Whenever you hear the word ‘farmer’, the stereotypical image in your head would be that of a man ploughing the field tirelessly day and night just to ensure his crops have grown enough to give him a good harvest and plenty of cash.

That was the story of another era I suppose for gone are those days where farmers were left waiting for their harvest and the money earned from it. The usage of modern agricultural techniques and some clever farming has made many of these labourers the richest farmers in the world, thereby making it a profitable profession if practiced correctly.

So, here’s bringing you the list of the top 10 richest farmers in the world which will help you discover your green fingers (as long as you have them)!

Top 10 Richest Farmers in the World

10. Howard Buffet

Imagine being the son of one of the world’s richest men and leaving your father’s established business just to start an agricultural unit! Sounds ridiculous, isn’t it? But this happens to be the case with Howard Buffet who is the son of billionaire investor and Berkshire Hathway founder Warren Buffet.

Having dropped out from three universities Buffet decided to become a corn and soybean farmer and things have worked very well since then for this Nebraska agriculturist. He now manages three farms in Illinois, Arizona, and South Africa without his father’s money. Having a worth of $200 mn, he is a prime example of being independent and not relying on his father’s treasure trove of dollars!

9. Colin and Dale Armer

Hailing from the land of Kiwis, this couple is one of the richest families of New Zealand courtesy of their booming dairy business. Having started it out in the early 1990s, they decided to raise a few cows in their farmland and began selling the milk obtained from them.

However, this was just the beginning. After seeing the success, the couple decided to convert this into a full-fledged business and registered it as Dairy Holdings. Today, the company operates 58 dairy farms in South Island and is worth a massive $535 million, thereby making it the largest dairy conglomerate of New Zealand.

8. Tony Perich

Shifting focus to New Zealand’s Trans-Tasman neighbours, here is the success story of a man who not just possesses green fingers but also has farming running through his veins. Having inherited a farm from his father in the 1950s, Tony Perich and his brother started it out by milking just 25 cows to sell their dairy produce.

With luck and wealth swinging their way, the family now owns more than 2,000 cows and is one of the largest suppliers of milk in Australia. They have further expanded their business to growing grains and have two stations at West Wyalong and Trangie. Having a net worth of $750 million, this has to be one of the most inspirational success stories out there!

7. Bao Hongxing

Featuring at number seven in our list of richest farmers in the world is Chinese farmer Bao Hongxing. He always had a penchant for farming and decided to fuel his passion by studying Agricultural Science from the Jianxi Agricultural University. After graduating, he started his own farm unit by selling pig feed after seeing its growing demand in the Chinese market.

On attaining success, he researched more about its scope and started making advancements in pig farming. Today, his company has a net worth of $1 billion and has expanded into selling grains and vegetables as well. What a unique way to become a billionaire!

6. Fu Guangming

Imagine being a supplier to one of the world’s largest fast-food chains? Well, Fu Guangming can proudly boast of those credentials as his company is the leading supplier of chicken to KFC China. But all wasn’t easy as Guangming had humble beginnings and decided to become a poultry farmer after having realised his love for it.

His business flourished and he took the next big leap by registering his firm as Fujian Sunner Development which sells chicken products to various meat markets and food manufacturing industries in China. He now runs his $1.5 billion company with his daughter Fu Fenfang who is the director of his firm.

5. Vadim Moshkovich

Vadim Moshkovich can be called the jack of all trades as he has tried his hand at establishing businesses selling multiple products. From selling vodka to entering the real estate industry in the 1990s, Moshkovich had tried everything to set up a successful business until he found his true calling in agriculture.

He established Rusagro, a pork and sugar-producing company and found instant success with it. Rusagro owns more than 60,000 acres of land and sells its products in more than 15 countries and 80 Russian regions which make him worth $2.3 billion. Apart from being the CEO of his firm, he is actively involved in philanthropy and was the benefactor behind constructing the Letovo International School in Russia. He truly is a man with a golden heart!

4. Harry Stine

Occupying the fourth spot in this listicle on the richest farmers in the world is a man who has been ranked as the richest man in Iowa by Forbes. Despite suffering from dyslexia and mild autism, Stine managed to set up his farm off Des Moines and began his farming journey in the 1960s.

He went on to start his own firm by the name of Stine Seed which produces genetically modified food products. Stine Seed is the largest private seed company in the world and is famous for producing the finest soybean seeds. When you’re determined to achieve something, no disability can stop you from making a net worth of $3.6 billion!

3. Steward and Lynda Resnick

This happily married couple started their farming journey by purchasing a huge amount of land in the Californian Central Valley in 1970. And there has been no looking back since for they have invested more than $100 million in sustainable technology to produce drought-resistant almonds in the hot and humid state of California.

Today, their company is worth $4 billion and have managed to enter into a foray of businesses which include Mandarin oranges and Fijian Water. Their products are purchased by more than half of the American population which makes the Wonderful Company a must feature on this list of richest farmers in the world.

2. Liu Yonghao

After starting his career as a teacher, a brainwave struck Yonghao and his brothers to start their agricultural business in 1982. They faced many hardships when it came to raising money for their business and had to sell their personal assets to purchase quails and chicken to be sold to their customers.

By 1992, they had become an established group and in 1996, the brothers split with Yonghao starting New Hope Group. Today, the company is worth $4.6 billion and has diversified its business into chemicals and housing apart from selling their usual chickens. He has also been appointed as the Vice-President of China Minsheng Bank, thereby making him an epitome of success!

1. Liu Yongxing

Topping the list of the richest farmers in the world is one of China’s most recognised personalities, Liu Yongxing. Interestingly, he has a similar journey to success as he is the brother of Liu Yonghao and came from the same way as he did.

After parting ways in 1996, he went on to form the East Hope Group and has focused on operating in the agricultural, heavy industry, and real estate sectors. According to Forbes, the company is worth a whopping $6.6 billion and has gone on to produce more than 100 products in China.