ZIMSEC O Level · Geography · Form 3, Form 4
Natural farming regions
Rainfall decreases from Region I to Region V:
- Region I (Eastern Highlands, over about 1 000 mm): tea, coffee, forestry, fruit, dairy.
- Region II (about 750–1 000 mm): intensive maize, tobacco, wheat, soya beans, cotton.
- Region III (about 650–800 mm, mid-season dry spells): maize, cotton, livestock.
- Region IV (about 450–650 mm): drought-resistant crops (sorghum, millet) and livestock.
- Region V (below about 650 mm, erratic): cattle ranching, wildlife, irrigated sugar cane in the lowveld.
Types of farming
- Commercial farming: large-scale, mechanised, for profit (e.g. tobacco, sugar estates at Triangle and Hippo Valley).
- Communal/subsistence farming: small plots, family labour, mostly maize for food.
- Irrigation schemes reduce dependence on rain.
Problems facing farmers
Drought and erratic rainfall, poor soils, lack of inputs and credit, pests and diseases, poor roads to markets, and climate change.
Solutions
Conservation agriculture, drought-tolerant varieties, irrigation, agricultural extension services (Agritex), farmers' cooperatives, contract farming.
Exam tip: Learn one crop in detail: conditions it needs, where it is grown, and its uses.
Check yourself
- Which natural region is best for tea growing?
- Why is cattle ranching practised in Region V?
- Give two problems faced by communal farmers.
Show answers
- Region I.
- Rainfall is too low and unreliable for crops, but grass supports cattle.
- Any two: drought, poor sandy soils, lack of inputs/credit, small plots, pests.
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