Arable farming is influenced by various physical, human, and environmental factors. The main physical factors that influence arable farming are relief, climate, soils, and biotic factors. Relief and climate must be suitable for crop cultivation. Botswana's semi-arid climate and gently undulating land make arable farming difficult. Human factors like access to capital, labor markets, land ownership policies, and government agricultural policies also influence what crops farmers can grow and whether their farms will be profitable. The suitability of soils and threats from biotic agents such as pests and diseases further impact what is grown. Together, these factors determine what crops can be successfully cultivated in different areas.

1. Arable Farming
Factors Influencing Arable Farming

2. Physical Factors
 These are mainly environmental factors which the
farmer has to influence if she or he is to engage in
arable agriculture. The main physical factors are:
 Relief
 Climate
 Soils
 Biotic factors

3. Physical Factors
These are mainly environmental factors which
the farmer has to influence if she or he is to
engage in arable agriculture. These are:

4. Relief
 Relief means the shape of the land surface; how flat,
hilly, mountainous, swampy etc. the land is.
 The ideal relief for most types of arable farming are the
flat plains or gentle slopes. Botswana’s relief can be
described as flat to gently undulating (hilly). It is very
difficult to cultivate steep slopes or mountainous areas.
 Can you think of any major problem that can result from
the cultivation of steep slopes? If you have thought
of soil erosion, then you are absolutely correct.

5. Climate
Climate, as you already know, has a great influence on
any type of plant or crop grown. I am sure you have
heard people complaining of crop failure due to climatic
conditions. The main climatic factors influencing arable
farming are rainfall and temperature. The intensity
(amount) and distribution of these factors must always
be considered as they determine crop yields.
Remember that Botswana Botswana has semi-arid
climate. Is this suitable for arable farming?

6. Soils
 Soils are varied in their physical and chemical
properties and because of this, their suitability for
different crops also vary.

7. Biotic Factors
 Crop cultivation may be hampered by the presence of
biotic agents such as weeds, parasitic plants, diseases,
insect pests, and wild animals. All these cause great
damage or destroy crops.
 Give examples of biotic agents which affect arable
farmers in your area. Do you know any preventative
measures to some of these biotic agents? Your
response may be a little different, but in Botswana, all
types of biotic agents affect arable farming and
contribute a lot to low crop yields. Preventative
measures include the use of fungicides and
insecticides.

8. Human Factors
 Farming is also strongly influenced by a number of
human factors. These are:
 Capital
 Markets
 Labour
 Land ownership
 Government policy

9. Capital
 Try to think of what farmers would need money for. As
you might have rightly said, farmers need money to
purchase farm equipments or machinery, seeds,
fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, fencing material and
also to pay farm labour and to transport the produce. In
commercial agriculture large sums of money are
required. Farms which require more capital are said to
be capital intensive than those which require less
money.

10. Markets
 Earlier in this topic, we defined commercial arable
farming as the growing of crops for sale. For selling of
crops to take place, there should be a market. But what
is a market?
 A market is a place or consumers (people) who are
able to buy products. People and industries serve as a
market for agricultural products. What the farmer
decides to produce is greatly influenced by the distance
from the market. To make you reflect on the market
issue, do the following activity.

11. Land ownership
 Subsistence farming takes place on communal land, that is,
land owned by the community. In this land tenure, land is
allocated to members of the community by the land board.
Commercial farming takes place on freehold or leased land.
Under freehold tenure, an individual or a group or people
own land, securing their own capital and making profit. In
Botswana freehold commercial farms are Tuli Block,
Gaborone Block and Lobatse Block and
 Under leasehold tenure, the farmer pays rent to the landlord
or land owner. The rent is usually paid in the form of cash or
labour. Pandamatenga and Molopo farms are good
examples of commercial farming practiced under lease hold
tenure.

12. Government Policy
 A policy is a plan of action or a statement of ideas.
Botswana government has its own policy on
agriculture. This policy shows the extent and strength
of government’s interference or control over agriculture.
Some countries have policies which compel (force)
farmers to produce certain type of crops only, but in
Botswana, government interference is minimal,
meaning that farmers are free to grow whatever crops
they like. Government policy nevertheless, has a great
influence on decisions made by farmers.