PrepareAgriculture · 1 min read
Meaning of Agriculture
Meaning of Agriculture
Agriculture is when we plant crops and keep animals to help people get what they need. Agriculture is planting of crops and rearing of farm animals for man use. This means humans grow things like yams and raise chickens to use them for many things.
When we say man use, it means many things because what we get from the farm can be eaten or sent to factories to make other things. Agriculture is the oldest job in the world and it is the main way many African countries survive because it gives jobs to most of their workers.
Importance of agriculture
Provision of food for consumption
Provision of employment opportunities
Provision of raw materials for industry
Source of foreign exchange earnings
Provision of research opportunities
Provision of output for herbs and medicine
Broad Categories of Agriculture
Subsistence agriculture
This is farming where a person only grows food to feed their own family. Subsistence agriculture is a type of agriculture in which a person or a group of persons embark on agricultural activities in order to provide for his/her immediate family. In this type of farming, the family eats almost everything they produce.
Commercial agriculture
This is farming where a person grows food or raises animals specifically to sell them and make money. Commercial agriculture is a type of agriculture in which a person embarks on agricultural activities in order to sell to others and generate income. This involves big farms where the focus is on business and profit.
Key points
- •Agriculture involves planting crops and rearing farm animals for human use, which includes direct consumption or as inputs for other industries.
- •It is mankind's oldest occupation and forms the economic backbone for many African economies, employing a significant portion of their workforce.
- •Key importance of agriculture includes providing food, employment, raw materials for industry, foreign exchange, and opportunities for research.
- •Agriculture also supplies output for herbs and medicine.
- •Broad categories of agriculture are subsistence agriculture (for immediate family use) and commercial agriculture (for selling and income generation).