"SEC | S20W4: "ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE ECONOMY"

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Hello friends,

It's the fourth week of the engagement challenge, and I'm glad to be part of it. The previous weeks were amazing because they helped revive my love for agriculture.

This week has taught me so much, and here I am to present my homework.

Explain the social and industrial roles of agriculture in your country, sighting one of the main grown crops

In my country, Nigeria, agriculture plays a crucial role in both the social and industrial sectors. Given Nigeria's current economic situation, millions of people are turning to agriculture as a means of survival. Farmers are now viewed as individuals who are well to do, which is quite amusing to think about. But this is the present reality now.

It's evident how agriculture supports rural communities by preserving cultural traditions. This is one thing it has helped propagate in the country. Upholding cultural beliefs through agricultural practices has become the norm.

It also helps to provide food and employment. Farmers not only feed themselves but also help engage others in those activities. Guaranteeing food security is vital, and when this also ensures people are engaged, it also helps reduce incidences of poverty.

On the other hand, it serves as the foundation of the industry by supplying raw materials in Nigeria. Agriculture is the bedrock of many industrial survivals. They depend heavily on the activities of agriculture.

For instance, rice, maize, yam, palm oil, cassava, beans, and other agricultural products are major crops cultivated in Nigeria. Socially, these food crops sustain the livelihoods of rural inhabitants in Nigeria. Communities, states, and families rely on these crops for both income and sustenance.

Maize plays a crucial role in various industrial sectors, particularly in food processing. Industries that focus on food processing utilize maize to create animal feed, and other flour meals.

In summary, agricultural products like cassava contribute to Nigeria's industrial growth and meet the country's social needs by ensuring food security, stability, and economic development.

How has this main grown agricultural product helped in reducing poverty and promoting rural development in your country?

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Maize is a crucial agricultural product in Nigeria, with widespread production and significant impact on poverty reduction and rural development. The production of maize has led to the development of a diverse range of industries, including food processing for livestock, mining, biofuel, and feed production. This has, in turn, created employment opportunities across various sectors in Nigeria.

As a staple food, maize has played a critical role in providing affordable nutrition to rural communities, thereby addressing issues of malnutrition and hunger in Nigeria. Furthermore, maize farming has enabled farmers to produce food for local consumption and surplus for the market.

The thousands of maize farmers in Nigeria have played a vital role in creating both direct and indirect employment opportunities. Many individuals, particularly those in rural areas, rely on maize cultivation as their primary source of income, thus contributing to poverty reduction.

What are the main challenges facing your country's top crops (e.g., cocoa, palm, maize, wheat, rice, etc.) in terms of economic impact?

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Nigeria faces numerous obstacles in cultivating its key crops like maize, cocoa, cassava, palm, wheat, and rice, which directly affect productivity and, consequently, the country's economy.

The most pressing challenge is the ongoing insecurity, especially in the northern region, which prevents farmers from peacefully tending to their fields, leading to a decline in the production of Nigeria's primary crops.

Many farmers lack formal education, leading them to rely on traditional farming methods, which in turn reduce crop productivity and negatively impact Nigeria's economy. We know that there's no way traditional methods can catch up with the advanced practices in view.

I positively think the government should address this by providing agriculture extension workers to help close up these gaps, and by also helping in providing modern machinery to improve agricultural practices. Additionally, our top crop, such as maize, is particularly susceptible to pests, and many farmers lack sufficient knowledge about effective pesticide use, resulting in significant crop damage.

In addition, other hurdles include high production costs, a flawed land tenure system, limited irrigation farming, especially for those in the southern part of the country, the effects of climate change, land degradation, inadequate technology, and uneven distribution of resources (vital).

What current or past government initiatives are boosting agricultural productivity in your country?"

The Nigerian government has introduced various measures to enhance agricultural productivity in my country. Some of these measures are handled by some agencies, like; the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP), Action Against Desertification (AAD) and Nigeria-Africa Trade and Investment Promotion Programme.

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The government has contributed to increasing agricultural productivity in Nigeria by constructing markets, infrastructure, and roads for agricultural goods. Additionally, they have supported the enhancement of agricultural productivity by supplying cost effective fertilizers and providing improved crops through farmers' organizations in the past.

What solutions can enhance agricultural productivity and growth in your country?

To enhance agricultural productivity and growth, we can take several key steps:

• There should be a concerted effort to make our road infrastructure work, especially the rail system where agro products can be moved from farm gates to urban and other states. Farmers do not need to worry about this but should rather think of how to produce more.

• Bottlenecks associated with the use of fertilizers should be broken and simplified. Improving access and affordability of fertilizers by subsidizing their prices should be encouraged.

• Implement agricultural education programs and schemes to educate farmers on best practices, ultimately leading to improved productivity.

• Upgrade irrigation systems to mitigate the impact of irregular rainfall and ensure a consistent supply of farm produce. This system should be built across the country and not only dependent on the north.

• Provide farmers with new agricultural tools and advanced technology to boost productivity.

• Regularly conduct soil fertility tests to enhance soil quality and increase crop yields.

• Ensure the availability of land for farming by the government.

Agriculture plays a high role in the economy no matter the country.

I will invite @mariami @nancy0 @ukagod