Plan your farm

Michael J. Ssali 

What you need to know:

  • Planning your farm may require the guidance of an agricultural expert, like your area agricultural services extension officer or a professional site planner.

Whether your farm is large or small it ought to be well planned for you to maximise the economic benefit of the business venture and to enjoy some satisfaction, living and working there. Ideally it should be large enough for you to carry out a variety of farming activities. Planning your farm may require the guidance of an agricultural expert, like your area agricultural services extension officer or a professional site planner. You do not want to build your residential house too close to livestock sheds unless you do not mind the foul smell of animal droppings. Some visitors may not tolerate trampling on cow dung or pig droppings.

Be certain of the size of your farm for you to judge the number of enterprises that can be profitably carried out on it. If you want to invest in poultry, or rabbit keeping, or vegetable production, you may need less space than someone else doing commercial production of maize, beans, or wheat. Some enterprises require frequent checking and inspection especially if they easily attract thieves. Such enterprises should not be placed too far away from the farmer’s residence.
The farm should have easy access to the main road to facilitate transportation of inputs such as feeds, fertilisers, and agrochemicals to the farm. The farmer will also need quick transport of farm products to the market.  If the farmer has irrigation in mind or if some of the enterprises involve livestock keeping there ought to be a good source of water at the farm.

Your choice of the location of the farm should be based on a number of social factors. Does the area have schools where your children can easily go? How good is the telephone network connectivity? You don’t want a place where you cannot make an urgent phone call to the veterinary doctor in case of livestock issues. 

You should have access to hydro-electricity in mind unless you have a provision for solar power or a generator. Remember you will want to perhaps pump water or to keep some farm products such as milk and vegetables under refrigeration.  
Land ownership must be born in mind when setting up permanent structures on the farm. If the land is hired for a relatively short period it is no use constructing permanent farm structures or planting crops such as coffee and cocoa.   .