Theory question 101
Agricultural Development(a) Explain the term commercial farming.
(b) Mention two agricultural produce used by each of the following agro-based industries: (i) canning industry; (ii) beverage industry; (iii) feed mill.
(c) State two aims of each of the following organizations involved in agricultural development in West Africa: (i) International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA). (ii) International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
(d) What is surface irrigation?
(e) Describe the following horizons of the soil profile: (i) horizon A; (ii) horizon D.
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(a) Large-scale farming in which crops or animals are produced mainly for sale and profit, using much capital, hired labour and modern inputs.
(b)(i) Canning: fruits (pineapple, tomato, mango), fish, meat, beans/peas, milk. (ii) Beverage: cocoa, coffee, tea, kola. (iii) Feed mill: maize, sorghum, groundnut cake, soyabean meal, fish meal, bone meal, palm kernel cake.
(c)(i) ILCA: research into improved livestock breeds; better feeding/pasture systems; control of livestock diseases; training of livestock scientists.
(ii) IITA: develop high-yielding and disease-resistant food crop varieties (cassava, yam, maize, cowpea); improve farming systems in the tropics; improve processing and use of food crops; train scientists and farmers.
(d) Surface irrigation is the application of water over the soil surface, letting it flow by gravity from a river, dam or canal (basin, furrow, flooding).
(e)(i) Horizon A: the topsoil at the surface; dark, rich in organic matter (humus) and living organisms; most weathered; zone of leaching (eluviation); where most roots are.
(ii) Horizon D: the bedrock (parent rock) at the bottom of the profile; hard, unweathered rock.
Two examples per industry and two aims per organisation.