Secondary Engagement Programme

Christmas Term
Grade 10

Activity Sheets

Agricultural Science
 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME
OCTOBER 2020

WEEK 4

LESSON # 1

GRADE :10

SUBJECT : AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

TOPIC : DISTRIBUTION OF MAJOR CROPS
SUB TOPIC : MAJOR CROPS GROWN IN THE CARIBBEAN.
Objectives
To understand the importance of Commercial Agriculture.

To become acquainted with the major crops produced in the Caribbean countries.
INTRODUCTION

Agriculture in the Caribbean islands is concentrated in sugarcane, bananas, coffee, tobacco, and some citrus
and cocoa.

Two fundamentally different types of agriculture dominate: large-scale commercial or plantation agriculture and
small-scale semi subsistence or peasant farming.

Plantation farming provides the most exports, by value, whereas peasant farming involves far more human labor.

Caribbean agriculture operates under various natural and cultural restraints.

Most of the islands have rugged terrain, restricting productive agriculture to river valleys and coastal plains.
Typically, less than one-third of an island’s land area is suitable for crops.

On the human side, most peasant farms are restricted to steep, unproductive slopes, while plantations control
most of the productive lowland soils.

Population pressures have led to the loss of some of the best lands and have caused fragmentation of farmland.

Farm labor shortages, climbing wages, and foreign competition have added to the burden.
▶ Commercial Agriculture
Modern plantations own large tracts of land and
specialize in one crop, commonly sugarcane,
bananas, coconuts, coffee, rice or tobacco, etc.
▶ They are more mechanized and better managed
than colonial plantations.
The largest plantations are found on the largest
islands, especially Hispaniola, Jamaica, Guyana
and Puerto Rico.
▶ Peasant Farming
Peasant farming in the Caribbean began after
emancipation in the nineteenth century, when freed
slaves sought out the only land available, in the hills
and mountains. Unfortunately, this land is unsuitable
for crop agriculture, having thin and erodible soils.
Individual peasant farms average less than 5 acres (2
hectares) in area, often in disconnected plots.
▶ A variety of crops are raised, including fruits such as
mangoes, plantains and breadfruit; vegetables such
as yams, potatoes, and okra; sugarcane; and coffee.
 CARIBBEAN STATE - ANTIGUA

Major crop

Cotton Pineapples
 CARIBBEAN STATE - BARBADOS

Major crop

Sugar Cane Cotton

Caribbean state - Belize
Major crops

Sugar cane Citrus Corn

Beans Rice Bananas vegetables

Caribbean state – Dominica
Major crops

BANANAS COCONUTS CITRUS

CARIBBEAN STATE – GRENADA
MAJOR CROPS

Nutmeg Coca Bananas

CARIBBEAN STATE – GUYANA
MAJOR CROPS

Rice

Sugar Cane Timber

CARIBBEAN STATE – JAMAICA
MAJOR CROPS

Coffee Sugar Cane Bananas

CARIBBEAN STATE – ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
MAJOR CROPS

Cotton
Sugar Cane
CARIBBEAN STATE – ST. LUCIA
MAJOR CROPS

Bananas Coconuts Coca

Tobacco Ginger
CARIBBEAN STATE – ST. VINCENT
MAJOR CROPS

Bananas Root Crops

CARIBBEAN STATE – TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
MAJOR CROPS

Coffee coconut citrus

Copra Tobacco
SUMMARY
Antigua Cotton , pine , apple
CARIBBEAN
Barbados STATES MAJOR
Sugar caneCROPS
, vegetable
Belize Bananas, sugarcane, rice, citrus ,corn ,vegetables
Cuba Sugarcane, tobacco, potato, rice
Dominica Banana, citrus, coconut
Grenada Cocoa , nutmeg, banana, spice
Guyana Rice, sugarcane
Jamaica Coffee, sugarcane, bananas
Montserrat Banana, cotton
St.kitts & Nevis Cotton, sugar cane
St.lucia Banana, tobacco, ginger, cocoa
St.vincent Banana, root crops
Trinidad and Tobago Copra, coffee, cocoa, coconut, tobacco
Review questions
1. Explain commercial agriculture.
2. How has commercial agriculture positively impacted the Caribbean countries.
3. Which Caribbean country exports the most agriculture products?
4. List five value added agriculture products that Guyana exports.
5. Differentiate between commercial farming and peasant farming.
References
S. Ragoonanan,2011. Agriculture for C.S.E.C Revision Course. Caribbean Educational Publishers.
http://lifeofplant.blogspot.com/2011/10/caribbean-agriculture.html
https://classtalkers.com/2011/08/11/major-crops-in-the-caribbean/

video Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYyxB_xamYw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywLeBFRcvHM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfODg_u3elU