The opening of modern farms is an alternative to existing large-scale collective farms in terms of supplying agricultural products to cities.

This article will discuss the nuances of running such a business.

Pros and cons of business

This activity as a branch of business occupies one of the leading positions among types of entrepreneurial activity and has certain prospects in the future. This is explained by specific advantages - they are associated with the widespread passion for healthy eating and eating only natural products, which creates an increased demand for them among all consumer groups: from mothers with infants to pensioners.

Inexperienced entrepreneurs may think that opening a new farm is not only promising, but also more than simple. However, in practice, such an event is associated not only with the requirement of having experience in running a business in a similar field, but also with significant difficulties that may arise in the development of the economy.

In addition, this type of business is associated with some risks that may arise during its development. These include:

• seasonality of activity;
• lack or instability of demand for products;
• high competition;
• reduction in income of potential consumers;
• increase in prices for supplies of raw materials and materials;
• increase in the cost of renting large agricultural equipment.

Therefore, to reduce the likelihood of these risks occurring, as well as to successfully develop a business, it is necessary to draw up a business plan. It will gradually plan activities for opening a farm, list ways to reduce risks, and also calculate and analyze the main economic indicators of the project - revenue, start-up capital and payback periods.

What is needed to open a farm?

The first thing to do when writing a business plan is it is necessary to decide on the direction of business development. Modern farms can operate in various directions, among which the following sectors are the most popular:

• Breeding domestic animals and birds. The products of production in this case can be not only meat and offal, but also wool, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, etc.
• Growing agricultural crops (cereals, industrial crops, melons and others).
• Growing vegetables and fruits.
• Other activities, including beekeeping, fishing, mushroom cultivation, growing herbs and so on.

Most farms are created on the basis of existing households located in rural areas. This circumstance makes it possible to significantly reduce the size of the start-up investment for equipping the farm, since initially such formations were built taking into account the chosen direction of development.

In addition, many households have at their disposal (owned or leased) land developed for agricultural needs. By newly created farms, such lands can be used for growing crops or for developing pastures for grazing livestock.

When creating a farm, it must be registered, for which an organizational and legal form must be chosen.

Most often she is chosen peasant farm (peasant farm). Its features are the absence of the need to form a legal entity, as well as the possibility of including all family members in the farm. In this case, it is necessary to elect the head of the farm, which can be any person from the family who has reached the age of majority.

Next, it is necessary to resolve taxation issues, for which the peasant farm must be registered with the tax authorities. You should know that farms pay single agricultural tax.

An individual entrepreneur - the head of a peasant farm must be registered with the Pension Fund, and also receive a letter from Rosstat about the assignment of statistics codes. In addition, the farm must have its own current account opened in the selected bank.

To open a farm, you need start-up capital. In this case, part of the funds can be borrowed from the bank. To do this, you need to provide a well-written business plan with transparent tracking of financial flows. It is advisable to contact banks or private financial institutions focused on issuing loans specifically to agricultural organizations, since other banks simply may not understand the peculiarities of organizing activities set out in the business plan.

Some farms may qualify for financial business support from the state, but only farms whose activities are included in the agro-industrial complex development program can benefit from such assistance.

Chicken breeding

Chicken meat is one of the most popular all over the world, not only due to its high taste characteristics, but also its lower cost compared to pork, beef and other types of meat. And we don’t even need to mention the popularity of chicken eggs, since they are included in almost all modern dishes. That is why raising chickens is a business that can bring stable, tangible income.

The most successful location for such a business is the territory of a country house, preferably owned by an entrepreneur. When opening a chicken breeding farm, you need to rely on the following key points in organizing this business:

1. Choosing a bird breed. According to modern classification, chicken breeds are divided into egg breeds (bred specifically for laying eggs), meat breeds (bred for the purpose of producing meat) and meat-egg breeds (bred for complex production of products).
   When choosing a specific breed, an entrepreneur should be guided by his own experience and goals. When choosing a specific breed, it is necessary to find out all the features of keeping birds, including such indicators as the air temperature in the chicken coop and the level of light.
2. Number of chickens kept on the farm. This indicator affects other conditions for organizing a business - the volume of feed purchases, the number of farm workers, the size of the chicken coop, the walking area, etc.
3. Chicken coop equipment. It is naive to believe that a chicken farm involves the construction of only a chicken coop. Additionally, it must be equipped with various equipment and installations - feed trays, drinking bowls, air humidity meters, temperature meters, etc.
4. Careful monitoring of the birds' condition. To prevent the risk of hens falling, careful monitoring of their appearance, plumage condition, shedding levels and beak paleness is required after purchase.
5. Bird walking. The place and time for walking chickens should be carefully thought out, and walking should mainly be carried out during the warm period of the year and daylight hours. Since chickens look for food for themselves while walking, it must be provided in the form of worms, feed and corn.

The estimated payback period for such a business is about 8 months, which characterizes the direction as highly profitable.

Pig farming

Pig breeding is one of the most profitable commercial activities in the livestock sector. When doing business in this direction, special attention should be paid to the sale of pedigree young animals. In order for the initial investment to pay off, it is necessary to sell 2-3 generations of animals. The choice of feeding method for pigs (dry or liquid) depends on the preferences of the breeder himself.

The conditions of the premises in which animals will be kept also affect their healthy development. Building a building from scratch is quite costly and unprofitable for starting a new business. Therefore, it is recommended to find an empty farm and then rent or buy it. After this, repairs must be made to the room, all the required networks must be connected - ventilation, electricity and water supply.

It should be remembered that the better the premises are equipped, and the entire process of raising animals is automated, the less it will be necessary to hire workers to monitor the maintenance of pigs. However, you simply cannot do without such vacancies as livestock technician, veterinarian, manager-administrator and accountant.

In this direction profitability is estimated at 25%, accordingly, starting investments can pay off in about 4-5 years.

Sheep breeding

Developing a business related to sheep farming has certain advantages. They consist not only of a stable income, but also of constant demand for farm products. At the same time, the products include not only meat, but also wool, as well as sheep’s cheese.

This direction has the advantage that a business can be started literally with the acquisition of a few heads, and in the future, as the farm develops and establishes operations, the number of animals can be increased.

It will be quite problematic to engage in sheep farming within the city limits, which is why the vast majority of such farms are located in rural areas. Another advantage is that any room, even unheated one, is suitable for keeping animals. It is necessary to purchase space for sheep walking taking into account the further increase in the number of sheep.

Despite the fact that the profitability of the sheep farming business is is only 10-15%, with a competent approach to business and drawing up a clearly structured business plan, the farm can pay for itself in 1-1.5 years.

Growing crops

Among the variety of activities, grain crops are rapidly gaining popularity. Moreover, not only traditional varieties (rye and wheat), but also modern crops bred through selective selection are actively grown.

According to the latest statistical data, the volume of harvested grain increases annually, which characterizes this area of ​​​​agricultural business as quite promising. An important advantage is the significant support from the state, which in many ways allows us to solve the problem of finding start-up capital.

However, it can be difficult for a newly created farm to grow agricultural crops in a developed competitive environment. That is why it is necessary to draw up a competent business plan that takes into account all the features of this activity.

When planning a business, you first need to decide on the specific grain crop that you intend to grow. Further planning of the entire technological process will be based on this choice, including such aspects as:

• features of soil cultivation;
• methods of sowing seeds;
• timing and technology of harvesting;
• types of fertilizers used;
• methods of protecting plants from harmful insects and diseases, etc.

Subject to a well-drafted business plan, rational use of funds received from the state and full adherence to the planned plan in commercial activities, the business of growing grain crops can pay off in less than 18 months.

Growing vegetables/fruits

Opening an agricultural farm to grow vegetables or fruits is also a promising area of ​​business development due to the widespread passion for eating only natural products. And, since potential consumers do not fully trust the quality of agricultural products grown by state collective farms, opening private farms may well become a promising business that brings a stable income. Moreover, according to experts, prices for these products will only rise in the future, and demand will not only not decrease, but may even increase.

Like any other area of ​​business development, this activity requires drawing up a competent business plan that takes into account all the features and capabilities of the entrepreneur himself. The first step in the business plan should be to determine what kind of crop is supposed to be grown, taking into account the regional characteristics of the territory where the farm will be opened. That is, you need to decide which crops are suitable for growing in the climate of a particular region and which are not.

Also, one of two methods of growing vegetables/fruits must be chosen, namely growing in greenhouses or open ground. Methods must be selected to protect the crop from the unwanted effects of insects and crop diseases.

It should be remembered that automation of the growing process has a positive effect on farm productivity, thereby increasing the profitability of the business.

When opening a farm to grow vegetables or fruits, you should remember to obtain quality certificates for your products, which has a positive effect on your success in finding distribution channels and forming regular customers for your products. With skillful business management, investments in opening a farm can pay off in less than a year.

Product markets

Establishing stable distribution channels for grown products is essential for successful farming. To search for channels, a preliminary analysis of the situation on the local market of agricultural products must be carried out. During this analysis, the development of business in a given region is assessed, the level of competition is determined and the level of demand for products is calculated.

At the same time, it is important to determine the directions for searching for sales channels, they can be:

• Organizations working in the catering sector - cafes, restaurants, canteens at factories and industrial enterprises, catering places at educational, office and other organizations.
• Organizations directly involved in the food industry - meat and bakery plants, enterprises producing pasta and cereals, organizations producing confectionery products, etc.
• Wholesale and retail trade enterprises.

It should be remembered that one of the most important conditions for a successful search for distribution channels is the competitiveness of farm products, as well as an appropriate level of quality at reasonable prices.

If farm products meet the requirements, then they can be sold through independent sale in food markets (both retail and wholesale).

Costs and payback periods

The amount of costs associated with organizing a peasant farm largely depends on the initial conditions of the business. For example, if a peasant farm is created on the basis of an already existing household, then the size of the starting investment will be significantly smaller, since land and outbuildings will already be available.

A different situation arises if the farm is created from scratch. At the same time, the amount of starting capital may also differ depending on the chosen direction of business development, the cost of renting a plot, the price of purchasing animals or plants, and other things.

If we take average figures, then in total it will take approximately 5-6 million rubles to open a peasant farm.

The profitability of the business also depends on what direction the farm’s activities have been chosen. For example, if the farm is planned to be developed in the field of pig breeding, then the initial investment will pay off in approximately 4-5 years. If the peasant farm works in the direction of breeding chickens, then the business will begin to make a profit after 8 months due to the high demand for the products.

Thus, when planning to open a farm, first of all, it is necessary to determine the direction for its development, find out the features of farming in this area and draw up a structured business plan that determines the entire further organization of the business, taking into account the maximum reduction in the likelihood of risks.

Video about organizing farms

The video discusses the question of where to start a business in this direction:

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 5 minutes

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Livestock farming as a business is one of the most promising areas in agriculture, which, with the right approach, can bring significant profits even in times of crisis.

Of course, this type of business activity requires certain capital investments (for example, for the purchase of feed and for the maintenance of farm animals), but their payback is characterized by the shortest terms. If you get down to business wisely, a livestock business started from scratch can make you a successful and financially independent person in a few years.

Recently, the livestock farming business in Russia has become increasingly popular.

The following external factors contribute to its rapid development:

• the presence of government programs to support domestic producers;
• constant rise in food prices;
• livestock products are a category of essential goods;
• in this area there is a wide choice of a wide variety of areas for entrepreneurial activity.

Taking into account the listed factors, we can say with confidence that livestock farming as a business from scratch is a very promising and quite profitable type of activity, which, with a certain starting capital, can generate quite significant and stable income.

A novice farmer at the first stage must take the following steps:

1. decide on the direction of the future business;
2. develop yourself or with the help of qualified specialists a good livestock business plan;
3. Invest start-up capital in agricultural machinery and animals;
4. officially register as a private entrepreneur or legal entity;
5. apply for financial support to the relevant government authorities.

Organizing a business in livestock farming, like any other business, is associated with certain difficulties. It is best to start your own business in an area of ​​activity that you are familiar with and that is interesting to you.

A business idea in livestock farming when creating a new enterprise should be one that would allow achieving a positive result in a short time with minimal financial costs.

After studying in practice the chosen technology for the production of livestock products, in the future you can think about increasing the scale of your business.

Existing livestock sectors

It is necessary to develop a livestock farming business plan based on existing sectors of farm animal breeding:

• cattle breeding (breeding dairy or beef cattle);
• poultry farming;
• pig farming:
• sheep breeding;
• horse breeding;
• rabbit breeding;
• fur farming (breeding fur animals);
• beekeeping;
• fish farming.

Cattle breeding is considered the most profitable branch of livestock farming.

Entrepreneurs engaged in this type of activity produce milk and meat (and often both at the same time). Poultry farming is considered an equally profitable business. The relative ease of raising poultry at home and the consistently high demand for poultry meat and eggs enable poultry farmers to earn serious, stable profits.

The third most popular, but recently rapidly growing business area is pig farming. This type of business can generate high income, but to achieve good success in it, you need to be prepared for significant investments of effort and money.

The most economically sustainable and profitable option is to create a large farm with broad specialization.

However, it is worth remembering that organizing such an agricultural enterprise from scratch is almost impossible. If you develop a competent, good business plan and strictly follow all the points specified in it, then, starting with a small enterprise, over time you can create a large livestock-breeding inter-industry complex. At the very beginning of your entrepreneurial journey, your main tasks are to return the funds invested at the start and make your first profit.

Depending on the amount of capital invested and the livestock industry you have chosen, the payback period can be from six months to two years. To make any significant profit from a small business, it must be developed to a certain scale. For example, if your field is cattle breeding, then a herd of 20–30 heads is unlikely to bring you much profit. You should constantly increase the number of animals, purchase additional equipment and increase the staff, striving to increase your herd to one hundred animals in at least a year.

If you don’t understand anything about animal husbandry, you shouldn’t invest heavily in it right away.

It’s best to start small, for example, buy and try to raise, say, five bulls. In the process of work, you will understand whether this type of entrepreneurial activity is right for you and whether it is worth doing it at all.

The first question for a beginning livestock breeder always remains: “Who is the most profitable to raise?”

Let's try to figure out which animals are best to start with:

№	Helpful information
1	Rabbits come first. If you have zero experience in the field of caring for and maintaining farm animals, this is the best option to try your hand at the livestock business. The main advantage of this type of animal is its precocity. In just a month, the weight of rabbits increases twelvefold! In addition, everyone has heard about the extraordinary fertility of eared animals. Even with four or five rabbits at the first stage, in just a year you can get about three hundred kilograms of dietary rabbit meat and about two hundred rabbit skins. These figures indicate the commercial attractiveness and usefulness of this business area
2	nutria. With the right approach, this livestock farming business idea can provide a very decent income. One carcass of this animal weighing 5 kilograms costs up to $25. With proper organization of the technological process and proper care, one family of nutria can produce $350 worth of meat products per month. If your goal is the skins of these animals, then they need to be raised for 9–10 months
3	goat breeding The main products of these animals are milk, which has a number of useful and nutritional qualities, and valuable goat fluff. The good demand for these products and the unpretentiousness of these animals makes it possible for even novice livestock breeders to make good money;
4	It's a little more difficult to raise turkeys. Despite the fact that their breeding is associated with certain difficulties regarding their maintenance, this type of poultry brings excellent income to poultry farmers. With a competent approach and skillful organization of the process, all initial investments are returned in 8–10 months. It is during this time that the weight of an adult turkey reaches 20–25 kilograms. The demand for this high-quality dietary poultry meat is constantly at a high level in any state of the economy, and therefore there are usually no problems with the sale of grown products
5	domestic pig farming. Pigs are also fast-maturing farm animals. With the proper level of care and high quality feed resources, within six months the animal gains weight of around 100 kilograms. One sow can give birth once or twice a year, so in addition to selling the meat itself, you can make good money selling suckling piglets
6	raising bulls. Beef is always in constant demand and almost never gets cheaper. Therefore, raising beef bulls is one of the most profitable livestock business ideas. High-quality care and proper nutrition allow animals to achieve a weight of 200 - 235 kilograms in just a year and a half

Stern

For a beginning livestock breeder, purchasing feed is the most significant financial expense.

By trying to save on the quality of feed products, you can cause irreparable harm to animals and be left with nothing. Therefore, experts strongly recommend not saving on this expense item. It is best to buy feed in bulk from manufacturers whose reputation and experience in the feed production industry are quite extensive. In addition to grain and hay, it is also necessary to purchase special feed additives that stimulate rapid weight gain.

Since the main livestock products are always in demand on the market, there are usually no problems with their sales. Beginner livestock and poultry farmers sell milk. meat, eggs and other products either at city markets, farmers' markets, or through small stores.

Farms that have developed to large sizes. In most cases, long-term contracts are concluded either with processing enterprises or with retail chains. Serious farms also create their own processing enterprises, which significantly increases the profitability of such agricultural enterprises.

How much profit can you make?

How profitable is livestock farming in our country? To answer this question, let’s calculate the profitability of livestock farming using the example of a rabbit farm.

Rabbits give birth up to 10 times a year. One female rabbit brings up to 6 rabbits in one litter. If you have a hundred females on your farm, they will produce 6 thousand heads of young animals. The average weight of a rabbit before slaughter is from 2 to 2.2 kilograms. If you raise and slaughter all the young animals, you can get 12 tons of meat. Rabbit meat costs about 180-190 rubles per kilogram. We receive 2 million 280 thousand rubles in one year. After deducting the costs of feed, maintenance, wages to employees and transportation costs, 1 million 140 thousand rubles remain.

To reduce costs, you can independently grow food for them on your own plot of land and vaccinate the animals yourself, as well as provide care for the rabbits without hiring hired labor.

The business of breeding farm animals in most cases becomes very profitable. Today, family farms of almost any specialization can bring quite a significant income. But, of course, making a profit from breeding animals or poultry is possible only with the right approach of the entrepreneur to the matter.

First stage

The specialization of the future farm is, of course, what a novice farmer must first decide on. Family livestock farms are organized in Russia usually for the purpose of raising traditional cattle, pigs or chickens. All these types of agricultural animals are kept using fairly simple technologies developed over decades, and sometimes centuries.

Standard family farms, specializing in the breeding of traditional types of farm animals, of course, usually bring a good income. However, the owners of such a farm will most likely have to face strong competition in the course of their activities. After all, we already have quite a lot of farms of this specialization in our country. Therefore, perhaps entrepreneurs should think about breeding some other, rarer agricultural animals.

Some ideas for the beginning farmer

Recently, in our country there has been an increased demand for this type of meat such as lamb. Previously, such a product was not particularly popular in Russia. Many consumers simply didn't like the smell. However, recently breeders have developed many breeds of sheep, the meat of which is completely devoid of such a defect. So today, organizing a small cattle breeding farm can also become quite a profitable activity.

Agriculture in Russia, after all sorts of economic shocks, is, in fact, still developing. Some niches in this area of ​​the country's economy are still practically unoccupied. Therefore, the business of breeding some very unusual animals can also become quite profitable. For example, an entrepreneur might want to think about starting a farm:

• trout;
• rabbit;
• nutria.

Business plan

Of course, first of all, future entrepreneurs should develop a detailed project for a family farm. Organizing a livestock farm of any specialization is always quite expensive. The family’s own funds are most likely simply not enough to start such a business from scratch.

The best solution in this situation may be, of course, a bank loan. In Russia, in our time, programs are periodically implemented aimed at maintaining and developing precisely such a sector of the national economy as livestock farming. A family farm can be organized, including with money borrowed from the bank at very low interest. But, of course, in order to convince a potential lender of the prospects of the newly organized business, he needs to be provided with a detailed business plan. If necessary, you can draw up such a document yourself.

Whatever specialization family farms are created, their business plan should include:

• Description of the final product. In this paragraph, you need to indicate the type of product that will be supplied to the market from the farm and its expected volume. You should also provide the bank with information about exactly how meat, milk, eggs, etc. will be sold.
• Production plan. This item should include information about where exactly the money received on credit will be sent (for the construction of premises, the purchase of young animals, feed, etc.).
• Financial plan. This includes all the expected expenses of the farm in the process of its operation and development - wages to workers, utilities, prevention of animal or poultry diseases, transportation of feed and carcasses.
• Variable expenses. At this point, farm owners usually indicate the expected expenses for feed (for one animal per year and for the entire herd).
• Income. The estimated profit is indicated here, along with the necessary calculations.

Cattle breeding farm: organizational features

Most often, these are the types of family farms that have been registered in Russia lately. In our country, cattle are traditionally bred to produce milk. Farm owners rarely keep such animals for meat. This product is most often considered secondary in relation to milk. Therefore, the profitability of almost any such farm depends on the amount of milk yield. Therefore, entrepreneurs first of all need to take care of choosing a high-milk breed of cattle. This could be, for example, a red steppe cow, black-and-white, Holstein, Kholmogory or Yaroslavl. In addition to productivity, when choosing a breed, it is worth paying attention to such an indicator as whimsicality in terms of care. For example, Holstein cows produce the most milk. However, a less experienced farmer should still choose red steppe or black-and-white to begin with. Such cows are much more unpretentious, and there will most likely be no losses in the herd during their breeding, even if any technology is violated.

The construction of family farms for breeding cows is usually carried out in compliance with the following requirements:

• the ceiling height in the room should not be less than 2.5 m;
• the farm should have good natural light;
• windows in the premises are located at a height inaccessible to cows;
• Ventilation should be installed in the barn.

The most convenient are barns with stalls on the sides and a passage in the middle. In addition to the barn itself, staff quarters and outbuildings (for storing feed, equipment, medicines and protective clothing) will need to be built on the farm.

Of course, entrepreneurs will also have to organize the supply of feed to the farm. The better the quality of the animal's diet, the more milk can be obtained from them. Cows are required to be given all three types of feed intended for agricultural animals:

• juicy (root vegetables);
• rough (grass, hay);
• concentrated (grain, bran, mixed feed).

Animals will also need to receive mineral and vitamin supplements. In summer, cattle are usually turned out to pasture all day.

Pig breeding: features

Such a family farm is also usually quite a profitable business. When organizing a farm specializing in raising piglets, it is important to choose the right place to build a barn. The smell from a pig farm can be very strong, even when the animals are well cared for. According to the regulations, the construction of premises intended for raising piglets is allowed only outside the populated area, no closer than 50-500 m from its border (depending on the number of heads in the herd).

In this case, the choice of animal breed must also be approached as responsibly as possible. All varieties of pigs existing today can be divided into three large groups: meat, tallow and meat-greasy. Breeding the first type of piglets is more difficult than the last two. But at the same time, leaner pork costs more. A novice farmer should still choose a tallow or meat-fat breed of piglets for breeding. It will be much easier to raise such pigs.

The room for piglets should be built from sufficiently durable materials (these animals love to chew walls and floors). Most often, pigsties are built from foam blocks. Indoor floors should be smooth, waterproof, non-slip and easy to clean. Most often in pigsties they are made of concrete. For insulation, such a floor is covered with boards. A drainage chute must be installed in the middle of the passage in the pigsty. The floors themselves are poured with a slight slope towards it. Near the piglet farm, it is worth, among other things, installing several septic tanks.

There are different technologies for fattening pigs. The choice of a specific one depends, first of all, on the breed of piglets. Fat and meat-greasy pigs are usually fed foods containing large amounts of carbohydrates. This could be, for example, potatoes, corn, beets, barley. Of course, such piglets are also given food waste.

How to organize a rabbit breeding farm

There are breeds of such animals, both meat and skin or fur. Most often today in Russia, novice entrepreneurs organize a mini-farm for rabbits of the first variety. The best meat breeds of these animals are considered to be Rizen, white and gray giants, and Flanders. Also, very often, beginning farmers breed the unpretentious “Soviet” chinchilla.

Fur-bearing animals, including rabbits, in most cases are not at all afraid of low temperatures. Therefore, on farms they are sometimes kept in shads. This is the name of special structures that are a single- or double-sloped long canopy, inside of which cages are installed in several tiers. Keeping animals outdoors in winter allows the farm owner to obtain better quality skins. But, if a mini-farm for rabbits is organized to sell only meat, the premises, of course, should be made closed. In this case, the animals will feel more comfortable (and, therefore, will begin to gain weight faster).

Today, rabbit cages can be purchased ready-made. Farmers will have to buy three varieties of them - intended for queens with offspring, for young animals and for producers. Cages are installed in sheds or sheds, usually in 2-3 tiers. In large farms of this specialization, individual feeders are more often used, mounted on the door. The drinking bowls are installed at the top of the last tier. Hoses are led from them to each cage.

The diet of rabbits, like cattle, usually consists of three types of feed. The main emphasis in this case, just as when keeping cows, is on roughage. Rabbits should receive dried grass or hay in very large quantities. Of the concentrates, the menu of these animals usually includes only barley. Farmers also sometimes use oats. Of the root vegetables, rabbits are most often given only carrots and beets (in limited quantities).

Nutria farms: how to create

The organization of a farm of such specialization also has a number of its own characteristics. It is better for beginning farmers to purchase breeders, as well as young nutria, from special nurseries. You can also, of course, buy animals from private owners. However, in this case, entrepreneurs should first visit the seller’s farm and make sure that the animals are kept in compliance with all required technologies.

Farmers who decide to start breeding nutria will have, among other things, to drill several wells on the site. Therefore, it is worth choosing a place for such a farm, including taking into account the depth of water underground. Family farms for breeding nutria are almost never established on the shores of natural ponds and lakes. The fact is that such reservoirs usually contain a lot of different kinds of pathogenic bacteria.

They contain nutria, like rabbits, most often in cages. However, the design of such housing for animals is slightly different. In this case, one male and several females are placed in each cage. A distinctive feature of nutria is that they do not have a hunting period. The mating of these animals, and therefore the appearance of their offspring, can occur at absolutely any time.

The basis of the nutria diet is green food. At the same time, farmers should give preference to those plants that can be mowed on the banks of rivers and lakes. Of course, nutria should also receive succulent food. This can be carrots, beets, zucchini and almost any other vegetables and root vegetables. They also give nutria concentrates, but only in limited quantities.

Trout farming

Unfortunately, such farms in our country are still extremely few in number. Therefore, family farms specializing in trout breeding are usually profitable. However, organizing such a farm is, of course, a little more difficult than any other.

Rainbow trout is most often raised on farms. Its main advantages are unpretentiousness in terms of water parameters and high productivity. Farmers also sometimes breed speckled brook trout. This variety is not particularly productive, but its meat is much tastier than that of rainbow fish.

A trout farm is usually organized on the shore of an artificial reservoir. The difficulty in keeping this fish lies, first of all, in the fact that in captivity it does not reproduce naturally. Young trout simply quickly eat the eggs laid by the adults. Therefore, a farmer who decides to organize such a farm will have to include the periodic purchase of fry in a separate expense item.

The diet for trout is developed in such a way that per 100 kg of fish there is exactly 3 kg of feed per day. You cannot give less or more. Trout are usually fed with beef offal - liver, spleen, stomachs, etc. The purchased products are first washed, boiled and ground.

Registering a family farm: main stages

Of course, an entrepreneur who decides to start breeding farm animals, poultry or fish will definitely need to formalize his farm. To do this, you will have to go to the tax office and hand over the following documents to its employees:

• agreement on the organization of a peasant farm;
• receipt of payment of state duty;
• an application for farm registration certified by a notary.

You will also need to write an application for the transition to special taxation. Most often, owners of family farms choose the form of payment according to the simplified tax system or unified agricultural tax. The usual taxation system in this case is very unprofitable.

Governmental support

As already mentioned, our country has adopted many laws aimed at developing agriculture. Small and medium-sized farmers, among other things, can receive assistance from the state. For example, the employment service provides subsidies in the amount of 50-60 thousand rubles to aspiring entrepreneurs who decide to organize a business such as a family farm. Also, in some cases, peasant farm owners are provided with a loan from the bank on favorable terms under the agro-industrial complex development program.

Sales markets

Of course, raising farm animals, fish or poultry is only half the battle. Entrepreneurs who organized a farm will also need to sell their products. Owners of family mini-farms often sell their products on the market or sell them to small shops. Owners of trout and rabbit breeding businesses can cooperate, including with restaurants. Entrepreneurs of medium-sized enterprises usually open their own retail outlets in cities. Large farmers also supply products to food industry enterprises and workshops for the production of semi-finished products.

First, you need to decide on the form of existence of the future economy: will it be a personal subsidiary plot - a farmstead, the products of which can be sold without taxes, but with certain restrictions, or will it be a peasant farm - an analogue of individual entrepreneurs in a specific agricultural sector. The scale of future activities, as well as a number of organizational issues that will need to be resolved when creating a farm, depend on this.

The difference between private household plots and peasant farms:

• Peasant farms will have to be registered with the relevant government agencies, and this is accompanied not just by paperwork, but also by certain expenses for paying for this procedure. Immediately after registration, a newly-minted farmer must pay all kinds of taxes and fees, including insurance contributions to extra-budgetary funds. Moreover, there is no profit yet, but you already have to pay.
• When producing agricultural products within your personal backyard, you won’t have to worry about taxation or certification, but you won’t be able to sell them any other way than from hand to hand - when accepting the products into a store or restaurant, problems will arise with a lack of documentation.

You can start at the level of private household plots, and as you develop your business, you can start officially registering it in the form of a peasant farm.

But even before the first formalities are over, you need to acquire the land itself, which will delight you with its harvest. Lands of settlements and individual housing construction are suitable for private household plots, but peasant farms will need agricultural lands. There are proposals not only for purchasing land, but also for leasing it; attention should be paid only to options for long-term use of plots for 99 years.

However, in most regions, unless it is the near Moscow region, today it is quite simple to purchase any required amount of land for the appropriate use for quite affordable money. There are options for purchasing plots privately or purchasing land at an auction from municipal authorities. You can find suitable areas within settlements with all the infrastructure or near settlements with convenient transport accessibility.

There is land, permission to work on it too. Now you can get started. But you should know at the preparation stage exactly what you will do on your farm and develop a business plan taking into account local conditions. Let's look at alternatives for the beginning farmer.

Business plan for a livestock farm

Livestock farming can have several directions:

• Milk production;
• Meat production;
• Poultry farming, including eggs and meat;
• Livestock breeding.

Each of these types of farms has its own characteristics. Thus, when breeding purebred animals, you need to invest a lot of money in maintaining the “purity” of the breed and purchasing pedigree young animals of different lines. If you plan to engage in beef farming, you will have to pay attention to the arrangement of a certified slaughterhouse or transportation costs for transporting animals to slaughter, and on a dairy farm you will need a milking machine.

In addition to specific costs on a livestock farm, you will definitely need:

• Premises equipped with ventilation, as well as cages or pens for keeping and walking;
• Animal feed, including vitamin supplements;
• Veterinary care and disease prevention measures;
• Feeders and drinking bowls, as well as equipment for animal care and cleaning;
• Costs of storing products - milk and meat, as well as their transportation to the buyer;
• Remuneration of personnel serving the farm - livestock specialist, veterinarian, worker, milkmaid, etc.

Business plan in the field of crop production

You can also grow food for vegetarians - vegetables, fruits, berries, and engage in seed production, supply flower and vegetable seedlings or seedlings of garden trees and ornamental shrubs.

Planting and seed material is important for the nursery. When growing in greenhouses, you will have to invest in the construction of special structures and their heating. In any direction of crop production, it is advisable to spend money on automation of watering and caring for plants, and then harvesting, which requires the purchase of tractors with attachments and the organization of storage facilities. Sales of products is also important, which involves costs for logistics and marketing.

Business plan for processing agricultural products

It is profitable not only to produce food, but also to process it into finished products, that is, to sell not just milk, but to make sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, to offer not just meat, but semi-finished products - dumplings and cutlets, not ordinary zucchini and tomatoes, but lecho, squash caviar and other preserves.

The transition from production to processing allows us to solve most of the problems with storing products and with their transportation and sale. Moreover, the raw materials can not only be grown independently, but also purchased from local farmers.

Costs for organizing processing of agricultural products:

• Arrangement of the processing workshop - ventilation, sewerage, connection of water supply and electricity, as well as regular payments for consumed utilities;
• Independent cultivation or purchase of raw materials from local producers - vegetables, fruits, berries, meat, milk, etc.;
• Organization of storage of raw materials and finished products - freezers, warehouses;
• Product processing equipment - meat grinder, separator, autoclave, sterilizer, vacuum packer, refrigeration equipment, stove and equipment for heat treatment of products;
• Containers and packaging, as well as promotional materials (business cards, leaflets, price tags, advertisements).

The need for technology, equipment and personnel depends on the scale of the activity, but if you are going to sell your products not just through friends, then you will also have to spend money on product certification and examination of the premises and the preparation process by the sanitary and epidemiological station.

Business plan for agritourism

The main components in a project dedicated to agritourism are not the costs of equipment or breeding animals, the main thing in such a business is the convenience of guests and you will need to invest in infrastructure.

Main costs for launching an agritourism project:

• Landscaping - drainage, backfill, fencing, parking, lighting, small architectural forms, landscaping and landscaping;
• Construction of houses/cottages/mini-hotels and baths;
• Construction of utility rooms and auxiliary buildings;
• Repair and furnishing of houses for tourists, as well as maintenance of residential premises;
• Organization of an entertainment program - everything necessary for fishing, hunting, swimming, keeping animals in a petting zoo or on a mini-farm (horses, ornamental birds and farm animals).

The amount of start-up investments and operating expenses corresponds to the scale of activity. You can start small by renovating an old village house or building a small guest cottage, or you can immediately build an entire recreation center in the garden with all the infrastructure. Accordingly, expenses for launching a project can reach 100-300 thousand rubles, or can exceed several million rubles. With a budget option for agritourism, you can cope with the accommodation of guests yourself without hiring hired staff.

Sources of income for agritourism:

• Rent of houses;
• Catering for guests and selling natural farm products;
• Rental of equipment, sports equipment and machinery, for example, ATVs, bicycles, scooters, skis, etc.;
• Conducting excursions, entertainment and game programs.

The profitability of the project depends on the number of guests and the volume of services provided: the more clients and the more extensive the program, the greater the revenue. The average bill for a stay at an agricultural estate can vary from 500 to 5,000 rubles per person per day, and income can reach an average of 25-250 thousand per month. But agritourism is not exactly a core business for a farmer, and this line of activity can only be used as additional income.

How do we create our own farm?

My husband and I are former city dwellers who decided to create our own farm without specialization. Of course, over several years of living in the village, certain priorities have developed; we have focused on the following areas of development of our farm:

• Rabbit breeding requires the construction of cages, regular veterinary maintenance and disease prevention, but the products (rabbit meat) are in demand and are easily sold to order.
• Poultry farming: raising broiler chickens, turkeys and geese for meat, keeping laying hens - only broilers require special expensive feed and a strict diet, other ways to “get” the necessary nutrients on the go, goose and turkey meat sells well in the autumn-winter period, chicken eggs from village laying hens are always relevant and in large quantities.
• Pig farming - the choice was made in favor of Vietnamese pot-bellied animals, which provides economical consumption of feed, since they are herbivores, and also reduces labor costs for cleaning - in the warm period they live on range, and in winter they are very clean when kept in a barn, in addition, they They grow up to 50-70 kg within six months and are convenient for slaughtering and cutting.
• Growing the main set of vegetables in open and protected ground, as well as their processing (canning, drying, freezing) with the sale of surplus.
• Growing vegetable seedlings for your own needs and for sale, which requires the presence of illuminated shelves, selection of good seed material and preparation of containers and soil for planting.
• Beekeeping - now there are only a few hives in our apiary, they also had to buy bee colonies, a honey extractor, a smoker, protective suits and foundation, and also make frames, the result is delicious honey, including in honeycombs. But now the market in the North-West of the Russian Federation is overflowing with honey - at each fair there are hundreds of variants of this product and dozens of suppliers, so we personally decided not to fight with competitors and not to dump, but to use honey exclusively for personal consumption.

We have been developing our mini-farm for three years without significant financial investments and therefore are growing gradually. Our immediate plans include increasing the number of relevant animals and birds, improving the area of ​​walking areas and premises for winter housing, as well as expanding the range of products of our farm by processing raw products. We work without hired personnel and are thinking about automating processes on the farm. Now the main thing is not quantity, but quality. The intensive method of work has always been better than the extensive one.

In the end, if you don’t want to farm on your own and look for a reliable manager, you can opt for buying village products and turn to such a phenomenon as country outsourcing. In any case, the issue of food security for your family must be resolved, and not rely on the quality of goods on supermarket shelves.

Article material and photos prepared by: Maria especially for the magazine website

In these difficult times, Russians often think about how to feed their family. Livestock family farms bring profit or provide a living wage, helping out in difficult life situations. As a rule, members of the same family work there. But if the family farm is developing, then the work of hired workers will also be useful.

What do you need first?

The state provides the right to engage in this type of agricultural business. But before you start work, you need to collect the necessary documents: there are a lot of them and they depend on the direction of the family farms. You need to clearly imagine what types of animals will live in them. The plot that will need to be purchased or leased depends on this. Growing your own feed will be a good bonus, because it is more profitable than buying food for livestock elsewhere. For this you will also need a plot of land. But in any case, you will need to obtain a certificate and undergo training in a special institution. Running a family farm business is not easy. It is necessary to take into account all the features of farming and animal husbandry, and to do this, constantly learn and gain the necessary experience.

How to start a family farm?

First, the future farmer obtains permission from the state to build structures on the plot of land on which he plans to conduct his business. This is very important, because if buildings are banned, there will be nowhere to keep animals, especially in the winter season. In addition, family farms must obtain permission to operate from the sanitary epidemiological service, labor inspectorate, and fire department.

A beginning farmer must remember that in such a responsible matter he will need the following specialists: an agronomist, a livestock specialist, and a financier. Therefore, if his family members do not have sufficient qualifications, it is better to hire a third-party worker. This means additional wage costs. In order to fully anticipate and calculate the costs facing family farms, projects that are drawn up in advance are a prerequisite for starting work. Otherwise, it may turn out that an expense item suddenly appears that was not planned. As a result, the task of organizing a family business may suffer or even become impossible.

Initial capital

Of course, funds will be required to build farms. Family farms are expensive. The amount of money invested depends on how large the future organization will be. But the state is accommodating to small businesses and provides grants in the amount of 60% of the planned costs, but not more than 10 million rubles, if the future farmer has 40% of the required amount to organize a business.

Many people refuse to apply for a grant, despite the fact that the conditions for this are not very difficult. The main thing is that the members of the family organizing their own business are citizens of the Russian Federation and live in the territory where the business is registered. In addition, the farm must actually exist for at least a year at the time of application. The grant is issued only once. After this, farmers are not eligible to receive other financial assistance from the government. This is why preliminary calculations are so important. They will also come in handy if the owners decide to take out a loan. This is possible, but only in the amount of 10% of the farmer’s available funds.

What to consider when calculating costs?

Family farms need heating, electricity and water. This is necessary in order to organize comfortable accommodation for the animals, including food and cleaning of the premises. You need to take care of how much feed and bedding, such as straw or sawdust, is needed. It is necessary to analyze how much natural waste will be obtained from animals, how to ensure its disposal, and what additional materials may be needed during the year. It is also important to take into account force majeure circumstances. For example, animals may die or suddenly cease to be the source of production for which family farms were organized.

Unforeseen situation

There are a lot of them. For example, a disease or death of livestock, in which meat and milk become unsuitable for use, as they can cause irreparable harm to human health. But production in normal mode is also subject to preliminary calculations. This is necessary in order to know whether the family will be provided with these products in sufficient quantities, and whether there will be a surplus that can be sold for profit. Not all types of animal care work can be done manually. Sometimes you have to resort to the help of technology. The purchase or hiring of it must also be taken into account when drawing up a business plan for a livestock farm. Employees must receive a salary, so it must be included in costs.

Your milk

Nowadays, family farms are becoming an increasingly popular type of business. This is happening in the wake of import substitution. The country needs its own natural livestock products. Establishing a dairy farm could be a profitable project. The main thing is not to skimp on the construction of barns organized in accordance with modern technologies. Dirty, uncleaned camps with an unpleasant smell and equally unkempt cows have long since become a thing of the past. Now the cows live in clean, comfortable premises equipped with the latest technology.

This kind of business has room to develop. The owner can move from producing milk to producing cheese, sour cream, butter and cottage cheese. And there will definitely be buyers for fresh and environmentally friendly products. Farm products are now in great demand, especially in large cities. Therefore, they are expensive and bring significant profits to their manufacturer. But such a project will require considerable investments.

If funds are not enough...

But even those who do not have enough money to carry out large projects can open their own livestock farm. To do this, you can use a plot of land from your house or cottage. In order to make money by selling meat or eggs, you can have just a few animals. For example, in order to sell eggs, you need to have several chickens that will lay eggs regularly, and build a small, comfortable chicken coop in which the birds will live. In the summer, birds should be outside in a special enclosure. You need to know that in winter their egg production decreases. But over time, developing your business and investing in equipment, you can build modern chicken coops that maintain a special microclimate so that the birds lay evenly throughout the year.

Will there be income?

On average, one chicken per week can produce 6 eggs. On the market you can get 60 rubles for them, if you first have a veterinary permit for trade. It is easy to calculate: if there are 10 chickens, then they will produce 60 eggs per week and so on. That is, it is necessary to outline how much product the family will need and how much can be sold. In order for the profit to be clear, it is necessary to subtract the cost of keeping the birds from the amount from the sale of eggs. Then it will become clear whether the family will be able to develop such a business or will keep chickens only for their own consumption of eggs. If the decision is made to continue this business, then over time it will be possible to expand the poultry houses, purchase more young stock and open your own farm producing not only eggs, but also chicken meat.

Farms can be of any size. Sometimes they grow from small rural businesses into large organizations with huge profits. The interesting thing is that there is always room to move in this direction. Meat production may well be supplemented by the production of sausages and frankfurters. It doesn't matter how the family business started. In order to earn start-up capital for opening a livestock farm, any method is suitable. And let it be breeding and selling hamsters at home. The main thing is that perseverance and focus on results made it possible to fulfill the desire of the future farmer and develop his own business.

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