Do you know that Agricultural businesses are the most lucrative businesses in the world? Apart from the low-cost of start up and running the business, agricultural businesses turn out a huge profit of up to 100%. With the increase in unemployment, young people are now embracing agriculture which was erstwhile considered a dirty business reserved only for the poor.

The trending challenge and impact of rural-urban migration have continued to generate great debates since the last three decades. Urban employment problems are a result of the phenomenal growth in urbanization and the inability of these urban centers to be able to utilize or absorb the urban labor that was created through the process of urbanization.

Agricultural businesses can be started with little or no training. You do not need a special degree to start though you may need to spend some time learning about the intricacies of the business. So without wasting your time, this article will highlight in details, some lucrative business ideas and opportunities you can engage in in towns or villages rather than remaining unemployed.

Top 40 Low Cost Agriculture Business Ideas

1. Urban Agriculture or Crop Cultivation

Urban agriculture is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in, or around, a village, town or city. Urban agriculture in addition can also involve animal husbandry, aquaculture, agro-forestry and horticulture. Urban agriculture contributes to food security and food safety in two ways: First it increases the amount of food available to people living in cities and secondly, it allows fresh vegetables and fruits and meat products to be made available to urban consumers. Urban and peri-urban agriculture are generally seen as sustainable agriculture.

2. Rabbit Rearing

There is no law prohibiting the keeping of rabbits in Towns and Cities. A backyard can serve as a good source of additional income, food and employment; thus reducing poverty, hunger and idleness. Rabbit do not compete with humans for food, as kitchen leftovers, cut grasses and formulated or compounded feed can sustain them. Rabbit keeping does not require much capital for investment and maintenance. As little space is needed, most rabbits could be kept in the backyard or in the abandoned sheds.

3. Start Selling Fresh Fruits

Without any doubt, this is a business that should be checked out. With a little professionalism and good public appearance or hygiene, you can make money in this business because a lot of people who live in most of our highbrow area, like to eat fresh fruits especially if it is neat. Some people even prefer it served chilled.

So if you have blenders and an extractor, then you are bound to make a lot of money. A lot of people are tired of all these artificial juices in the market and I bet, they will pay and still thank you for giving them the natural source of vitamins which is needed in this age of fast foods and artificial flavors.

4. Foodstuff Retailing or Grocery Service

In today’s busy and sophisticated world, convenience has become a real business opportunity. Foodstuff like rice, beans yams plantain, potatoes, onions, pepper, oil etc. These items can bought in bulk, cleaned and packaged in specific portions and sold direct to end users. Many people who are unable to find time to shop will be relieved to know that they can just make a phone call and the groceries are delivered. Get a list of people you know who may patronize you. If you can get them to pay up-front, then you are better up with cash flow.

Over the years, quite a few people have made fortunes from fish farming, as the population is swelling and protein needs are far outstripping the available supply. Food is always a winner in any country or environment if done well. Fish farming is a sure bet business if you put the right structures in place. More and more people are turning to fish for its low cholesterol protein.

All you need to do is to get a space, buy or construct tanks, buy finger links for between N10 to N20 and feed them for 4 to 6 months, then sell from between N500 to N1,500 depending on weight and size. The breed of fish to train is your choice to make. You can choose to specialize on Catfish, Tilapia, Trout, Salmon, etc.

6. Herbs, Flowers Framing and Gardening

Walking through a grocery store, a herb store, a health food store and even in gardening sections of home centers, you will find herbs in their dry forms to be used by consumers. Using the right equipment in your home garage or shed or by building a green house, you can start and raise both herbs and plants to resell to larger outlets and to the consumer as well.

Plants are the basis for all landscapes, homes, gardens and even for brightening offices. You will pay pennies for packets of seeds and make way more when selling starter plants. The more space you have, the better you are going to do. If you really have the space in your landscape and outdoor garden, creating gardens where you will grow plants and drying them out will add so much to your inventory and you can make great amounts of money selling dried flowers to retailers, wholesalers and even to flower shops themselves.

7. Livestock Feed Production

A lot of people are going into livestock farming like fish farming, pig farming, poultry farming and a whole lot of others. As a smart investor, you can start producing feed for people to feed their animals. However, you must ensure that you carry out a lot of research and come up with a product that is rich in nutrients and would promote quick growth and good health of the animals.

To start a livestock feed production business, you will need a grinding machine, mixing machine, weighing machine, customized packing bags and raw materials for production. Raw materials might cost you about $1,000 while the machines can be purchased for about $9,000.

The production process is not so difficult. The ingredients required are mainly, maize, soya beans, fish bone, sorghum, groundnut, blood meal, wheat, rice shaft, additives etc. All these can be sourced from the market, any animal consult outlet, or any agricultural product shop around.

8. Setup a Small Poultry Farm

Technology has enabled many to operate profitable poultry, yet make it free of odor that a neighbor next door will not know you operate a poultry farm. This is a business you can start from one room, car park or from that abandoned property near you with 50 to 500 birds, which cost between N100,000 to N500,000 depending on the cash at hand.

9. Mushroom Farming

Mushrooms are natural phenomenon that can give you much money. The untapped potential of these fungi is so much that if you invest on the venture, your room can no longer be your bank. Mushrooms are rich in vitamins, protein and minerals; they are favored over meat or even fish by some people, considering the nutritional value and superior health implications. There are two main broad categories of mushrooms; the edible and the non-edible (which is poisonous).

The deliberate mushroom cultivation is therefore essential to eliminate the imminent threat of mistakenly gathering the dangerous type. The start-up requirement are mushroom shed or house, sawdust, Polythene bags, Spawns/mushrooms seeds, Urea/nitrogen fertilizer, Lime, water, ceiling machine, weighing scale, extra hands, Refrigerator.

Mushroom farming is similar to quail egg farming and not many people know that this business brings up to 500% profit. If you have a clean space in your home, you can start your own mushroom farming business today and start selling mushrooms to hotels, exporters and pharmaceutical companies in the next 21 days.

10. Frozen Chicken Production

Many Nigerians have come to depend on imported frozen chicken for quite a while now and this is in detriment of local poultry industry and the subsequent health implication because of the long voyage from Europe or wherever, the imported product are usually preserved with chemicals, some of which are said to be injurious to health.

A lot of people prefer not to go through the stress of slaughtering and preparing live birds because frozen chicken can easily be stored and used at will, thereby saving time; and many people think it is cheap too. Start-up requirement are space, knives, tables, basins, heat source, stove heater, soap, hand towel, extra hands, freezer and generator .You need to go directly to the chicken farms to source for your live birds cheaply You can also position yourself to supply small hotels, restaurants and eateries.

11. Grass cutter Farming

Grass cutter is the second largest rodent in Nigeria and it is endemic to Africa. It breeds successfully in captivity and is capable of reproducing twice a year with litter size varying from two to six. They are primarily vegetarian and can be raised to maturity entirely on fresh grasses. They prefer plants with high moisture content and soluble carbohydrate. Field studies reveal that they do not burrow so they may be caged or reared in a fenced pen on the ground.

Grass cutter is worth considering for use in husbandry in the humid forest where poor grazing and harsh environment limits the performance of conventional livestock. Ranching of grass cutter as a backyard mini livestock would therefore improve the lot of the peasant farmers, provide an alternative source of animal protein, create job opportunities for urban dwellers.

12. Buy Charcoal from the rural areas and resell in the cities

Do you know that you can make 100% profit if you buy your charcoal from the farm or production site and sell to the retailers; a bag of charcoal (32 to 35kg bag) is being sold for N450 to N550 from the farm, while the retailers sell to the final consumer at N1000 to N1,5000 per bag. All you need to do is to buy the charcoal from the farmers and bring it down to the major cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt and resell to the retailers.

But it is advisable to find out if they have an association in your vicinity, joining the association will allow you to operate with peace of mind. Alternatively you can sell to exporters as a large market exists in EU, USA and ASIA with prices ranging from $170 to $300 per ton (FOB Nigerian Port), depending on mode of packaging. The charcoal industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and a money spinner for interested investors.

13. Snail Farming

Snail meat has been severally affirmed as a most safe and nutritious delicacy. In these days of increased coronary implications and other health implications, snail producers are certain to hit it big because many people are shunning away from beef or red meat. It is also pleasing to note that snail production venture could be kick-started with a little initial capital.

The best period to commence snail farming is the rainy season, you can start about 50 to 60 snails to have a good knowledge of how snail breeding works. Make sure you go for a fully matured and big nails as they are sold in bunches of 20 pieces and the prices ranges from N1,800 and N3,000 per bunch. It is better to buy the big ones so that you can expect them to hatch after about 35 days on location. About N10,000 should get a new entrant started in the business

Low Cost Agriculture Business Ideas for Villages

14. Coconut Juice Production

From fresh chunks of meat to milk, creams, and powders, the flavor of coconut is a distinctive addition to hundreds of sweet and savory recipes. If properly packaged roasted and sliced to pieces with sugar, you can sell for between N20 to N100 depending on the quantity and the level of packaging.

You can make good money buy selling in wholesale to retail outlets and supermarket, but make sure your product is well branded, with your company’s name and contact. With a good marketing plan, you are sure to make a lot of money with this business.

15. Production of Weed Killer

Another major problem confronting every farmer in Africa, especially in Nigeria, is the problem of getting rid all the unwanted crops (weeds) from the farm, which successfully compete with crops and exhaust the soil nutrients. The cost of weeding takes between 50 –60% of the total cost of farming but the good new here is that, there is a formulation of chemicals which is crop and environment friendly.

Herbicides market is a virgin in Nigeria- meaning that if an investor produces 20-30 tonnes daily, he will still sell all. No single investor can meet the herbicide demand in Northern Nigeria alone, not to talk of other zones.

16. BeeKeeping and Honey Production

Honey is manufactured in one of the world’s most efficient factories, the Beehive. Bees may travel as far as 55,000 miles and visit more than two million flowers to gather enough nectar to make just a pound of honey. A litre of pure honey now goes for between N1000 to N2000.

You can sell your Honey to high net-worth individual, busy executives who prefer to take pure honey than sugar, I know some honey dealers who are ready to give out their honey at a ridiculously low prices, all you need to do is to package it for the local or international market.

17. Roasted and Toasted Plantain (Dodo and Boli)

Only few Nigerian have realized the money-spinning prowess of this delicious delicacy, and if properly packaged, with a good marketing strategy put in place, you are sure to make a lot of money. It is popular among the working class as a quick mid-day meal.

18. Plantain Chips Production

After removing skin, unripe fruit can be sliced (1 or 2 mm thick) and fried in boiling oil, to produce chips. Plantain Chips’ if they are made of green plantains that taste starchy like potato chips. Just make sure you put your label, the more you produce, the more money you make, because majority of Nigerian love plantain chips.

19. Custard Manufacturing

In Africa, almost every ethnic group makes a different variety of food out of corn. In Nigerian cities, people are used to what is called Ogi, Akamu (pap); this is cornstarch. When the Europeans came, they came with what they called Custard. But it was later found out that the only difference is the coloring and flavor that was added to the corn. It is very easy to produce custards. You can package it in sachets. It is very easy to market also, particularly in big towns and cities where people are used to modern life.

20. Local drinks or Dry Gin Production

A lot of villagers has come to the city and still love to take local drinks, if well packaged, and accessible, you can start making money by selling to some beer palour, while Ogogoro can be supplied to some companies that uses this product as one of their raw materials

21. Basket and Broom Production

Baskets are used for packaging agricultural product such as Okra, bitter kola, tomatoes, pepper, onions, oranges etc. Since baskets are produced in various sizes, they help the farmers to grade his brands of product for easy pricing.. Our concern here is how to convert palm front and leaves to finished product for economic and commercial gains.

22. Export Agricultural product from the rural area

Agricultural Export trading guarantees good returns on Capital on almost monthly basis. Exporting Wood charcoal, Palm kernel shell, Cow horns, Gallstones, Bitter Kola, Cashew, Ginger, Gum Arabic Chilli pepper, bitter kola, coconut, okro, yam, etc and earn good returns on investment. It might interest you to know that the gap between you and the millions of naira or dollar waiting for you in this business is nothing but the “basic understanding of an export business process.”

Understanding the fundamentals of an export business process especially as it concerns securing a genuine export order or contract with a well secured method of payment is the basic requirement in this business, and then you are on your way to making unimaginable loads of money.

You can also become an export broker which is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways any prospecting exporter can raise money to go into full time export business. Starting from a little or no capital, an export broker could earn large “finders fee” with absolutely unlimited income.

23. Source for agro raw materials for urban manufacturing companies

Despite the apparent growth in the number of indigenous players in the industry, there still remains the fact that no company has set up a basic active raw material manufacturing plant in Nigeria. Most of the raw materials being used by the industry in our urban centers are sourced from the rural areas, you too can be part of this opportunity by locating a manufacturing companies and start supplying them with raw materials based on their specification and quality. Approach the personnel in charge to provide you with appropriate information on how to be their supplier.

24. Help the Nigeria rural farmers who deal in foodstuffs to export it to the foreign Countries

Our foodstuffs are very cheap in the rural areas, you can bring this food stuff to the cites and tap into the local and the international market. Foodstuffs like Smoked fish, Garri, Beans Flour, Melon seed (Egusi Ground), Ogbono, Cassava Flour, Bitterleaf, Dried Ugu leaf, Pepper,Tomato paste, Hibiscus flower and Ukazi leaf. Others are, Hot Chilli Pepper, Ground nut , Kolanut, Potato, Ginger, Kilishi, Soybean Groundnut, Okra, Cassava, Yam, Bitter Kola, Ofada rice, Catfish, Shrimps, Pounded Yam Flour.

You can bring some of these food items to the markets in the urban centers, you can also sell to some food stuff exporters who are looking forwards to buy at ridiculously low prices.

25. Start connecting rural farmers with exporters using the internet

Can you browse the internet very well , can you chat online? If yes, then I want to congratulate you because you can connect the agro farmers in the rural areas with Nigeria exporters and earn a commission. A lot of exporters find it very difficult to get their desired agro product at the right quality and quantity, you can do this for them and name your price.

You can also join some online trade portals, secure a contract, sell the contract and charge an appropriate commission. A lot of Nigeria including my humble self earns commission by connecting the rural farmers to local exporters and I also help Nigeria secure good contract.

26. Help the rural farmers to load Agro- Exportable Product From The Hinterland and Villages to Towns

A lot of our readers have already tap into this opportunity by providing supportive services to Nigeria exporters. You can help source for agro product for Nigerian exporters and earn finders fee. You can travel to Jigawa, kano Kaduna, Plateau states, go to their commodity markets and meets any of the sellers of these commodities, tell them that you need a large quantity.

At least 30 tons which is a trailer load. Your commission is between N5,000 to N20,000 per ton depending on you negotiating power, since you are loading a Trailer which is 30 Tons, multiply your commission by 30, which can be N150,000 to N600,0000 finder fee.

It is very important to know the product profile because exporters will always ask you to submit samples and the product specification. They will come to the market to pick the product from the market and pay you the commission because you are adding value to the export value chain and a lot of exporters will be ready to work with you.

27. Flour Milling

You can start your own flour milling business and start converting grains like wheat, corns, millet and cassava into flour. Wheat flour is a product that is in high demand in the baking industry. Flour milling is something you can do from the convenience of your home if you have a small space that you can mark out for it.  If you do not have space within your home, you can rent a small space and start from there and as your business expands, you can opt for a larger space.

You can easily get wheat, corns, millet or cassava from local farmers, then learn how to process it and make it into flour. Some of the procedures include cleaning, grading and separation, tempering and then grinding the wheat. The cost of setting up a small flour mill business is between $700 and $1000.

28. Fruit Juice or Jam Production

Our fore-fathers used to make their own jam and fruit juice at home by themselves before some smart investors recognized the business potential of these items and started making processed and packaged fruit juice and jam for sale.

As a young entrepreneur, you can start making your own fruit juice or jam and supply them to supermarkets and food stores around you. There is huge demand for natural fruit juice now as more people are now learning how to eat healthy and avoid artificial and overly preserved foods and drinks. You can buy fruits in large quantity from local farmers and make your own natural healthy fruit juice at home.

29. Groundnut Processing

Groundnut is a popular snack that is loved by very many people. Take a trip to a nearby supermarket and you will see bottled groundnuts branded and packaged in a fanciful way. Very little effort goes into frying and packaging those groundnuts for sale and distribution.

With as little as $200, you can start your own groundnut processing and packaging business. And of course, you can do it from the comfort of your home. If you can start your own groundnut farm, you will get access to groundnuts cheaply but if you don’t have a space for groundnut farming, you can still get cheap raw groundnuts from farm markets.

30. Cashew Nut Processing

Cashew nut processing and packaging is similar to groundnut processing, the only difference is that cashew nuts are more expensive and difficult to get than groundnuts. Raw cashew nuts are readily available in local village farms and markets where you can purchase them, bring them home for processing and packaging and sell them at a good profit.

31. Quail egg Farming

Recently, a lot of people have come to discover the amazing health benefits of quail egg and a lot of people are now going into quail egg farming. Depending on how you decide to go about it, Quail egg farming business can be started with less than $200.

32. Soya Beans Processing

Soya bean milk is a healthy and nutritious drink that is in high demand by health conscious people. You can also start a soya bean milk processing business for a little capital.

33. Agricultural Equipment Leasing

With the increase in people going into the agricultural business, you can make money from hiring out equipment like tractors, ploughs, sprayers, harvesters and irrigation machines to farmer.

34. Spices Production

Spices used to make food like curry, thyme, cayenne pepper to mention a few are usually in high demand at food stores and supermarkets. Take advantage of that by processing and packaging your own spices.

35. Dairy products

You can start making your own dairy products like milk, cheese and butter for sale.

36. Poultry and meat production and packaging

There is the general belief that manually packaged meat or poultry are not too hygienic because of the way they might have been handled. A lot of people are now making good money from machine processed and packaged meat.

37. Vegetable Farming

Vegetables are one of the highly consumed food items in the world. Starting a vegetable farm is one of the simplest and easiest businesses in the world with a high profit margin of up to 500%.

38. Agricultural Brokerage and Consulting

You can start a business in agricultural brokerage by linking sellers of agricultural produce with buyers and get commission for it. You can also become a consultant and offer expert advice or organize trainings and seminars.

39. Hatchery-: Another very good business for young entrepreneurs is starting a hatchery for eggs and selling day-old chicks to poultry farmers.

40. Florist-: Fresh flowers are generally used for home decorations or event decorations and you can make money from growing flowers for sale.

In conclusion, i don’t want you to miss this opportunity to get started on your dreams! Take the first step towards making money and living the life you want. Pick an idea now, execute your plan, and earn some money with any of these urban agro business opportunities; and i will see you at the top.