Farm Records in Horticulture – SS1 Horticulture and Crop Production Lesson Note (Second Term)

Why Keep Records?

Imagine you are running a small shop. If you don’t write down how much you spent on bread and how much you sold it for, you won’t know if you are making money or just wasting time.

In Horticulture, Farm Records are written documents that show everything that happens on the farm. Because we deal with many small things—seeds, fertilizers, daily watering, and seasonal sales—our brains cannot remember everything.

Why do we bother?

• Memory Support: You can’t remember exactly how many bags of fertilizer you used two years ago. The record remembers for you.
• Profit or Loss: It tells you clearly if your tomato business is actually making money.
• Planning: If you know how much you harvested last year, you can plan better for next year.
• Getting Loans: If you go to a bank in Nigeria to ask for a loan, the first thing they will ask for is your farm records.

Types of Farm Records (Part 1)

There are many types of records, but for horticulture, we focus on the most important ones.

1. Farm Inventory

This is a list of everything you own on the farm at a specific time.

• What’s inside: It includes land, buildings, tools (hoes, cutlasses, sprayers), and even the crops in the field.
• Use: It helps you know the total “worth” of your farm.

2. Production Record

This tracks what the farm actually “produces.”

• What’s inside: The number of baskets of tomatoes harvested, the number of flower bouquets sold, or the weight of your harvested peppers.
• Use: It shows which crops are doing well and which ones are failing.

3. Input Record

To get a harvest, you must “input” things. This record tracks everything you bring into the farm.

• What’s inside: Seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, manure, and even the water used for irrigation.
• Use: It helps you see which inputs are getting too expensive.

4. Labor Record

Farming is hard work! This record tracks who worked, for how many hours, and what they did.

• What’s inside: Names of workers, dates, jobs done (e.g., “Weeding” or “Transplanting”), and wages paid.
• Use: It tells you how much you are spending on “manpower.”

5. Sales/Receipt Record

This is the money-maker!

• What’s inside: Date of sale, item sold, quantity, and the price.
• Use: This is the most important part of calculating your profit.

How to Keep Good Records

A record is only useful if it is accurate. You don’t need a computer to keep good records; a simple “Higher Education” notebook or a diary is enough.

The “Golden Rules” of Recording:

1. Write it Now: Don’t wait until the end of the week. Write down a sale or an expense the moment it happens. If you wait, you will forget.
2. Be Honest: If a goat ate half your seedlings, record it as a loss. Don’t hide it.
3. Be Specific: Instead of writing “Bought Fertilizer,” write “Bought 1 bag of NPK 15-15-15.”
4. Keep it Safe: Keep your record book away from water, oil, or children. It is the “brain” of your farm.

Importance of Records in Horticulture

Horticulture is different from general agriculture because we harvest many times in a season. Here is why records are your best friend:

• Managing Perishables: Since tomatoes and flowers spoil quickly, records help you track which ones need to go to market first.
• Succession Planning: Records help you know when to plant the next batch of lettuce so that when you finish selling the first set, the second set is ready.
• Health Check: If your pepper crop fails three years in a row in the same month, your records will show a pattern. You can then check if it’s the weather or a specific pest.

Summary Table for Revision