WEEK NINE…………………………………………………………………… DATE:..

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Topic: Agriculture in Nigeria

CONTENT
 Types of Agricultural practices in Nigeria
 Food and Cash crops in Nigeria
 Importance of Agriculture
 Problems of Agriculture in Nigeria
 Suggested Solutions to the problems of Agriculture in Nigeria

Meaning of Agriculture

Agriculture can be defined as the cultivation of crops and rearing of animals for
man’s use. In Nigeria, about 75%of the total population of adults are engaged in
agriculture with the aim of producing the needed variety of crops, animals to
meet the need of the country’s ever increasing population.

Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy of Nigeria after crude oil.

Types of Agricultural Practices in Nigeria

The main type of Agriculture practiced in Nigeria include;

Subsistence Farming (Agriculture)

Subsistence agriculture is a system whereby areas of farmland are cultivated

using simple implements to produce crops for the farmer’s house needs. Due to
the small nature of land under cultivation, the farmer hardly produces enough for
export. It involves the cultivation of many crops. Food crops like maize, cassava,
yam, etc are mainly grown.

Mixed Farming
This system involves the cultivation of crops as well as the rearing of animals on
the same piece of land. Crops mainly grown are rice, maize, yam, cassava,
etc while animals reared may be cattle, sheep, poultry etc. It usually
requires small area of land which is intensively cultivated and It is usually
very close to urban centres where produce can easily be disposed of.
It requires good transport network for easy disposal of products and a large
market to sell off produce. Parts of the crops produced can be used to feed the
animals while the animal droppings are used as manures.
Crop Rotation
- This involves the rotation of crops in sequence year after year so as to
maintain the fertility of the soil.
- 3 – 5 different crops can be grown on the same piece of land but on
different plots.
- Deep rooted crops e.g. yam is followed by a shallow rooted crop like maize
during rotation.
- A legume is always incorporated to add nutrients to the soil.
- It also involves the use of fertilizer to improve the fertility of the soil.
- Food crops are mainly produced.
Shifting Cultivation
- It involves the movement of the farmer and his family from one piece of
land to another when the land is no more fertile.
- Simple farm tools and family labour are employed
Pastoral Farming
- It is also referred to as nomadic herding.
- It involves the rearing of only animal like cattle, sheep and goat.
- It involves the constant movement of cattle and herdsmen called Fulanis
from one place to another in search of pasture and water for the animals.
- Production is favoured by presence of plenty grass.
- Production is favoured by the absence of tse-tse flies, and is done in the
North.
Plantation (Mechanized) Agriculture
- It requires commercial cultivation in which products are mainly for sale.
- It requires a large area of land.
- It usually involves the cultivation of perennial crops like cocoa, rubber, oil
palm etc and is practiced mostly in the south.
- The products are mainly raw materials used by processing industries.
Intensive Agriculture
- This can be referred to as market gardening or truck farming.
- This is mainly practiced in thickly populated urban areas.
- It requires small area of land which is intensively cultivated throughout the
year.
- It involves the cultivation vegetables, fruits and flowers.
- It also involves the use of fertilizers.
FOOD AND CASH CROPS IN NIGERIA
The important crops produced in Nigeria can be divided into two namely;
Food crops and Cash crops.
1. FOOD CROPS: These are crops grown to provide food. The crops are
grown within the shortest time; it may be six months to two years. They
include cereals such as guinea corn, millet, cotton, groundnut, maize (in
savannah regions) and palm produce, cocoa, rubber, tubers, fruits and
vegetables (in forest region).
RICE: Rice is majorly grown in the middle belt of Nigeria and part of Ekiti
state. This is due to: i. Enough land; due to low population density ii.
Conducive climatic conditions e.g. rainfall of above 125cm iii. Abundance of
swampy areas along river valley iv. Absence of export crops to compete
with rice for land v. Rice is the main crop of the zone for internal exchange
so, it earns more income for the people.
CASH CROPS: These are crops grown for sale to provide money either for
individuals or for the nation when they are exported. Some important cash
crops produced in Nigeria and where they are produced are shown in the
table below;
 CROPS AREAS WHERE THEY ARE PRODUCED

Cocoa Akure, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ondo, Ife, Okad

area of Edo state, Calabar (Ikom)
Kolanuts Akure, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ondo, Ife, Okad
area of Edo state, Calabar (Ikom)
Rubber Sapele, Benin city, Akure, Calabar (Okom
Ita, Pamol)
Oil palm Aba, Owerri (Ohaji), Port Harcourt, Beni
city(NIFOR), Okitipupa
Groundnut Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kastina, Niger

Cotton Zaria, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi

Beniseed Makurdi (Benue State), Nasarawa

IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE

1. Provision of food: Agriculture is the main source of food for the world
population.

2. Provision of Clothing: Both cotton and wool clothes are products from
agriculture. Cotton is one of the growing crops while wool are gotten from animal.
Leather shoes, belts and bags are from animal skin.

3. Provision of Shelter: There are several types of houses. One of the type is
wooden houses. Most roofing of many houses are made of wood while some
houses are completely built with wood.

4. Employment or Job Opportunities: Agriculture is one of the oldest and most

important occupation of mankind. The main occupation of the Nigerian rural
settlement is farming while in urban areas, they involve in buying and selling
agricultural products from farmers.

5. Source of Income: Agriculture is the main source of income to all the people in
agriculture
6. Provision of raw materials for industries

7. Foreign exchange earning

PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURE
1. Inadequacy of fund/finance
2. Poor transport network
3. Inadequate storage and processing facilities
4. Lack of basic amenities like electricity and pipe borne water
5. Use of crude tools and implements
6. Problem of pest and diseases
7. Unpredictable climate
8. Inadequacy of storage facilities and processing facilities
9. Negative attitude of people towards farming.

SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS

1. Loans should be given to the farmers
2. Road should be constructed to link rural areas with urban centers
3. Storage and processing facilities should be provided at a reduced rate
4. Farmers should use fertilizers to improve the fertility of the soil
5. Basic amenities should be provided to discourage rural-urban migration
6. Farmers should use irrigation system in periods of drought
7. Modern farm implements like tractors, ploughs, ridges, baresters etc
should be used.
8. Farmers should be trained to accept modern system of farming.
GENERAL EVALUATION QUESTIONS
1. What is agriculture?
2. List the types of agriculture practiced in Nigeria
3. What are the problems facing agriculture in Nigeria?
4. Give solutions to the problems of agriculture.
5. Highlight four importance of agriculture to man