How farmers can gain better farm knowledge
Good farmers should continuously seek new knowledge about their work. Farming is dynamic and agricultural practices keep changing. New markets for agricultural products often come with new conditions that have to be met.
Time and again challenges crop up and a farmer will need guidance on how to overcome them. That guidance can be obtained in several different ways but it will take some effort by the farmer to access it.
It is no use for the farmer to assume to know everything about his work. One way to acquire new farming knowledge is to look for it in newspapers and the electronic media. Many media houses now attach a lot of importance to farming and allocate considerable airtime and newspaper space to agriculture.
Another way is visiting fellow farmers to see how they do their work. Attending farmers’ seminars is another way of getting new knowledge. It is also good to go to agricultural exhibitions. There are agriculture books and agricultural magazines that get published every now and again.
Take advantage of them. They teach not only farming practices but several other aspects of farming, such as agricultural economics, reduction of post-harvest losses, co-operatives management, and book keeping among others.
If you are a cattle keeper for example do you know everything about handling very perishable items like milk and meat? Do you know that clean milk production begins with healthy animals whose adders should be free from any faecal and soil contamination?
Do you know that the milking area should be protected from flies, rats, and birds? Is the milking area a good distance from the dung and garbage heap? Do you know that milk from animals undergoing medical treatment should not be mixed with milk for public consumption?
Do you know that all milking equipment must be meticulously clean and that the person doing the milking should be healthy and observing good personal hygiene? He should not be repeatedly sneezing or visiting the latrine during the milking process.
Do you know the best diet for a lactating cow? Do you have cold storage equipment for milk?
