Agriculture

cotton
12%

State one major use for each of the crops below: (3)
· cotton: making clothes/garments/furnishing fabrics/bed linen/industrial
fabrics/textiles/yarn/wearing
· rice: (staple) food/diet/nutrition/animal fodder/eating/consumption
· tobacco: recreation/cigars/cigarettes/pipes/medicine/
pharmaceuticals/smoking/chewing

Rice is normally grown on a large scale for commercial purposes in Punjab

and Sindh. Small-scale subsistence farming is practiced in the Northern
regions where rice is grown on terraced fields.

Describe the processes involved in the growing of rice. (4)

• rice seeds are sown/grown/planted in beds/nurseries;
• bunds and terraces are repaired to ensure water stays in the field;
• fields are prepared by ploughing/weeding;
• fields are flooded (to a depth of 37 cm/14–15 inches);
• water is diverted from rivers or irrigation canals;
• when the plant is big enough/23 cm/9 inches it is planted in the fields;
• fertiliser/manure is added, giving plants more nutrients for better growth;
• the fields are kept full of water/flooded until the rice is ripe;
• the water is drained off (by making holes in the bunds).

Explain how two natural factors affect rice production. You should develop your answer. (4)
• temperature; mean temperature of 20-30 oC /warm/hot temperatures needed/cold temperatures would harm
the crop/dry period/warm/sunny period needed for harvesting;
• rainfall; high/heavy/plenty of rainfall needed of at least 1270 mm/over 2000 mm is best/heavy rain can
destroy the crop close to harvest time;
• humidity; high during the 4–6 months growing period; leads to the best quality/highest yields of rice;
• land; level/flat/plain land for flooding/ease of irrigation/to facilitate the use of machinery/easier to
sow/plough/harvest;
• soil; fertile/loamy/clayey/alluvium is needed/soils that do not drain quickly so the rice plants stay
wet/impervious sub-soil to retain water/rice grows best in waterlogged soils;
• pest attacks/diseases; can destroy the whole crop/ decrease yields especially during hot spells e.g. leaf curl
virus.

A Peshawar/Charsadda/Nowshera B Faisalabad/Sargodha/Jhang/Kasur/Lahore/Gujranwala/Sheikupura C
Badin/Sanghar/Hyderabad/Mirpur Khas

(ii) Name two by-products from sugar cane processing and give a use of each of
them. [4]
Bagasse
Paper/chipboard/baskets/animal feed/fuel
Molasses
Animal feed/bakers’ yeast/synthetic rubber/packaging/chemical industry/
citric acid/alcohol/fuel

Describe what is meant by ‘subsistence farming’. [2]

. Products consumed by family/ to meet needs of family
. Not commercial/not for sale
. Natural inputs/ example described e.g. dung used as fertiliser / traditional farming implements/tools / small
output

Explain why some farmers are subsistence farmers. [3]

. Land is small size/marginal/infertile/fragmented (therefore unable to use machinery/tractors)
. Poverty (therefore need to grow own food) (therefore cannot afford modern inputs/named modern input)
. Lack of markets/access to market
. Lack of named modern inputs e.g. HYVs / machinery/technology / artificial fertilisers Lack of
education/skills/illiterate
. Power of landords/Zamindari system
Remote from markets/shops (and therefore need to feed themselves)

Suggest two disadvantages of subsistence farming.

May not grow enough food to eat/only small amounts grown; May not produce enough surplus crop to
sell/earn money; Labour intensive;
Reliant on the weather/crop could fail; etc.

Cash crop farming

Cash-crop farming is the practice of growing crops to be sold for a profit. Modern farming methods are used
eg farm machinery, HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers etc.

⇒ livestock farming: The rearing / taking care / feeding / keeping of animals.

⇒ Pastoral farming: is aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops.
⇒ Uses of livestock on farm:
Pulling a cart / draught power;
∞ Ploughing / preparing field / threshing;
∞ Irrigation / Persian Wheel;
∞ Milking;
∞ Herding;
∞ Carrying loads / transporting goods / people;
∞ Breeding;
∞ Producing of manure / (natural) fertiliser.

With ref to fig 1.1 Describe the distribution of buffalo in Pakistan:

∞ Only in Sindh and Punjab;

∞ Mostly in a line along the eastern border of Pakistan / mostly in Punjab / in eastern Punjab;
∞ One region in south east / Central Sindh / around Hyderabad;
∞ Upper Indus Plain;
∞ Along rivers / canals / near named rivers;
On flatter land / where land not rugged.

Suggest two reasons why buffalo are kept in these regions.

Prefer to be in water most of the time / can cool down in water;
∞ Canal irrigated areas / areas where water plentiful;
∞ Lowland climate / mild temperature / where climate is not too extreme / cold / hot;
∞ Where higher demand for buffalo products / examples of products;
∞ Buffalo cannot climb hills / survive in mountainous / hilly areas / rugged landscape.

How natural factors can create problems for buffalo farmers. You should develop your answer:
Natural factors such as:
∞ Weather / climate - cannot tolerate cold weather so buffaloes die;
∞ Availability of water - like to spend most of their time in water, otherwise will dehydrate / give poor quality
meat and milk;
∞ Topography - limits where buffalo can be reared;
∞ Poor soils - will produce poor quality grazing / buffalo become undernourished;
∞ Disease - cost of vaccination / vet fees;
∞ Flooding - results in drowning / loss of animals;
∞ Lack of tree cover - no shade for animals and farmer has to build sheds / plant trees.

Crop farming

What type of crop is wheat? Rabi

Describe the methods used to cultivate wheat on a small-scale subsistence farm.

• land is ploughed with a traditional wooden plough and bullocks/draught power;
• well irrigation is used e.g. charsa/Persian wheel or rainwater is used.
• sowing/harvesting/examples done by hand/work done by hand/family/no machinery used;
• grain is separated from the chaff using animal power;
• cow dung used as manure;
• desi seeds are used;

Explain how two human factors can increase the production of any crop(wheat, rice) under the cash
crop farming system. You should develop your answer.
• loans/more money invested; from the government to buy machinery or named examples;
• machinery is required; as areas of land are too large to cultivate by hand;
• HYV’s can be used; the yield per hectare is approximately twice that of local or desi varieties;
• chemical fertilisers are used; to speed the growth so that two crops can be cultivated per year;
• pesticides are used; to prevent crops being ruined by pests/locusts or named examples;
• irrigation installed; e.g. replacing traditional methods with new modern methods such as sprinkler systems or
tubewells;
• land reforms; fields are larger so can use machinery;

(6)
Agree with View A more
• aimed at increasing productivity in some areas/for some crops;
• reduced power of a few landlords therefore more people able to increase output and earnings;
• larger areas of land are available to cultivate rather than many individual small holdings therefore able to
mechanise/use machinery;
Agree with View A less
• lack of will to implement this strategy;
• some Barani lands have incomplete land records so difficult to redistribute;
• land is traditionally passed from one generation to the next without legal documentation;
• wealthy landlords could use their influence to avoid land reform;
• most land remained in the hands of a few wealthy landlords;
Agree with View B more
• the production and use of fertiliser and/or pesticides is actively encouraged;
• chemical fertilisers are used to improve agricultural production by increasing soil fertility, and are popular
with farmers as many soils lack nitrogen/are infertile;
• use of pesticides helps the crop to grow healthy and protects it against insects/bugs/diseases/named
examples. Popular with farmers as yield is better quality and makes more profit;
Agree with View B less
• use of chemical fertilisers and/or pesticides has led to environmental degradation/land or water pollution;
• chemicals draining into rivers/water bodies causes algae growth using up oxygen/causes eutrophication fish
and plants die;
• water pollution affects towns and cities that are supplied by rivers, human health and other livestock;
• pesticides can remain in the crop which is then eaten causing illness - gastro-intestinal
infections/tuberculosis etc;
• use of chemicals causes more problems than it solves;

Explain why livestock is an important part of the agricultural sector. To what extent is it possible to
develop livestock farming further in Pakistan? [6]
[Level 3 (5–6 marks) Developed points explaining both views (possible and not possible). Evaluation giving
clear support to one view, with developed points explaining importance, and with at least one reference to an
appropriate example.]

Importance
Draft power/transport in rural areas (e.g. Persian Wheel)
Food /meat/milk/eggs (for fast growing population)
Dung as manure
Dung as a fuel source (domestic or biogas)
Source of raw materials/hides/skins/wool/hair/bones (especially for cottage industries/export potential/food
processing industries)
Possible/greater extent (= current or potential agricultural developments)
Government farms/initiatives (scientific/cross breeding for better quality/higher fertility rates / better diets/early
weaning diets for higher yields / training of vets for disease control)
Large scale multi-national/Australian dairy/poultry farms
Not possible/lesser extent
Poor systems of storage/marketing
High price of animal feed (especially if in or near cities, e.g. buffalo rearing)
Little access to vets/animal healthcare (and cannot be afforded by most poor farmers) Poor drainage/waste
disposal (e.g. much buffalo rearing still within cities causing lack of hygiene)
Shortage of funds

Evaluate the extent to which different strategies used to increase agricultural production in Pakistan
have been successful. Give reasons to support your judgement and refer to examples you have
studied. You should consider different points of view in your answer. [6]
Strategies to increase agricultural production
Ways waterlogging and salinity is being overcome/improved; Irrigation systems;
Mechanisation;
Improved seeds/examples/HYVs;
Loans for farmers;
Education/training;
Modernisation; etc.
. Strategies may not always succeed because Programmes may be restricted to specific areas/not
nationwide; Climate/relief may reduce effectiveness of strategies in some areas; Many farmers use traditional
methods;
Some farmers cannot afford to take loans;
Mechanisation may lead to unemployment; etc.

Evaluate the extent to which commercial poultry farming in Pakistan has overcome its challenges and
developed further
. Challenges
Increased demand for poultry products – reasons for this, e.g. increased population / preference for white
meat;
Diseases;
Air pollution / methane;
High production costs / feed;
High prices of meat / falling demand;
Power shortages;
Closure of farms;
Ban on poultry export to Afghanistan.
. Strategies
Government help through;
Improving power supply;
Legislation / guidelines for rearing poultry;
Securing international markets / free trade agreements; Vaccination programmes to prevent disease;
Incentives for farmers;
Lowering price of feed;
Use of poultry manure for fertiliser / in fish farms Etc.

Assess the extent to which the large amount of land currently used to grow wheat should be used to
grow other higher-value crops.
Agree because:
• wheat does not contribute very much to the economy but almost half of the cultivated land area is used for
wheat;
• still need to import wheat as unable to meet current demand;
• environmental factors affect the production of wheat so in some years production is low;
• high value crops will earn more money for the economy/increase GDP;
• would have to import less high value crops; Etc. Disagree because:
• land reforms have not always been effective in some parts of Pakistan;
• much of the land is used by small scale subsistence farmers which limits what the land can be used for;
• high value crops such as cotton require more water which Pakistan is short of;
• costly to grow more high value crops;
• additional education and training needed to grow more high value crops;
• some farmers reluctant to grow different crops/traditional methods v modern methods;
• may contribute to food shortages/wheat is a staple;
• high value crops may not be food e.g. could be palm oil etc;
• growing more high value crops may benefit big organisations over individual farmers; Etc.