Economic Activity (LEDC) – Farming In Kenya

Economic Activity (LEDC) – Farming in Kenya

Inputs Labour, land, capital, seeds, climate, soil, relief, machinery, fertilisers, water Processes/ Throughputs Ploughing, spraying, weeding, harvesting, sowing, milking, feeding, irrigation Outputs Crops, pollution, agricultural waste, profits, meat, wool, lambs, calves Linkages/ feedback

Types of Agriculture

Arable Growing crops Pastoral Rearing animals Mixed Growing crops and rearing animals

Subsistence Producing just enough for your own and your families consumption Commercial Producing enough to sell to make a profit

Nomadic Moving from one place to another especially with herds of animals Sedentary Farming in one place

Intensive High levels of input into a small area producing high yields Extensive Low inputs over a large area providing low yields

Farming can be a mixture of these types of Agriculture. For example, the Massai cattle herders in Kenya are both subsistence and nomadic farmers. Benefits Problems

Employment Dependence

Agriculture is the biggest employer in Agriculture makes up 24.4% of GDP, Kenya with 75% of the population working therefore any changes, such as long dry in farming. seasons affect the whole country dramatically.

Infrastructure Drought

Agriculture is a means through which main Kenya is prone to long dry seasons when transport and communications channels there is not enough rainfall to produce have been developed in Kenya. Efforts are crops or provide enough water for usually put in place to develop roads, animals. railway lines, and air travel to facilitate proper transport of agricultural produces. Some goods like vegetables and flowers are perishable and therefore need efficient transport network to deliver them to the market faster.

Environmentally friendly and Famine sustainable Since this is extensive farming and Extensive, nomadic farming allows areas creates such low yields there are times to recover naturally following spells of when there is not enough output agriculture. produced.

Self reliance Territorial Claims

People are free to follow traditional ways Conflict over land and resources has been of farming passed down through a long standing issue in Kenya. Tribal generations. to feed themselves without warfare is commonplace with access to dependence on the government or other fertile lands highly prized. countries for imported goods.