(a) State eight reasons why agriculture has not been fully mechanized in West Africa. (b) List four characteristics of: (i) subsistence agriculture (ii) commercial agriculture.
Explanation
(a) Reasons why agriculture has not been fully mechanized in West Africa:
(i) small farm holding/land fragmentation /land tenure system
(ii) farming systems do not encourage mechanization
(iii) no access roads for machines
(iv) it is costly or expensive to hire machines and most farmers are poor
(v) high running costs for machinery
(vi) heavy tree stumps left after land clearing hinders use of machinery
(vii) machines/implements are expensive to purchase
(viii) inadequate capital/ credit facilities
(ix) spare parts are not easily available
(x) technical know-how may be a problem
(xi) inadequate extension service/education for farmers/illiteracy
(xii) unfavourable soil terrain/topography.
(xiii) availability of labourers/ farm hands
(xiv) non-availability of tropicalised machinery/inadequate machines
(xv) machines are costly to maintain (xvi) poor market structures/system for agricultural produce discourages farmers from large scale production.
(b)(i) Characteristics of subsistence agriculture: (i) mostly practiced by peasant farmers. (ii) involves small plot of land. (iii) use of local tools e.g. hoes, machetes (iv) there is no specialisation (v) employs unskilled labour (vi) returns/output are low (vii) family labour involved (viii) provides only for the basic need of the family (ix) little surplus for sale (x) little/low capital involved (xii) heavy reliance on natural rainfall. (xiii) Production of food crops only (xiv) limited use of Agrochemicals (xv) unimproved varieties of crops and breeds of animals are used (xvi) mixed cropping is usually practised.
(ii) Characteristics of commercial agriculture: (i) sole cropping system is usually practised (ii) cultivation of large hectares of land (10 involves huge investment of money (iv) hired labour is involved (v) operations are mechanized (vi) skilled labour employed (vii) yield is usually high (viii) only rich farmers are engaged in it (ix) imp roved varieties of crops and breeds of animals are used (x) irrigation may be practiced (xi) records are kept (xii) use of agro-chemicals.