AGRICULTURE AND FARMING INDUSTRY

Agriculture is the practice of cultivating natural resources to sustain human life and provide economic gain. It combines the creativity, imagination, and skill involved in planting crops and raising animals with modern production methods and new technologies.

Agriculture is also a business that provides the global economy with commodities: basic goods used in commerce, such as grain, livestock, dairy, fiber, and raw materials for fuel. For example, fiber is a top crop and a necessary commodity for the clothing sector.

Providing Raw Materials

Raw materials are a core building block of the global economy. Without access to raw materials, manufacturers can't make products. Nonagricultural raw materials include steel, minerals, and coal. However, many raw materials derive from agriculture — from lumber for construction materials to herbs for adding flavor to food. Corn, for example, is used to produce foods and serves as a foundation for ethanol, a type of fuel. Another example is resins plant products used in various industrial applications, such as adhesives, coatings, and paints used in construction.

Creating a Strong Supply Chain

Importing and exporting goods such as agricultural products requires shipping methods such as ocean freight, rail, and trucking. Delays in shipping agricultural products from a Los Angeles port can create problems in China, and vice versa, impacting the global supply chain.

For example, sales of soybean crops from Iowa External skyrocketed in 2021 due to various factors including delays in South American crop shipments, according to the Iowa Soybean Association. In this example, Iowa benefited from a competitive standpoint. However, delays in shipping crops could also be detrimental to regions expecting shipment, limiting availability of products on store shelves and affecting livelihoods.

Encouraging Economic Development

Agriculture impacts global trade because it's tied to other sectors of the economy, supporting job creation and encouraging economic development. Countries with strong agricultural sectors experience employment growth in other sectors, according to USAID. Countries with agricultural productivity growth and robust agriculture infrastructure also have higher per capita incomes, since producers in these countries innovate through technology and farm management practices to boost agricultural productivity and profitability.

Resources on the Importance of Agriculture

The following resources provide information about the importance of agriculture as a source of raw materials and its impact on transportation and contribution to economic development.

Agriculture also plays a central role in meeting consumer and business market demand in a world with interconnected economies. Here are different types of products derived from agriculture.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are essential sources of fiber, proteins, and carbohydrates in human diets. Vitamins, such as A, C, and E, and minerals, such as magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus, are naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables. In addition to health benefits, fruits and vegetables add flavors to the human palette.

Animal Feed

Some fruits and vegetables are grown to provide feed for animals, from poultry to livestock. The American Industry Feed Association reports that about 900 animal feed ingredients are approved by law in the U.S. These include ingredients that come from agricultural production, including hay, straw, oils, sprouted grains, and legumes.

Natural Rubber Production

The number of vehicles in the world is more than 1.4 billion, according to Hedges & Company market research. Every single one runs on rubber tires. According to GEP, the top rubber-producing countries are Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia – collectively representing approximately 70% of global natural rubber production – and about 90% of suppliers are small-scale farmers.

Cotton for Clothing

From cotton to clothes, the journey starts with agricultural production. Cotton is grown, harvested, and then processed, spun, and woven into fabric before it becomes a piece of clothing. Cotton production encompasses an expansive global supply chain, and according to Forum for the Future, it's a leading commodity, making up approximately 31% of all textile fibers globally.

Biofuels

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports favorable economics of biofuels, produced from biomass sources including agricultural products such as corn, soybeans, sugarcane, and algae. The benefits include reduced greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions and the potential for increased incomes for farmers. However, biodiesel production requires the use of land and water resources that can affect food costs.

Industrial Products

Bio-based chemistry involves using raw materials derived from biomass to develop industrial products. Different industrial products derived from bio-based chemicals include bioplastics, plant oils, biolubricants, inks, dyes, detergents, and fertilizers. Bio-based chemicals and products offer an alternative to conventional products derived from petroleum products. Bio-based chemistry is considered a type of green chemistry because it promotes the reduction of environmental impacts in industrial production.

Pharmaceutical Products

For thousands of years, humans have turned to plants to help treat what ails them. For example, ginger, a plant root typically consumed in tea, can help aid digestion. Substances derived from plants and herbs can also help in healthcare. For example, extracted chemicals from the foxglove plant are used for digoxin, a drug used for heart failure. Another example is polylactic acid (PLA), a chemical produced when glucose is fermented into lactic acid in green plants. PLA has applications in tissue engineering, cardiovascular implants, orthopedic interventions, cancer therapy, and fabrication of surgical implants, according to a study published in Engineered Regeneration.

Agriculture can have a significant effect on the economy. For instance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service reports that agricultural and food sectors provided 10% of all U.S. employment in 2020 – nearly 20 million full- and part-time jobs. Additionally, the USDA reported that cash receipts from crops totaled nearly $198 billion in 2020. Animal and animal product receipts weren't far behind in 2020, totaling $165 billion.

The interdependence of the food and agriculture sector with other sectors, including water and wastewater systems, transportation systems, energy, and chemical, makes it a critical engine for economic activity, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Agriculture also impacts economic development by contributing to the overall U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), directly and indirectly. It does so through farm production, forestry, fishing activities, textile mills and products, apparel and food and beverage sales, and service and manufacturing.

• • Farm production. The latest USDA data on farming and farming income report the U.S. had a little over 2 million farms, encompassing 897 million acres, in 2020. Farm production includes producing fruits, vegetables, plants, and varieties of crops to meet demand for agricultural products throughout the country and abroad.
  • Forestry and fishing activities. Agricultural activities include forestry and harvesting fish in water farms or in their natural habitat. Agroforestry focused on "establishing, managing, using, and conserving forests, trees and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values," according to the USDA. A form of fishing activity known as aquaculture involves the production of fish and other sea animals under controlled conditions to provide food.
  • Textile mills and products. The S. cotton industry produces $21 billion in products and services annually, according to the USDA. The industry has created various employment roles, such as growers, ginners, and buyers working on farms and in textile mills, cotton gins, offices, and warehouses.
  • Apparel, food and beverage sales. Since agriculture is a business, selling products made from agricultural production is essential. A key aspect of the sales component in agriculture is to help growers build capacity and understand the market dynamics to meet the needs of customers, many of whom care deeply about Food services and eating and drinking places accounted for 10.5 million jobs in 2020, the largest share among all categories within the agriculture and food sectors, according to the USDA.
  • Manufacturing. Agricultural products contribute to the manufacturing of a huge variety of goods, including food and beverage products, textiles, cleaning and personal products.

What is a farming business?

A farming business consists of the cultivation of crops and other products, the raising of animals or a combination of both. It ranges from smallholders' farms to large commercial enterprises. MDACI /MDACI CONSORTIUM is committed to helping you select the right and most profitable farming business you want to be specialized in and providing you the best training you need successfully start yours farming business. Some of the farming businesses includes crop production, livestock farming, aquaculture, horticulture, organic farming or a combination of these.

Tips on how to start a successful and profitable farming business with MDACI

To commence a farming business, it is not just enough to pick one or some of these businesses and get started. MDACI / MDACI CONSORTIUM will help assess you develop the best roadmap that primarily focus on the profitability of the business. Profitable Farming Business depends on many factors as for instance the location, the scale of operation, the market demand and the management practices, and-all.

Like any other business, a successful farming business always requires strategic planning, research (accurate information and date gathering) and, of course, a strong understanding of the local and global market. It is essential to always consider the following key factors: land availability, water resources, climate impact, labour costs, including logistices and distribution channels before starting your farming business journey.

When developing your farming business to bankability and profitability, our main tasks and responsibility shall include the following:

• • Identifying your business (Information Memorandum)
  • Acquiring land (Power of Attorney, Certification of Occupancy or Deed of Assignment, etc.)
  • Defining your farming business roadmap.
  • Conducting market research, including technical, environmental, economic and financial data collection.
  • Creating a Project Administration Manual for sustainable execution of the Project
  • Developing a business plan.
  • Processing licenses, permits and certifications from the relevant local and international authorities.
  • Securing financing from MDACI / MDACI CONSORTIUM Financiers and Investors
  • Implementing farming operations (Project Operation Manual)
  • Establishing sales and distribution channels
  • And-all.

If you need high-quality, advanced, smart, stylish and trendy agricultural and farming equipment and tools, browse through our global agriculture machinery and equipment sales and distribution platform and get the best deals. Our agriculture and farm equipment and tools are warranty for a period of 2 years (or 24 months) for repairs and adjustments from effective date of delivery to anuwhere around the world. This warranty is expandable up to 15 years. Besides, you will regularly receive the most advanced agriculture solutions and after-sales service support that assure you get as much use and value as possible out of your purchase.

Mechanisation is the key to success in agriculture and allied industries. Get all the best solutions you need to tackle the challenges of mechanisation and boost your economic growth.

Mechanization is today the only key to success in agriculture and allied industries such as food and beverage industry, energy industry, oil and gas industry (bio-oil, biogas, biomass), forestry industry, fishery industry, and others. Studies have shown that without mechanisation, it is not possible to tackle food insecurity, boost industrial development and economic growth. For instance, the economic development of developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America is historically paralyzed by the negligence of mechanisation of the agriculture. Mechanisation also includes the development of bankable agriculture infrastructure such as sustainable electric power supply to farms, modern workshops the secure the regular maintenance of operating equipment and tools, and other mechanisation inputs.

Our 20-year experience in the sub-Saharan African region has shown that the source of poverty is the total absence of the mechanisation of Agriculture, which is worsen by growing disinformation and lack of knowledge in the industry. In Nigeria, for instance, the Federal and State Governments spend billions of US Dollars every year to buy tractors only, thinking that tractors are only what they need effective mechanisation. This is the worst consideration. They don't know that these tractors need regular maintenance, repairs, adjustments, operation planning and budget, and other very bankable agricultural infrastructure in as stated above. After 3 years to 6 years maximum, these tractors stop working and the farmers return back to the traditional manual method of farming. This is a total barrier and blockage to economic development.

Therefore, we, at MDACI / MDACI CONSORTIUM, work very close with you and your farmers to identify your major challenges, and develop your business to bankability to the level of mechanisation that effectively and efficiently meet your needs. According to the FAO, "Women play an important role in many farming-based communities, and in some countries, up to 80 percent of the total farm labour comes from women. This implies that power sources (human, animal or motor-based) need to be adapted to such necessities from an ergonomic, social, cultural and economic point of view. The reduction of drudgery is a key element of sustainable mechanization and contributes to reducing women's hard workload by taking into consideration technologies apt to their needs and improving their access to appropriate forms of farm power."

Sustainable mechanization:

• • increases land productivity by facilitating timeliness and quality of cultivation;
  • supports opportunities that relieve the burden of labour shortages and enable households to withstand shocks better;
  • decreases the environmental footprint of agriculture when combined with adequate conservation agriculture practices; and
  • reduces poverty and achieve food security while improving people's livelihoods.