Meaning And Importance Of Agriculture

CONTENT

• Definition of Agriculture.
• Importance of Agriculture.

DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is defined in many ways. Any of the following definition is accepted when defining the term.

• Agriculture is the deliberate effort made by man to till the soil, grow crops and rear animals for food and other purposes.
• Agriculture can also be defined as the art or practice of growing crops and raising of animal for man’s use.
• Agriculture can also be defined as the science, art and business of growing crops and rearing animal for man’s use.

The word agriculture is derived from Latin word “ager” and “cultura”.  “Ager” means field/land and “cultura” means to cultivate or to till the soil and prepare it for the planting of crop.

Agriculture can be traced to the earliest human societies. They relied on hunting and the collection of fruits and roots for food and subsequently began planting near their dwellings (caves) which laid the foundation of crop production.The domestication of animals later followed and this was what laid foundation for the development of modern animal husbandry

The system of agriculture practiced by the early man is called hunting and gathering.

EVALUATION

1. What is agriculture?
2. Name the system of agriculture practiced by early man.

IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE

1.          Provision of food.It is only through agriculture that man can get food. It provide food inform of maize, yam, milk, egg etc. for human consumption.

2.         Provision of materials for clothing: Agriculture provides fibre and cotton for textile. It  provideshides and shelter, clothing, shoes, belts, caps and bags.

3.         Provision of materials for shelter:Agriculture provides material essential for building

            such as plants doors, windows, roofs, partitions, floor etc

IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE (CONTD)

1.          Provision of employment:Agriculture and other agric based industries provide employment opportunities for a great number of the population.

2Source of foreign exchange:Through the export of agric produce like cocoa, kola, groundnut coffee, cotton etc., the country can earn foreign exchange.

3.         Generation of income: Agriculture generates income for farmers through sales of crops and products as well as animal and its products.

4.         Development of town:Development occur where Commercial Agriculture is practiced as social/ basic amenities like electricity, good road and pipe – borne water will be provided

5.         Provision of raw materials for industries: Agriculture supplies several industries with raw materials for their continuous existence e.g. beverage. Industries depending on cocoa, Textile industries, sugar industries, plywood and furniture industries, oil mill industries, Tobacco industries livestock food mill etc.

6.         Provision of facilities for recreation and tourism: It leads to the establishment of game reserve. It provides horse for racing and Polo-game

7.         Provision of market forindustrial goods:Agriculture provides market for industrial products such as farm machinery, chemicals,fertilizers etc.

EVALUATION

1.       What is agriculture?

2.         State seven (7) importance of Agriculture.

GENERAL EVALUATION

1. What is Agriculture?
2. List three basic necessities of man.
3. In what five ways is Agriculture important to man?
4. List three examples of food.
5. List three industries that make use of agricultural products.

READING ASSIGNMENT

Junior Secondary Agriculture For Nigerian Schools by Anthony Youdeowei, S.O.Adesiyan, J.N. Ogbazi, Terry Olowu; Chapter 3, pages 1-2.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1.          The following are career choices in agriculture except ____ (a) teaching (b) lumbering

(c) researching (d) tailoring

2.         Fibre is the raw material for ____ industries (a) drugs (b) food (c) beverages

            (d) textile

3.         Which of the following industries makes use of agricultural products? (a)Mining

(b) Transport (c) Beverage (d) Automobile

4          Thekind of Agriculture in which farmers produce enough to feed himselfand excess is sold is    called ____ A. Subsistence Agriculture B. Mixed Farming C. Crop rotation D. Commercial Agriculture.

5.         Which one of these tools did the early man use for his hunting expedition?

            (a) Harvester    (b) Bomb    (c) Gun    (d) Sticks

THEORY

1. What do you understand by the term ‘Agriculture’?
2. State eight importance of Agriculture.

EVALUATION

1. What is Agriculture?
2. State seven four importance of Agriculture.

GENERAL EVALUATION

1. What is Agriculture?
   1. List three basic necessities of man.
   1. In what five ways is Agriculture important to man?
   1. Mention four importance of Agriculture.

READING ASSIGNMENT

Junior Secondary Agriculture For Nigerian Schools by Anthony Youdeowei, S.O Adesiyan, J.N Ogbazi, Terry Olowu. Chapter 3, pages 1-2.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1.          The basic necessities of life includes the following except?

            (a) clothing (b) shelter (c) education (d) food

2.         Which of the following stages of agriculture did early man practice? (a)  subsistence

(b) Commercial (c) Hunting and gathering (d) Monoculture.

3.         “ager” means ____ and “cultura” means ____ (a) field, cultivate (b) cultivate, field

(c) tilling, sowing (d) planting, tilling

4.         “ager” and “cultura” are ____ words (a)yoruba (b) latin (c) greek(d) chinese

5.         The following are export crops expect (a) cocoa (b) groundnut (c) coffee (d) apple

THEORY

1. What do you understand by the term ‘Agriculture’?
2. State four importance of Agriculture.