1.
MEANING OF AGRICULTURE
The term Agriculture is derived from twoLatin words “ager”, meaningField and“cultura”
meaning Cultivation. From thesetwowords agriculture could be regarded asland
cultivation. However agriculture meansmore than landcultivation. Itincludes storage,
preservation and marketing of crops and animals product.
Agriculture can therefore be defined as the art andscience of growing of crops and rearing
of animals for man’s use.
IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is of greatimportance to anynation. It notonlysupply basic human needs (food,
cloth and shelter) but alsomeetsindustrial needs and alsothe mainstay of economyof the
nation. The following are majorways in which agriculture is of greatimportance.
1. Sources of food: Agriculture is a source of food (either in fresh or processed form) needed
by man for growth, repair of damage cells and provision of energy.
2. Sources of clothing materials: Agriculture is a source of clothingmaterials like hides and
skin, wool, cotton, silk used for the production of variousclothingmaterialssuch as cloths,
shoes, belts, caps, bags, silk etc.
3. Sources of materials for shelter: Agriculture is source of essential buildings materials
needed forbuildings and furniture ofhouses. These materials includetimber for making
doors, window, poles, roofs and furniture like chairs, tables, beds, cabinets etc
4. Sources of Employment: Agriculture is source ofemployment opportunities directly or
indirectly.About 60-70% of thepopulaceisemployed through agriculture. Itprovides
readyemployment for both skilled and unskilled labour. These include thefarmers,
transporters, retailers etc.
5. Sources of Income: Agricultureprovides income to people through the sales of crop and
animal products and through wages and salaries for agriculturalworkers.
6. Sources of raw materials for industries:Agricultureprovides raw materials in industries
calledago-allied or agro-based industries. These rawmaterials in the form of plants and
animals product andprocessed into useful end-products.Examples include coffee, cocoa and
tea for production of food drinks and rubber for production of tyres and footwears.
7. Sources of foreign exchange earnings:Agricultures provides foreign exchange earning
needed to pay for imports. Agriculturalproduce like cocoa, kolanut, groundnuts,cotton etc
exported to foreign countries andgenerate money in return to pay for needed imported
commodities.
8. Sources of revenue for government: Agriculture providesrevenue for government through
taxes and export duties received from handling of agricultural produce.
2.
BRANCHES OR AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION IN AGRICULTURE
The branches of Agriculture include:
1. SoilScience: This is a branch of agriculture that deals with the scientific study of soils in
terms of its properties, reactions, chemistry, micro-biology, fertility and maintenance.
2. Crop Science: It is an aspect which deals with breeding for improved varieties,propagation,
maintenance and protection of crop from disease (Pathology) and pest (Entomology),
3. Horticulture: This is an aspect of agriculture that is concerned with the study of growth,
distribution and utilization of fruits, vegetables and ornamental crops.
4. Animal Science: This is a branch that is concerned with efficient and effective management
of farmanimals to ensure better animal productivity.It includes animal husbandry, animal
nutrition and animal breeding.
5. Veterinary Medicine: This is the branch that deals with the study of different disease,
pests, and parasites of farm animals and their prevention and control, it also involve the
production of vaccines and inspection of meat after slaughter.
6. Fishery: This is a branchof agriculture which deals with the production and management of
fishes and other aquatic animals like shrimps, lobsters, crayfish etc. It involves the study of
these in both natural and artificial water bodies.
7. Agriculture Economics: This branch is concern with optimum use of limited agricultural
resources to maximize profit. It involves agricultural marketing, farm financing, farming
cooperative and management of agricultural resources through farm planning, budgeting
and farm accounting.
8. Agricultural Engineering: It ensures designs, construction and maintenance of agricultural
tools
and
machinery.Such
farmmachinery
include
processing
and
storage
equipment,irrigation equipment,tractors etc.
9. Agricultural Extension: This is a branch of agriculture which deals with the dissemination
of usefulfarm information, training of farmers, and provision of support services as well as
linkages of farmers to researchers.
10. Forestry and Wildlife Management: It deals with conservation and management of forest
and forest resources for the benefit of man.Wild animal like Lion, Elephant,tigers etc are
conserved in forest and game reserve.
11. Apiculture (Bee Farming): It involves the rearing of bees for the production of honey
which has many industrial and medicinal uses.
12. Heliculture or Snailry: It deals with rearing of snails for income and provision of
industrial products
ASSIGNMENT:
1.Define the term Agriculture
2.State five reasons why Agriculture is important to man
3Differentiate between i.apiculture and heliculture,ii. Agicultural extension and
Agricultural economics
Submit the assignment to
Akinsanya
[email protected]
WEEK 2
AGRO-ALLIED OR AGRO-BASED INDUSTRIES.
These are industries that rely on agriculture for the provision of their raw materials which
they use to produce finished products.
Agro-based industries, their product and the raw material use are tabulated as follows.
Agro-based Industry
Raw Materials Used
Finished Products
1. Oil Mill
Oil Palm Fruits and Nuts
i)
Palm Oil
ii) Palm Kernel Oil
iii) Palm Kernel Cake
iv) Husk & Shell Fuel
2. Soap Industry
Oil from Oil Palm fruits
Soap
and nuts, groundnut and
coconut oil
3. Tobacco Industries
Tobacco Leaves
Cigarette
4. Textile Ginnery
Cotton
Clothing Materials
5. Breweries
Cereals
like
Barely Alcoholic Material
Sorghum etc
6. Fruit Canning
3.
Fruits
Fruits Juice
7. Paper Industry
Pulp Wood
Paper, Stationeries
8. Sugar Industry
Sugar Cane
Cube or Grain Sugar
9. Plywood/Sawmill
Timber
Planks, wood Plywood
10. Flour Mills
Cereal Grains e.g Wheat
Flour for Pastries
11. Starch
Cassava, Maize
Starch
12. Rubber Industries
Rubber Latex
Tyre, tube, Foot wears
13. Feed Mill
Groundnut,Maize etc.
Animal Feed
14. Beverage
Cocoa, Tea, Coffee
Food Drinks
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES
A wide range of positive relationship exist between agriculture and industries
These include:-
(1) Provision of market:- Industries product are used in agriculturalactivities,
therebyproviding markets for such industrial products. Examples ofindustrial products
used in agricultureincludefarm machinery( like planter, harvesters), chemicals and
fertilizers.
(2) Provision ofFoods:- Agriculture provides food needed by industrial workers in fresh or
processed form.
(3) Provision ofessential goods:-Industriesprovide varietiesof essential finished and semi
finished goodsrequired by farmers.
(4) Provision of Agricultural tools equipment and Machineries:-Industries producetools
likecutlass and hoes, equipment like planters and grinder and machinery like tractors,
harvester etc.
(5) Provision of Agro chemical:- Industries produce agro chemicals used foragricultural
purposes. Examples include fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides etc.
(6) Provision ofRaw materials:-Agricultureprovides raw materials for industrial use such
raw materials include cocoa, cotton,palm produce,timber etc.
(7) Shifting of factor of Production:- Agricultural development leads to shift of factor of
production of land,labour andcapital and agriculture to industries.
(8) Competition for Labour:- There is a competition for labour between industryand
agriculture.
4.
SUBSISTENCE AND COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE
SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE:Thisis a type of agriculture in which the production is mainly for the farmer to feed
himself and his family.
CHARACTERISTIC OF SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE
i.
It involves the use of small area of land
ii.
The output is mainly for family consumption
iii.
Theoutput is usually low
iv.
It usually involves the use of familylabour
v.
Itrequires small capital outlay
vi.
Itinvolves the use of crudetools such ascutlasses and hoes.
vii.
It employs unskilledlabour
viii.
Mixed croppingsystem of farming is usuallypractised.
COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE:This is a type of agriculture whichinvolves the production of crops and animals in
largequantities (large scale) for sale.
Characteristics of Commercial Agriculture
i.
It involves the use of large area of land
ii.
The produce is mainly for sale
iii.
The output is usually high
iv.
It involvesthe use ofhired labour
v.
It employs skilled labour
vi.
It requires large capital outlay
vii.
It involves the use of machinery liketractor, harvesters etc.
viii.
Sole cropping system of farming is usuallypractised.
Advantages Of Subsistence Agriculture
i.
Cheap and affordableto practisefor most farmers
ii.
It is easy topractise
iii.
Simple tools employed does not lead soil erosion
iv.
It involves little or no useof chemicals like herbicides and pesticide which have
beendiscovered to pose healthhazard to man and theenvironment.
Problems / Disadvantages Of Subsistence Agriculture
i.
Crude tools are used:- Crude tools like cutlasses and hoes employed result in low
output and drudgery.
ii.
No Surplus For Sale: As a result of the small-scale of production, little or nothing
could be offered for sale to generate enough capital to improve their livelihood or better
their farm business.
iii.
Inadequate Capital for Investment: Given their production constraint, the subsistence
farmers are regarded as not being creditworthy by the banks and other sources of credit.
In-addition, inability to provide the necessary collateral (security) and complete
complicated paper work prevent access to loans.
iv.
Illiteracy of the Farmer: Subsistence farmers are largely illiterate thereby unable to
take advantage or appreciate new agricultural ideas or utilize modern inputs.
v.
Family Labour Supply is Unreliable: Rural-Urban migration of able-bodied men
result in non-availability of family labour,especially the children to work on the farm.
vi.
Problems of Pest and Disease: As a result of poverty and illiteracy of the farmer, they
are unable to control pests and diseases, thereby incurring loses and low output.
vii.
Fragmented or Small Farmland: The small sizes of subsistence farms makes it
uneconomical to use modern equipment such as tractors.
viii.
Low Return/Yield: Illiteracy, low capital investment, small farm holding among others
combine to make returns from subsistence agriculture very low.
Advantages Of Commercial Agriculture.
i)
High Yield/Output: Due to the fact that large area of land is cultivated coupled with the
use of modern farming practices, high yield is obtained from this system
ii)
Specialization of Labour: It encourages specialization of labour because farm
operations were mechanized.
iii) Encouragement of Research Work: It encourages research work into agricultural
operations like marketing, production etc.
iv) Provision of Cheap Products: Mass production of crops and animals reduces the cost
of production, thereby making produce available at low and affordable prices.
v)
Provision of Quality Products: Produce obtained from commercial agriculture are
generally of high quality due primarily to modern practices employed.
Problems/ Disadvantages Of Commercial Agriculture
1) High Capital Investment: The required investment of capital in modern machinery
and equipment and other inputs is beyond the reach of an average farmer.
2) Inadequate Technical Know-how: Operation and Maintenance of machine employed
in commercial agriculture require a lot of technical skills which are highly inadequate,
thereby making commercial agriculture difficult.
3) High Cost of Spare Part: Spare parts for machinery are very expensive to buy.
4) The use of agro-chemical like herbicide and pesticides have been known to pose health
hazard.
5) Inadequate Credit Facilities: Commercial agriculture requires credit facilities or
subsidy because of the high capital outlay involved. However credit facilities are not
available enough to meet this need.
6) It can lead to soil Erosion: The use of heavy machinery in commercial agriculture
can lead to soil erosion.
7) Unfavorable government policies: certain government policies are not farming
friendly thereby making agriculture to fail.
8) Inadequate supply of improved varieties of crops and animals:The needed
improved varieties of crops and animals are often not available as at when needed and
in required quantities.
9) Inadequate marketing channels:The required marketing channels needed for
smooth operation of commercial agriculture is grossly inadequate.
10)Inadequate storage and processing facilities: In commercial agriculture, product is
available in large quantity which requires modern storage and processing to preserve
their quality before reaching the final consumers. However, these facilities are grossly
inadequate.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUBSISTENCE AND COMERCIAL AGRICULTURE
SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE
COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE
1 Small land area is required
Large area of land is required
2 It is mainly for family consumption
It is mainly for consumption and sales
3 Output is usually low
Output is usually high
4 Family labour is mainly employed
Hired labour is used
5 Local tools like cutlass and hoes are used
Modern machinery like tractors are used
6 It requires small capital outlay
It requires large capital outlay
7 It does not require skill labour
It requires skilled labour
Assignment:
State five differences between subsistence and commercial farming
Submit to
[email protected]