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Agricultural Mechanization Insights

Despite government efforts to mechanise agriculture in Cameroon, the level remains low due to factors like inadequate research, overreliance on imports, topography, and traditional farming methods. When selecting draught animals, the entrepreneur should advise farmers to consider the animal's age, breed, health, body type, and temperament. Key criteria for choosing a tractor include the farm area and crops, soil conditions, financial capabilities, and implement size. Tractor ownership involves fixed costs like purchase and loans, and variable costs like fuel and maintenance. Safe pesticide use requires following instructions, proper storage, protective clothing, and safe disposal of containers. Design of a maize crib considers height, dimensions, roofing, and animal

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Dia Clarkson Ewi
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154 views3 pages

Agricultural Mechanization Insights

Despite government efforts to mechanise agriculture in Cameroon, the level remains low due to factors like inadequate research, overreliance on imports, topography, and traditional farming methods. When selecting draught animals, the entrepreneur should advise farmers to consider the animal's age, breed, health, body type, and temperament. Key criteria for choosing a tractor include the farm area and crops, soil conditions, financial capabilities, and implement size. Tractor ownership involves fixed costs like purchase and loans, and variable costs like fuel and maintenance. Safe pesticide use requires following instructions, proper storage, protective clothing, and safe disposal of containers. Design of a maize crib considers height, dimensions, roofing, and animal

Uploaded by

Dia Clarkson Ewi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION

HND 2015

Agricultural mechanization involves the use of machines for the provision of mechanized assistance
to agricultural production to reduce drudgery and bring more land under cultivation. A young
entrepreneur from the College of Agriculture Bafangreceives a support grant from the AFOP
program at the end of his training and decides to relocate the North West Region in order to start up
a maize farm. The entrepreneur finally settles in the Menchum area where many farmers have been
using animal traction for their crop production. The government of Cameroon had also created the
Wum Area Development Authority (WADA) in this area to boost agricultural production. WADA has
been equipped with tractors, tillage implements, combines, sprayers and other implements to ease
access to machines for people of this area. In order to diversify resources, apart from owning a
maize farm, the entrepreneur soon decides to attach extension services to other farmers and a
poultry production unit of 450 broiler birds.

a) Despite government efforts to change the state of mechanization in Cameroon, the level is
still relatively low. Explain four factors which could attribute to this low level of
mechanization. 4 pts
b) If a farmer in the area decides to seek advice on how to procure new draught animals.
Explain 4 criteria that the entrepreneur should advice the farmer to use in choosing his
animals. 2 pts
c) After several years of production, the entrepreneur acquires funds through a loan to
purchase a tractor. Give four criteria that he will use in order to select the tractor to buy for
his farm. 2 pts
d) Ownership of tractor involves two main costs. Give the two main cost items and two
elements each to be considered in each cost item. 2 pts
e) For the protection of the crops against pests as well as the protection of the birds against
diseases, the enterprise uses some chemicals. Give four precautions to be followed when
using chemical on the farm. 2 pts
f) The maize to be used in the production of feed is stored in a small crib to be designed by the
entrepreneur. Explain 4 design factors he should consider in his construction. 2pts
g) Given that the poultry house to be constructed will measure 8m by 3m by 3m, calculate the
number of blocks to be ordered if he intends to use blocks of size 20cmby10cm for the four
walls. 1pt

ANSWER GUIDE

a) Inadequate Research and Development Institutions


Over dependence on imported machinery
Topography
Traditional Cropping System
Consumer attitude
Inadequate institutional support
b) Age
Breed
Health Condition
Body conformation
Temperament
Weight
c) Farm area to be cultivated
Type of crops to grow
Soil Condition
Financial capability
Size of implement to be driven
Climatic condition
d) Fixed Cost (cost of purchase, interest on loan, taxes, insurance, housing)
Variable Cost (Fuel, Lubricants, servicing, labour)
e) The name on the container should be read carefully and manufacturer’s instruction should
be followed.
The pesticides should be kept always in container with proper name.
The pesticides should be stored in a safe and locked place so that children may not
touch them.
The pesticides should never be placed near food stuff or medicines.
Empty containers ofdangerous pesticides shouldnot be used for any alternative purpose.
Necessary protective clothing should be used while handling pesticides. The pesticides bags
should not be torn but they should be cut with a knife.
f) Height, length, width, protection grills, roofing type, east-west direction
g) Total area of walls = (2*3*3) + (2*8*3)
Area of one block = (0.2*0.1)
Approximate number of blocks = total area/ area of one block

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