Plantation Agriculture In West And East Africa SS2 Geography Lesson Note

Plantation agriculture can be defined as the cultivation of certain crops (usually Cash crops) on a large area of land.

CROPS INVOLVED IN PLANTATION AGRICULTURE

It involves the planting of perennial crops such as Cocoa, Rubber, Oil palm, Tea, Coffee etc. 

CHARACTERISTIC OF PLANTATION AGRICULTURE

1. It requires a large area of land.
2. It requires a large labour force
3. It involves the cultivation of one type of Crop only on a piece of land (MONOCULTURE).
4. Crops produced are mainly exported.
5. All farm operations are mechanized.
6. It requires large capital to operate.
7.  They are mainly owned by the government and large foreign or local companies.

FACTORS FAVORABLE FOR PLANTATION AGRICULTURE

1. Sub-equatorial type of climate with adequate rainfall.
2. Fertility of the soil, especially the volcanic soil in East Africa.
3. Availability of cheap labour and adequate capital
4. Availability of a good transport network.
5. Presence of large Markets to consume or use the products.

IMPORTANCE OF PLANTATION FARMING

1. Crops produced provide raw materials for Industries.
2. It is a source of income to the farmers. 
3. It employs. Farmers learn and acquire new skills.
4. They are centers of Agricultural research.
5. Cash crops like coca, rubber, and andfee when exported, yield foreign exchange for the country.

PROBLEMS OF PLANTATION AGRICULTURE 

1. Difficulties in the ion of large expanses of land.
2. It leads to nd for town development.
3. Inadequate capital and labourilled and unskilled).
4. Price fluctuation. i.e. unstable price of crops in the world market.
5. Pest and disease diseases spread fast because of the monocultural nature and the permanent location of the farms.

SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS

1. Provision of loans or credit facilities.
2. Government participation.
3. Provision of roads and other infrastructures.
4. Proper management to prevent outbreak diseases.

AREAS OF PLANTATION

1. In East Africa

• Tea and tobacco plantationsKenya
• Coffee plantation in Uganda
• Sisal in Tanga District and Coastal area in Tanzania
• Sugar cane in Tanzania and Uganda

2. In West Africa:

• Cocoa plantation in Ibadan and Akure in Nigeria, Kunasi in Ghana
• Rubber in Benin, Howbel (Liberia)
• Oil plantation in Aba, Okitipupu

ASSIGNMENT

1. Which of the following West African countries is the largest produce of groundnut (a) Burkina Faso (b) Mali (c) Ghana

2. Monoculture is a term associated with (a) Grable farming (b) Mixed farming (c) Plantation Agriculture

3. The most important cash crops grown in the Nile Basin is (a) Barley (b) Cotton (c) Groundnut.
4. All of the following are true of plantation Agriculture in West Africa except that (a) It involves the planting of food crops (b) Requires modern technology (c) Involves large areas of food

5. Which of the following is not a crop grown on a plantation farm  (a) Cocoa (b) Sisal (c) Maize