Production is rhe process of combining and converting input to give rise to output. This process is aided by Land, Labour, Capital and Management (Entrepreneurship) all otherwise referred to as factors of production. So therefore factors of production are the resources that ensure the production of goods in agriculture.

Land refers to where productive activities such as growing crops, rearing of animals and establishing farmsteads, etc., are carried out.it is the most important asset of the farmer. Land for agricultural production can be acquired in the following ways

Purchase: outright buying the land and assuming full ownership.

Lease/Rent: paying the land owner (individual/government) a stipulated amount to gain access to using the land for a stipulated time.

Gift

Inheritance

Land is limited in supply (its amount cannot be increased in a geographical area), and thus its availability for agricultural practice is largely dependent on

Population growth (the more people, the less available land for agricultural practices)

Land tenure system: This refers to how land is acquired.

Topography

Ecological and fertility status of the soil.

Economic factors such as the cost of land, availability of capital to start up, cost of cultivating on the land, ease of transporting produce to the market, laws of the land, etc.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LAND

Land is a gift of nature or a natural resource.
It is immobile (fixed factor).
It is subject to the law of diminishing returns.
The reward of land is rent collected from tenants.
Availability is subject to the Land Use Act in Nigeria.
It is limited in supply, especially in highly populated areas.
Its suitability influences output
Its quality can be improved by various methods.
Its value is determined by its location
Land can appreciate or depreciate.

USES OF LAND

Land use is broadly divided into two:

AGRICULTURAL USES OF LAND

The following are uses of land by farmers/in agriculture:

for forestry
for establishing a game reserve/wildlife conservation.
for livestock production such as fish farming, apiculture, rearing pigs, etc.
for crop farming.
as collateral for loans.

NON-AGRICULTURAL USES OF LAND

The following are non-agricultural uses of land

Land is used for construction purposes, e.g roads, airports, etc.
Land is used for social or recreational purposes, e.g. stadia, schools, markets, etc
Land is used for residential buildings.
Land can also be used for industrial buildings
Land can also be used for mining purposes, e.g extraction of petroleum, gold, etc

APPRECIATION OF LAND

Land can appreciate (increase) in its value through the following ways:

Fallowing- allowing farmlands to rest, thereby regaining their lost nutrients.
Addition or use of fertilisers or manure to increase its fertility.
Use of clean, uninfected inputs, e.g. planting materials like seeds.
Weeding/clearing to remove weeds that compete with crops for nutrients and space
Good and appropriate soil tillage can prevent soil erosion.
Irrigation- the artificial application of water to soil to supplement insufficient rain.
Good access roads – to ensure proper usage of land
Good drainage- the artificial removal of excess water from soil to promote crop growth.
Increase in population density, which makes land expensive to acquire.

DEPRECIATION OF LAND

Land can depreciate or decrease in its use or value through the following ways:

Erosion menace- this removes the topsoil
Infestation by weeds- these remove weeds from the oil
Infestation by pests- these pests reduce the yield of crops if present in the soil.
Infestation by disease- this also reduces the yield of crops.
Continuous cultivation without the use of fertilisers or manure.
Land abuse, e.g overgrazing, indiscriminate bush burning.
Dumping of toxic materials tends to reduce soil fertility.
Waterlogging – this also reduces soil fertility and land for farming.

GENERAL EVALUATION

Define a land.
Mention eight characteristics of land
State five Non- non-agricultural Uses of Land.
List five ways through which land can appreciate and depreciate.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

___ allow farmlands to rest thereby regaining their lost nutrients. A. Irrigation B. Drainage C. Crop rotation D. Fallowing
Land can appreciate in its value through the following, except A. Use of fertilisers, B. Irrigation, C. Water-logging, D. Good drainage
Dumping of toxic materials on land can reduce ___ A. soil structure, B. soil texture,e C. soil fertility, D. soil porosity
The reward of land is ____ A. rent, B. wages, C. interest, D. loan. Land can be used as collateral for? A. Profit B. loans C. Debt D. Wages

THEORY

What is a land?
List five characteristics of land.

FACTORS OF PRODUCTION (LAND)