Agriculture
The term Agriculture is derived from two Latin words ager or agri meaning soil and cultura
meaning cultivation. Agriculture is an applied science which encompasses all aspects of crop
production including horticulture, livestock rearing, fisheries, forestry, etc.
Agriculture is defined as an art, science and business of producing crops and livestock for
economic purposes.
As an art it embraces knowledge of the way to perform the operations of the farm in a skillful
manner, but does not necessarily include an understanding of the principles underlying the farm
practices.
As a science: utilizes all technologies developed on scientific principles such as crop breeding,
production techniques, crop protection, economics etc. to maximize the yield and profit. For
example, new crops and varieties developed by hybridization, Transgenic crop varieties resistant
to pests and diseases, hybrids in each crop, high fertilizer responsive varieties, water
management, herbicides to control weeds, use of bio-control agents to combat pest and diseases
etc.
As the business: As long as agriculture is the way of life of the rural population production is
ultimately bound to consumption. But agriculture as a business aims at maximum net return
through the management of land labour, water and capital, employing the knowledge of various
sciences for production of food, feed, fibre and fuel. In recent years, agriculture is
commercialized to run as a business through mechanization.
AGRICULTURE is defined in the Agriculture act (1947), as including ‘horticulture, fruit
growing, seed growing, dairy farming and livestock breeding and keeping, the use of land as
grazing land, meadow land, osier land, market gardens and nursery grounds, and the use of land
for woodlands where that use ancillary to the farming of land for Agricultural purposes”.
BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE
Seven branches
1. Agronomy
2. Horticulture
3. Forestry
4. Animal husbandry
5. Fishery science
6. Agricultural Engineering and
7. Home science
1) Agronomy – Deals with the production of various crops which includes food crops, fodder
crops, fibre crops, sugar, oilseeds, etc. The aim is to have better food production and how to
control the diseases.
2) Horticulture - Deals with the production of fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants,
spices, condiments and beverages.
3) Forestry – Deals with production of large scale cultivation of perennial trees for supplying
wood, timber, rubber, etc. and also raw materials for industries.
4) Animal husbandry – Deals with agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock in
order to provide food for humans and to provide power (draught) and manure for crops.
5) Fishery science – Deals with practice of breeding and rearing fishes including marine and
inland fishes, shrimps, prawns etc. in order to provide food, feed and manure.
6) Agricultural Engineering – Deals with farm machinery for filed preparation, inter-
cultivation, harvesting and post harvest processing including soil and water conservation
engineering and bio-energy.
7) Home Science – Deals with application and utilization of agricultural produces in a better
manner in order to provide nutritional security, including value addition and food preparation.
On integration, all the seven branches, first three is grouped as for crop production group and
next two animal management and last two allied agriculture branches.
Evolution of man and Agriculture
There are different stages in development of agriculture, which is oriented with human
civilization. They are Hunting, Pastoral, Crop culture, and Trade (stages of human civilization).
1. Hunting – It was the primary source of food in old days. It is the important occupation and it
existed for a very long period.
2. Pastoral – Human obtained his food through domestication animals, e.g. dogs, horse, cow,
buffalo, etc. They lived in the periphery of the forest and they had to feed his domesticated
animals. For feeding his animals, he would have migrated from one place to another in search of
food. It was not comfortable and they might have enjoyed the benefit of staying in one place near
the river bed.
3. Crop culture - By living near the river bed, he had enough water for his animals and
domesticated crops and started cultivation. Thus he has started to settle in a place.
4. Trade – When he started producing more than his requirement the excess was exchanged, this
is the basis for trade. When agriculture has flourished, trade developed. This lead to
infrastructure development like road, routes, etc.
Importance of Agriculture
Agricultural sector plays an important role in the economic progress of a nation. The
materials needed and economic activities come from this.
1. Agricultural sector provides food. The Philippine soil is best suited for root crops such as
rice, corn, sugar cane, potatoes and many others. Mangoes, pineapples, coconuts, and
bananas also abound. Agricultural sector also provides seafood for mineral and protein needs.
2. Agricultural sector provides raw materials needed to create other products. Natural
materials from forests, fields, and seas can be made into different variety of handicraft products.
3. Agricultural sector contributes to the economic progress through export. Agricultural
products that are exported to other countries include sugar, flowers, fruits, seafood and many
others. An important source of income for the government is the exportation of agricultural
products. This is why the government has primarily focused on developing the country's
capacity to export more of agricultural products.
4. Agricultural sector provides employment to a large number of Filipinos. Those on the
countryside depend on agriculture for their livelihood such as farming, fishing, mining and
raising livestock.
5. A progressive agricultural sector can support other sectors of the economy like
manufacturing, trade and services by supplying the needed raw materials. This is why when a
country dream of industrialization, it needs to expand and improve its agricultural production.
But expanding production alone is not enough to develop the agricultural sector. We have to
remember that it makes up the substantial part of the country's population - people who are
potential customers of other products and services. Alongside efforts to expand production, it is
necessary to improve people's condition in order to strengthen their capacity as consumers.
Through this a more vibrant exchange between productive sectors will take place and progress
in both urban and rural areas is expected to follow.
