Grade 7 Agriculture Science Week 2 Lesson 1

Agricultural Science
Grade 7
 Week 2
 Lesson 1
 Topic: The importance of Agriculture
 Objectives: After this topic students will:
1. List five contributions agriculture makes to our daily lives
2. Discuss how you as an individual and the country benefits from the goods and
services offered by agriculture
3. Evaluate how the use of technology in agriculture has contributed to farmers
being able to feed earth’s growing population.
Importance of Agriculture
 For any country to successfully sustain a stable economic growth, improvement in
agricultural productivity and fiscal discipline are require. All stakeholders from both the
public (Government) and private sector must work together to ensure food security as
well as the creation of jobs. Moreover, the economic benefits of agriculture go beyond
just food security and creating job opportunities. The importance of agriculture in any
national economy cannot be underestimated.

Importance of Agriculture
 Agriculture Provides:
1. Contributes to national income
2. The basic source of food
3. Source of employment
4. Infrastructural development
5. Source of foreign exchange
6. Development of the banking sector
7. Decreased discontent
8. A Basis for research
9. Raw materials for industries
Contributes to National Income
 This is arguably the most important contribution of agriculture to the national economy. In many developed
and developing countries worldwide, agriculture contributes a huge percentage of the national income. In fact,
most developing countries’ annual revenue is over 50% dependent on agriculture. Taxes collected from
industries, workers, as well as those imposed on agricultural products are very important towards the effective
development of the national economy.
 However, recent studies have revealed a decreasing pattern of agriculture’s contribution to the national
economy. It has been noted that the more the country is developed, the less the agricultural contribution.
Contribution of the agricultural sector in Guyana in 2019

 For that indicator, we provide data for Guyana from 1960 to 2019. The average value for Guyana
during that period was 24.18 percent with a minimum of 12.37 percent in 2019 and a maximum of
43.79 percent in 1992. The latest value from 2019 is 12.37 percent. For comparison, the world
average in 2019 based on 144 countries is 10.46 percent.
Contributes to National Income
Agricultural contribution to GDP 2010 - 2019
The basic source of food
All living things must eat Scene from Bourda Market

 Whether developed, developing or
underdeveloped country, having a stable
source of food supply is very important.
Heavy population pressure especially in
developing and underdeveloped countries
leads to increased demand for food.
 That being said, if agriculture doesn’t

meet the increased demand for food, the
country’s economic growth rate can be
adversely affected. In short, if your
workforce is well fed, then the production
will definitely increase.
Infrastructural development
 Almost every country in the world is constantly

trying to improve its infrastructure with agriculture
playing an integral part. With well-organized
infrastructure, the country will also experience rapid
economic development. This is because good
infrastructure enables quick means of transport and
communication for agricultural goods – both raw and
finished.
 Infrastructures such as roads, railways, market
yards, airports, postal services, and many more will be
quickly develop or improve to facilitate quick
transportation of agricultural products.
Provide raw materials for industries
 In developing countries, industries play a very important

role in developing their economies. Apart from being a great
source of employment, industries also need to buy raw
materials for producing finished goods. A huge chunk of
these raw materials is directly from agriculture. Materials
such as cotton are use in textile industries as raw materials.
In addition, products like tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, and
dairy products provide raw materials for various important
industries like leather and sports industries.
Source of employment
 Creating employment to the masses is also another

important role that agriculture plays in any economy. Many
laborers depend on agriculture to get their wages. They can
include, grass cutters, tractor drivers, farming apparatus
technicians, or anyone who is directly involved in farming
activities. That said, agriculture allows manpower to be
shifted between the agricultural and non-agricultural
sectors.
 Furthermore, agriculture plays an important role in
decreasing rural poverty. Improved irrigation methods,
seeds, and fertilizers have led to increased agricultural
production in rural areas. Therefore, most developing and
under develop countries are embracing agriculture to
combat their high rate of unemployment in their fast-
growing population.
Source of foreign exchange
 In developing countries like ours, agricultural goods are

mainly for export. Products such as rice, coconut, sugar, and
many more are predominantly meant for export. That being
said, if a country is able to export a lot of agricultural
products as a result of increased productivity, the foreign
exchange earnings will also increase.
 Also, as development gains momentum because of

industrialization, the total percentage of the country’s
agricultural export is likely to decrease as they’re need
domestically. This, in turn, conserves foreign currency.
In short, increased production of agricultural products
not only earns and conserves foreign exchange but also
expand other economic sectors
Source of foreign exchange
Agriculture export as a
The Guyana shop with manufactured products at the percentage of GDP - Guyana
Guyana Marketing Corporation on Robb Street
Georgetown
Development of the banking sector
As agriculture becomes more and more commercialized, the
banking sector has in turn experienced tremendous growth. As
most governments realize how important agriculture is,
measures have to be taken to ensure farmers’ earnings are safely
kept. Additionally, farmers require credits at low interest rates,
thus formation of lots of financial institutions with credit
facilities. This way, the banking sector is quickly developed

Different grades of rice
Decreased discontent
If a country is experiencing slow growth in the agricultural

sector, this can lead to a lot of discontentment amongst the
masses. It could be that the masses are unemployed or they’re
simply hungry. This kind of environment is certainly not good
for any democratic government to effectively run the economy.
Also, investors can be scare away from investing in such a
country.
That said, minimal political and social tensions are very

important for economic development. Agricultural progress can
give most people hope of a better tomorrow. Hence agriculture Spring Festival Known as ------
is very important on social and political grounds
A Basis for 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
Researchers at a coconut
nursery
Reference
 Agricultural Science for Secondary Schools in Guyana: Book 1 by Edward O’D

Williams et al
 Agriculture for CSEC: New Edition Revision Course: by Sahadeo Ragoonanan
 https://www.farmingportal.co.za

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Agricultural Science

 For any country to successfully sustain a stable economic growth, improvement in

national economy cannot be underestimated.

Contribution of the agricultural sector in Guyana in 2019

All living things must eat Scene from Bourda Market

 That being said, if agriculture doesn’t

 Almost every country in the world is constantly

 In developing countries, industries play a very important

 Creating employment to the masses is also another

 In developing countries like ours, agricultural goods are

 Also, as development gains momentum because of

As agriculture becomes more and more commercialized, the

banking sector has in turn experienced tremendous growth. As

most governments realize how important agriculture is,

measures have to be taken to ensure farmers’ earnings are safely

kept. Additionally, farmers require credits at low interest rates,

thus formation of lots of financial institutions with credit

facilities. This way, the banking sector is quickly developed

If a country is experiencing slow growth in the agricultural

That said, minimal political and social tensions are very

Work in agriculture has led to investigations into plant and

 Agricultural Science for Secondary Schools in Guyana: Book 1 by Edward O’D

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