Theory question 105
Basic Agricultural Economics(a) Mention three functions of a farm manager.
(b) Use the information in the demand schedule below to answer the questions that follow.
Price of Cowpea (Le): 200, 160, 120, 80, 40
Quantity demanded (kg): 5, 10, 15, 20, 25
(i) Draw a demand curve from the schedule. (ii) Use the demand schedule to explain the relationship between quantity and price.
(c) State three advantages of the wholesaler in marketing of agricultural produce
(d) Discuss the rinderpests disease under the following headings: (i) two farm animals affected (ii) causative agent; (iii) two symptoms; (iv) one mode of transmission; (v) one preventive measure.
Show the model answer
(a) Any three: plans farm activities and budgets; organises labour, land and capital; buys inputs and markets produce; keeps farm records and accounts; supervises and directs workers; makes decisions on what and how much to produce.
(b)(i) Price on the vertical axis, quantity demanded on the horizontal axis; plot (5,200), (10,160), (15,120), (20,80), (25,40) and join: a straight line sloping downwards from left to right.
(ii) As the price of cowpea falls, the quantity demanded rises (and vice versa): price and quantity demanded are inversely related (law of demand).
(c) Any three: buys in bulk from many farmers, giving them ready cash; breaks bulk for retailers; stores produce and steadies supply/prices; transports and grades produce; gives credit to retailers; bears market risks.
(d)(i) Cattle, sheep, goats (also buffalo, pigs).
(ii) A virus (rinderpest virus, a morbillivirus).
(iii) Any two: high fever; discharge from eyes and nose; mouth sores/ulcers; severe diarrhoea (bloody, foul-smelling); loss of appetite; dehydration and death.
(iv) Contact with infected animals or their discharges, contaminated feed/water/equipment.
(v) Vaccination; quarantine of new/infected animals; slaughter and burning of infected animals.
Label both axes and show that the curve slopes down to the right.