Introduction to Crop Production – SS1 Horticulture and Crop Production Lesson Note (Third Term)

Crop production is the branch of agriculture that deals with the growing of plants for human use.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define crop production;
2. list the main activities of a crop farmer;
3. state why crops are grown in Nigeria;
4. give examples of industrial raw materials and the products made from them;
5. explain how crop production earns foreign exchange;
6. name examples of food crops, cash crops, medicinal crops and industrial crops.

What is crop production?

Crop production is the growing of plants on farms for food, clothing, shelter, medicine and industry.

• Crop: a plant grown by people for a useful purpose, such as yam, maize or cotton.
• Food: crops supply the food we eat every day.
• Clothes: crops such as cotton supply the fibre for cloth.
• Houses: trees grown for timber supply wood for building.
• Medicines: some crops are used to treat illness.

What does a crop farmer do?

A crop farmer does four main activities: preparing the soil, planting, caring for the crops, and harvesting and storing.

• Preparing the soil: tilling the land and making ridges or mounds.
• Planting: sowing the right seeds or setting the right cuttings at the right time.
• Caring for the plants: weeding, watering and adding manure.
• Harvesting and storing: gathering the crops when ready and keeping them safely.

Why do we grow crops in Nigeria?

We grow crops in Nigeria to provide food, jobs, raw materials, foreign exchange and other everyday needs.

Food for the family

• Staple foods: we grow yam, cassava, rice and maize as our main foods.
• Energy: these foods give us the energy we need for school and work.

Employment (jobs)

Crop production gives work to many people along the line from farm to market.

• Farmers: they grow the crops in villages and towns.
• Tractor drivers: they help to prepare the land.
• Market traders: they sell the harvest.
• Researchers: they find better ways to grow food.

How does crop production support industries?

Industrial raw materials are farm products that factories use to make other goods.

Many items sold in shops began as crops on a farm. The table shows some examples from Nigeria.

How does crop production help the economy?

Foreign exchange is money of other countries, such as dollars and euros, earned when Nigeria sells (exports) goods abroad.

• Exports: selling crops such as cocoa to other countries earns foreign exchange.
• Local food production: growing our own rice means the government spends less on buying it from abroad.
• Self-reliance: a country that grows enough of its own food depends less on other countries.

Which crops was Nigeria famous for in the 1960s?

Before oil became the main source of income, Nigeria was known for groundnut, cocoa and palm oil.

• Groundnut: grown in the North, famous for the groundnut pyramids.
• Cocoa: grown in the West.
• Palm oil: produced in the East.

What are the other benefits of crop production?

Crop production also gives animal feed, medicine, shelter and furniture.

Animal feed

• By-products: parts of crops left after processing are used to feed animals.
• Examples: maize bran and groundnut husks are used in feed for poultry.
• Animals fed: chickens, cows and pigs depend on farmers for their food.

Medicinal value

• Ginger: used in home remedies.
• Garlic: used to help treat illness.
• Aloe vera: used for skin care and treating minor wounds.
• Neem (dogonyaro): its leaves are used in traditional treatment of illnesses such as malaria.

Shelter and furniture

• Timber trees: they give wood for roofs and house frames.
• Furniture: wood is also used for desks, tables and chairs in schools and homes.

What are the types of crops?

There are four types of crops by use: food crops, cash crops, medicinal crops and industrial crops.

Evaluation

1. Define crop production.
2. List the four main activities of a crop farmer.
3. State three reasons why we grow crops in Nigeria.
4. What are industrial raw materials? Give two examples and one product made from each.
5. Name two crops for which Nigeria was famous in the 1960s and the part of the country where each was grown.

Assignment

1. Draw a table with four rows: food crops, cash crops, medicinal crops and industrial crops. Give the meaning of each and two examples.