Abstract

The aspect of agriculture is not a new one, it had existed since the creation of man till today. This work has focused on Constraints to Agricultural development in Kikaikelaki. It examines the various constraints to agricultural development in Kikaikelaki and the types of crop cultivated. Data was gotten from both Primary and secondary sources.

Primary data was gotten through the use of questionnaires while secondary data was gotten from already published works on agriculture and the appraisal of library sources. Data was analyzed and presented in tabular form, Histograms, bar charts, and percentages using some method of statistical analysis. The study reveals that Human factors are not a major Constraint to Agricultural Development in Kikaikelaki. In the final analysis, recommendations were being made and if implemented,  will solve problems that beset the study area and this will boost the agricultural sector.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1.Background To The Study

Agriculture is the most important form of human activity and it includes not only the cultivation of crops but the rearing of livestock. Agricultural land is one of the most important resources in the world. About 10% of the world’s land is used for agriculture Jerome (2002) . The various agricultural systems carried out by man vary from one place to another and this makes the classification of these agricultural systems difficult.

The agricultural systems carry out by man range from Arable, Pastoral, Mixed farming, Intensive and extensive farming systems, commercial and subsistence, sedentary and Nomadic, Shifting and Bush fallowing just to mention a few. Irrespective of the agricultural systems being carried out by man, the aim is to increase output so as to provide food for the population.

One of the dominant systems of agriculture practice by man is the subsistence system of farming. It is practiced mostly in the tropics especially in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Subsistence agriculture is done through the use of rudimentary tools like hoes, cutlasses, and sticks. The subsistence agricultural system in most cases is labour intensive, which is done manually and supply by the farmer and his family. F.A.O (1994).

Rapid population growth has led to intensive agriculture to increase output so as to make up for the increasing food demands of the growing population. Approximately two-thirds of the world’s population are farmers more especially in rural areas, where agriculture is the main and most important economic activity. About 70% of the rural population are engaged in agriculture more especially subsistence agriculture and shifting cultivation all aimed at supplying food to the family. Rubenstein 1996.

The agricultural revolution in North America after independence has equally lead to an increase in the food supply. This is because immediately after independence, there was rapid population growth, and given the limited amount of food for the population, new agricultural techniques and farming strategies were adopted up catch up with the increasing population.

1.2 Problem Of Statement

Agriculture is known as the backbone of every economy, especially in Less Economically Develop Countries when it comes to the contribution of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. This is the case in Cameroon where about 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture. Despite this large percentage of the population involved in agriculture, the output is still generally low and contributes only about 40% to the Nation’s Gross National Product, FAO (1994). This situation is not different in Kikaikelaki where about 90% of the population are farmers.

Despite this large involvement and over-dependent on agriculture by inhabitants of Kikaikelaki, output from the farms is still very low as the farmers tend to live from hand to mouth. These persistent yields can be attributed to poor farming methods like slash and burn, Ankara system as well as bush fallowing together with inadequate capital, the land tenure system,labour, fluctuation in climatic conditions, poor soils, undulating relief, and failure of Agricultural Officials to sensitize and educate the population on new agricultural techniques and mismanagement of government funds to subsidize the agricultural sector. With the rapid increase in population, there is high demand for food and as such if agricultural constraints are not well tackled, food production will not match with the increasing population.

1.3. Objectives of the Study

1.3.1. Main objective

The main objective of this study is to examine the constraints to agricultural development in Kikaikelaki.

1.3.2. Sub-objectives

1. To identify the physical and human constraints to agricultural development in Kikaikeleki.
2. To examine the different farming systems practice in Kikaikelaki.
3. To identify the different types of crops cultivated in KIkaikelaki.
4. To propose possible solutions and recommendations to these constraints to agricultural development in KIkaikelaki.

1.4 Hypothesis

This research work is guided by the following hypothesis,

Ho: Human factors are a major constraint to agricultural development in Kikaikelaki.

H1: Human factors are not major constraints to agricultural development in Kikaikelaki.