Let us get back to what Beni wrote.
1 how many rice farmers have only 5 acres? I know that there is an increase in size of plots but have no figures.
2. The cost of production figure at $80000 per acre seems high. What is the marginal cost of production per acre for small farmers as against large farmers?
3. Beni has not addressed the issue of market prices as against cost of production in his diversification proposal. The cost factors small versus large operations will come into play. Also, the issue of market saturation within the country and how we compete in the international market if the aim is to export.
4. His production numbers are sketchy and seem to be optimistic. obviously, the income stream seems very weak. Goats growing to be 100 lbs. in one year? 2 gallons of milk per day for the whole year?
5. Banks need to see a strong income stream if they are to lend start-up money for infra-structure, etc. will need an agric development bank.
6. Beni might want to do a demonstration project, put his money where U.S. Mouth is. Why is he not doing this if there is money to be made?
what do people here think?
Beni almost went belly-up and struggled to save his home from bankers. He gambled on a high leverage model, but rising interest rates and sinking prices sent him upside down in a jiffy.
However, scale does matter and small farmers should think of another model as it becomes at best subsistence on a good day.
The days of small farmers for commodity commercial farming are over. This is for the big boys. Maybe the GoG should look into importing high-yielding cows from India for these small farmer to diversify. Large-scale high yielding farms are the ay to go.
Why go to India,we got some cows here in US. There is a guy 20 miles from where i live is big in milk production,i had a chat with him
he breeds the cows when they finished producing milk,sell the
cow to the beef industry.
Because they have some high-yielding tropical tough cows with low maintenance. But, if there are other good sources, yes, why not.