Sample Essay on Factors Affecting Agriculture in Britain
There are many factors affecting agriculture in Britain. About 70 percent of the land area in Britain is under agricultural production. However, agriculture contributes about 0.7 percent only of the gross-value-added of this country. Agriculture in Britain contributes 60 percent only of the food that is eaten in the country.
This can be attributed to many factors that farmers and the entire agricultural sector face. One of the major factors that affect agriculture in Britain is the unsuitable climate. In some places, Britain has low temperatures. This makes it impossible for the agricultural sector to produce crops that cannot grow at a temperature below 6 degrees centigrade.
Low temperature makes the soils frozen for even five consecutive months. This makes many places in Britain unsuitable for the production of crops. The growing seasons also affect agriculture. For instance, the days that frost last during spring and autumn affect the cultivation of crops.
Different crops have varying requirements or periods to grow to maturity. For instance, cotton requires 200 days to grow to maturity. This makes it unable to survive in Britain. The southeast region of Britain is suitable for growing cereals because the area has a season that is suitable for their growth. In the northern region of Britain, oats can be grown due to their relatively short growth period.
Attitude also affects agriculture in Britain. Attitude affects temperature which in turn affects agriculture directly. For instance, dairy farming is common in the Alps at the bottoms of the valley and up in the coniferous forest. When there are constantly high temperatures and sufficient precipitation, crops that yield high productivity can be cultivated.
Rainfall also affects agriculture in Britain. This is because water is a major requirement in the growth of crops and the rearing of animals. When the average temperature that is required for growing crops is high, more water will be needed to grow crops. Different crops need water at different times which makes a seasonal variation of rainfall important.
Farm earnings are also affecting agriculture in Britain. Farmers are motivated by the returns that they get from their investments. In Britain and the entire European Union, farmers earn relatively low incomes. This is due to the relatively low prices of the farm produce.
In addition, few young individuals in Britain can afford to raise the increasing capital required to venture into agriculture. This combined with low earnings are discouraging investments in agriculture affecting the sector negatively.
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Online sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_the_United_Kingdom
http://www.ukagriculture.com/uk_farming.cfm
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/key-issues-for-the-new-parliament/britain-in-the-world/agriculture-and-food-security/