Agriculture is the backbone of many communities in Nigeria. In communities, agricultural activities provide food, raw materials, and employment, and support trade. These activities can be broadly grouped into crop production, animal rearing, forestry, and fisheries, along with associated activities like processing and marketing.

1. Crop Production

Crop production is one of the main forms of agricultural activity in communities. It involves growing crops for food, cash, and other uses.

Key aspects include:

• Food Crops: Crops grown for human consumption such as yam, cassava, maize, rice, millet, sorghum, and vegetables like tomato, pepper, and okra.


• Cash Crops: Crops grown for sale or export, including cocoa, oil palm, rubber, cotton, and groundnut.


• Horticulture: Growing fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants, often on a smaller scale in home gardens or farms.


• Farm Practices: Activities include land preparation, planting, watering, weeding, fertilizing, pest and disease control, and harvesting.


• Post-harvest Handling: Drying, storage, processing, and value addition (e.g., cassava to gari, palm fruit to palm oil) are essential to reduce losses.

2. Animal Rearing (Animal Husbandry)

Animal husbandry is the rearing of animals for food, income, and other products.

Common activities in the community include:

• Livestock Farming: Rearing animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and camels.


• Poultry Farming: Keeping chickens, ducks, turkeys, and guinea fowls for meat and eggs.


• Rabbit and Pig Rearing: Smaller-scale rearing for families or local markets.


• Management Practices: Feeding, housing, breeding, health care (vaccinations), hygiene, and protection from predators.


• Products: Meat, milk, eggs, hides, skins, and manure for fertilizing crops.

3. Fisheries and Aquaculture

Fishing and fish farming are important in riverine, coastal, and inland communities.

Activities include:

• Capture Fisheries: Fishing in rivers, lakes, ponds, and oceans.


• Fish Farming (Aquaculture): Rearing fish such as tilapia, catfish, and carp in ponds, tanks, or cages.


• Processing and Marketing: Drying, smoking, salting, or freezing fish for local consumption and trade.

4. Forestry and Agroforestry

Forestry activities in communities involve planting and managing trees for timber, fuel wood, shade, and environmental protection.

Key activities:

• Tree Planting: Fruit trees, timber trees, and fuel wood species.


• Forest Conservation: Protecting natural forests and managing community woodlots.


• Agroforestry: Integrating trees with crops or animals on the same farm to improve soil fertility, provide shade, and prevent erosion.

5. Agro-processing

Processing of farm produce is a vital activity in communities to add value and improve shelf life.

Examples include:

• Milling maize or rice into flour.


• Processing cassava into gari, fufu, or starch.


• Extracting oil from palm fruits or groundnuts.


• Making cocoa products such as powder and chocolate.

This creates jobs, improves income, and reduces waste.

6. Trading and Marketing

Agriculture in communities often includes marketing farm produce.

Activities include:

• Selling crops and animal products in local markets.


• Transporting produce to urban markets.


• Packaging, grading, and storing goods for sale.

These activities help sustain the local economy and improve community livelihoods.

7. Community Support Activities

Other related activities that support agriculture in communities include:

• Irrigation Management: Using rivers, streams, or pumps to supply water to farms.


• Soil Conservation Practices: Planting cover crops, mulching, and building terraces to reduce erosion.


• Pest and Disease Control Programs: Coordinated spraying or control efforts to protect crops and animals.


• Extension Services: Training farmers on improved methods, use of modern tools, and good farming practices.

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Summary

Agricultural activities in communities are diverse and include crop production, animal rearing, fisheries, forestry, agro-processing, and marketing.

These activities ensure food security, provide income, create employment, and improve the standard of living in communities.

Successful agriculture depends on proper planning, soil fertility, climate, water availability, labour, tools, and knowledge of good farming practices.

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Evaluation Questions

1. Name four main forms of agricultural activities in communities.


2. List three food crops and three cash crops commonly grown in Nigerian communities.


3. What are the main management practices in animal husbandry?


4. Explain the importance of agro-processing in community agriculture.


5. How does agroforestry help farmers in communities?


6. Describe two ways communities can conserve soil and water for farming.


7. Mention three career opportunities in agricultural activities at the community level.