CARA'S TIPSMeaning, importance and problems of agriculture; land tenure; agricultural ecology
JAMBWAECNECO
What the syllabus asks
JAMB: A1 Meaning and scope, A2 Importance, A3 Agricultural ecology (ecological zones of West Africa), A6 History of agricultural development in West Africa, A7 Roles of government and NGOs
WAEC: A Basic concepts (meaning, branches and importance of agriculture; problems of agricultural development and solutions; subsistence vs commercial agriculture; roles of government and NGOs; land tenure, Land Use Act and reforms); B Agricultural ecology (agro-ecosystem, land and its uses, factors affecting land availability, agro-allied industries, climatic, biotic and edaphic factors, agricultural…
NECO: A Basic concepts (meaning, branches and importance of agriculture; problems of agricultural development and solutions; subsistence vs commercial agriculture; roles of government and NGOs; land tenure, Land Use Act and reforms); B Agricultural ecology (agro-ecosystem, land and its uses, factors affecting land availability, agro-allied industries, climatic, biotic and edaphic factors, agricultural…
What you will learn
- Define agriculture and name its branches.
- Explain the importance of agriculture to the individual, the community and Nigeria.
- State the problems of agricultural development and suggest solutions.
- Distinguish subsistence from commercial agriculture, with advantages and disadvantages.
- Describe the roles of government, programmes and NGOs in agricultural development.
- Describe land tenure systems and the Land Use Act of 1978.
- Explain agricultural ecology, the agro-ecosystem and land use.
- Relate crops and animals to the ecological zones of Nigeria and West Africa.
- Explain the climatic, edaphic and biotic factors affecting crop and animal production.
- Describe agro-allied industries and agricultural pollution.
Key points
- Agriculture = growing crops and rearing animals for man’s use, plus processing and marketing.
- Branches: crop, animal, soil science, economics, engineering, extension, forestry, fisheries; also apiculture, horticulture.
- Importance: food, raw materials, employment, foreign exchange, GDP, market for industry, rural development.
- NBS 2024: agriculture ≈ 21% of nominal GDP, ≈ 25% of real GDP.
- Subsistence = family food, small, simple tools; commercial = profit, large, mechanised.
- Problems: land tenure, amenities, finance, transport, storage, education, tools, inputs, marketing, environment, pests, weather, labour, policy.
- Government: credit, subsidy, education, research, extension, infrastructure, insurance (NAIC 1987).
- Programmes: Farm Settlements, NAFPP (early 1970s), ADPs (1975), OFN (1976), RBDAs (1976), Green Revolution (1980), Fadama, NSPFS.
- NGOs/international centres: IITA (Ibadan, 1967), AfricaRice/WARDA, ILCA/ILRI, ICRISAT, FAO.
- Land tenure: communal, inheritance, lease, freehold, rent, gift, pledge, state.
- Land Use Act, 29 March 1978: land vested in the Governor in trust; certificates of occupancy.
- Agro-ecosystem: biotic and abiotic components interacting on the farm.
- Environmental factors: climatic, edaphic, biotic; mutualism, parasitism, competition.
- Agro-allied industries use farm raw materials and supply farm inputs.
- Agricultural pollution: agrochemicals, oil spills, livestock waste; leads to eutrophication and low yields.
Start here: Meaning and branches of agriculture
Walk through any Nigerian market (Bodija in Ibadan, Dawanau in Kano, Ogbete in Enugu) and almost everything you see started on a farm: yams, tomatoes, rice, beef, eggs, palm oil, cotton cloth and leather bags. The science behind all of this is agriculture.
The word comes from the Latin ager (field) and cultura (cultivation). Modern examiners expect you to include both crops and livestock and to mention that agriculture is a business as well as a way of life.
Branches of agriculture
| Branch | What it studies | Nigerian example |
|---|---|---|
| Crop science / agronomy | Growing field crops, plant breeding, crop protection | Breeding of improved cassava at IITA, Ibadan |
| Horticulture | Fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants | Tomato and pepper gardens on the Jos Plateau |
| Animal science | Feeding, breeding and management of livestock | Poultry farms in Ogun State |
| Fisheries / aquaculture | Fish capture and fish farming | Catfish ponds in Oyo and Delta States |
| Soil science | Soil formation, fertility and conservation | Liming of acid soils in the south-east |
| Agricultural economics | Farm management, marketing, finance, records | Calculating profit on a broiler batch |
| Agricultural engineering | Tools, machinery, irrigation, farm structures | Tractor hiring services; irrigation at Kano River Project |
| Agricultural extension | Teaching farmers new practices | ADP extension agents visiting villages |
| Forestry | Management of forests and trees | Forest reserves such as Omo (Ogun State) |
Other specialised areas include apiculture (bee-keeping), sericulture (silkworms), floriculture (flowers), pomology (fruit growing) and olericulture (vegetable growing).
(a) Define agriculture. (b) Name four branches of agriculture and state one thing each studies. (6 marks)
- (a) Agriculture is the cultivation of crops and rearing of animals for man’s use, including processing, storage and marketing of the products.
- Crop science: growing and improving crops.
- Animal science: feeding, breeding and care of livestock.
- Soil science: soil formation and fertility.
- Agricultural economics: farm management, marketing and finance.
Continue this lesson in the free app →
Practice questions
- cultivation of crops and rearing of animals for human use
- study of soils only
- sale of farm produce
- processing of food in factories
Show answer
A: cultivation of crops and rearing of animals for human use
It includes production, processing and marketing of crops and livestock.
- apiculture
- pomology
- aquaculture
- sericulture
Show answer
D: sericulture
Apiculture is bee-keeping; pomology is fruit growing.
- floriculture
- silviculture
- pomology
- olericulture
Show answer
C: pomology
Olericulture is vegetable growing.
- heavy use of hired labour
- production mainly for the farmer’s family
- large-scale mechanised production
- production mainly for export
Show answer
B: production mainly for the farmer’s family
Commercial farming produces for sale.
- poor storage and processing facilities
- too many extension workers
- excess rural infrastructure
- very cheap credit for all farmers
Show answer
A: poor storage and processing facilities
Others: land tenure, pests, poor roads and finance.
Key words
- Agriculture
- The production of crops and livestock, and the processing and marketing of their products, for human use.
- Agronomy
- The branch of agriculture that deals with field crops and soil management.
- Animal husbandry
- The care, breeding and management of farm animals.
- Subsistence agriculture
- Farming mainly to feed the farmer’s family, with little surplus for sale.
- Commercial agriculture
- Large-scale farming mainly for sale and profit.
- Land tenure
- The system by which land is owned, held or used.
- Communal tenure
- Land belongs to the community or family and is allocated to members for use.
- Leasehold
- Use of land for an agreed period on payment of rent.
- Land fragmentation
- Splitting of family land into many small, scattered plots, usually through inheritance.
- Certificate of occupancy
- A document issued under the Land Use Act granting the right to occupy land.
- Subsidy
- Part of the cost of a farm input or service paid by government to reduce its price to farmers.
- Agricultural extension
- Teaching farmers improved practices and carrying their problems back to research.
The Cara's Tips app teaches every topic from the very basics, with quick checks, worked examples and exam practice. It works offline.
Open this lesson in the free appDownload for Android