The agricultural sector is currently facing a significant crisis.
When this crisis is mentioned, what type of crisis immediately comes to mind?
A food security crisis.
However, what most livestock farmers, whether small-scale or commercial, fail to recognize is the crisis that precedes the food security crisis.
What is this preceding crisis?
It is a knowledge crisis.
More specifically, it is a crisis of self-initiative to learn.
I am frequently asked about the optimal time to embark on livestock farming.
In my view, the best time to start livestock farming is when one does not yet have the financial means to purchase livestock.
The ideal time to begin is when all you possess is a smartphone, an internet connection, and the awareness that thorough research and study are essential before proceeding.
Regardless of the type of business, the most opportune moment to start is when all you have is an internet-enabled device and an internet connection, allowing you to focus solely on acquiring knowledge and understanding your intended venture.
We can only qualify to become solvers of the food crisis if we, ourselves, are not starving for the necessary knowledge to be effective crisis solvers.
When I built Alpha Agventure Farms, my ambition was to become the number one backyard farmer in the Philippines. I aspired to be the most knowledgeable self-taught farmer in the country.
Choosing the self-proclaimed title “the number one backyard farm in the Philippines” wasn’t just a slogan for me; it was a significant personal commitment to becoming who I wanted to be.
I asked myself, “How can I become the self-proclaimed number one in the self-taught category of livestock farming?”
My answer was clear: “I have to be science-based, experience-driven, and technology-oriented.”
I set my goals accordingly: Science, Experience, Technology (SET).
After four years of relentless self-study and practical application, both local and foreign billionaires have sought my insights—me, the owner of a mere 500-square meter backyard farm—to help solve their livestock farming challenges on estates spanning thousands of hectares.
Now, you tell me if intensely developing your intellectual capacity and practical experience shouldn’t be the top priority for aspiring livestock farmers.
When your mind is empty, the size of your property becomes the barometer of your capacity.
But when the depths of your mind seem unfathomable, clients don’t even care if the only land you own is soil in pots.
Mr. Jaycee de Guzman is a self-taught agriculturist and the patriarch of Alpha Agventure Farms, the number one backyard farm in the Philippines. His experience in livestock farming is rooted back in the early 90s. Mr. de Guzman is a computer scientist, a digital marketing strategist, an equity analyst for more than 20 years.