Explain the following systems of agriculture as practiced in your country: (a) subsistence farming; [4 marks] (b) co-operative agriculture; [4 marks] (c) pl...

Answer Details

These are the main systems under which agriculture is organised in Nigeria.

(a) Subsistence farming: production of crops and livestock mainly to feed the farmer and the household, with little or no surplus for sale. It uses simple tools (hoe, cutlass), small plots and family labour, so output and productivity are low.

(b) Co-operative agriculture: a system in which farmers voluntarily pool their resources (land, capital, labour, and inputs) and work together as a registered co-operative society. They share tools, obtain credit and improved seeds jointly, market produce together and share the proceeds, which raises their bargaining power and reduces costs.

(c) Plantation agriculture: large-scale cultivation of a single cash crop (for example oil palm, rubber, cocoa or sugar cane) on a very large estate, using heavy capital, hired labour and modern management, mainly for export or industrial processing.

(d) Mechanized agriculture: farming that relies on machines and modern equipment such as tractors, harvesters, planters and irrigation pumps rather than human or animal power. It permits large hectarage, higher output per worker and timely operations, but requires much capital.

(e) Peasant farming: small-scale farming carried out by individual local farmers on scattered small holdings, using traditional methods, family labour and simple implements, producing mainly for the family with a small surplus sold in local markets.

Examination reminder: keep subsistence, peasant and mechanized distinct: subsistence stresses the purpose (self-consumption), peasant stresses the scale and holder (small individual farmer), and mechanized stresses the method (use of machines).