Farmers Review Africa Sept/Oct 2018 FRA - September - October 2018 digital 5 | Page 42

FEATURE
M
the importance
of Agriculture
ost countries have an
economy that is dependent
on agriculture – either in a
small or big way. From employment
generation to contribution to National
Income, agriculture is important.
It’s common to associate agriculture
only with crop farming. However,
the agriculture industry extends
beyond that to include all farm-related
industries, like food manufacturing and
food service. This makes agriculture
one of the largest sectors in a nation
For decades, agriculture has been
associated with the production of
essential food crops. At present,
agriculture above and beyond farming
includes forestry, dairy, fruit cultivation,
poultry, bee keeping, mushroom,
arbitrary, etc. Today, processing,
marketing, and distribution of crops
and livestock products etc. are all
acknowledged as part of current
agriculture. Thus, agriculture could
be referred to as the production,
processing, promotion and distribution
agricultural products.
Agriculture plays a critical role in
the entire life of a given economy.
Agriculture is the backbone of the
economic system of a given country.
In addition to providing food and raw
material, agriculture also provides
employment opportunities to very large
percentage of the population.
Benefits of agriculture
• Source of Livelihood
The main source livelihood of many
people is agriculture. Approximately
70 % of the people directly rely on
agriculture as a mean of living. This
40 |September - October 2018