By Patricia Bianca S. Taculao
Edwin Lindo, 44, is a warehouse assistant at the Waitrose Regional Distribution Centre in the United Kingdom. His goal in life is to retire at the age of 55 without having to work for a company so he can best enjoy his life before he gets old.
To make his dream into a reality, Lindo invested in an agribusiness that involves raising and selling catfish and tilapia. As of last year, he managed to harvest 5,000 kilos of catfish which he sold for P115/kilo.
By February and April, he expects to harvest 5,000 and 6,000 kilos more, respectively.
Although he still has a long way to go, Lindo has adapted to the market in Davao City, giving him good returns from his investments.
(Read about Edwin Lindo’s aquaculture venture here.)
With more people becoming interested in starting an agribusiness, Lindo shares four points to help them succeed.
The first is to determine what are your strengths as well as what you love the most about farming. Whether it’s growing crops, raising livestock, or fish production, it’s important to find out what you enjoy the most since this will make the whole process of farming more rewarding and beyond monetary satisfaction.
Next is to look for the opportunity and needs are the area. Lindo’s farm is located in Davao City but the area is considered to be the area where catfish growers are abundant. Depending on how you want to be discovered, you can either follow market trends or create a unique product that will catch the attention of consumers in the area.
For the third point, Lindo said to convert the situation to your advantage and maximize your available resources. Although surrounded by catfish growers who already had a head start in the market, Lindo was not discouraged and used social media to his advantage. In doing so, he managed to create a platform where he can market his products and attract customers that are not limited to Davao City.
Lastly, the OFW pointed out that an agribusiness requires focus, time, and investments to succeed. Despite working overseas, Lindo regularly contacts his farmworkers to stay updated with any problems and guide them through obstacles. Plus, he recognizes the need to invest in quality materials to help boost productivity and quality.
These points have helped Lindo slowly achieve his goal of retiring five years before the required age as his catfish and tilapia farm is giving him good profits from its operations.
For more information, visit Lindo’s Hito/Tilapia Farm at Tugbok on Facebook.
Read more about farming and gardening at agriculture.com.ph.