(a) Explain the following: (i) Peasant farming (ii) commercial farming (iii) State farming (b) In what two ways will increased commercial farming contribute...

Answer Details

(a) Types of farming.

• (i) Peasant (subsistence) farming. Small-scale farming carried out by individual families mainly to feed themselves, using simple tools, family labour and traditional methods on small, scattered plots; only any surplus is sold.
• (ii) Commercial farming. Large-scale, market-oriented farming carried out for profit, using modern inputs such as machinery, improved seeds, fertilisers, hired labour and better management, with the produce sold in the market.
• (iii) State farming. Large farms owned, financed and managed by the government (the state), usually to boost food production, demonstrate modern methods and provide employment.

(b) Two ways increased commercial farming aids economic development.

1. Provision of raw materials and food. Large-scale output supplies industries with raw materials and feeds the growing population, supporting industrial growth and lowering food imports.
2. Employment, income and foreign exchange. Commercial farms create jobs, raise farmers' incomes, and, through the export of cash crops, earn valuable foreign exchange for the economy.

Increased commercial farming also widens the tax base and encourages the growth of agro-allied industries.

Examination reminder: the key contrast is scale and purpose: peasant farming is small and for consumption, commercial farming is large and for profit, and state farming is government-owned.