The majority of rural people and those who live in family homes have a small or large garden, which they like to cultivate and take care of – on the one hand, it is a good hobby and leisure for them, and on the other hand, a little vegetable or fruit is always useful. However, in the current difficult economic situation, many people are already thinking of production not only as a hobby and to meet their own needs, but also to try to make a small profit by selling their products.
Agricultural production and farming are basically the same business as any other business. But before we start our own farm, we need to consider whether we are willing enough to give up our days off and whether we are committed enough to the life spent working on the farm. Farming is also a way of life. In addition, it is also necessary to carefully consider the availability of sufficient financial coverage. And then you have to do some office work.
Let’s find out first!
The first step is to develop a comprehensive plan. If you want to plant plants, you should seek expert opinion on what to plant in the given land, and it is advisable to study the different cultivation methods. Anyone who wants to deal with animals should take a closer look at the different breeding methods. Some people raise animals all year round, others only during certain times of the year, for example before Carnival, for the purpose of belly pig. According to current law, it is also considered a farm if someone keeps only one animal. In other words, no matter how long and for what purpose we decide to keep livestock, in all cases conditions suitable for the specific animal species must be provided. Different rules apply to each breed of animal, and the conditions of each farm are regulated by the relevant applicable government regulations, which every farmer should be aware of. (This can be read at On the website of the state Animal Health and Food Safety Authority)
registration
As a future animal breeder, we must register the farm before starting the activity and purchasing the animals. This means contacting the Central Registry and announcing the establishment of a farm. The required application can be obtained from the regional offices, whose employees will help fill out the form and guide everyone. The completed form must be certified by the regional authority for animal health and food safety (RVPS), whose employees will check with their own eyes where and under what conditions we want to keep animals. For example, if you want to raise sheep seasonally, from spring to fall, which you always drive to graze in the nearby pastures, it is enough to build a temporary pen with a sheltered roof on both sides, which will protect it from the elements. . A feeder and drinker must be provided. Anyone who wants to keep animals all year round should provide a dry barn.
All necessary contact information for animal health experts can be found on the website www.svps.sk. If the RVPS finds everything in order, the application can be mailed to Zsolna, the Central Register of Farm Animals (CEHZ). The center in Zsolna manages each farm with a six-digit registration ID – they can identify the farm based on that. A registration certificate is also issued for all this, which is mailed to the farms. It does not hurt to be aware that not only the breeding of animals, but also sales and changes in the herd should always be reported. Both the seller and the buyer must report, or the buyer can agree with the seller that only the seller contacts the authority and sends completed forms at the same time.
Animal marking
Before animals can be registered with CEHZ, they must be tagged. It is required by law to be chipped, and for this purpose it is advisable to contact the Slovak Breeding Service (Plemenárske služby SR), which sells such chips and even puts them on animals if the farmer cannot do it on his own.
capital
In order to create an economy, you definitely need start-up capital. Ideally, we have savings that we can invest in the beginning, and that must be invested continually later, without which no business can function in the long run. If we do not have our own capital, we can try to arrange support, for example, from the Agricultural Payments Agency (PPA). We can get a bank loan, or we can monitor various calls, programs and projects, and as soon as an opportunity is announced, we immediately place an application. A bank loan can be a faster solution, we can arrange it first, then refinance it from a government grant to be applied for later. Another option is to request financial support from the Employment Service. If those registered with the Labor Office try to get a job by starting their own business, for example, they want to cultivate their farmland or raise animals, they can arrange for state support for this. The applicant must be registered in the job seekers register for at least 3 months.
