12/06/2026
"I Left My Farm in Someone Else's Hands"
Abayomi love fish farming, he has a deep passion for sustatinable food production for the populace
He has been doing this before securing his new job, though on a small scale. To create more income streams. He invested in ponds, stocked fish, purchased feed, and hired a farm attendant to manage the daily operations.
The challenge was simple: Abayomi have to travel to meet up his sales target
His work commitments meant he visit the farm occasionally. He relied heavily on phone calls, occasional updates, and the assumption that everything was running smoothly.
At first, it seemed to be working.
But behind the scenes, problems were quietly building.
Some days, the fish were overfed. Large amounts of feed were thrown into the ponds without proper observation. Much of it went to waste, affecting water quality and increasing production costs.
Other days, the fish were underfed. Feed shortage were not reported on time for replenishment.
Then feed started disappearing.
The quantity of feed being consumed did not match the growth performance of the fish. Some was wasted, some was poorly managed, and some could not be accounted for.
Because the owner was rarely present, the warning signs went unnoticed.
The situation became worse when fish began disappearing too.
A few fish here and there seemed insignificant. But over several months, the losses accumulated into hundreds of fish and a substantial reduction in expected revenue.
Water management also suffered.
Water exchange was inconsistent. Pond conditions deteriorated. Fish became stressed, growth slowed, and mortalities increased.
The attendant reported only what he understood, but lacked the experience to identify problems before they became costly.
The shock came at harvest.
Feed costs were far higher than projected. Survival rates were lower than expected. Fish sizes were inconsistent. The revenue generated was nowhere near what Abayomi had planned.
Months of effort and investment produced disappointing results.
The painful lesson was not that fish farming is unprofitable.
The lesson was that fish farming requires active ownership.
There is an old agricultural saying:
"The best and most valuable fertilizer on the farm is the owner's feet."
No employee, report, or phone call can fully replace the value of the owner being physically present, observing, supervising, and making timely decisions.
Fish farming does not demand that the owner does everything personally, but it does require attention, oversight, and involvement.
Many farms fail not because of disease or poor markets, but because the owner becomes absent.
Before investing in fish farming, ask yourself:
Will I have enough time to properly supervise this business?
Because sometimes, the most expensive mistake a farmer can make is leaving the farm entirely in someone else's hands.
— The Hidden Sides of Fish Farming Nobody Posts Online
