Posted by Chester Morton / Monday 9 January 2017 / No comments
The disadvantages of State Farms
A state farm can be described as a farm that has been
established by a government with all the necessary funding and input provided
by the state. The sole aim of which is the production of crops and meat
products for consumption and to feed the industries. Under President Kwame
Nkrumah of Ghana, a lot of state farms were established but were abandoned
after he was overthrown.
DISADVANTAGES
Bureaucratic
One of the disadvantages of state farms is that its
operations can be bureaucratic. This may be due to the fact that they are
established and owned by the state and therefore their administrative procedures
may not be too dissimilar to that of the civil and public service sectors. It
can therefore be caught up in that bureaucratic tendency.
Stifles initiative
Another disadvantage of state farm is that it can stifle the
initiative of local managers of the farms. This is because, being controlled
and managed from a central point, the local managers would be expected to seek
approval for any actions they wish to take, this doe not create the room for
innovation.
One other disadvantage is that the outbreak of any disease in
one farm can spread to other farms. The activities of the state farms are
centrally planned handed down to the local level for implementations. The
introduction of a diseases infested seed or seedling can be costly to handle.
Mishandling and poor maintenance of equipment
There is a problem with the way citizens treat government
properties. They believe the property belongs to the state so they do not
handle them with the care they deserve. On the other hand, since the
maintenance culture is poor, farm and other equipment get damaged quickly.
Pilfering
One other problem with the state farms is that of pilfering on
the farms. Some workers steal the produce, steal parts of machinery and sell as
scraps. Some also siphon fuel from the tractors and vehicles for sale to the
public. This affects the smooth running of the state farms.
Corruption and mismanagement
Last but not least, is the problem of corruption at the
management level; some managers embezzle monies meant for the operations of the
state farms. Others cover their cronies who are found to be culpable. In the end, it is the state that suffers.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. Highlight six problems that state farms face in your
country.
2. a. What is a state farm?
b. Discuss five
disadvantages of state farms.
