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The term ‘agriculture’ is derived from two Latin words ager,meaning field, and cultura, meaning cultivation. Literally agriculture means field cultivation of the soil and the feeding and management of crops and livestock, but also the preparation of plant and animal products for the use of man, and the disposal of their products by marketing.
Agriculture is often confused with farming.
Farming is the management of plants or animals. That is why we often hear of cocoa farmer, poultry farmer, fish farmer or tobacco farmer and so on. Agriculture, on the other hand includes the management as well as the use of scientific methods for the production of both plants and animals. Agriculture now embraces not only production of plants and animals, but also processing of animal and plant products, the manufacture of tools and machines for use in agriculture and the marketing and distribution of the products.
It is not easy to bring all the concepts of agriculture into a simple definition because of the very wide variation between most of the occupations. e.g. Cocoa farming, production of fertilizers, saw-milling, bee keeping, fishing and palm wine tapping and many others are all occupations which are derived from agriculture.
Importance of Agriculture to man
Agriculture is of great importance to the growth and survival of man. This is because agriculture provides a secure and stable means of obtaining some impnoortant and basic necessities of human life. These are food, shelter, and clothing.
(a) Provision of food
Agriculture plays the most important role in human life. It provides food we eat. Examples including cereals (rice, maize, sorghum, wheat, barley, millet and oats), roots and tubers (yam, cassava, sweet potatoes), vegetables (okra, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, garden eggs), fruits (banana, citrus, pineapple, mango, pawpaw, guava), nuts (cashew, ground-nuts, walnut), beverages (coffee, beer, cocoa, tea), meat, milk, eggs and their by-products.
(b) Provision of shelter (house)
Shelter is very important for protection against adverse weather conditions such as cold, heat, wind, and rain. It protects us against dangerous animals. It also provides us with facilities for leisure and rest. Plant materials are also construction of houses. The materials included timber, leaves and so on.
(c) Provision of raw materials for industries
Many of our manufacturing industries make use of agricultural products as the raw materials from which finished products are made.
Examples of such industries include: Flour mills utilize wheat grains, canning factories consume fruits and seeds; sugar manufacturing factories consume sugar cane; Textile industries use cotton and wool for making clothes; soap industries use palm oil while the leather industries which use hides and skins of animals too make shoes, bags and belts.
(d) Foreign exchange earner
It is the main source of the foreign exchange earnings of Nigeria and many West African countries. The proportion of earnings from foreign trade is largely dependent on the export of agricultural and forest raw materials. There are a number of crops which are produced mainly for exports. Examples of such crops are palm kernels, cocoa, groundnut, coffee, cotton and many others.
These agricultural products enter into international trade and the foreign currency realized from their export allows the exporting country to import some manufactured articles such as radios, televisions, motor vehicles and others which are not produced in the exporting country.
Agriculture therefore helps provide the money and material needed for industrialization and for bringing the country into the technological age.
(e) Afforestation
Agriculture has made it possible for man to appreciate the importance of wood and woodlands (forests). A number of benefits are derived from the construction of houses. The materials include, timber, leaves, straws, palm fronds, and thatch from grasses. In modern houses, too, plants and other wood products are used for doors, windows and furniture.
(f) Sources of income
The selling of agricultural products, for example groundnuts, yam, cassava, palm produce, cotton and tomatoes as well as livestock and animal products, provide income to the farmers.
Agriculture provides the largest contribution to the national income or total financial earnings of the countries where agricultural products are very high. The national income is expressed in terms of ‘National Output’ or Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
(g) Regional development
Some towns and villages are sometimes referred to as rural areas. And in many cases, there are social amenities such as motorable roads, no hospitals, electricity and pipe‑borne water supply. These days, many rural areas have become market centres for agricultural products. People from all works of life and different locations go to these rural areas to purchase food items or raw materials for use in factories. This has led to the development of these rural areas so much that good roads, schools, hospital, electricity and water that make life pleasurable have been provided.
Subsistence and Commercial agriculture.
1. Subsistence agriculture: Subsistence agriculture is defined as the type of agriculture which is concerned with the production of food by a farmer to feed himself and his family.
Characteristics of subsistence agriculture
(i) There is usually little or none for sale.
(ii) It leads to low yield of production.
(iii) It makes use of crude implements.
(iv) It requires a small area of land.
(v) Family labour is usually employed.
Problems/Disadvantages of subsistence agriculture
(i) No surplus for sale.
(ii) Fragmented or small farmland.
(iii) Illiteracy of the farmers.
(iv) Family labour supply is unreliable.
(v) Crude tools are used.
2. Commercial agriculture: Commercial agriculture is defined as the type of agriculture which is concerned with the production of food, animals and cash crops in large quantities for sales.
Characteristics of commercial agriculture
- Complex and modern tools and implements are used.
- It requires a large area of land.
- It requires large capital investment.
- It requires skilled or technical labour.
- It requires special marketing strategies.
Advantages of commercial agriculture
- It provides quality production.
- It increases yield.
- It leads to specialisation of labour.
- It encourages research work.
- It provides cheap products.
Problems/Disadvantages of commercial agriculture
- It can lead to soil erosion and pollution.
- Problem of acquisition of large hectares of farmland.
- It is very expensive.
- Harvesting/marketing is tedious.
- It leads to displacement of workers.
Differences between subsistence and commercial agriculture
1. Subsistence agriculture has a small area of land is cultivated. While commercial agriculture has large area of land is cultivated and mechanised.
2. Subsistence agriculture family/manual labour is usually employed. While in commercial agriculture required Paid/skilled labour is usually employed.
3. Subsistence agriculture yields or returns are low. While commercial agriculture yields or returns are high.
4. Subsistence agriculture requires little capital investment. While commercial agriculture requires huge capital investment.
5.In subsistence agriculture crude tools and implements are used. While in commercial agriculture Complex and modern tools and implements are used.
6. In subsistence agriculture Produce is mainly for family consumption. While in commercial agriculture Produce is mainly for sale.
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