Cattle Farming Business Plan in Nigeria- Cow meat is common to many Nigerian homes as it is a daily consumable in many homes in the Nigerian shores. Cattle refers to a group of one or more cows, or bulls or a mix of both. A cow is the female breed of the animal while the male is called the bull.
Get your Cattle Farming Business Plan in Nigeria and feasibility study. pay N10,000 to:
Bank Name: Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB)
Account Name: Chibuzor Tochi Onyemenam
Account Number: 0044056891
After payment, send your name, email address and “cattle rearing business plan in Nigeria” to 07033378184
Cattle come in varying kinds; some cattle breeds grow big in a very short while; such breeds are better reared for their meat and the accessories embedded in their body. Some cattle breeds are more suitable for producing milk; therefore depending on the form of cattle farming which the farmer engages in, there are several cattle options he/ she could choose.
Female cattle are usually reared for the milk it produces, as well as their fertility prospects. Female cattle are prevalent in the cattle rearing circle, and a herd of cattle is usually a combination of many females and a few male cattle. Female cattle are typically left to live for as long as possible on the farm before they are slaughtered for their meat because cattle farm owners want the cows to produce as many young cattle as possible before the cows are killed. And because a cow takes about nine months to give birth to another cow, female cattle is considered very precious in the cattle rearing farm.
Asides all these; it is also expedient to understand that female cattle are the source of many dairy products which we consume in our daily lives. This is the reason why female cattle are considered very precious because they produce young cattle, milk, cowhides, leather and ultimately, meat.
Bulls are reared more for their meat. Although bulls are also important to the reproduction process of cattle, they are considered of less economic value compared to cows. Bulls also have their advantages, especially when they rea bred for their meat and their hides. With bulls, cattle farmers can use artificial insemination to ensure the productivity of the bulls. Cattle rearing can be an exciting venture in the fact that cattle barely gets attacked by any illnesses, and they are mostly resistant to diseases. With the proper dossier of care, cattle rearing is usually a very fantastic experience for its farmers. Cattle rearing is not as expensive to maintain as many assume it to be; there are several ways to go about it.
The Prospects of Cattle Rearing in Nigeria
The meat consuming population of Nigeria is quite large, and the number of cattle within the Nigerian shores are not enough to sustain the meat consumption capacity of the Nigerian nation. It, therefore, tells that anyone that cattle rearing holds a lot of prospects for people who engage in them, especially in Nigeria.
The skin of cattle is also used to make a lot of value giving products in Nigeria. The skin of cattle is used to make Ponmo; Ponmo is the local name for the thick skin that is on the back of cows. The Ponmo market is one that thrives well in the Nigerian community, and it is one that will continue to do so for a very long time. Some parts of the Nigerian community use the skin of cattle to make shoes, and other leather wears.
Whatever the case may be, you can be sure that the cattle market is one that is quite profitable in Nigeria. The blood of cattle is sometimes cooked to make food for fishes, and this is also something of high economic value.
Some female cattle breeds produce a lot of milk, and so they are raised primarily of their milking prowesses, and this is another valuable part of the cattle rearing field. The milk production industry in Nigeria majorly sources its raw cattle milk from outside the country. Still, if we can have cattle farms that can level up to the demands of milk production in Nigeria, the prospects are just uncountable for the cattle farmers in Nigeria.
There is a breed of cattle called draught cattle; this breed of cattle is used in Northern Nigeria for labour work on farms and lands. During the dry season when land clearing is ongoing in preparation for the planting season; draught cattle are used to make ridges on drylands that would have taken a whole lot more of human efforts to heap up. Draught cattle are also used to weed farmlands in the process of the germination of many plants and crops. Now, some will say the use of draught cattle is getting outdated, as there are tractors and more mechanized ways of clearing and maintaining farmlands. However, these mechanized farming methods are quite expensive, and there are not so many that can afford it. So, draught cattle are still very relevant in Northern Nigeria, and as a matter of fact, there are no so many machines that can remove weeds among grown plants, and draught cattle can do this.
Challenge of Cattle Rearing in Nigeria
Like any other kind of farming, cattle farming has a few challenging constraints in Nigeria, and we will highlight some of those challenges in the following lines:
- The tsetse fly challenge
The major challenge of cattle rearing in Nigeria is the fact that Nigeria has a lot of tsetse fly, and tsetse fly can reduce the productivity of cattle farms in that it can result in the death of cattle. - Grazing
The grazing challenge is one that is more common in urban areas of Nigeria. With the progressive urban development in the Nigerian nation, the amount of grazing land upon which cattle can feed is consistently reducing. - Capital Intensive
Cattle farming is generally capital intensive, and while it has a lot of profitable prospects in the long run. It is not one that yields any meaningful return in the short term, and this has caused a lot of people to look in another direction in the search for profitable investments. This challenge is majorly prominent at the early stage of setting up the cattle farm.
How to Start a Cattle Farm in Nigeria
Starting a cattle farm in Nigeria involves a series of a carefully detailed plan. Unlike many other forms of agricultural farming systems, cattle farming is quite capital intensive and will require a little more attention to detail than other types of farming would.
The following are the steps to starting a cattle farm in Nigeria:
- Develop a Business Plan
The importance of a business plan cannot be overemphasized in the staring of any business. A business plan is exceptionally resourceful for startups. Now, many may consider some cattle farm a little less than a business, but for what it’s worth, a cattle farm requires capital to start, and the intent of starting it out is to make a profit. A cattle farm would often require the services of a professional such as a Vet doctor which would add up to the overhead cost of running the farm. It is, therefore, to create a well-detailed business plan to guide the operation and synergy of the cattle farm when it starts up. The whole life of the cattle farm can be planned out on paper., because the plan is just a plan, it is essential to explore beyond limits, as these would set the business and the business owner to work on the business project. A business plan for a cattle farm must have some salient ingredients, and we have listed some of the most important ones below (however, there are more than we have listed here, you can do well to research more about the topic):- The goals of the cattle farm
The goals will determine what should be or not be done on the cattle farm. The goal should clearly state out why you as the business owner is starting the cattle farm, the things you hope to achieve with the farm, and of course the impact you hope to make with the farm. The goal will give a clear sense of direction which the cattle farm will follow, and when this direction is there; the chances of success increases. - The best Cattle Breed that Fits Your Location and Goals
Depending on why you are starting the cattle farm, there are many breeds of cattle available in the market, and each breed has a unique set of advantage which give them an edge over others. Draught cattle, for example, are more suitable for labour-intensive tasks, and so they would be more suited to someone who intends rearing cattle to provide land clearing and farm weeding services as an integral part of his/ her farm services. N’dama and Muturu cattle breeds are more suited for meat production. At the same time, Fulani white, Sokoto Gudali, Adamawa Gudali, Guernsey, and Bokoto are cattle breeds more suited for their milking. So they are options you should look at if you intend raising cattle for dairy. - A clear Financial Budget
In the financial plan, indicate the following:- The price of each cattle you intend to have on your farm
- The price of land acquisition
- The cost of running the farm for at least six months without any income from it
- Human labour costs
- The cost of health and veterinary treatments
- Cost of setting up pens for the cattle
- Feeding cost (daily, weekly, and monthly) for at least six months
- Other things need to be in the business plan for a cattle farm. However, you can research more about them before setting up your farm.
- The goals of the cattle farm
- Capital
A cattle farm is a capital intensive venture and would sometimes require the business owner to go over the edge to get things together financially when starting. In gathering capital for your cattle rearing business in Nigeria, you should put into consideration the fact that buying young cattle will cost less than buying old and matured ones. Both buys have their advantages and demerits. Buying young cattle will save the cost of purchasing the cattle, but will cost more to nurture into maturity before the cattle can start producing young ones. Buying matured cattle will cost more; however, it will cost less to nurture them into productivity. All these must be put into consideration when gathering capital for your cattle rearing business.
You must also put the location into consideration the location where you want to rear your cattle in the plan to raise capital for your business. - Cattle Housing
In Nigeria, cattle are usually housed in an open space; however, cattle farm owners build are pens where the cattle can hide from the scorching of the sun or the rain. The pens give the cattle a common breeding ground to share heat in times of cold. It is generally wise to make the pens of cattle very small compared to the land size of the whole farm. The fence of the lands where cattle are housed is usually a netted one that’s strong enough to stop the cattle from pulling down the fencing structure and allows the easy visibility of the farm from afar. - Protecting cattle
It is advisable to have dogs in your cattle farm, as they would bark on sighting prospective danger for your cattle. Ducks are also another set of animals used to protect cattle from imminent danger. Ducks have very sharp eyes and can see snakes from afar off, asides the fact that they can see snakes afar off, ducks can also fight and kill snakes with their strong beaks.
Get your Cattle Farming Business Plan in Nigeria and feasibility study. pay N10,000 to:
Bank Name: Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB)
Account Name: Chibuzor Tochi Onyemenam
Account Number: 0044056891
After payment, send your name, email address and “feasibility study on cattle farming in Nigeria” to 07033378184
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