We are all reliant on the agricultural industry, whether we eat meat or whether we decide to eat a plant-based diet. Agriculture is one of the oldest business models we have in the world and with all the technology in the world, we will still always need it. Sadly, rising costs in this industry are making it very difficult for many smaller businesses to stay afloat. As with most industries, the issues tend to stem from rising prices for materials and land and the fact that sadly, the money that agricultural businesses are making no longer matches these steep costs thanks to supermarkets selling products at crazily low prices. If you are a farmer and don't try to get on top of this, you are likely to be one of the many farms that stopped production in the last few years. The good news is that plenty can be done, as long as you are prepared to put in the time and effort and tackle these ever-rising costs before they have too much impact on your business. Here, we have a few tips which could help you to do just that.

The most significant issue facing an agricultural business is that the money coming in is a lot less than the money going out. It is nigh on impossible to maintain a business that way, so you need to get creative. You could strike some deals with larger enterprises and pair up for larger purchases and split the profits or setting up a farm buying group to make purchases of essentials such as agricultural seed or finding haylage for sale. You could also consider alternative revenue streams - perhaps selling products to local shops or setting up in farmer markets. You may also want to think about using some of your outhouses or barns and renting them out, or even opening an on-site farm store. People love to shop local - take advantage of that! They can come straight to you to buy the produce while cutting out the costs of the middleman for both of you. 

Farmers are a lot more time-poor these days or want to use the time they do have focusing on growing their business, so use a fair few shortcuts. This might be using another farm or to supply fertilizer or buying inexpensive feed. However, if you need to save some money, you need to put the effort in and become a little more self-sufficient. You can use the waste from your animals, assuming you keep them, for fertilizer, and make compost from any unused fruit and vegetables. Instead of throwing away any produce with damage, use them as animal feed. Not only will you save a bit of money by doing this, but reusing and repurposing are beneficial for the environment. These are small steps, but each one can stretch your money that bit further every month.