22/09/2026
WHY MANY FARMERS ARE POOR AFTER 20, 30, 40 YEARS OF FARMING - 10 BITTER TRUTHS
You see a farmer, he has been farming for 20 years, 30 years, even 40 years. Yet he is still living in rent, struggling to pay school fees, struggling to feed his family.
He is farming, but farming is not paying him.
Why?
I visit many farms in Africa, and I see the same poor method our forefathers used 50 years ago, still being used today. That is why many African farmers are poor. It is not village people. It is these 10 reasons.
1. LACK OF RESEARCH MINDSET
Many farmers hate research. They don't read, they don't watch farm videos to learn, they don't ask questions. They just plant what their father planted. A farmer who doesn't learn new methods will keep getting old results.
2. FARMING WITH FOREFATHERS METHOD IN 2026
We are in 2026, but many still farm like 1960. No soil test, no improved seeds, no spacing, no record. You cannot use old cutlass to compete with tractor farmers and expect to be rich.
3. THEY FARM WITH EMOTION, NOT AS A BUSINESS
They see farming as "let me just plant something" not as a business. No farm plan, no budget, no record of expenses and profit. If you don't count your money in farming, farming will never count you.
4. LACK OF FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE
Once they harvest and sell, they spend everything. No savings for next season, no reinvestment. They wait until planting season to start looking for money again. That is why they are always broke.
5. EASILY DISCOURAGED - NO PASSION
Small challenge - rain fails small, chicken dies, price drops small - they give up. They jump from poultry to fish to piggery. Farming needs passion and patience. People who give up easily can never be rich in farming.
6. DISTRACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instead of using Facebook and WhatsApp to learn about buyers, new farm techniques and market prices, they use it for gossip, comedy and argument. They spend 5 hours scrolling but cannot spend 30 minutes learning about their own profession.
7. POOR MARKETING - THEY SELL IN PANIC
They harvest and rush to the market to sell at any price because they need urgent money or because they don't have storage. Middlemen know this and cheat them. A farmer who doesn't know how to store, process and negotiate will always be poor.
8. REFUSING TO INVEST IN KNOWLEDGE
They can spend N50,000 on party, but they cannot spend N5,000 to buy a good book, pay for a farm training, or consult an expert. They want free advice for everything. Free knowledge makes you poor.
9. DOING EVERYTHING ALONE - NO TEAMWORK
They want to be the one to plant, w**d, feed, sell, carry. No workers, no partnership, no cooperative. You cannot grow big when you are doing everything alone. Rich farmers build a team.
10. THEY DEPEND ON GOVERNMENT AND LOAN TO START
They are waiting for government support, NGO grant, or big loan before they start. So they stay idle for years. Rich farmers start small with what they have and grow big. Poor farmers wait big and remain small.
Farming is one of the richest businesses in the world, but only for those who farm with knowledge, passion, discipline and business sense.
If you have been farming for 10, 20, 30 years and you are still poor, don't blame the soil, blame the method.
Stop farming like your grandfather. Start farming like a CEO.
Written by: Omoruyi Ephraim Omorodion aka MDcious 5Stars | CEO Your Source Ltd | Farmer | Agric Advocate
