Fish Farming | Profitable Agriculture Business Idea

Fish farming business opportunity demands special knowledge, skills and day-to-day careful monitoring. Commercial fish farming has proven to be an economically successful business venture throughout the globe. Fish is healthy, protein-rich and tasty food with low cholesterol and calories. The requirement of the fish is one of the main components of animal protein in diet computed 11 kilograms per year per person. Increasing the popularity of having varieties of fish as food boosting  business opportunity of fish farming globally.

In starting a profitable fish farming business you will need to have  substantial financial resources with land and good quality water bodies. You will need to be enough knowledgeable about the process of this business. You will need to procure necessary equipment and machinery for the business also.

Benefits of Fish Farming

• Fish farming is one of the fastest growing food production sectors in the world
• Fish and fish product has huge and increasing demand throughout the globe.
•  Market demand and the price are always high for fish and fish related products.
• Fish farming plays an important role in the economy, providing thousands of jobs in operations and ancillary services.
• Different several types of fast growing fish species are available. Farming those fast growing fish species ensure rapid returns of your investment.
• People with other occupation or job can also start this business.
• Bank loan and funding assistance are also available on the fish farming project.

Cost Calculation of Fish Farming

Two types of capital investment broadly include in this farming business. One is capital cost and other one is operating cost. Capital cost includes land & building, crafting ponds, vehicles for transport, plumbing arrangements, several tanks, oxygen meters etc.

Operating cost includes purchasing eggs or fingerlings, fish feed, electricity, fuel, labor, chemical, medicine, tax, insurance, telephone, transportation and other maintenance cost involved.

Before getting into the business, carefully prepare  detailed cost calculation of your proposed fish related farming project. Calculations will be different as per the types of fish you are choosing for fish farming. And also according to your desired output and total land area.

Important Consideration About Fish Farming

Feasibility analysis and business planning is the must before starting a fish farming business. Do an intensive market research before get into fish farming. Understand the local market demand. If you are going to start fish farming for export, then talk to fish processing units prior. Prepare an alternative marketing strategy to rely on. Choosing right species of fish plays a major role in getting success in fish farming business. The decision should be based on market demand, maintenance point of view, availability of resources etc.

Having skill is important in starting a fish farming business. You can get training from Government running farms that conduct training. Working at a successful fish farm will also teach you how to perform water quality management, disease control, feeding, marketing and processing skills.

• Ensure that you have a continuous source of quality water.
• Check whether your water temperature is optimal for the fish species reared or not.
• Ensure an easy access to the pond for feeding and harvesting.
• Test the water in which you are starting fish farming both chemical and bacteriological.
• Learn about the modern technical method of risk assessment and as well as risk management.
• Finding out reliable suppliers for fish eggs, fingerlings and fish feed are very crucial in fish farming business.
• Figure out legal compliance and permission needed to start a fish farming business in your locality.

Different Types of Fish Farming

1. Fish Hatchery

A fish hatchery is an artificial place for breeding, hatching, and rearing through the early life stages of animals, finfish, and shellfish. Selection of right species is important in starting fish hatchery business.  Some species that are commonly raised in hatcheries include Pacific oysters, shrimp, Indian prawns, Carp fishes, salmon, tilapia, and scallops.

2. Tilapia Fish Farming

Tilapia has become third most important and popular fish after carp and salmon. High protein content, large size, rapid growth (6 to 7 months to grow to harvest size) and palatability; are the major reasons that make tilapia fish farming highly profitable and popular.

3. Shrimp Farming

Commercial shrimp farming has been developed for more than a century in Southeast Asia. Extensive shrimp farming operation is considered the simplest culture approach. Market demand is very high and can be initiated small-scale basis. 

4. Crab Farming

Intensive commercial crab farming can be performed in smaller areas and at greater densities, minimizing land and labor, but the environmental impacts of these techniques can be significant. The mud crab (Scylla Serrata) is a promising aquaculture species due to its fast growth and good market acceptability and price.

5. Prawn Farming

The worldwide demand for prawn is increasing highly. A freshwater prawn farm is very similar to a freshwater fish farm. With the help of modern improved technology, one can start prawn farming to meet local and export demand both.

6. Ornamental Fish Farming

Ornamental fishes are colourful, fancy and generally known as aquarium fish. According to an NABARD report the ornamental fish trading industry with a turnover of US $ 6 Billion and an annual growth rate of 8 percent offers  lot of scope for development. The overall domestic trade in this field cross Rupees 1000 lakh  and is  reportedly growing at the rate of 20 per cent annum.

7. Cat Fish Farming

Commercial catfish farming is very profitable.  Aquaculture farmers can initiate catfish farming alone or combined with other species. Catfish farming can be initiated with comparatively low cost and at small scale basis.

8. Carp Fish Farming Rahu / Katla

Carp are omnivorous, with a high tendency towards the consumption of animal food, such as water insects, larvae of insects, worms, molluscs, and zooplankton. These food habits play a major role towards the profitability of carp farming.

9. Salmon Fish Farming

Salmon farming is the commercial production of salmon from egg to market in a net-cage, pond or contained system. Salmon are carnivores. On average it takes two to five kilograms of wild fish (used in feed) to produce one kilogram of farmed salmon.

10. Indoor Fish Farming

An entrepreneur can initiate indoor fish related farming from the home location with moderate capital investment. You can also integrate an aquaponic system to grow plants with your indoor fish containers and raise fish, vegetable, and herbs at the same time.

How to Start Certified Seed Production | KaamYaab Business Consultants

Certified Seed Production 

Seed is a basic agricultural input and it is an embryo, embedded in the food storage tissue. Seeds with good germination capacity and seed vigor are considered as quality seeds. Quality seed production which follows efficient certification procedures plays a major role in the increase of food production.

High quality certified seed production requires considerable technical skill and a number of     rigid requirements must be fulfilled in order to ensure a high purity and germination of seed. Seed multiplication involves two aspects, seed production, and Seed processing.

Seed production requires improved cultural practices and efficient weed, disease and pest control. Maintaining optimum irrigation, fertilizer inputs, and some other specific operations are required. Generally every state Govt. has the specific body for seed certification.

The certification process involves a thorough testing throughout the session. Certified seed production is a profitable business. Any individual can initiate this venture as small scale concentrating with one or two crops.

Market Opportunity For Certified Seed Production

The rising demand for food and rapid decline in arable land has augmented the demand for agricultural products which in turn exerted pressure on farmers to increase the productivity in various crops grown on available limited land.

In order to avail optimum utilization of the land available for cultivation, use of improved & high yielding seed is considered essential. Seed is considered to be one of the most important parts of agriculture crop production on which the use of others agri-inputs efficiency depends on.

Certified seeds are consequently seen as those products which can improve the return on investment and respond to consumer demands for economical agricultural production by increasing per unit seed production and per hectare production.

High growth potential in emerging markets and untapped regions, provide new growth opportunities for market players in certified seed production. The growth of this market is also driven by changing composition of diet and other industrial demand for the crop produce, which is leading to commercial crop area expansion.

The global market for seed was valued at $53.76 Billion in 2014 and is projected to reach $92.04 Billion by 2020, at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2015 to 2020.

Certified Seed Production Business Plan

The business has long term operational measures. You must craft a business plan according to the finance availability. For cultivation, it requires huge land. Careful field selection is mandatory for quality yield.

The land should be level, fertile and free from noxious weeds common to the crop. Contract farming is the best way to start when you don’t have enough land of your own. Contract farming is a biparty agreement which is made between the farmer and the company.

The agreement contributes directly to the management of the farm through input supply as well as technical guidance and also markets the produce.  The main features of this type of contract farming are that selected crops are grown by farmers under a buyback agreement with an agency engaged in processing. Determine which seed you will be going to produce. According to the land acquired, go for arranging breeder seed. Prepare the budget with the input costs. Craft a financial planning with investment and projected ROI.

Certified Seed Production Process

Certified seed production includes three major operations. Such as isolation, cultivation, and certification.

Isolation: Certified seed production fields are carefully isolated from other crops to prevent contamination from other varieties or crop kinds. Isolation is essential to prevent pollination from unwanted pollen in the case of cross-pollinated and often cross-pollinated species and to avoid mechanical mixture and chance of cross-pollination in self-pollinated species.

Roguing: You must inspect your crops throughout the growing season. Improved cultural practices must be followed for raising a good seed crop. Recommended dose of fertilizers and irrigation water must be applied for high yields of high-quality seed.

Plant Protection: Proper measures must be taken to protect the seed crop from disease and pests. Insect pests and diseases may cause considerable damage to the crop reducing the yield and quality of seed. Some disease may lead to rejection of the seed by the certifying agency as unfit for use as seed.

Inspection: Govt. agency will inspect your field. After passing the inspection and meeting you will receive an official crop certificate.

Harvesting: At the proper stage of maturity, you must harvest the seed crop. It should be done with considerable care in order to prevent the mechanical mixture from other crop seed or weed seeds. The threshing floor should be clean and preferably cemented to keep the contamination from inert matter to a minimum.

Testing & Grading: Certified seed requires separate storage to preserve unique genetic identities. The Govt. agency will test and verify your seeds in an accredited lab for compliance with standards for germination and physical purity. The seeds go through an intricate grading process. The final step of certified seed production is bagging with labeled by variety name with an officially certified seed tag.

Beekeeping Business – Make Money By Selling Honey

Make Money By Selling Honey

 

Beekeeping business opportunity demands day-to-day monitoring with close supervision to the bees. With the increasing awareness about the health, demand for honey is growing globally. Beekeeping for selling honey and other products like wax is a profitable venture to start with less startup investment. You don’t need to have land or any establishment to start the beekeeping business. You can also provide pollination service to the local farmers who need it.

Skills for Beekeeping Business

While you are dealing with the living creature it is important to have enough skills that allow you managing bees daily basis with proper care even in the crisis moment. You need to get knowledge about how to attract a swarm of bees to your hive, how they feed them, how to harvest honey and other bee products, how to avoid bee diseases etc. Also, there are some Govt. farms who conduct training for the entrepreneurs who want to start the beekeeping business. Practical training is important to start this business.

Business Plan for Beekeeping Business

In starting beekeeping business commercially, creating a financial plan is very important. You need to determine several factors like costs, expected returns, working capital needed etc. Determine with how many colonies you will start the business. Also, you need to develop a strategic marketing plan for the products and services you want to offer.

Equipment for Beekeeping Business

Major equipment for beekeeping business is hive and the wooden box to keep the bees. Concentrate on the size. Using right size will give you the right production of honey. In purchasing beehives it is recommended to get one that has had bees into it for at least one year with a good laying queen bee. Also, you need to procure bees. To get bees you can buy swarm or you can buy ready-made colony from the reputed beekeepers. You also need to have veil, hive tool, clothing, gloves and bee smoker. To harvest honey you need to have blower, brush and honey extractor. You can purchase the material from the local market or from online vendors.

Get Clients in Beekeeping Business

You can sell honey directly from your farm. Have a business contract with medicine and retail shop owners to sell the raw honey. Honey processing organizations are also your clients. Contact with them. Register you product with online portals who sell consumer durable items. Create a website. Offer an online order system there. Establish the relationship with the local agriculture and farming co operatives. Establish the business relationship with the fertilizer shops in your area. You can get the client for pollination from them. Contact with the cosmetic industry owners to sell bee wax to them.