Modern agriculture is the ever-evolving approach to modern sciences, techniques, and technologies for better productivity in all farming operations. In this article, we will be looking at 11 Importance of Modern Agriculture.
Modern agriculture employs the use of modern methods of agriculture to increase farming efficiency, reduce farming maintenance and resources for food demand, and ease operations.
Its main objectives are to make all farm products available, continually develop the process of food production, and preserve this culture for all time to come. This time, it will be thriving because of digital tools, Technology, and data.
Food, clothing, and transportation are being made easier to handle, products are made more accessible to the masses through recent Technologies, manpower is focused on relevant areas, civilization is being contributed to, and more marketing base is realized.
The 11 Importance Of Modern Agriculture
Modern Agriculture has been helping out in constructing a well-structured agricultural sector and in this article, we’ll be briefly discussing 11 importance of modern agriculture.
Increased Production
Never had there been a time when the production of agriculture has been this massive. The use of modern methods of farming has so far increased production thereby meeting the needs of people. Whether as a subsistence or commercial farmer, the use of tools and methods of modern agriculture has made a huge production of food and livestock possible.
This has also made the production of not only food and livestock available, it has helped broaden the horizons of farming products to not only food and livestock but also the products from animals like dung for manure, animal skin for leather and clothing, cotton farming, etc
Faster Production Rate
If anything, the production of food and livestock should match the increasing rate of population.
Over a billion of the Earth’s population suffer from hunger, starvation, cold, and malnutrition, especially homeless individuals and all these can be reduced by agricultural production but the rate of these suffering people keeps on increasing with time so for its reduction to be possible, the rate of production needs to match and more suitably, surpass the number of persons in need of food, clothing and the needed farm produces which is what modern agriculture is taking care of.
Use Of Machines For Complex Farming Practices
better knowledge and developed farming methods are accompanied by complex methods of agriculture that will require the need of enhanced manpower and tactics thus the employment of the use of machines as one of the essential tools of modern agriculture.
These machines are programmed while some are manually handled and are being produced to take over the conventional methods of agriculture to make agriculture easier and more productive. These machines take on modern farming practices and make modern agriculture something to welcome in all the continents of the world.
Farm hazards Are Easily Controlled
Farming hazards like tractors and heavy machinery accidents, chemical exposure, Suffocation, Heat stress, severe injuries, and Animal-related injuries are easily controlled.
Proper facilities for farming are being made available, daily checks on machinery before an operation, animals are kept in a safe environment, use of air filters and masks, safety, and health teams, etc.
Some of these are mostly seen in farming establishments that are involved in agribusiness and this doesn’t require those in subsistence farming to have much to worry about but will ensure their safety through the use of safety tools that modern agriculture has to offer.
Improved Farming Practices
Modern agriculture has improved every aspect of farming practices like Sowing, Crop rotation, Agroforestry, Irrigation, Organic farming, Poultry, farming, Mixed farming, Cover crop, Dairy farming, and Harvesting.
The use of modern agricultural tools has helped in allowing farmers to leverage the availability of these tools to make the most out of agriculture and maximize this opportunity in making products both faster and healthy for consumption and use.
Improved Storage Facilities
Improved storage facilities and methods like silos, cribs, underground grain storage pits, drums, cans, bags and sacks, pyramid stackings, polythene bags, hermetic methods, store buildings, etc came with the introduction of modern agriculture and has this helped in the preservation of food and livestock.
Grains, birds, and tubers need storage as they will be needed in huge quantities. While they are not consumed at once, there would be a need for storage for future purposes.
Reduced Impact On The Ecosystem
Modern agriculture and agriculture in general have been one of the greatest contributors to ecosystem preservation. Exempting some practices, modern agriculture preserves more than destroys the ecosystem in many ways.
Due to the early scarcity of the right farming methods, the ecosystem suffered from some of the agricultural practices which still weren’t very damaging but have now been reduced through the introduction of practices of modern agriculture.
Increased Financial Yield
Modern agriculture has made it possible for the exportation of farm products, investment in agriculture, and the local sales of superior farm products to maximize the opportunity to make monetary profits.
Food crops, cash crops, fruit crops, and many more farm products have always dominated the financial market and thus produce the best commercial results.
The financial yields from agriculture seem to have been on the constant rise since the introduction of modern agriculture as it facilitates faster production, enough quantity, and quality, and is structured to enable a standard preservation method.
Pests Are Controlled
The curbing of pests and their harmful activities on the farm has been a cause for concern in agriculture from the onset. This has caused massive losses of crops and livestock in time past which eventually cripples the supply chain in some sort depending on the weight of damage caused.
The introduction of modern agriculture came with developed pest control methods for better and concern-free farming practices. Methods have developed biological, cultural, chemical, and physical methods of controlling vertebrates, invertebrates, weeds, and diseases which are all types of agricultural pests.
Supports Agribusiness
One of the major importance of modern agriculture is that it uses recent Technologies in support of the agriculture business commonly known as agribusiness. Agribusiness requires huge and fast production rates and this is being made possible through the use of modern agricultural tools and equipment.
Tractors, motorized plows, Combine Harvesters, Cultivators, Sprayers, Harrows, Baler, Manure spreaders, Seed drills, Backhoes, and Mowers make these modern farming methods easy and help promote better agricultural output.
Promotes The Utilization Of Technology and Knowledge
The utilization of Technology cannot be exempted as one of the importance of modern agriculture as it is an important factor when considering the reasons for agricultural development and is the crown of the importance of modern agriculture.
Blockchain software, artificial intelligence, digital engineering, Gene manipulation, and many more technological tools and knowledge bases have been helping farmers both in subsistence and commercial farming, to leverage the wide range of advanced and fascinating methods of agriculture.
What Are The Types Of Agriculture?
The two main types of agriculture are subsistence and commercial farming/agricultural practice which involve farming for oneself and farming for financial purposes respectively.
But then there are other types of farming practices which includes, Shifting Agriculture, Sedentary Agriculture, Mixed Farming, Nomadic Agriculture, Subsistence Farming, Intensive Farming, Commercial Agriculture, and Extensive Farming. There are many others but these are just to name a few important types of farming.
What Are The Benefits Of Agriculture?
Agriculture is the base of human life and survival from the start of time. Plants and animals have survived through tough times and seasons all of which have been mainly catered for by Agriculture, its produce, and its practice.
The list of the benefits of agriculture is numerous but most importantly agriculture benefits mankind in these ways:
- Human inspiration
- Provision of habitat
- Provision for your health
- Wealth provision
- Ecosystem preservation
- Structures a secure future for food
- Preserves soil fertility
All these and more can be achieved better with the right approach to agriculture, its development, and the Technologies employed.
Conclusion
The list of the importance of modern agriculture can continue and expand with time as without advancements in all aspects of life, there would be a great hindrance to development. Modern agriculture is a big step up to the normal ways of agriculture as it satisfies the never-ending needs of the present age.
The relevance of modern agriculture will fade in no near time rather it will continually grow and move with both trends and time making it dynamic and able to fit into any time and age of human development to make sure to provide crop, livestock, and everything possible that agriculture can provide. Do you have suggestions on the Importance of Modern Agriculture? Please leave a comment below.
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References
- www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au – Farm safety- risks and hazards
- www.investopedia.com – Agribusiness Explained: What It Is, Challenges, and Examples
- www.businesscompilerng.com – Types Of Farm Storage Facilities
- greentumble.com – Positive Effects of Agriculture on the Environment
