Professional Farming Business Plans

GOAT FARMING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Agricultural Business, Agriculture Business Plans, Branding & Brand Equity, Building a profitable business, Business Plans, Business Profiles, Farming Business Plans, Farming Plans, Farming Profiles, Farming Proposals / Hansie Britz

Goat Farming in South Africa can be a very lucrative business if done right. Choose the right breeds of goats for your location and you could raise superior livestock. Goats are hardy animals and can survive under harsh environments. They have survived centuries of periodic drought’s and harsh temperatures. They also have the reputation of being resistant to the majority of tropical diseases and parasites.

Goats are a great source of income. Because of their small size, adaptive feed behavior and low management, goats are a viable option in improving cash flow.

Types of Goat Enterprises

Goat farming in South Africa is a diverse business. Goats produce dairy and have delicious meat, can be bread and even their skin can be used. As a business owner you need to explore these avenues where you can make the most money.

Decide on which area you want to focus:-

1. Meat Goats;

2. Dairy Goats;

3. Fibre Goats.

You can choose one type or combine all three systems in your operation. Your interest and abilities and physical resources on your farm should determine which type of enterprise you choose.

Goat Farming Products

Goat’s meat;
Goat’s milk;
Goat’s cheese;
Goat skin and fibre;
Goat milk soap.

Additional sources of income:-

Breeding Goats for sale;
Sales of excess males from dairy operations;
Leasing out goats to clear brush;
Goat manure for fertilization.

How big should I start?

Determine the number of goats you want to begin with. Pick a number that would be sustainable enough to get things moving, depending on the purpose of your farming in South Africa. It might be 300 or 500 depending on the size and location of your pasture and type of goat breed. Fewer than 150 is usually not enough to support one person or a small family.

Goat Breeds

There are many types of goats, but the breed you choose will depend on your enterprise and what products you want to sell. Carefully decide on the breeds of goats you want to farm.

Meat

Goat meat is in high demand. The meat is widely consumed and accepted as an edible meat by people all around the world irrespective of tribal or religious differences.

Dairy

Goat’s milk is enriched with many necessary nutrition elements and is easy to digest. Many consumer markets are currently shifting from the consumption of other dairy products in favor of goat’s milk.

Fibre

If you want to produce fibre from your farm then Cashmere and Angora goats will be most suitable.

Location and Housing

Buy a sizeable expanse of land to comfortably accommodate your goats. You will need to fence the land for security purposes. If you are near a consumer population, consider farm tourism as part of your income. If your goal is to sell milk, then there is an advantage in decreasing trucking costs when you are located close to a milk purchaser. Goats are very adaptive animals and don’t need an elaborate goat barn. A simple three-sided shed facing away from prevailing winter winds will suffice.

YOU WILL NEED A PROFESSIONAL FARMING BUSINESS PLAN – CONTACT US – 084 583 3143 – email: money@global.co.za

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HOW TO START A HUNTING & GAME FARM NOW?

A Hunting and Game Farm is normally run as a joint enterprise, the one supporting the other. Game animals are farmed for the purposes of meat, skin and horn off-take (culling) and tourist viewing. The culling is usually combined with sport- hunting. Game farming may also yield benefits in term of photographic safaris, fishing and many others.

The Game Farm business concept is critical to the future of the hunting industry because game farmers supply the animals that populate the nation’s preserves. In some cases, game farm entrepreneurs also engage in the process and sale of game meat or the delivery of bred game stock to individuals and commercial growers.

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

Requirements for the efficient management of a game farm include:

A facility for slaughtering, processing and packing of meat;
Trophy processing;
Accommodation;
Vehicles for hunting;
A likely minimum of 1000 ha of land;
Wildlife Management;
Marketing of carcasses and live game; and
Research on the needs of the species of game that will survive in the area, water sources, soil type and the like.

In terms of economics, the value of game ranching can be summarized as follows:-

1. Game ranching works essentially on four levels. The first level is the “sale of hunting trips and venison”, the second level is the “sale of live game at auctions”; the third level is the “processing of animal products”; and the fourth level is the “provision of game lodges, conferences, facilities and related services”. Job opportunities open at all 4 levels.

2. The Eco- tourism industry accounts for at least R2.5 billion. There is a huge potential for future growth in Eco-tourism on game ranches, mainly because its market share of the total tourism industry is relatively small in South Africa.

3. The percentage income derived from auctions, hunting and Eco-tourism differs widely between the different regions and depends on the distance from the big cities and the availability of the Big Five.

One of the biggest mistakes aspiring farmers make is that they forget that while a farm is a lifestyle, it is also a business. Making a farm profitable requires planning and business savvy. Luckily there are professional consultants that can help writing a sound and professional business plan for you.

YOU WILL NEED A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS PLAN – CONTACT 084 583 3143 or email: money@global.co.za