CROP PRODUCTION

A. SOCIO–ECONOMIC FACTOR/HUMAN FACTORS:

 

1. Market force – Supply and demand forces affect Agriculture in a free market economy. prices for goods are influenced by supply and demand forces.

 

 

- When supply is high, prices are low and demand subsequently increases.

 

2. Cultural practices, taboos, religious beliefs

This affects what people produce and consume, some pastoral communities rely on meat and milk while other communities rely on crop.

3. Transport and communication

- These allow agricultural products to move from production point to consumption point.

- All weather roads are necessary to avoid rotting of produce in farms since these affects their income.

- Road, railways and airways are important.

- Use of computers for communication has developed and these media helps access wider market.

 

4. Level of education and technology

- High level of education helps in hastening development in all farming activities e.g. use of improved methods, knowing why when or what should be done under certain conditions, accuracy of applying inputs and Assessing results. General decisions are made properly.

 

5. Health HIV/AIDs

- Some qualities such as Vigor, Strength, vision and determination are required for successful farming and can only be found in healthy people.

- increases in cases of HIV/AIDS have negative effects on Agriculture production

- As a result, much government and NGO resources are channeled towards caring for the sick. Effect of HIV/AIDS in healthy Agriculture

 Shortage of farm labour

 Increasing the cost of living of patients and their relatives.

 Low food production and poverty in general has increased criminal activities

 Low living standards lead to despondency, helplessness and lack of motivation to invest in agriculture

 The government and NGO’s use a lot of time and resource in controlling the pandemic. This resource could be used in development of Agriculture.

 

6. Government policy

These are enactment of laws which govern production marketing and distribution.

The government regulates the amount of imported good by

(i) Heavy taxation of imports in order to protect local industries

(ii) Subsidizing the price of locally produced commodities

(iii) Quality control

(iv) Conservation of natural resources

(v) Stepping up the control of diseases of parasites that affect crop. Such regulations as quarantine, licensing of quality products and vaccination of animal against infectious and contagious diseases are followed wisely.

 

7. Economy

 

- Collapse of co-operative movement and factories have affected the sale of farm produce such as milk, sugar and cotton

- Rehabilitation of Kenyan and world trade has led to dumping of cheaply produced and cheaply imported goods that have flooded local market.

- This has forced prices of agricultural goods to drop resulting in low income for farmers.

 

B. BIOTIC FACTORS

- These are living organisms that affect Agricultural production

(i) Pests – Effects of pests. Pests feed on the whole or part of the plant.

These pests feed on leaves and reduce photosynthetic surface which further lowers quantity and quality of produce.

They transmit crop disease

Some pest injures the plant parts which they feed on and expose the plant to secondary infection Pests increase the cost of producing crops in terms of money used in their control.

(ii) Parasites

- Parasites living on animals are animal parasites. Those living inside animals are endo- parasites e.g. round worms, tape worms etc. they absorb food substances from the digestive track of the animal

- Those living on the animal are called ecto-parasites. They suck blood from the animal cause irritation by biting on their skin.

(iii) Decomposers

- Are very important and they include large and small (micro) organisms which decompose organic remains from animals and plants hence producing nutrients.

(iv) Pathogens

Are microorganisms that transmit diseases. These can cause death. They also reduce both quality and quantity of agricultural products. They include Bacteria, viruses and fungi.

(v) Predators:

An animal that kills and feed on the animals. Those that feed on pests are beneficial to farmers as they reduce pest population.

(vi) Pollinators – Can be insects or birds. They transfer pollen grain from the stamen to the pistil of the flower causing cross pollination e.g. bee.

- Cross pollination helps in production of new and improved varieties of crops for the future generation.

(vii) Nitrogen fixing bacteria

- Useful in leguminous plants. They are found in nodules of the roots. They convert nitrogen from the air into nitrates. When these bacteria die, they release nitrates to the soil which helps other plants in the next season

 

(viii) Weeds

They compete with the crop plants for moisture, nutrients space, sunlight etc. They can also act as alternate host of disease-causing microorganism, vectors and also pests.