sell their goods or services under a registered brand identity. This model allows an entrepreneur jump on the success train by starting a business  with a successful brand,thus cutting the rigors of starting a new business, a new brand. 

 Franchising is leveraging on an already established brand to start a business and its a win-win model. The franchisor uses this model as a growth strategy to expand brand while the franchisee is joining a successful brand, riding on the brand's network.

 Agricultural franchising, leveraging on this model to grow your brand by establishing global networks.Agricultural franchising will create better opportunities for empowerment while creating brand awareness in every nook and crannies .Agricultural franchising using the lean startup model will create greater coverage within a short time.

 Agricultural franchising  is a viable model in value chain creation and expansion. It allows various individuals to find a niche in the value chain, locate a  successful key player in the niche and start a franchise.

         

 Dr. Henrietta Ojuri, value chain strategist.

Agricultural franchising in the context of the red meat value chain. Interested in the red meat value chain,but dont  have  money to own an abattoir or livestock hubs? Look at how you can key in, using the franchising model.

 There are registered meat shops with branded products, from traceable abattoirs. An investor interested in the  red meat value chain can hook up with these brands and start a franchise in another part of town. The advantages of starting a franchise in the meat mart niche is as follows: 

1) low  startup cost . 2) building business on an established brand identity 3) potential for expansion of business. 

  To be continued.

Business person or farmer? which label is yours.

Agribusiness is the business arm of your agricultural practice,but the way you play the role affects your profit. This is the key to making money in your agriventure,define who you are,what you represent and what you aim to achieve. 

 Agribusiness person or farmer which label is yours? . Identify yourself as a businessperson, not a farmer. A farmer grows fruits, vegetables, and grains and tends cattle, goats, chickens, and bees with a short-term sales outlook while a businessperson is someone who understands that these productive assets are cultivated, reared, and turned into quality consumer products that generate regular income. 

The key words here are productive assets, quality products and regular income. Assess your strengths and build on them. Ask yourself are you flexible to change; how amenable you are to using new methods. Can you utilize the space you have in a more productive way? 

Are you using organic manure from your own cows to fertilize your crops? Are you diversifying your product lines to establish different revenue streams? There is strength in numbers, get out of your small space and join others who are building the future. Always associate with people who know more than you do and listen to what they say. Often your neighbors will know more about what is happening than you do.

 Ask others at church what is happening with irrigation systems, or disease prevention or crop rotation patterns; who is building processing plants that will ease the movement of raw materials into finished products. 

Always ask, how can I be involved in what is happening that will make a difference in my productive capacity? Understand the risks of farming and learn how to manage them. If unpredictable pricing is a risk, diversify into more stable product lines. If climate change is destabilizing your seasonal production or reducing quality outputs, reach out to agribusiness specialists to learn how to manage these risks. 

Understand how research changes the dynamics of success in the field. This is the single largest issue confronting you now and everyone needs to be involved in finding solutions. 

 Become your own brand manager. Does your farm have a name? Can the consumer differentiate your products from others? Can you get your story in the local newspaper? Manage your farm like a product and trust your instincts when doing anything. continue