Agriculture

1. Definition of Agriculture

Agriculture is the science of growing plants,rearing of animals, processing and marketing of

agricultural products

2. Branches of Agriculture

 Crop production
 Animal production
 Forestry and wildlife
 Horticulture
 Agricultural Engineering or mechanisation
 Agricultural Economics or Agribusiness
 Soil Science

3. Importance of Agriculture

 Providing food to individuals, families, the community and the nation at large.
 Creating employment
 Providing raw materials for industries
 Providing medicines
 Providing income / money
 Providing foreign currency

4. Career Opportunities in Agriculture

Career opportunities are job chances / employment chances.

 Farm manager: The person in charge/ control of all the agricultural activities on a farm such as :
planning and budgeting, hiring farm workers and keeping records of everything on the farm.
 Agronomist : A person who studies soil, seeds and plants and conducts researches to
understand what crops need and develop better farming practices.
Agronomists specialise in the following:
• plant structure and function of plant parts
•crop rotation
• irrigation and drainage
•soil composition and fertility
•weed and pest control
 Agricultural technical extension officers : Extension officers link researchers and farmers. They
educate farmers on researches made on livestock, crops, irrigation, water conservation,and how
best to deal with pests and diseases.
 Agriculture teachers/ lecturers : These are the people who help learners in schools and
colleges gain knowledge and skills in agriculture.
  Veterinary officers/ doctors : A veterinary is a medically qualified person who deals
with the health of domestic animals by identifying and controlling animal diseases as
well as treating sick and injured animals.
 Irrigation engineers :. They help farmers plan and design the right schemes.They
maintain the irrigation system and do calcutions on the amount of water needed by
each crop type.
 Mechanical engineers : Mechanical engineers are responsible for the
maintenance and servicing of farm machinery like tractors, combine harvesters
and other equipment.
 Salesperson : A salesperson is a person responsible for selling the farm
inputs such as seed, fertilizer, agrochemicals and equipment.
 Fishery officers : They deal with the management of fish production in
farms and the communities.

FARMING SYSTEMS IN ZIMBABWE

There are three farming systems in Zimbabwe namely :

a. Shifting cultivation : This involved the rotation of farming land whereby crops were grown for
three to four years on a piece of land and the farmers moved to another piece of land.
b. Subsistence farming : A farming system commonly practiced in the communal areas in which a
farmer grows crops and rears animals for family consumption. Family members provide labour
using simple farm tools like hoes and ox drawn ploughs. Any surplus food is sold to generate
income.
c. Commercial farming : A farming system in which the growing of crops and rearing of animals is
done is done in order to sell the products. It is also known as intensive farming or large scale
farming.

IMPORTANCE OF IRRIGATION FARMING

 Ensures the production of crops all year round.

 Ensures food security as a variety of crops are grown throughout the year.
 Irrigation ensures the provision of the required moisture content of soil for seed growth.
 Irrigation increases production and production increases income. Therefore, irrigation
contributes to economic growth and poverty reduction.