The quality and quantity of the different crops grown in your community, comparing the past to the present

Hello colleague steemians in this wonderful community. Today I write a post about the different quality and quantity of different crops grown in my community and their examples. Thanks to @thegreens for such wonderful contest.

Sagnarigu is the name of my community which is located in Ghana in Tamale. In this community majority of the people are involved in crop farming as their main source of livelihood. They are also involved in other forms of farming and highly depends on the rains for crop production. Most of the people here are involved in sustainable farming to feed them selves and the remaining is been sold out. Only a few are involved in large scale farming.

THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CROPS CULTIVATED IN MY COMMUNITY AND HOW PRODUCTIVE THE FARMING IS

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Some one might asked what a crop is?
A crop is a plant that is farmed to be harvested and it’s produces is been used as food or sold out for profit. Crops can be put into 4 groups which are the;

1. Food crops which mainly involves rice, millets, maize, wheats etc.

2. Horticulture crops which involves fruits and vegetables

3. Plantation Crops which involves coffee, coconut, tea etc.

4. Cash Crops which involves sugarcane, tobacco, cotton etc.

From the above, not all of the different groups can be found in my community. But about half of the crop types can be found farmed in my community.
Below are the list of the crops that can be found farmed in my community, Sagnarigu.

The crops that are grown in Sagnarigu are maize, cassava, yam, groundnut, tomato, pepper, beans, rice, sugarcane, Onions and millet.

How is the productive of the farming of the cops

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Productivity of the crops farmed in Sagnarigu depends on the rainfall since majority of the farmers here depends on the rains for farming. So whenever there is a low record of rain, crops yield low and whenever there is high record of rain, farmers produce high yield.

But over the years now, due to climate change and other factors, the record of rainfall has been very low and farmers can even tell when the raining season begins to die to this, they’re are faced with a lot of challenges when farming. They end up involved in the farming very late and at the time the crops are maturing, the rains stop and therefore crops are affect.

But compared to some years ago farmers were never faced by such issues. You could tell the beginning of the raining seasons with the rainfall pattern and can even tell when the drey season will be beginning. Due to climate change, all these can’t be determined by a farmer anyone. So with this, crop production is on the average as compared to some years ago.

WHAT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME WITH RESPECT TO THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF THE CROPS GROWN IN MY COMMUNITY

With time, the quality and quantity of crops are changing with respect to some factors. Some of these factors help farmers produce high yields while others affect them in some ways.

TECHNOLOGY

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I am talking about technological factor first because technology had played a great role in our lives since they’re here to make our life simple and better. Technological innovations in crop production has played a vital role in the production of high crop yield for farmer in the world not excluding Sagnarigu. These innovations has made farming easier and simple for farmers in my community and with this, farmers are always assured of good and quality farm produces.

Some of these technological factors that has made farming easier and simple and also helped farmers produce good and quality yields include; pesticides, farm machinery, genetic varieties of plants etc.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR

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The environment factors affect Sagnarigu community are the biotic and abiotic factors. The property of the soil and the organisms in it play a major role in crop production. Before you start you farm you much consider this very factor first. Because this is what will help you determine whether you will make good and quality produces from your farm.

Climatic change also affect crop production is the major issues farmers in my community are facing. Over the years when climate change will low farmers produce high and quality yields but now only the quality of crop yield is assure due to the help of the technological factor but with the quality, it highly depends on the season. But it’s also on the average as compared to 7 years ago.

BIOLOGICAL FACTORS

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Diseases and pest has reduce the quality and quantity of my community. One might say why not use technological innovations like I mentioned early to prevent this.

That is what the farming years ago have been doing to always have good and quality yield but as at now due to climate change, new pests and disease can be founded with scientists haven’t discussed methods to control them.

Take arm worms for insists, these organisms have cost great lost to farmers involved in maize produces. They eat leaves of maize crops thereby depriving them from sunlight and growing well.

These pests and diseases have reduced the quantity and quality of crops in my community. But in some years ago, all these pest and disease where under control and farms always produce high yields.

CONCLUSION

For a farmer to have high quality and quantity of crops produce, he must consider all their factors and also must have control measures for the environmental and biological factors. Because they are the two main factors that can determine whether a farmer will produce high quality and quantity of crops.

Thanks you very much for reading my post. I hope you find it interesting.