Factors that determine

Factors that determine

  • Climate; Arabica coffee grown at low temperatures whereas Robusta coffee likes high temperatures; Exotic cattle rearing needs wet areas which local cattle can be reared in hot conditions / dry conditions.
  • Altitude; this is the height above sea level. Indigenous animals are reared at low altitude areas while exotic animals do well in high altitude areas; different crops at different altitudes of coffee.
  • Relief / topography; this is the nature of the landscape (i.e. flat, gentle sloping or valley). Certain crops grow well in valleys where there is poor drainage e.g. rice; others e.g. tea do well along sloping land where drainage is good.
  • Soil factors / edaphic factors; soil aspects like drainage, soil fertility, soil temperature, soil pH, aeration affect the type of crops grown or pastures growing.
  • Biotic factors; these are factors concerning relationships between living organisms e.g. animals and plants; man and environment etc.
  • Pests and diseases; presence of pests and diseases in a given area discourages the rearing of animals and growing of crops.
  • Social and religious factors; some tribes don’t allow the keeping of certain animals e.g. Bahima don’t keep sheep, northern and easterners take millet as their staple food; Adventists and Muslims do not take pork.
  • Land tenure systems; this refers to the possession of rights to own and use land; Bad land tenure systems bring about land scarcity and discourage rearing of animals and growing of crops.
  • Government policy; the government can encourage the growing of certain crops and rearing of animals in some areas through incentives and discourage the practices.
  • Political factors; political instabilities discourage investment as some of the infrastructure is damaged.
  • Economic factors; e.g. capital needed to invest in exotic cattle is high compared to local cattle or growing of crops.