As I reclined in my chair watching labourers toil on my farm as they planted rice with practiced ease acquired only through long time experience, something broke my line of thoughts and made me dwell on another issue...some girls were crossing from one farm to another, hawking sachet water, local drinks called "zoɓo", etc.
You won't believe the number of economic activities triggered by a single farm.
Let's take a look at some of them... Suppose you want to plant rice on your farm, what economic activities are you likely going to trigger?
You will start with clearing the farm by engaging labourers, who come equipped with their hoes with which they use to dig the hole in which to plant. The hoes were made by local blacksmiths, who make brisk business during the rainy season because a lot of farmers use their implements.
Right from the blacksmiths, you've started a value chain in the farming business that will create wealth for a number of people during that season. The blacksmiths will certainly make money just as the labourers who use their equipment. Next in the value chain are the businessmen who sell fertilizer, seeds, herbicides and pesticides etc. Then, owners of bull drawn ploughs, tractors and other relevant equipment. Even owners of donkeys, trucks, commercial motorcycles who convey goods to and from farms will make money during the season. Petty traders, hawkers like these girls who gallivant from one farm to another hawking drinks and food, Fulani women who sell milk and local delicacy called "hura", are part of the value chain that has been created.
My mind told me that agriculture, definitely, creates wealth, not to talk of the spiritual benefits such as the immense reward a farmer would earn if animals, birds, insects, eat what he has planted. Just thinking aloud, mind you…
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