Webcadmy

Subject Agricultural Science

Teacher: Sven Anthony
Class: 4th & 5th Form
Learning Objectives/ Outcome
Students are thought and gasp knowledge on:
 An introduction to Agricultural Science
 How agricultural science developed over the years
 The history of Agricultural Science and its origin
 The branches of Agricultural science their roles and importance.

Week 1/ Module 1
Content-
Introduction to Agricultural Science
The word agriculture comes from the Latin words agri cultura, meaning 'cultivation of the
field'. It covers all the arts, skills, sciences, industries and services used by humans to obtain
food from the land. This includes the cultivation of crops and the rearing of livestock,
together with the related industries supplying seeds, chemical fertilizers, machinery, finance
and technology. In addition, agriculture involves marketing and processing. Often
'agriculture' is used to mean the same as 'farming' and 'husbandry'. But farming and
husbandry have more to do with specific activities such as dairy farming, crop husbandry,
organic farming, livestock husbandry, mixed farming and exotic farming. Traditionally,
agriculture has been recognized as the art of tilling the soil and a way of life for families in
rural communities. With modern technology and a rising world population, agriculture today
is seen as an art, a skill, an applied science, a multi-faceted discipline, a business and a
vocation, focused primarily on food production.
Question: State the difference between 'agriculture', 'farming' and 'husbandry'.
History of Agriculture
The earliest man survived by hunting wild animals, fishing and rivers and gathering fruits and
nuts from the forests. When man was no longer able to gather food within his surroundings,
he moved to new places in search of food. Gradually he learned how to select and
domesticate animals, till the soil and cultivate plants to satisfy his needs. Communities
developed as he became more settled and organized in his ways of living.
The first settlers emerged along the banks of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where land
was very fertile. Those early settlers used tools made of stone and other materials to prepare
the soil for planting. They however, continued to hunt for animals and to fish in the sea,
rivers and lakes around them. They used the meat of those animals for food. The useful hides
or skins were used for clothing and shelter.
Question: Can you tell what other materials were used for making tools and weapons?
Settlements developed into communities and man began to spend time studying and
observing his environment and surroundings. As the population increased the demand for
more food also increased. That led to selection of animals for rearing or domestication and
crops for planting, through trial and error. As time passed man developed improved breeds of
livestock (chickens, ducks, turkeys etc.) and improved varieties and also cultivars of crops.
He also improved varieties of crops. He also improved the tools and the fertilizers and animal
feed used for crops and livestock.
Similar developments have taken place in Guyana and the Caribbean. The earliest settlers
( the Amerindains) hunted, fished and planted simple crops. The establishment of plantation
agriculture by the european settlers after 1621 changed the pattern of agriculture in Guyana.
The Dutch confined their activities to the river banks. The British who assumed control of
Guyana from 1796, kept the population on the narrow coastal strip.
The European Settlers established plantations of tobacco, sugar cane, coffee and cotton.
Along with these they introduced drainage technology, machines and chemicals on their
plantations. By 1880, the rice industry was introduced to Guyana.
Around the year 1900, the management of livestock in Guyana was very poor. Horses and
mules received some amount of attention, while cattle, sheep. Goats and poultry were very
poor. Later attempts made with the introduction of more efficient management systems in
Guyana’s livestock industry developed and production increased in cattle, poultry, sheep and
goats.
Question: List three livestock enterprises in Guyana
The importance of Agriculture
Some necessities of life are met through agriculture. In early times, agriculture performed the
simple role of satisfying man’s need for food clothing and shelter. This still remains one of
the most important roles of agriculture.
In today’s society, these roles have expanded to include a number of other developments.
Today, agriculture is considered very important because it also provides:
 A basis of research
Work in agriculture has led to investigations into plant and animal life and the
products obtained from these. The present use of suitable pesticides and better
varieties of crops are some of the improvements which have resulted from years of
research and experiment in agriculture.
 Opportunities for the economic use of land
 Raw materials for industries
 Opportunities for aesthetic appreciation
 Employment and revenue
 Foreign exchange

Branches Of Agriculture
The main branches are :
 Crop Science
Deals with the production of plants which are of economic importance to humans
beings. E.g. Rice, sugar cane, vegetables and fruits etc.
 Soil Science
Emphasizes the need for maintain a high level of fertility in the soil. It involves the
study of soil formation, soil, characteristics and soil management.
 Animal Science
 Involves the study of producing livestock. Some important aspects are the selection of
animals, livestock management, control of pests and diseases and breeding of animals.
 Agricultural Engineering
Involves the designing and constructing farm machines and farm buildings , laying
out drainage and irrigation systems and maintaining farm machines and equipment.
 Agricultural Economics
Deals with the science of managing farm resources such as land, labour and capital, to
achieve a desired level of production in agriculture. Aspects are farm management,
marketing of farm produce, farm record keeping.
 Agricultural Education
Includes training for farm occupations as well as for non-farming occupations. It
involves training and education of children in schools, training of farmers by
extension workers and training and education of specialists in various fields of
agriculture.

Foreign exchange earnings

Agriculture is very important to the economies of all Caribbean countries, both regionally and
internationally. When Caribbean agricultural goods and services are sold to other countries,
foreign exchange is earned. For example, the export of bananas and coffee earns foreign
currency. However, when foreign agricultural goods and services are imported, Caribbean
currency is converted to foreign exchange; importing agricultural machinery from abroad is
therefore a loss to the local community.
Contribution to Gross National Product
The Gross National Product (GNP) is a measure of the current value of goods and services
from all sectors of the national economy. Agriculture is a vital sector of the national economy
and contributes to the GNP.
Food security
Food security means being self-sufficient in food. Most Caribbean countries are now
boosting their local food production and reducing food imports. In the Caribbean, food
security is affected by:
•low agricultural productivity, resulting from inefficient use of water and other inputs
•a decline in earnings from traditional crops resulting from the loss of trade preferences
•a dependency on imported food resulting from the inability to produce food locally at
competitive prices
•increased poverty in many countries because of a loss of agricultural jobs.
Food security can be promoted by initiatives to improve food production and marketing,
expand trade opportunities, increase income and improve nutrition.
National and regional plans for agricultural development
Agricultural plans are policy documents, prepared by governments, private firms or
international organizations, setting out plans for agricultural development. Normally, local or
national plans are prepared by the government of each Caribbean country for a five-year
period. The plan for each country identifies the areas of agriculture which need attention and
may specify the current status ,constraints, strategies and resources required for the
development of each area. Carefully prepared plans can bring about agricultural development
and national development. Regional plans for agricultural development are produced through
the co-operative efforts of Caribbean countries, based on the agricultural needs of the region.
Specific goals, objectives, constraints, strategies, resources and evaluation procedures help to
put the plans into practice.
Trade liberalization
Trade liberalisation helps global competitiveness. A fair trade in goods and services develops
through removing tariffs and non-tariff barriers. A tariff is a tax levied by a government on
imports (or occasionally exports) for purposes of protection, support trade of the balance of
payments, or the raising of revenue. Global trade liberalization initiatives encourage greater
efficiency in marketing and trade by restructuring trade policy regimes to reduce the level of
protection from competition.

References
Agricultural Science for CSEC Examinations by Ronald Ramharacksingh

Questions (quiz)
1. State the difference between 'agriculture', 'farming' and 'husbandry
2. Name any major livestock enterprise in Guyana
3. Name any three(3) branches of Agriculture
4. What is meant by the term ‘Food Security’?
5. What is a Tariff ?