ABSTRACT
This study is concerned with the production of sugarcane, cocoyams, Irish potatoes and other new crops introduced in Mwaghavul land and the traditional crops in existence prior to these ones, from 1850-1980. Mwaghavul land is located in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. It is situated on the South-Eastern escarpment of Jos Plateau and covers a land area of about 295 Square kilometers. The purpose of the study is to analyze the production of these new crops in Mwaghavul land as against the traditionally grown crops of the pre-colonial times. The study dwells on the fact that agriculture, crop agriculture in particular, being the main stay of the economy of the Mwaghavul people from pre-colonial period to the 1980s, has witness significant changes due to the increasing commercialization of the economy. This has given rise to different types of agricultural cropping such as mono cropping and mixed cropping etc. The focus of this study therefore, is to analyze gradual disappearance of the traditional crops, the introduction of the new crops and its commoditization in Mwaghavul land. It is also to examine the challenges associated with the production of the new crops and to suggest possible solutions and recommendations for a better yield.The study is also an attempt to investigate the manner in which new crops had being adopted and the processes and factors which facilitate the transformation of the rural agricultural activities. The study utilizes various sources such as oral, archival, books, journals, articles, thesis, and dissertations. The findings of this research include the relative absence of mechanized agricultural crop production in Mwaghavul land. Agricultural cropping is costly and tasking. From the findings of this research the following recommendations have been made, these include provision of machines, tools by government, training and registration of agricultural croppers and formation of cooperative societies by farmers in Mwaghavul.
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The choice of agricultural land used has for some times, been a focus of many research efforts by researchers, including geographers, ecologists and economists. In crop agriculture in particular, the emphasis is on the distribution of the crops, soil type and the types of other rural economy that will enhance man’s livelihood.
Most of Nigerian rural populations are farmers who engage in the cultivation of various crops for their livelihood. However, the production of these crops depends largely on natural and human factors such as climate, soil, topography agricultural inputs and political factors.
Agriculture is a vital base for the existence of any society in the world and also one of the major sectors of the Nigerian economy which generates about 50% of the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP).Crop production is paramount where a greater number of people are self employed to ensure a food situation that will feed the increasing population of the area. Besides most manufacturing industries use agricultural products (agro-base).1
Food production is obviously one of the most important human activities. The history of agriculture which also includes agricultural tools dates back to perhaps between 7,000 and 4,000 B.C.2 It is difficult and sometimes misleading to point out a single origin of agriculture because at different times and in different places many plants and animals have been domesticated depending on the climate, taste of the people and availability of such species in a given area. Thus, each society has its independent history of plant and animal domestication.
Generally speaking, the domestication of plants and animals started during the Neolithic period. The earliest form of agriculture involved the use of crude tools of stones and wood and most of the crops and animals domesticated were found around Man.3 With the migration of people from one region to the other, there was the diffusion of agricultural practices and ideas among various societies.
The domestication of plants and animals is one of the most important breakthroughs in the history of man because it had and still has some far reaching consequences on his way of life. Man, who was initially a hunter-gatherer, abandon such life and took to sedentism (settling down in one place) after mastering the seasons and careful selection of plants and animal species. Domestication guaranteed a steady supply and man concentrated on production which surplus was generated. The existence of a surplus made it possible for man to store for future use and partly for exchange. Surplus also enabled man to have plenty of leisure times to be involved in other economic pursuits such as manufacturing (handicrafts), trading and the invention of new ideas to ease his problems.
Thus, as the physical and mental ability of man developed so also did he apply these to various activities including agriculture. In most African societies in general, and in Mwaghavul land in particular, the system of traditional agriculture adopted by farmers, have always been able to produce an adequate food supply. Mass famines have been very rare, except for pest attacks and bad farming seasons.4
Sugarcane, now one of the major grass plant produced for consumption which also serves as a source of raw material in sugar manufacturing industries in many parts of West Africa, most importantly it is a source of sustainable clean energy that is free from pollutants. In Mwaghavul Land in particular, the south western part of the Local Government, Sugarcane is an important crop apart from maize (zea mays), Soyabeans (glyane max), Sweet potato (ipomea batatas), Cocoyam and others. Sugarcane, a tall perennial grass is a specie and hybrid that belong to the family of gramineae. It is indigenous to tropical South and Southeast Asia. Around the eighth Century AD, Arab traders introduced sugarcane from south Asia to the other parts of the Abbasid Caliphate in the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, Egypt, North Africa, and Andalusia and into the riverine areas of West Africa like Burkinafaso, Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia. They are grown in swamps in northern Nigeria around Kano Bida, Zaria and Sokoto.5
Irish potatoe, which was first domesticated in the region of modern day southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia between 8000 and 5000 BC has since spread around the world and become a staple crop in many countries it is believed that it entered Africa with the coming of the colonialist who consumed it as vegetable rather than as staple starch. It was first grown mostly at the Canary Islands.6
In Mwaghavul land, Kerang, Ampang West and Mangun districts of Mangu, Irish potatoes was grown for early missionary consumption. Latter it was grown for commercial purposes. With improved varieties it was wide spread on the central and southern plateau.
1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Study
The paramount aim of this study is to;
i. To state the economic and agricultural values of these crops over the pre-existing traditional tuber crops.
ii. To see the changing nature and challenges between the production of traditional food crops and the introduction of other cash crops such as sugarcane, Irish potato, cocoyam etc.
iii. To see whether or not these new crops have added to food security in Mwaghavul land.
iv. The objective of this study is to identify the challenges faced by the introduction of these crops.