Theory question 101
Land Use and Land Tenure(a) Differentiate between land ownership by leasehold and land ownership by freehold.
(b) Mention five ways in which non-governmental organizations contribute to agricultural development in West Africa.
(c) State four ways in which rural-urban migration has hindered agricultural development in West Africa.
(d) Mention three socio-economic uses of land.
(e) Explain two ways by which each of the following environmental factors affects agricultural production: (i) soil organisms; (ii) soil texture
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(a) Leasehold: land is held for a fixed period on payment of rent; permanent crops/structures usually not allowed; cannot be sold or easily used as collateral. Freehold: land is owned permanently; owner can plant tree crops, build, sell it or use it as collateral.
(b) Any five: fund research into better crops and breeds; provide credit/loans; run extension and training for farmers; supply inputs (seeds, fertilizers, drugs, tools); provide processing and storage facilities; provide rural amenities; organise farmers into groups.
(c) Any four: shortage of farm labour; high cost of labour; ageing farm population slow to adopt innovations; fall in food production; less raw material for agro-industries; fewer exports.
(d) Any three: building houses/estates; roads, railways and airports; industries and offices; schools and hospitals; markets; mining; recreation; religious buildings; cemeteries.
(e)(i) Soil organisms: earthworms improve structure and aeration; microbes decompose organic matter and release nutrients; bacteria fix nitrogen; some (nematodes) damage crops.
(ii) Soil texture: decides water-holding capacity and drainage; decides aeration and ease of tillage; affects root penetration and the crops that can be grown; affects nutrient retention.
Give both sides of each difference in (a); two effects for each factor in (e).