(a) State five reasons why the government should enact laws to regulate the use of land for agriculture.
(b) A cocoa farmer has just acquired 10 hectares of farmland and is considering the type of farm power to use for tillage operations. (i) Advise the farmer on the most appropriate type of farm power to use. (ii) State four reasons for the answer in (b)(i).
(c) Mention one function of each of the following parts of a seed planter: (i) seed tube; (ii) furrow opener, (iii) hopper (iv) seed metering device (v) furrow wheel
(d) List three machines used in processing crops after harvesting.
Explanation
- Encourage enterprising farmers to acquire land for agriculture.
- Ensure proper use of agricultural land
- Prevent land fragmentation which discourages large-scale farming
- Safeguard farmers against unreasonable eviction and land grabbing
- Facilitate government programmes/ schemes like Green Revolution which requires large expanse of farm land
- Reduce, litigation on lands/land disputes
- Encourage the production of certain farm o produce
- Facilitate land improvement programmes like irrigation, drainage, dams
- Encourage commercial agriculture
- Encourage the acquisition of certificate of occupancy (C of O) title/security of tenure
(b) A cocoa farmer has just acquired 10 hectares of farmland and is considering the type of farm power to use for tillage operations.
(i) Most appropriate type of farm power to use for tillage operations on the cocoa farmland - Mechanical power
(ii) Reasons for using mechanical power on the cocoa farmland
- Saves labour/makes labour available for other farm operations
- Reduces drudgery/makes tillage operation less tedious
- Saves time/timeliness of tillage operations/faster
- Reduces the cost of operation/cost effective
- Reduces health hazards
- Makes it possible to cultivate large hectares of farmland
- More efficient
(c) Functions of the following parts of a seed planter
(i) Seed tube - Directs seeds from the base of the hopper into the soil
(ii) Furrow opener -Digs hole in front of the seed drill into which the seeds drop
(iii) Hopper - Contains/keeps the seeds to be planted
(iv) Seed metering device - Regulates the dropping of seeds from the seed box/hopper into the seed tube
(v) Furrow wheel -Presses the soil to cover the seeds dropped in the hole
(d) Machines used in processing crops after harvesting
-Thresher -Combine harvester -Sheller
-Grinder -Grain dryer -juice extractor
-mixer -Press/Hydraulic -rice huller
-Palm kernel cracker -milk/hammer mill -bailer
-Rice polisher -decorticator -ring macerator
-Straw Chopper -grater - Sterilizer
-Winnowing machine -Blender