AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is the practice of growing crops and rearing crops

TYPES OF AGRICULTURE
1. Arable farming – the growing of crops
2. Pastoral farming – rearing of livestock
3. Mixed farming – growing of crops and rearing of livestock
4. Intensive farming – where there are:

 More yields per hectare

 More profits per hectare
 A large amount of capital used
 Small farms used
5. Extensive farming – where there are:

 Less yields per hectare

 Less profits per hectare
 Less workers per hectare
 Small amount of capital invested
 Large farms used

ARABLE FARMING

There are two types of arable farming mainly: subsistence and commercial farming.
a. Subsistence arable farming (Practiced all over Botswana except in some areas within the
Kalahari desert)
This is the growing of crops for family consumption

Characteristics/features:

 It depends on family labor

 Simple hand tools are used/use of simple implements e.g. hoe
 There is small scale production
 Do not use pesticides and fertilizers
 Produce a variety of crops at the same time e.g. sorghum, maize, water melon etc
 Crop farms are usually unfenced
 Rely on rainfall

Activities

 Clearing of land
 Fencing
 Ploughing
 Weeding (using simple tools)
 Harvesting

Inputs:
 Communal land
 Simple tools e.g. ox drawn plough (drought power), hoe
 Rainfall (natural input)
 Ordinary seeds (seeds from the previous harvest)
 Family labor
 Tree branches used as fence
Outputs (mainly crops)
 Maize
 Water melon
 Groundnuts
 Sweet potatoes
 Millet
 Beans

Problems faced by subsistence farmers

 Pests and diseases

 Drought
 Wild Animals
 Infertile Soil
 Unreliable rainfall/low rainfall/uneven distribution of rainfall
 High temperatures
 Porous soils/sandy soil/high infiltration soils/poor water holding capacity

Possible Solutions

 Use of pesticides and insecticides

 Use of irrigation methods
 Fencing and use of scarecrows
 Use of Fertilizers

EFFORTS MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE TRADITIONAL/SUBSISTANCE

FARMING

 Arable Land Development Programme (ALDEP)

It was formed to provide loans and grants for:

Fencing materials
Water tanks
Buying simple tools for farmers e.g. ploughs, harrows, planters and cultivators
Scotch Cart – to transport inputs and farm produce to and from the markets and homesteads
Thrashing Machine
Chaff – Cutter for cutting stoves into small pieces for feeding livestock

 Accelerated Rain – fed Arable Programme(ARAP)

Its main aim was to provide water and pesticides to farmers

 Botswana Marketing Board

It is responsible for purchasing food grains e.g. maize, sorghum, millet etc from farmers

b. Commercial Arable farming:

This is a farming system that is based on cash crop farming. It is mainly for profit making. The areas of
commercial farming in Botswana are:

- Tuli Block Gantsi Block

 - Talana Farms Mogobane farms
- Barolong Farms Lobatse Block
- Chobe farms Pandamatenga Farms

Examples of commercial farms are freehold farms and Leasehold farms which are privately owned farms.

Characteristics:

o The farms are large

o Rotational farming is practiced
o Chemicals such as pesticides and artificial fertilizers are used
o Irrigation systems are used
o Large amount of capital is required
o Use of heavy machinery
o Requires skilled labor
o Produce high amounts of outputs

Activities:

o Clearing and fencing

o Ploughing
o Weeding
o Harvesting
o Processing
o Irrigation

Inputs:

o Commercial or freehold land

o Hired labor
o Selected and treated seeds
o Artificial fertilizers
o Heavy machinery

Outputs:

o High quality grain for sale e.g. rice, maize

o Citrus fruits
o Sunflower
o Groundnuts
o Cotton
o Tea

Problems faced by commercial farmers: Solutions

 Lack of market Introduce new marketing strategies

 Crop pests and diseases Use pesticides and herbicides
 Lack of enough capital Provision of grants and loans
 Lack of skilled labor Training manpower
 Lack of transport Improving transport infrastructure
 Wild animals Improve managerial skills
CASE STUDY - TULI BLOCK

Factors that influence the Location of Tuli Block:

o Availability of water for irrigation from Limpopo river

o Availability of large flat land
o Availability of fertile loamy and alluvial soil which are easy to cultivate
o Availability of casual labor from surrounding villages such as Tsetsetjwe and Molalatau
o Suitable weather conditions; just about enough rainfall and sunlight

PLANTATIONS:

It is a large estate or farm where there is an intensive cultivation of one crop (monoculture) for sale e.g. sugar
cane in Natal South Africa, Cotton wool plantation in Sudan (Gezira Scheme), sunflower, coffee etc. It involves
a massive capital investment.

The characteristics or features of a plantation include the following:

 A large freehold land

 Practice monoculture
 Has a nursery
 Transport for workers is provided to and from the plantation
 Has a processing plant on site
 Has workers houses on site
 Has water supply for irrigation
 Has a wide variety of services or amenities on site e.g. schools for education, hall and bar for
entertainment and recreational purposes, shop for shopping
 There is use of chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides)
 There is use of advanced machinery

BENEFITS/IMPORTANCE/ADVANTAGES OF PLANTATIONS TO THE PEOPLE AND THE

COUNTRY

PEOPLE COUNTRY

Creates employment/income Source of Foreign Exchange

Source of livestock food Source of Government revenue

Source of cheap food stuff Diversifies the economy

Leads to rural developments/reduces rural urban Leads to the development of other industries
migration

Leads to high standard of living/improved lifestyles Leads to infrastructural developments e.g. roads,
railway lines

Acquire Knowledge/skills in advanced modern Has large supply of raw materials/food supply
methods of farming

It has a large scale of production ensuring increased

yields
 Reduces dependence on other countries/reduces
imports/self – sufficient

PROBLEMS/DISAVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH PLANTATION FARMING:

 Crops are usually for export, not for local market

 Plantation farming leads to over production of one crop/monoculture
 Leads to migration of people
 The economy is dominated by foreign companies
 Creates competition for land
 Diseases may destroy the whole crop in a plantation
 Multinational companies may pull out at any time
 Most of the profits leaves the country
 At the plantations, there is exploitation of workers
 There is pollution from the fertilizers
 Deforestation
 Soil erosion/land degradation
 Plantations causes soil exhaustion
 Leads to subsistence farming being neglected
 Plantations are affected by fluctuation of prices/demand/recession

SUGAR CANE PLANTATION IN KWA ZULU NATAL SOUTH AFRICA:

It is a tall grass that grows in areas that are influenced by warm and moist weather. South Africa is known as the
great producer of sugar. The sugar cane plantations are found in the Kwa Zulu Natal Province and it was first
grown there in 1847 by a man called Mr. Morewood.

FACTORS INFLUENCING CULTIVATION OF SUGARCANE IN KWA ZULU NATAL WEST OF

DURBAN.

o Suitable temperatures (mean monthly temperatures between 25oc and 30oc)

o Annual rainfall between 1000mm and 1500mm
o Availability of fertile soils
o Availability of large flat land
o Availability of cheap labor from locals
o Availability of better communication systems e.g. roads

CULTIVATION:

o Stems of sugarcane are cut about 15 – 20cm (1 or 2 joints) with 2 to 4 buds.

o The buds are dipped into insecticides to prevent diseases
o The stems are then planted in furrows which are about 13.5cm apart.
o This takes place between September and November because it is the rainy period and temperatures are
appropriate
o The first shoot is cut to allow the growth of the stronger stem
o The growing period is between 20 – 25 months.

HARVESTING:

o It takes place between May and September

 o The cane is cut with machetes
o The cane is then collected in bundles and transported by trucks to the processing plant

PROCESSING SUGARCANE:

It is first cut into short lengths by revolving knives

o It is then crushed by rollers to extract juice

o The juice is weighed and then mixed with lime in order to remove impurities
o The clarifier removes impurities and the evaporation and boiling pans purify it further
o The juice is boiled to remove excess water, then is cooled to produce sugar crystals
o The crystals are then covered in a sticky brown liquid (molasses) so they are put into the separator

PROBLEMS OF SUGARCANE PLANTATIONS:

o Crop diseases and pests

o Infertile soil
o Shortage of capital
o Heavy storm and floods
o Drought
o Fluctuation of market prices

BENEFITS/IMPORTANCE OF SUGARCANE PLANTATION:

o Creates employment
o Source of foreign exchange
o Provides sugar/source of food
o Diversifies the economy
o Its wastes provides fertilizers and animal feed

USES OF SUGAR:

o Sweetens food
o Used in an adhesive as an ingredient
o Used in the production of drugs/medicinal
o Used in Photographic materials

COTTON PLANTATION (GEZIRA SCHEME) SUDAN:

The most important and successful large scale irrigation scheme in Sudan is the Gezira scheme. It is located
between the Blue and White Nile Rivers and also north of the Sennar dam. The Gezira has been known for the
production of good quality cotton for many years.

FAVOURABLE FACTORS FOR THE GEZIRA IRRIGATION SCHEME:

 A large flat land/gentle slope between the Blue and White Nile Rivers
 Availability of cheap labor from locals
 Have fertile silt soil from volcanic basalt
 Are near perennial water sources/ Blue and White Nile Rivers
 Has clay beneath silt which reduces drainage of valuable water
 Has little vegetation to be cleared
  Water can flow by gravity avoiding expense of pumping
 Availability of reliable water source from the Sennar dam
 Political stability

CULTIVATION OF COTTON:

 Cotton is sewn in ridges that are a meter apart

 Several seeds are planted together and when they have grown to a height of a few centimeters, thinning
is done
 The plants start flowering after three months
 They mature into seed pods known as bolls
 The bolls contain a fluffy white fiber called lint
 When they are mature, the bolls burst and open to expose the lint.

HARVESTING:

 Harvesting is done by hand

 The clean bolls will be separated from the stained/dirty ones and then sent to the gins for processing

PROCESSING:

 The bolls are put in gins

 Lint is separated from the seeds and compressed into bales
 Bales of cotton are sent to textile factories to be weaved into cotton cloth
 The seeds are crushed to produce oil

USES OF COTTON:

 To provide cotton
 The seeds can be used to make cooking oil

BENEFITS/IMPORTANCE:

 Source of large supply raw material

 Creates employment/income
 Source of foreign Exchange
 Diversify the economy
 Leads to the development of infrastructure
 Source of government revenue
 Leads to the development of other industries
 Leads to rural developments
 Leads to high standards of living
 Reduces dependence on other countries/reduces importing from other countries
 It has advanced modern methods of farming

PROBLEMS:

 Pests and diseases

 Fluctuating market prices
 Drought
 Infertile soils
 Shortage of capital
IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN BOTSWANA

Irrigation is the controlled application of water to particular area by means a rivers, boreholes, dams etc. There
are various irrigation methods used by commercial farmers in Botswana:

1. FLOOD IRRIGATION

This is where water is spread over a large area to soak into the ground. The water flows through
irrigation channels with branches leading to areas to be irrigated. The method is practiced in Tuli
Block.

2. SPRINKLER IRRIGATION

The water is pumped through a pipe with a series of holes and the water is spread out through holes. This
method is used in Seleka and Talana farms.

3. SURFACE/FURROW IRRIGATION

It is usually used in a sloppy area/land to allow water to be directed to specific areas in the field. This
method is used at Mmathubudukwane in the banks of Madikwe River.

4. DRIP IRRIGATION

Its water drips at a rate of two litters per hour from the suspended plastic pipes set 60cm apart. Drip
method is highly recommended compared to other methods because evaporation rate is very low.

5. CENTRE PIVOT

A centre pivot is a long structure where pipes are attached with sprinkles at regular intervals. The fields
are usually in a circular place. This method is used in some freehold areas such as the Gaborone Block,
Talana farms and Tuli Block.

Reasons why irrigation is not wide spread in Botswana

 High evaporation rate

 Lack of knowledge in the application of irrigation systems
 Unreliable rainfall
 Few perennial rivers
 It is expensive

Advantages of using irrigation

 Increase agricultural yields/production

 Can be used during dry seasons
 Can help to provide water throughout the year

PASTORAL FARMING IN BOTSWANA

It is the rearing of animals/livestock

Subsistence pastoral farming – the rearing or livestock for family consumption

Commercial pastoral farming– the raring of livestock for profit/sale

Ranch – a large fenced area of commercial pastoral farming

Freehold farm – privately owned farm

Factors influencing distribution of cattle/livestock

 Availability of vegetation
 Availability of water supply
 Availability of market for the products
 Availability of cheap labor
 Availability for transport to the market

Cattle distribution in Botswana

Most cattle are found in the eastern part of Botswana because there is more pastures/large grazing area.

There are no cattle farming in the following areas because:

A – Thick forest/tsetse fly/wildlife/national park

 B – Swamps/tsetse fly/wildlife/national park/game reserve

C – Salt pans/no drinking water

Commercial farming: Subsistence farming

o Carried out in ranches uses communal land

o Practices rotational grazing depends on family labor
o Employs trained managers produces at small scale
o Practices regular vaccination
o Produces at large scale

Inputs Inputs

o Commercial land communal land

o Local and exotic breeds local breeds
o Stock feeds rain
o Hired labor family labor
o Vaccines

Outputs Outputs

o Milk milk
o Meat meat
o Skin/hide skin/hide
o

Activities Activities

o Dehorning milking
o Dipping branding
o Branding
o Vaccinating

Problems: Problems

o Unreliable rainfall unreliable rainfall

o Livestock diseases livestock diseases
o Conflict with the tourism industry overgrazing
o Distant markets livestock
o Fluctuating market prices
o Overgrazing

Solutions: Solutions:

o Regular vaccinating and dipping. Regular vaccination

o Expansion of transport links using boreholes
o Limit stocking rates training workers
ADVANTAGES OF KEEPING LIVESTOCK ON RANCHES

o They control breeding

o Control grazing by paddocking
o Easy control of diseases
o Control movement of cattle/reduces loss of livestock through going astray

IMPACTS OF PASTORAL FARMING ON THE ENVIROMENT

o Overgrazing
o Soil erosion
o Depletion of water sources
o Deforestation
o Rangeland degradation
o Desertification
o Extinction of certain plant species

PROBLEMS THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR MANY CATTLE FARMERS TO BECOME

COMMRCIAL FARMERS

o Lack of access to credit facilities

o Lack of boreholes
o Lack of education/skill/managerial skill
o Lack of forage/pastures
o Poor breeds
o Lack of capital

CHANGES OCCURING IN THE SUBSISTENCE FARMING SYSTEM IN BOTSWANA

o Use of fertilizers/pesticides
o Hired labour
o Use of irrigation systems
o Regular dipping and vaccinating
o Rotational farming
o Dehorning of cattle