Our kandang lies silent, for now
For the past three weeks, our kandang has remained silent. No more bleating of goats. We sold our entire herd of goats and Zai and I are now taking a sabbatical from goat farming. (Mind you, not from farming, though!)
Our (now) empty kandang
I have not posted anything in our blog for the past 3 weeks. However our blog is called Ladang Fatima (after my late mother), not Ladang Kambing Fatima. I assure you that I am still a firm believer in “Pertanian adalah Perniagaan” and will continue to update you all on our progress (or lack thereof).
Several weeks ago, I wrote that it may not be that easy to sell goats at a economically viable price.
Another view of the empty kandang
I have been having doubts over the viability of this business, or perhaps we have just been doing something wrong. I have tried hard just to get to see a vibrant farm. A farm that projects an image of a thriving business. I must admit that I have not seen any so far.
I know that this is something I should have done earlier, but then rather late than never.
This is a lesson learnt and quite expensively.
Zai and I have redrawn our business blueprints and are now focussing on vegetables and fruits. It is a little early to write about this now. I just do not want to go the way of some blogs that started enthusiastically writing about their journey into goat farming and then seem to have just fallen off.
To those of you who have written in asking for my advice on how to start a farm, let me remind.
Visit as many farms as you can. At least 5 – 10. Ask the owners exactly how they make money, what are their main problems and what they would do different if they were to start again. I am sure some would say that their biggest problem is “having insufficient goats to meet demand”. Then ask them at what price are they looking for the goats.
Forget about the statistics the Ministry of Agriculture puts up on their website. I should have known better. Business finds its own level. No way would such disparities in supply and demand exist, without the resultant prices shooting sky high. And the best indication of retail prices is the price you can get at the wet markets and the price one has to pay for a bahagian of a korban.
Like the saying goes, “It is not how many times you fall down, it is about how many times you get up after that.”
sedih nye baca post yang nih … saya pun baru setahun lebey dalam penternakan.. setakat nih memang more to breedng je daripada jualan.. so kene pakai duit sendiri … boleh tak share experience kenapa mula2 start perternakan kambing nih then macamana boleh decide untuk quit..?
salam, you have done nothing wrong sir, perhaps you’ve tried your best…
in this current economic situation, we have to find other alternative… extra effort and work harder than usual… only my 2 cents worth…
glad to hear that you still in “pertanian”… you’re right “rather late then never”… what ever we do, there is a risk… plan properly… if we failed to plan then we plan to fail… good luck…
anyway this should not be the “pelemah semangat” to others… somehow i’m very frustrated to hear this kind of story… goverment need to do “something”… something more and serious hopefully… ???
…hope you will come back…
usaha harus diteruskan. yang penting buat apa yang kita suka. Ini penting untuk menguatkan semangat kita.
Kalau ada apa-apa barang 2nd kat ladang kambing tu jangan dibiarkan saja. Kami mencari peralatan ladang 2nd bagi membantu kawan-kawan kita yang kekurangan modal.
Just came back from his funeral.. Alfatihah to him.. Semuga dia ditempatkan bersama mereka yang beriman.. Amin..
‘Berkorban untuk syarikat’
M gonna miss you AB…
Minta Ma’af, but who passed on?
Assalamualaikum all….
the owner of this ladang fatima blog, mr anwar batcha, my father.
He has passed away last 2 weeks in sunway medical centre due to heart failure.
please recite alfatihah for him as he was a good man and wonderful father.
May allah grant my father HIS heavens…
this blog will still be kept and somehow will be updated. but for about 4-6 months or so , it will be somehow silent. Thank you for all your support for my father and those who came to my father’s funeral..we cant thank you enough for praying for him…
I am deeply shocked. My condolences to you and your family. I known Anwar for a short while and I find him to be a good person, and I am sure, a wonderful father.
Please do contact me if you need help in the future.
Regards
HS
DQ Farm