Factors Of Production In Agriculture

Production refers to all economic activities that result to production of goods and services. It is also a process of making and manufacturing goods. In order to create goods and services during production certain factors or resources must be put together.
The resources are called factors of production and it includes:
LAND
This can be defined as natural resources such as minerals, water, air space e.t.c. All farming activities are carried out on the land e.g. growing of crops, rearing of animals, fishery forestry, wildlife conservation.
Mineral resources such as gold, diamond, petroleum etc can be obtained from land and land can be used as collateral security to obtain loan from the bank.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LAND

1.   It is a free gift of nature

2.   It cannot be transferred

3.   It’s supply is limited

4.   It’s value is determined by its location

The reward of land is RENT. It can appreciate and depreciate

FACTORS THAT MAKES LAND APPRECIATE

1.   Fallowing

2.   Addition of fertilizer or manure

3.   Weeding

4.   Irrigation

5.   Increase in population density

FACTORS THAT MAKES LAND DEPRECIATE

1.   Erosion

2.   Infestation by pests and diseases

3.   Overgrazing

4.   Continuous cultivation

5.   Dumping of Toxic materials

6.   Water logging

LABOUR

     This is mental and physical effort that is put into production. It could be skilled or semi-skilled and unskilled. The size and the quantity influence output (production) because it converts natural resources into usable product. It is made available to the farm in different ways, these are:

1.   Personal labour:  Carried out by owner of the farm

2.   Family labour: Carried out by the members of farmer’s family

3.   Communal labour: Carried out by the neighbors

4.   Hired labour: Carried out by people who are paid on daily, weekly basis

The reward for labour is wages and salaries

CAPITAL

Capital includes all man-made production asset used in production. It may also be defined as assets that are needed not for the satisfaction, they are provided directly but for the production of other goods and services.

 It includes farm tools e.g. cutlass hoe e.t.c Farm machinery e.g. tractor, plough, harrow, ridger  Stored produce e.g. yam, rice, maize  Buildings, e.g. farm house, production shield  Crops in the field e.g. maize, yam, okro Equipments e.g. tractors, bulldozer  Livestock e.g. cattle, sheep, goat and Cash known as liquid capital

Capital may be fixed or Variable

1.   Fixed Capital: This refers to durable goods that are replaced after a long time. In other words they are assets required for continuous use in production. They are items or materials which are not used up in production e.g. machine, buildings, equipments, tools, incubator etc
2.   Variable/Working Capital: This capital or asset used in the day to day running of a business enterprise. They are used up during production and they include.
a.    Farm input such as fertilizer, herbicides, planting materials e.tc. capital needed for repayment of workers’ wages and salaries
b.   The capital needed for the maintenance of farm buildings and structures
c.     The money needed for the purchase of livestock feeds and drugs. The reward of capital in INTEREST.

MANAGEMENT/ENTREPRENEUR

Management refers to person or group of people who coordinates, organize and control the use of other factors of production for a successful output. The management determines:

1.   What to produce?

2.   When to produce?

3.   How to produce?

4.   To recruit worker etc

The profitability of a farm is a function of the management team.

FUNCTIONS OF THE MANAGER ORGANIZATION

The functions of a  Farm Manager includes:

i.             Organization

ii.           Administration

iii.         Production

iv.         Marketing

v.           Evaluation.

This involves setting out target for production in an orderly manner that befits all production processes. Organization also include

a.  determination of what to produce

a.    Determine the scale of production (large or small scale)

b.   Arrangement of input

c.    Procuring capital for production

e.  Recruiting workers  

ADMINISTRATION

Administrative functions of farm manager include:

a.    Supervision of work on the farm

b.   Directing staff on day to day activities

c.    Payment of staff salaries

d.   Ensuring welfare of staff

e.    Rewarding or discipline of staff based on their performance

PRODUCTION

This is the actual target of any farm enterprise. The activities that are connected with production on the farm include:

a.    Purchase and use of farm inputs

b.   Ensuring proper care for crops and animals

c.    Avoidance of wastage

d.   Combining resources in adequate quantity for optimum production

MARKETING

     This is the disposal of finished goods; the farm manager is expected to:

a.    Determine the quantity of produce to sell at a particular time.

b.   Determine the selling price

c.    Determine the best marketing channel for maximum profit

d.   To process and store

EVALUATION

This is the assessment of performance for future plans and improvement

a.    Appropriate records must be kept

b.   Analyse the account and books kept on all operation carried out on the farm

c.    Assessment of staff or workers performance

d.   Development of new strategies


PROBLEMS OF FARM MANAGER

1.   Inadequate information

2.   Inadequate farm input

3.   Shortage of fund/funding problem

4.   Inadequate personnel

5.   Bad/unstable government policy

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