Meaning and importance of agriculture

Meaning of agriculture

Have you seen a farmer growing maize or keeping chickens? Both activities are parts of agriculture. Agriculture helps us produce food and other useful things from plants and animals.

Agriculture is the art and science of cultivating the soil, growing crops and rearing animals for human use.

Simply put, agriculture means preparing land, growing useful plants and caring for farm animals. It is an art because it involves practical skills. It is a science because it uses knowledge and experiments to improve farming.

Examples around us

Crop production means growing crops, such as cassava in Ogun State, rice in Kebbi State and cocoa in Ondo State.

Animal production means rearing farm animals, such as cattle in Kaduna State, goats in Oyo State and chickens in Enugu State.

Importance of agriculture

Agriculture is important to individuals, families and Nigeria as a whole. Let us look at its main benefits.

Food supply: Agriculture provides food for people. Examples include yam, beans, rice, eggs, meat and fish.

Employment: Agriculture provides jobs for farmers, farm workers, fish farmers and people who process or sell farm products.

Income: Farmers earn money by selling crops and animals. A cassava farmer can use this money to pay school fees and meet other needs.

Raw materials: Agriculture supplies materials used in factories. Cotton is used to make cloth, while oil palm fruits provide palm oil for making products such as soap.

Foreign exchange: Nigeria earns foreign money when agricultural products, such as cocoa and sesame seeds, are sold to other countries.

Feed for animals: Agriculture provides maize, grass and other materials used to feed livestock.

Rural development: Farming can encourage the building of roads, markets and storage facilities in farming communities.

Remember the difference

Food is eaten by people, while raw materials are used to make other products. One crop can serve both purposes. For example, cassava can be processed into garri for food or starch for factories.