In this post, learn how to make super profits helping farmers, herders and families in pest control. A fumigation business will improve the quality and quantities of yields for you. Sometimes, they can cause post-harvest food waste and food insecurity for millions of small farms around the world. Rural farmers are the most vulnerable to those losses each year repeatedly making many poor. Their pest control ability is very low because of the following reasons:
- Farmer’s inadequate knowledge, skills and tools for diagnosis, treatment and or control of disease and pest outbreaks.
- Rural farmers in remote farms cannot pesticides from farm stores that operate in urban areas.
- Limited knowledge on usage and handling of farm chemicals given the poor state of extension services in many Africa states like Kenya
- It’s expensive to manage frequent epidemics and pests like locusts which result in an increase in farmer’s cost of production.
Individuals, groups and businesses entrepreneurs can fill this gap by stepping into crop protection and animal health or care management services or businesses. In this post, we recommend the most profitable business ideas in pest control. Please note to start a pest control business like a farm shop or fumigation business you need a certificate from the pest control authority in your state like the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) license in Kenya
These ideas are as follows:
Supply pest control chemicals
Run a pest control shop like an agro vet to buy and sell the registered pest control products in the latest PCPB list and animal health or veterinary board products listing. Examples of such a business include:
- A rural stockist of farm chemicals and animal health products near growers.
- An accredited Distributor or distribution agent running a wholesale or retail farm shop
- A mobile Agro-store that distributes agrochemicals from place to place using a truck, van or motorbike.
Design your firm to go beyond the sale of chemicals. Strive to create value by offering customer care, product usage information and diagnosis, etc. To achieve this, combine technical know-how and strong business management skills. This will make business continuity through profitability, relationship building and professional management.
Provide spraying services
There is a growing issue on product safety and health of foods. Various factors have contributed to this such as; Over-application of toxic farm chemicals leading to high residues of chemicals and antibiotics in plant and animal foods above the maximum residue levels. Mishandling of chemicals where users and sprayers do not use protective equipment such as gumboots, gloves, goggles and overalls. Use of counterfeit, expired and unapproved or banned chemicals poising a threat to human health.
Become a registered spraying service provider business that provides professional spraying services. Diversify your operations in the following ways.
- Spray livestock, dusting rabbits and disinfect poultry houses and vaccinate animals
- Fumigation of residences from cockroaches, bedbugs and snakes.
- Diagnose plant and animal infections and diseases make sure the proper usage of chemicals.
- Distribute agrochemicals to farms
- Lease spraying equipment such as motorized sprayers, Knapsack sprayers, and personal protective gears
Program management
Knowledgeable individuals can make profitable businesses, implementing agricultural protection programs as advisors, administrators, extension specialists or trainers. These programs will seek to equip small-scale producers with know-how, experience and equipment for diagnosing, treatment and control of infections and diseases. There are various modes of implementation that include:
- Make training materials for sale.
- Run advisory and consultancy businesses.
- Offer training and workshops for a fee.
- Make advertising materials and ideas for pest control businesses.
Make a pest control blog or farming videos
Building awareness and analysis in farm and animal is important. This will improve the efficacy of agrochemicals and lower production costs in the long run. As new threats such as climate change and drug resistance affect agriculture, we need newer ways of combating pests and diseases. The interesting areas are;
- Climate change droughts and floods have many negative effects. This makes pests diseases spread faster and attack new territorial areas they did not affect.
- Resistance, existing medication from existing active molecules and drugs in the market makes it harder to treat diseases and pests in crops and animals
- Integrated pest management (IPM) and biological pest control measures.
Research into these challenges will help in the preparedness of fighting them. Researching and dissemination of these findings are a profitable business worth pursuing those people possessing agronomic expertise, research and presentation skills. You can make a pest control blog with up to date posts or You Tube farming instructional Videos to earn fees.
Give extension services.
Most farm managers have inadequate information on where to source, how to use and when to use pest control products. Business ideas exist in filling the extension services gap by sourcing, stocking and dissemination this information, products and services. They can run this as an information resource centre. Offer information in the form of YouTube videos, podcasts, Pdf books and print media or offered in oral presentations, training etc. information shared include information on:
- Affordable Personal Protection equipment.
- Transport and storage of agrochemicals
- Disposal of empty equipment,
- Right application times and rates
- Diagnosis of pests and diseases
- Illegal products: counterfeit Product
- Toxicity
- Alternative pest control products like Bio-pesticides or methods like the IPM
Sell and erect greenhouses
Protected agriculture promotes methods of protecting plants from Insects, birds, rain and winds. This will minimize or completely eliminate contact between plants and insects or bird pests. Common methods include the use of greenhouses and cast nets (look like fishing nets for birds) and insect nets (similar to mosquito nets). The most profitable business ideas are to sell, erect and install greenhouses and their equipment like insect sensors and pheromones’.
On animal husbandry, it promotes shelter and fencing to secure animals from extreme weather and predators.
- Supply of green and net houses equipment’s such as metal frames, glass and fabrics.
- Setting up of crop and animal shelters.
- Maintenance and repair of green and net houses.
