Agricultural development is a multi-sectional activity that
support and promote positive change in the rural and urban areas. However, the
main objectives of agricultural development are the improvement of material and
social welfare of the people.
Agriculture plays a key role in food security and economic development. However, most of the world’s population in rural areas depends directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods.
Yet as the world’s
population increases and migration to towns and cities intensifies, so the
proportion of people not producing food will grow.
Agricultural development is a multi-sectional activity that
support and promote positive change in the rural and urban areas. However, the
main objectives of agricultural development are the improvement of material and
social welfare of the people.
Therefore, agricultural development is seen as synonymous with
rural development, the two terms are different but intrinsically related.
Agricultural development is a part of rural development; rural areas cannot
develop without its agriculture being developed because about 90% of the rural
dwellers are engaged in agricultural practices as their major source of income.
Therefore, agricultural development is seen as synonymous with
rural development, the two terms are different but intrinsically related.
Agricultural development is a part of rural development; rural areas cannot
develop without its agriculture being developed because about 90% of the rural
dwellers are engaged in agricultural practices as their major source of income.
It
is equally important to address the essentials of agricultural development.
This article is set to address this very crucial aspect of agricultural
development.
Read: Agricultural Development: Definition, Theories and Models
11 Major Importance of Agricultural Development
The
essentials of agricultural development are highlighted below:
1.
Marketing for farm products
2.
Constantly changing technology
3.
Local availability of supplies and equipment
4.
Production incentives for the farmers
5.
Adequate transportation
6.
Adequate credit for production and consumption
7.
Formation of farmers groups and cooperatives
8.
Improving and expanding agricultural land
9.
National leaders with objectives of agricultural development
10.
Existence of competent planners for agricultural development
11.
A nation that gives pride to farmers who can make agricultural development
possible
Let look into details.
1. Marketing for farm
products: An essential pre-requisite for agricultural development
to take place is that there must exist markets for the farmers‘surplus production.
Agricultural development itself should lead to increased production. Produce
must be sold at prices that would cover cost of production and leave a surplus
to cover or pay for the efforts of the farmer.
For
effective marketing, there must be that demand for the goods to be produced.
The marketing system must be such that a reasonable proportion of what
consumers pay reaches the farmers so that they would be encouraged to produce
more.
The
farmers must also have confidence in the marketing systems, for instance, an
assurance that they will be able to sell all that produce at fair prices to
them and the consumers. There must also be storage facilities, where excess
production at harvest can be stored against the lean period, programmes, like
price stabilization or guaranteed minimum prices, are ways to encourage farmers
to increase production.
2. Constantly changing
technology: For agricultural development to take place
there must be constantly changing technology. For instance, continuous
cultivation of piece of land leads to decrease in fertility. To improve the
soil, there must be adequate fertilizers which should be used at the right time
with the right quantity and combination.
Again the continuous cultivation of certain crops leads to the building up of pests and diseases. There must therefore be new methods of crop management as well as the use of chemicals and pesticides. There must be the introduction of new high yielding varieties which should be resistant to certain diseases.
As for
animals, better qualities must be produced or introduced. For instance, the
exotic layers produce more eggs than local birds, and in a situation where
demand for eggs is high, the introduction of exotic layers becomes a necessity.
Furthermore,
when hectares cultivated increase, say, for maize or rice as a result of
irrigation schemes, it means that production patterns may change, which will in
turn necessitate more and better machines, and more equipment for sowing or
harvesting. With increased production, there must be storage facilities to
store excess production from one season to the other.
Some
of the techniques can be developed within a country through research and the
findings of such research can be disseminated through an articulated extension
service. Some technologies might be imported and adapted to local conditions.
For
sustained agricultural development, a large percentage of new technologies
introduced to the farmers must be developed within a given country. The
advantages of indigenous technologies are many and include cheapness and
acceptability. For example, maize could be stored in wooden cribs as against
silos.
3. Local availability of
supplies and equipment: The new technologies introduced will
result in the use of special supplies and equipment. Some of these include new
seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and tractors, cages for layers, waters and
feeders.
In
most developing countries, these are imported. But for effectiveness in
production, there should be gradual moves towards local production of these
goods, particularly if they would become cheaper. Even if they are imported,
they must be made available in the local areas.
There are at present in Nigeria reports of shortages of fertilizers and spraying chemicals. In order to reduce these shortages, governments and development corporations have set up agro-service centres to ensure that supplies are brought within easy reach of the farmers.
In places where there are no such
centres, cooperative farmers ‘organizations help in the distribution of
supplies and hiring of tractors and implements.
Whether
it is through the efforts of individuals, governments or cooperatives, the most
important thing is that the productive resources or inputs must be available to
the farmer at the time they need them and at prices that they can afford.
4. Productive incentives
for Farmers: Farming is not as attractive as other
occupations. In the peasant environment, much physical energy is expended in
production while returns are low. Many continue to produce just to exist.
Agricultural development cannot take place in this atmosphere.
For
development to take place, farmers must be paid fair producer prices, prices
that would cover the cost of production and leave them with some reasonable
margin. The guaranteed minimum price policy is a result of government‘s
intention of guaranteeing stable prices for farmers. Furthermore, the farmers
must be able to have all the goods and services that they need for their
families.
For
instance, good medical care, schools within easy reach of their living places,
good water supply and electricity. In short they must have facilities that will
make them comfortable and so help increase their productivity.
5.
Adequate transportation: Transportation Goods produced by the farmers must get
to the consumers or the users at the right time. Roads are needed to bring to
the farmers the required inputs and dispose of the outputs. Where there are
good roads and improved systems of transportation, farmers receive better
prices for their products.
In
some cases, roads to rural areas are constructed and maintained by government
efforts. In some other cases when certain community roads become important, the
local government may take them over from local communities and help in
maintaining them. Other important factors in transportation include prices of
commercial vehicles and their spare parts.
The
importance of transportation of both men and materials cannot be overemphasized
in agricultural development. For example, a man using a wheel-barrow to
transport farm produce is estimated to be able to carry five times the quantity
transported by a man using head porterage. This is also true of donkeys used
for transporting farm produce.
6. Group action by farmers: There
are a lot of farmers ‘organizations, some voluntary, others inspired, that have
been found to help farmers both in the purchase and disposal of production
inputs. This group action may range from group cultivation, to bulk purchases
of inputs and to purchase of tractors.
7. Improving and expanding
agriculture land: Land is very important for agricultural
production in developing countries. Challenges here include lack of rainfall or
excessive rainfall and lack of proper care in the use and management of
agricultural land.
There
is need for improving the method of cultivation as well as working out the
combination of crops to be grown. The expansion of agricultural land can be
done through bringing more land into cultivation and through irrigation
schemes. The removal of some institutional factors particularly as they relate
to land tenure is likely to make available more agricultural land.
Read: 15 Top Importance of Agriculture in Developing Countries
8. Availability of credit for production and processing: Capital is needed by the farmers to break the vicious cycle created by low productivity, income and savings. For agricultural development to take place, credit must be available at the time the farmers want it and at reasonable interest rates.
Allowance
must also be given to ensure that farmers receive not only production credit
but also consumption credit; otherwise the farmers are likely to use their
production credit for consumption and this will not help agricultural
development.
9. National leaders
committed to agricultural development: In countries where there
are many sources of revenue, the tendency is to give priority to those that
would generate immediate income. Agriculture is almost always neglected or at
least not given a pride of place.
Oil-rich
countries of the developing world are a case in point. In most cases, it needs
a major food crisis or some international problem in prices of minerals to gear
leaders in these countries to do something meaningful for the agriculture of
the countries. It is, therefore, a necessity that leaders must know that the
development of agriculture is sine qua non of economic development and this
must be reflected in agricultural policies of these countries.
Mere
enumeration of agricultural policies is not enough, their translation into
reality is essential. This also implies that such leaders or their planners
must understand agricultural policies in terms of types and implementation
strategies.
10. Existence of competent
planners for agricultural development: For agricultural
development to take place there must be competent planners as well as adequate
planning data on which meaningful projection for agricultural development could
be made.
11. Recognizing farmers:
For countries that desire rapid agricultural development the farmers must be
recognized and be given pride of place. They must not be seen as mere providers
of food and cash crops. Every effort must be made by the government to ensure
that farming is recognized as one of the important professions, and aids should
be channeled to them and the public made aware of the important role the
farmers play in the national economy.
Awarding
prizes at agricultural shows and conferring honours on successful farmers are
steps that can be taken to encourage farmers to put in their best so as to
achieve rapid and sustainable agricultural development.
Read: Problems of Agriculture in Developing Countries
Conclusion on 11 major Importance of Agricultural Development
We
have mention and explained the importance of agricultural development which is 11
in number as discussed in the article.
In
this unit you have learnt about the following essentials of agricultural
development:
1.
Marketing for farm products
2.
Constantly changing technology
3.
Local availability of supplies and equipment
4.
Production incentives for the farmers
5.
Adequate transportation
6.
Adequate credit for production and consumption
7.
Formation of farmers groups and cooperatives
8.
Improving and expanding agricultural land
9.
National leaders with objectives of agricultural development
10.
Existence of competent planners for agricultural development
11.
A nation that gives pride to farmers who can make agricultural development
possible.
0 Comments