(a) Explain any two of the following methods of farming as adopted in Nigeria (i) Mixed farming (ii) Intensive farming (iii) Plantation agriculture (b) Stat...

(a) Two methods of farming as adopted in Nigeria (any two explained)

• (i) Mixed farming: the growing of crops and the rearing of livestock together on the same farm. The animals provide manure to fertilise the crops, and crop residues feed the animals, giving the farmer a steady income from both.
• (ii) Intensive farming: the cultivation of a small piece of land with heavy inputs of labour, fertiliser and improved seeds to obtain a high yield per unit area. It is common around densely settled areas and market gardens near towns.
• (iii) Plantation agriculture: the large-scale cultivation of a single cash crop (such as oil palm, rubber, cocoa or sugar cane) on a big, well-managed estate for sale and export, using scientific methods and hired labour.

(b) Three problems facing agriculture in Nigeria

• Use of crude, traditional tools and low level of mechanisation.
• Poor storage and processing facilities leading to heavy post-harvest losses.
• Inadequate capital and credit for farmers.
• Land tenure problems that limit large-scale farming.
• Pests, diseases and unreliable rainfall/drought.

(c) Ways these problems are being solved

• Provision of agricultural loans and credit through banks and government schemes.
• Supply of tractors, improved seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to farmers.
• Construction of dams and irrigation for dry-season farming.
• Building of silos and processing plants to reduce losses.
• Agricultural research and extension services to educate farmers, and land reform to ease access to land.