Factors Affecting Land Availability for Agricultural Purposes

1. Ecological Factors:

The nature of the land determines the suitability of the land for agricultural purposes. A dry and hot swampy land will be suitable for livestock farming, while wet and swamp land will be good for swampy rice production.

2. Socio-Cultural Factors:

Some cultural factors may forbid the rearing of certain animals. For instance, the Islamic religion forbids the rearing of pigs in the environment.

3. Population Pressure:

Population pressure is almost certainly the most important factor affecting land use. As population and earning potential increase, demand for developed urban land also increases, transitioning land away from agricultural and forest uses while also driving up land value.

4. Climatic Conditions:

Wet and rainy conditions favour tree crop production; while dry climate with little rain favours livestock production like goats, sheep, and cattle.

5. Economic Factors:

Stable capital or finance encourages agricultural activities while inadequate intensive finance does not encourage intensive agricultural production.

6. Problems of Land Tenure Systems:

The type of land tenure practice in an area will determine whether such land will be available or not for agricultural production.

7. Level of Land Degradation:

The extent of land degradation will determine whether such land will be available for agricultural purposes.

8. Level of Soil Fertility and Soil Type:

Fertile soils will support agricultural activities, whereas, poor infertile soils do not support crop farming.

9. Topography of the Land:

Flat or gentle slope of the land encourages farming, while the undulated or rough situation of the land discourages farming activities because of the exposure of the land to regular erosion.

10. Socio-economic Factors:

Socio-economic factors like gender, age, education, wealth, household size and residence status are significant determinants of forest products use. Household size significantly influenced agriculture expansion and population growth. Agriculture expansion and population growth are significant determinants of changes in land use and land cover.

Evaluation Questions: