Posted by Chester Morton / Sunday, 8 January 2017 / No comments
The features of state farms
Definition
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.
FEATURES
State owned
One of the features of a state farm is that it is wholly
owned by the government. It is the government that establishes the farms and
therefore takes ownership of the whole entity. State farms were common in Ghana
under the Kwame Nkrumah government and they were the deliberate creations of
the government of the day.
State controlled
Another feature of state farms is that, having been
established by government, they are under the strict control of the government.
The government appoints managers of the farms, ensures that inputs are
distributed adequately to the various farms. After the crops are harvested, the
government ensures that the produce is properly stored and distributed for
people to purchase and the rest processed or exported.
Uniform supply of input
Another feature of state farms is that inputs were supplied
to the farms in a uniform manner. Where seeds are to be supplied, they were
sent around the same time period and if for example, farms needed to be sprayed
during a pesticide attack, all affected farms were dealt with at the same time.
Time bound activities
Another feature of state farms is that their activities were
time bound. In other words, farm activities such as, preparation of land,
planting of seeds or seedlings, application of fertilizer, application of
pesticides, harvesting and storage are all time bound. The central nature of
the command structure ensures that all the farms were expected to keep within a
certain time frame in carrying out their activities.
Job creation
Another feature of state farms is that it created jobs for
the people. The state farms employed labourers, tractor operators, extension
officers, farm managers, marketers and other categories of workers. So the existence
of state farms put food on the table for a lot of people.
Launching pad for industrialization
The state farms that were established in Ghana, for example, were
to launch the country into an industrialized mode. The rubber plantation was to
feed the tyre manufacturing factory that was established. The farms established
a proper linkage between agriculture and industry.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. Highlight six features of a state farm.
2. What six characteristics can be used in identifying state
farms?
