Importance of Agriculture

Agriculture plays an importance role in the development of any nation. It is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.

Agriculture is important to the individual, the community and to the nation.

Importance of Agriculture to the Individual

To the individual, agriculture is important in the following ways:

1. Provision of food for man and feed for animals: Products from agriculture are used for feeding man and animals. Agriculture provides food inform of maize, rice, meat, fish, eggs either in raw or processed form
2. Provision of income for farmers: The sales of agricultural products such as yam, maize, milk, provide income for the farmers so as meat their daily needs.
3. It provides employment opportunity: An average of about 60-70 percent of Nigeria population are employed in agriculture.
4. Provision of shelters and clothing: Agricultural materials such as wood, palm fronds are used for building shelters.
5. Agricultural products such as cotton, skin and hides are used for clothing materials such as shoes, clothes, belts etc.
6. Provision of fuel: It provides fuel wood/firewood as source of energy for cooking.
7. Medicinal substances: It provides herbs and other substances, which serve as medicinal helps to the people.

Importance of Agriculture to the Community/Society

Agriculture is important to the community or society in the following ways:

1. Rural development: Agriculture enables social amenities such as pipe borne water, electricity, hospitals, schools etc to be put in place in the rural areas. Motorable roads are constructed. All these social amenities lead to the development of rural areas.
2. Provision of markets: Agriculture provides markets for farm produce thereby bringing development to the community
3. Afforestation: Agriculture makes the growing of trees possible, which can help to control erosion, prevents desert encroachment, purify the atmosphere, provide wood for fuel and home for wildlife
4. Provision of raw materials: It provides materials needed for shelter e.g. building of houses and furniture are supplied through farming activities.
5. Employment: It generates employment opportunity for members of the community.
6. Provision of income: It provides income for members of the community.
7. mproved living standard: It helps in improving the standard of living of the community, etc.

Importance of Agriculture to the Nation

Agriculture is important to the nation in the following ways:

1. Provision of raw materials for industrial uses: Raw materials from agriculture are used by several industries for manufacturing different products. E.g cocoa is used by beverage industry while skin and hides are used by tannery industries.
2. Provision of foreign exchange: This is the revenue derived by a country from the sales of agricultural products in international markets. Such products include cocoa, groundnuts, rubber, cotton, timber, palm kernels, coffee. The revenue derived can be used to procure manufactured products like electronics and machinery.
3. Direct income to the nation: Tax and revenue from agricultural products are sources of income to the government.
4. Research: It provides a source of research for the development of local and international scientists.
5. Provision of facilities for Recreation and Tourism:  Agriculture leads to the establishment of game reserves which serve as tourist centre in the countries. E.g. Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State and Okomu Game Reserve in Edo State. It also provides horses used for “horse racing” and polo games; chickens, for “chicken fights”, etc.