Africa Essay, Research Paper
Agricultural Problems facing the African Nations
Africa is a nation hit by many agricultural problems. As a majority, Africa is a
desert type climate. Rainfall is heavy and quick, leaving soil deeply engraved by the
pounding of the rain. It falls for such a short period of time, not allowing the ground to
soak up the moisture before it is evaporated into the air because of the heat. Droughts
attack the nations often never providing enough food to sustain the rising population of
the nations. African families are growing bigger and bigger by the year. One in every
seven children is going to die before school age. That means that the nation is under the
impression that bigger is better. Bigger families will provide children left after the
unforgivable ratio is met. This leads to Africa not being able to met the food
requirements needed to sustain families of larger size. In 1980 Africa had a decline in
production of food products. Droughts are leading to no crop output, dying cattle, and
starving peoples. Since 1977 to date over 600,00 people have died from starvation,
another 19 million are starving, and 150 million are begin to feel the pull of no where to
turn for the nourishment they are beginning to lack. Another problem recognized is the
Tsetse fly. This little insect is a big problem among the livestock of the farmers in
Africa. This fly carries a deadly serum which when introduced to the cattle it grows into
a panasomiasis parasitic infection. As mentioned before this rapidly kills the mammal
infected and therefore reduces the size of the herd. This fly is most often found in the
humid regions of Africa where farming would be a possible success if not for the
negative affect of this tsetse fly. Other problems for the African people are dust bowls
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created by dry winds and no moisture. These dust bowls provide little or no chance for
growth but still have a population living in the area. In areas where there is a increase in
rain many of the people are to weak to cultivate the land. They don t have the seeds from
last years crop to begin growing the new crops. And many have given up and moved
away to try other lands for success. Nations such as United States, Britain, France and
many of the other advanced have been blamed for not stepping in sooner to help in
stopping the starvation of the African country as a whole. They are blamed for being
slow to respond and that organizations such as United Way are not accurately distributing
the goods to those who need them most.
This day and age Africa is trying to solve their own problems. They have began
a new program called Agroforestry. This is the growth of trees, tree farms, giving them
another item of trade in the exporting market. They have also began the use of
microbasins. Microbasins are similar to the man-made lakes in the United States.
Providing water form designated collection points in agricultural areas. Groups of
farmers begin well-digging projects and found that to also be a great success.
The biggest push of the African nations is water conservation. They began to realize that
water is a precious commodity for their nation, and they need to ration it as such.
Africa is a nation of numerous resources and potential good use of those
resources. Government is in internal conflict on how to use them and for what parts of
the nation should they focus. Positives have been gained and gradually Africa will
overcome these difficulties the have faced. Africa will survive.
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REFERENCES
1. Goff,R (199 ). The Twientieth Century. McGraw-Hill, Inc. New York.