(a) State six problems of agricultural…

Question 1 Report

(a) State six problems of agricultural development in West Africa.

(b) Explain each of the following farm practices:
(i) crop rotation;
(ii) mixed farming.

Answer

Answer Details

(a) Six problems of agricultural development in West Africa

Inadequate finance and credit facilities for farmers.
Poor land tenure system that limits access to large farmland.
Inadequate storage and processing facilities causing post-harvest losses.
Poor transportation and bad road network.
Illiteracy and shortage of trained agricultural personnel.
Inadequate farm inputs; pests, diseases and unfavourable weather also hinder development.

(b) Explanation of the farm practices

(i) Crop rotation: The growing of different crops on the same piece of land in a definite order or sequence over the seasons, so that no single crop occupies the land continuously.
(ii) Mixed farming: The growing of crops and the rearing of livestock together on the same farm at the same time.

(c) Three advantages of each practice

(i) Crop rotation

It maintains and improves soil fertility, especially when legumes that fix nitrogen are included.
It helps to control pests and diseases by breaking their life cycles.
It controls weeds and makes better use of soil nutrients at different depths.

(ii) Mixed farming

(a) State six problems of agricultural development in West Africa. (b) Explain each of the following farm practices: (i) crop rotation; (ii) mixed farming. ...