Good afternoon class today we are going to be talking about agriculture. Does anyone know what agriculture is ?
Dia: 2
Miss me. Agriculture is the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.
Dia: 3
That is correct! To add to that, Agriculture also encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities.
Dia: 4
Can someone read the history behind agriculture from your textbook?
Dia: 5
Miss I will. History on agricultureUntil now, researchers believed farming was 'invented' some 12,000 years ago in an area that was home to some of the earliest known human civilizations. A new discovery offers the first evidence that trial plant cultivation began far earlier -- some 23,000 years ago.Agriculture has no single, simple origin.
Dia: 6
A wide variety of plants and animals have been independently domesticated at different times and in numerous places. The first agriculture appears to have developed at the closing of the last Pleistocene glacial period, or Ice Age (about 11,700 years ago). At that time temperatures warmed, glaciers melted, sea levels rose, and ecosystems throughout the world reorganized. The changes were more dramatic in temperate regions than in the tropics.
Dia: 7
Thank you dear.. There are also many jobs you can get in the agriculture industry such as being a Farm worker, Grower, Grain elevator operator,Agricultural equipment technician, Purchasing agent, Warehouse manager, Agriculture specialist, etc.
Dia: 8
Who would want to work in the agriculture industry, it is so laid back. I would rather work in an industry that is more modern and technologically advanced.
Dia: 9
That is not true. The agriculture industry is not laid back as you think. In this modern era ICT has been integrated in every industry you can think of including agriculture.
Dia: 10
Girl what type of modern technology you talkin ‘bout, the evolution of hands to the shovel and rake?
Dia: 11
Girl, we’re talkin’ bout technologies like drones to monitor huge areas of farm land and automatic processes for sowing, transplanting, harvesting etc
Dia: 12
Yeah and I also read that ICT has been used to preserve agri-cultural resources such as fertilizers, pesticides, energy and water as well as assisting in the reduction of external environmental externalities that harms and reduces the produce.
Dia: 13
Teacher- Very good! To add to that, there is the use of ICT in modern agriculture technology like Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, and Big Data. They have all had a profound impact on the efficiency of current processes. Several farm holdings manage farms remotely using sensing technologies, drones, and other devices that gather vital data on soil properties, air, crop health, and weather conditions.
Dia: 14
IoT, in particular, has several applications in agriculture, from real-time monitoring of soil, plant, and animal health using in-situ sensors to tracking the origin of a product or agri-commodity and its environmental impact, as well as its storage environments along the supply chain.And furthermore these technologies did not just make farming easier but more efficient and profitable.
Dia: 15
Okay so maybe there is some ICT involved in agriculture but that sounds international not local. You can’t tell me Jamaica has these fancy stuff.
Dia: 16
wait, you think ICT is only used internationally? Girl,it’s local too. Jamaica also has ICT in their agriculture.
Dia: 17
You are correct. But it is also good to note that International initiatives often leverage advanced technologies such as drones, satellite imaging, and sophisticated data analytics. In contrast, Jamaican ICT involvement may focus more on accessible technologies like mobile apps, SMS-based services, and basic sensor networks due to resource constraints and the need for simplicity.
Dia: 18
But there are comparisons between international and local ICT applications in agriculture. Can anyone name one?
Dia: 19
Both international and Jamaican ICT involvement recognizes common challenges faced by farmers, such as access to inputs, financial services, and extension services. ICT solutions are deployed to address these challenges, whether through digital extension services, mobile banking, or virtual marketplaces, to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural systems.
Dia: 20
Teacher- Good job, to wrap up class today we will be watching a video of my friend who is a farmer.Please listen attentively.
Dia: 22
That’s it for class. I hope we all learnt something today
Dia: 23
Well maybe the agriculture industry isn’t as laid back as I thought.