Only 4% of any nations worldwide are normally farmers. The number of really successful farmers in most of the countries is rather lower and closer to 1% of the population. So the chance for everyone in a country to be farmers is not possible and not every one of the 4%, who will try to make a living out of farming, will succeed.
Afarm worker may know what to do at a farm but there is no guarantee at all that even a very good farm worker can become a successful farmer at all. A real farmer is a person who knows everything he/she is doing in his/her field of farming; he can do everything himself/herself or at least know how to get it done. He/she has to be a manager, equipped with a variety of skills like bookkeeping, record keeping, able to do proper planning, to make sure the plans are followed and done, control the farming activities and be able to make quick and effective decisions when needed. He has to be in control of his finances and farm profitably and sustainably to keep on farming When you dream to be a farmer one day, just know that it is never just an overnight success story. Farming per se is not a blooming business of big bucks and a nice life sitting on the porch while your bank account bursts with all the money you collect. Today farmers live with severe stress; lack of finance and every bank or service provider want their payments to be done, while you have planted the crops waiting for rain to secure a harvest, or you've done every effort to feed your cattle, sheep and goats to keep them alive, while you start getting drained by all the efforts to combat against droughts, securing enough income to cover your running costs, just to survive. Also sometimes very successful farmers in South Africa went bankrupt due to droughts, manipulation of prices, and poor access to markets and pricing of products. Financial institutions are there to make money out of you but when things become difficult they normally put more pressure on you, the farmers, to get the money back which they lent to you. The government may help you with inputs to get started. That grants are not always guaranteed and are just a privilege, a bonus but never an annual gift. Just know that it will not happen every year. If you are unable to make a profit and save money for the next crop season, you will not be able to proceed again. Easy come, easy go. You can just call yourself a farmer when you can proceed on an annual basis with your farming on your own. If you have to depend on grants or loans that you can't pay back, you will surely be sold out and removed from the farm. Then you can't sit and wait for better days, you then have to work somewhere to earn an income to make a living. A real man/woman will not stay dependent; they will make an effort to do something to earn an income for their family to survive.
Read the full report on the link on top.
