23 Top Agricultural Problems And Solutions

The science or practice of cultivating the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals is racing against multiple agricultural problems to emerge as a winner.

In the past years, it has passed its baton from solution to solution in hopes of achieving victory and meeting the expectations of the planet, regulators, and consumers. However, the world situation is revealing the losing position of agriculture in the race to success. But there’s still hope. 🙂 

Are you planning to be a farmer? If so, you need to make sure that you are taking the right steps to ensure that your company is profitable and not running into agricultural problems.

There are countless issues that you may run into when farming. There are also easy ways to handle these agricultural problems and I recommend that you do explore the right steps.

I’ll break these down and explore the right way to handle each of the issues that you might encounter. 

1. Climate change Problem

Fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide, temperature, rainfall, and the intensity of climate occurrences such as drought, flood, and excessive heat is a major problem faced by farmers from all over the world.

Crop farmer, livestock rearers and fishers are all dependants on climate to yield produce. However, extreme changes in rainfall pattern and temperature are agricultural problems that lead to reduced productivity.

Livestock farmers are at risk of losing livestock to heat stress and fishers, due to changes in water temperature, are, as well, losing aquatic bodies to migration.

As the influence of climate change on agriculturalists is far from beneficial, certain practices can be undertaken to lessen the impact of climate change on agriculture.

Rainwater harvesting, precision farming, and modification of livestock habitat can be considered as solutions. These can be done alongside studies on climate specifics of farming areas with research on farming needs and potential.

2. Budgeting

It is absolutely vital that you do run your business with a firm budget in mind because it’s easy for the cost of a farm to grow out of control over an extended period.

The relative effect of investing in agriculture is fast and effective. However, one of the most suitable catalysts needed to achieve this is finance.

The inability to get loans needed to finance agricultural activities can make farmers restricted to little finance. This is one of the agricultural problems that reduces the volume of output.

A proper restructuring of finance systems and the reduction of interest rates attached to loans will direct agriculture to a brighter path.

You might also want to think about hiring a trained accountant to take care of your budget and ensure that it doesn’t grow out of control. 

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3. Disease

If you are raring livestock, then you need to be aware of the issue of disease. This is far more prevalent than most new farmers realize. This can be a disaster if you are only just starting to see significant levels of success with your farm.

You need to make sure that you are caring for your animals the right way. Ensure that you’re creating a safe environment that will be suitable for them.

Also, ensure that you regularly arrange vet visits to check on the wellbeing of your livestock. 

4. Unavailability of Sufficient Agricultural Land

Land shortage is indeed a problem. As millions of land hectares are taken aside for agricultural use each year, millions of land hectares are lost to urbanization, desertification, salinization, and erosion.

Land, which is 29% of the surface of the earth, when calculated in square miles is 57,308,738. Of this, 32,665,981 square miles are inhabitable as it is made up of mountains and desert leaving 24,642,757 square miles habitable.

When lands inhabited by humans, lands lost in urbanization, erosion and desertification are subtracted from the habitable square miles, the rest aren’t enough to cater for agricultural needs.

As lands used for non-agricultural purposes are rarely restored for agricultural purposes, government policies can be formulated to prevent the constant use of lands for purposes other than agriculture.

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5. Lack of Access to Modern Technology

Top agricultural producing countries like India, Indonesia, and Nigeria are confronted with the problem of lack of mechanization in their agricultural operations.

The use of crude and conventional tools rather than machines in agriculture to sustain the growing world’s population is a practice that needn’t be condoned.  

With the countless benefits associated with mechanized farming, measures need to be put in place. This includes friendly government policies on machine purchasing and education of poor farmers on the benefits of adopting advanced agricultural equipment.

Doing this will lead to increased output of agricultural produce.

6. Storage facilities problem

As most top agricultural producing countries are plagued with the problem of lack of access to mechanization, so are they besetted by the lack of effective storage facilities.

The aim of agriculture which is to increase food security can be rendered impractical with ineffective storage facilities as storage of agricultural produce is as important as farming.

Inefficient storage facilities in agricultural production is a business problem. Hence, the provision of cold storage facilities and solar-powered on-farm cold storage units can be made available to increase the availability of products.

7. Low Investment In Agriculture

Despite the countless number of research that indicates the alarming increase in world population and the need to cater for food needs, low investment in agriculture is still a problem.

While comparing with other sectors of the economy, far too little attention is given to improving the agricultural operations and rural areas. This is a problem.

If half the investment accessible to the financial sector is also available to the agricultural sector, improvements will be seen.

8. Lack of Farmers’ Organization

Farmers associations play a significant role in representing farmers and ensuring full participation in the formulation and implementation of policies that drive agricultural transformation.

With the duty to represent the interest of its members while maintaining food security, farmer’s associations are a great concept.

The role of farmer’s organization is a crucial one and the lack of attention to it can bring disunity in the agricultural community.

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9. Political factors

Factors relating to the government such as tax policies, tariffs, labor laws, land use laws, trade restrictions, and political instability are problems of agriculture.

An increase in any of these factors is capable of affecting the entire process involved in agriculture negatively. Most food producing countries face problems stemming from political factors and have witnessed a decline in their agricultural output.

With its policies, political factors have the ability to negatively or positively impact agriculture through environmental protection and other factors.

10. Pest Problem

Pests are a menace to the world of agriculture. Aside from their adverse impact on agricultural production, pests such as locusts, corn rootworms, stink bugs, and mormon crickets reduce crops and livestock. The natural environment and revenue generated from the agricultural sector are also affected.

Application of a range of pest management strategies, tillage, crop rotation strategy and land scouting would help. The application of organic and synthetic pesticides on farming sites will also destroy the life cycle of pests.  This will halt the destructive power of pest infestation on agriculture.

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11. Lack of Irrigation facilities

Inconsistency in rainfall is becoming a common phenomenon in today’s world. As the irregularities in weather condition continues to heighten, farmers cannot meet the world’s demand for food with little water requirements for plants.

The knowledge of irrigation scheduling, and skill needed to operate and maintain pumps is also lacking. In the absence of rainfall, irrigation becomes an alternative to grow crops and maintain landscapes.

Dried soil due to the absence of proper irrigation facilities in most agricultural exporting countries poses a threat to agriculture.

The provision of a proper irrigation development plan can alleviate the problem of inefficient irrigation systems.

12. Growing population

The rate at which the human population doubles have intensified the need to direct attention to food security.

However, research has proven that the available agricultural resources may not be able to cater for the needs of the growing population.

This fact, coupled with ecological degradation and increased fragmentation of farm plots, puts pressure on agriculture.

With the threat posed on agriculture by population growth, the adoption of mechanized and precision farming may be the best way for agriculture to gain an upper hand in the race with population.

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13. Fertilization problem

The need to improve the agricultural sector is driving agriculture into becoming a two-edged sword. With one edge of the sword providing food and livelihood for billions, the other edge is becoming a leading source of pollution.

You will need nitrogen compounds to cultivate the soil for crop growth. The issue of soil degradation is becoming a norm which led to measures such as the artificial production of nitrogen compounds.

These nitrogen compounds refers to fertilizer. They, along with pesticide and other toxic farm chemicals, retains some of their contents in the soil.

These harmful greenhouse gases go into the atmosphere or waterways. This lost nitrogen stirs up environmental problems for future generations.

Providing nutrients via artificial should also uphold sustainable practice that can offset the danger looming over agriculture due to the use of fertilizer.

14. Absence of Demand and Supply Forecasting Models

Rural areas in most agricultural producing countries are occupied by farmers specializing in one or more agricultural production process or activity.

However, asides from the importance of business knowledge, they still fall under the pressure of risk management.

This is a result of the absence of internal forecasting techniques capable of implementing policies that deliver technical and market support for the agricultural sector.

Even farmers in developed countries suffer from risk due to the use of outdated forecasting models.

The global agricultural market is deeply reliant on forecasting models. They provide consistent and comprehensive forecast on quantifiable features of livestock and crops.

An effort to develop models that showcase price indexes for farm outputs and inputs, predict price shifts, and methods  is necessary. This would reverse the causes of food shortage/crises can act as a solution to some problems encountered in agriculture.

15. Middlemen Problem

The action of growing crops, rearing livestock, and fishing isn’t enough to achieve food security. 

Middlemen exist in the operations of the agricultural market. They purchase goods from farmers at a low price and resell to consumers at higher prices. This results in low morale of farmers paid below their expectant fee.

The intervention of authorities into the activities of middlemen by setting a minimum price on agricultural products will go a long way to boost and motivate farmers.

16. Poorly Structured And Inefficient Supply Chain

Attaining global food security is dependant on an efficient, value-based supply chain system.

An agricultural value-based supply chain system in agricultural exporting countries strengthens the identity of locally based farmers. It would also enable them to understand the concept of stewardship.

Unfortunately, the absence of efficient supply chain system in  certain cities hinders the effective production and supply of goods from farmers to consumers thereby preventing food security.

However, the management of cost, fleet management, and usage of efficient supply chain platforms are ways of driving out the challenges of agriculture by an inefficient value-based supply chain system.

17. Excessive Price Intervention

Most farmers face severe restraints on price control. Government constant intervention on certain matters should be minimal. Examples are supply level, land use, and movement of product.

Interference could result in price instability and low interest in agriculture.

Government decision on product’s access to the global market is also a problem of agriculture.

There’s a need for total restructuring of agricultural policies. Less government involvement in certain agricultural procedures will also reduce the distress of farmers. 

18. Low Availability of Improved and Hybrid Seed

This is an actual problem confronting the agricultural sector of some countries.

The lack of quality seeds for farming may be a shocking term for farmers in developed countries. However, it is an existing problem for farmers in developing countries like India.

Some of the largest food suppliers amass low-quality seeds that are prone to diseases, insects, and weeds which has effects that are far from beneficial to the course of attaining global food security.

Solution – Government participation in providing rural infrastructure would be helpful. It will lessen the cost of acquiring quality and hybrid seeds that can withstand diseases, insects, and weeds.

19. Rural-Urban Divide

The evident contrast in the quality of life and income distribution has led to a high percentage of labor drain.

The characteristics of urban life such as modern amenities, decent living, and opportunities have created unrest in rural areas.

Intending to pursue a better quality of life, youths capable of engaging in agriculture migrate. Hence, they leave the task of fending for the world’s growing population in the hands of older generations.

Solution – Making livelihood opportunities available for farmers in rural areas will attract youths to agriculture.

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20. Prevalence of Land Degradation

One of the agricultural problems a lot of cities face is Land degradation. Land degradation is a cankerworm that is eating deep into the productive capacity of the soil.

This poses a global challenge capable of diminishing the productive potential of farming system. It is also capable of causing upheaval to the agricultural market through food scarcity and the high price of food.

Farming practices prevent further loss of land to degradation. This include terracing, strip farming, crop rotation, tilling, cover cropping, mulching, and afforestation.

21. Globalization

The last decade witnessed the integration of both domestic and international agricultural markets, and increased trade in global agro-based products.

With the evolution in the trading system, most producers of agricultural commodities tend to impose certain policieson its trading system. This include tariff, custom duties, quotas, and ban. 

This acts as barriers to free food circulation which threatens food security and lead to volatile prices. 

Solution – Government policies should positively influence the happenings in the global market.The reduction of tariff and the formulation of well-designed regulations to support agro-based trade will ensure the stability of agricultural activities.

22. Soil Trouble

Soil trouble can cause massive problems for farmers. What you sell may not safe for the market which can lead to a massive level of waste.

Or, it may mean that the products don’t reach the level of quality that buyers expect and demand.

You need to make sure that you are tackling agricultural problems like soil elimination head-on using the right equipment.

If you use equipment like this, then you can guarantee that soil won’t continue to be an issue.

23. Low Offers

Your success or failure in the farming industry depends on how much people are willing to pay for your products.

Unfortunately, there have been significant agricultural problems with farmers not gaining the high offers that they need or deserve.

Instead, farming products goes for a fraction of the cost. This has led buyers to squeeze farms on the prices that they offer.

Solution – One of the ways to deal with this is by making sure that you are tightening up your costs as much as possible. That way you can make sure that you aren’t wasting money in key areas. 

Conclusion

Agriculture, although most times overlooked, is a very important sector in an economy that sustains every other sectors.

As a partaker in life’s race, it’s no surprise that it battles its own problems. As there are solutions to every problem, agricultural problems have solutions and when applied, bring food security and prosperity.

These are the key issues that you can run into when attempting to keep your farming business profitable.

If you take the right steps here, your farming company will avoid the major problems.

You will also achieve higher levels of profitability.