Agricultural Land
12 Grade 10 Agriculture questions on Agricultural Land, with worked marking schemes. 12 questions are available on this topic in full.
Question 1
6 marksExplain three ways in which land fragmentation lowers crop output on a smallholding.
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
Award 1 mark for each correct way stated and 1 mark for the explanation (max 3 ways, 6 marks): - Plots lie far apart (1); the farmer wastes working hours travelling between them, so less labour is left for timely weeding, planting and harvesting (1). - Individual plots are very small (1); machinery such as a tractor cannot turn or operate economically, forcing reliance on slow hand tools (1). - Many boundaries, paths and hedges are needed (1); this land is taken out of production, reducing the area actually cropped (1). - Scattered plots are difficult to supervise (1); crops suffer greater losses from pests, stray livestock and theft (1). - Fencing, water supply and stores must be duplicated on each plot (1); the extra cost reduces money available for inputs such as fertiliser and certified seed (1).
Question 2
4 marksExplain two advantages and two disadvantages of communal land tenure to a pastoral community in Narok County.
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Advantages, 1 mark each (max 2): - Herders can move stock over a wide area, reaching pasture and water during drought. - Every member of the community has access to grazing, so there are no landless members. - Land is obtained without purchase, so capital is saved for livestock and other inputs. Disadvantages, 1 mark each (max 2): - No individual title exists, so a member cannot use the land as security for a loan. - Individuals are discouraged from improving pasture, fencing or water points because the benefit is shared. - Numbers grazed are not controlled, leading to overstocking, overgrazing and soil erosion. - Mixing of herds makes control of livestock diseases difficult.
Question 3
1 markA young farmer in Nakuru County wants to start a vegetable enterprise but has no land of her own and only enough capital for seed, inputs and labour. The most practical way for her to obtain land for the enterprise is to
A. wait until she inherits a share of the family land
B. buy a farm using a loan from a commercial bank
C. apply for a plot in a government settlement scheme
D. lease a plot from a neighbour for an agreed rent and period
(1 mark)
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4 marksState four factors that determine the use to which a piece of agricultural land is put.
(4 marks)
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1 markBefore title deeds can be issued in a village, officers hold public meetings with residents to establish who owns each parcel and to settle boundary disputes. This process is called land
A. consolidation
B. banking
C. tenure
D. adjudication
(1 mark)
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1 markMutinda has leased five acres in Machakos County for a period of three years. Which enterprise is he LEAST likely to establish on the leased land?
A. Growing green grams each season
B. Growing maize using planting fertiliser
C. Producing kale for the nearby market
D. Establishing a mango orchard
(1 mark)
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2 marksDistinguish between freehold and leasehold land tenure.
(2 marks)
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3 marksSuggest three measures a county government can take to curb the loss of arable land to housing in a fast-growing town.
(3 marks)
Marking scheme
Award 1 mark for each of any THREE workable measures (max 3): - Prepare and enforce a land use plan that zones prime agricultural land for farming only. - Set and enforce a minimum size below which agricultural parcels may not be subdivided. - Charge higher rates, levies or change-of-user fees on conversion of farmland to building plots. - Direct settlement to less productive land and encourage high-density (storeyed) housing. - Educate residents and hold public participation forums on the value of conserving farmland. - Offer incentives such as subsidised inputs or better market access so farming remains profitable.
Question 9
1 markThe bringing together of several small scattered plots belonging to one farmer so that they form a single holding is known as
A. land registration
B. land consolidation
C. land settlement
D. land adjudication
(1 mark)
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1 markIn the densely settled parts of Vihiga County, most farms are made up of several tiny plots lying far apart. The main cause of this fragmentation is
A. establishment of government settlement schemes
B. purchase of farms by absentee landlords
C. repeated subdivision of family land among heirs
D. the practice of shifting cultivation
(1 mark)
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1 markLand differs from the other factors of production mainly because
A. it can be improved through good management
B. it can be bought and sold like other property
C. it earns an income for its owner
D. its total supply is fixed and cannot be added to
(1 mark)
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4 marksOutline four benefits a farmer obtains from holding a registered title deed for her farm.
(4 marks)
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