PIGS & PROSPERITY ▶▶▶
Marketing skills B
ack in the days when I was studying at an agricultural college, we learned that farmers, in order to survive low price margins, had to choose among intensifying and upscaling the farm; specialising, which in those days meant going organic; or diversifying.
The latter was, at least in the Netherlands, interpreted as having a campsite on your farm to host tourists. In the early 2000s the choice for most farmers was simple: intensi- fying and upscaling. This brought exciting opportunities and good reasons to get new technology and increase the business together with a son or daughter to follow up. In less than 20 years the scene has changed considerably. Intensification is no longer a matter of just a couple more sows. To achieve low cost price – which is what intensify- ing is all about – farms have to compete against international businesses, which bring in cheap labour and set farm sizes that are beyond imagination. The final cost eventually is determined by feed prices, for which we are at the mercy of the increasingly unpredictable weather. It becomes clear that intensification has reached a limit for family farmers and certain countries. Fortunately, opportunities for specialisation have greatly expanded. Demand for or- ganic and alternative products is skyrocketing. This reflects that the consumer wants something other than conventional meat. The pig sector can turn this into a benefit rather than seeing it as a threat. The range between conventional and organic has grown exponentially, and marketing of different tiers has gained solid ground. This offers opportunities for marketing of local or special produce. Farmers with a good sense of marketing can become more independent and sell (part of) their produce at their own set price. Diversification can be expected to increase in the next 10–20 years. The fluctuations in weather, markets and prices are occurring more rapidly than before. This means that all agricultural sectors are under increasing pressure. Relying on one product – pigs – is increasingly risky. Promising results are gained from farms that close their circles and use all nutrients in the farm to create products for multiple markets. They can keep cost prices low and are more resistant to market fluctuations. Whether it is best to intensify, specialise or diversify will depend on the country, the local opportunities and the farm situation. However, it is important to reconsider the op- tions under the current and future set of challenges and opportunities. A suc- cessful business does not depend on luck only; it takes proper market insight and business management. To be successful, make sure to take more con- trol over the sales, marketing and value of your products. Do engage in business and marketing courses and organise such courses in existing study groups. There are some inspirational TED talks online of farmers who are very successful due to a carefully chosen business strategy. For instance, the story of Emma Naluyima (available at YouTube), truly encourag- es Africans to start or keep farming pigs. Her farm is so successful that she and her husband are building a primary school to teach agriculture to children. Good business management changes farmers into role models.
34 ▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 1, 2021
Irene Camerlink is an inter- disciplinary researcher focusing on pig behaviour, welfare and production. She is attached to the Polish Academy of Sciences.
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