September 23, 2007
3. Chapter
Summary
“Farmers in Development”, which was written by E. E. Njoku E.E Njoku in Malthusiasm: An African Dilemma, 1986, pg 22-35, based on farmers’ role and situations of them during the industrialization of Africa. Njoku emphasizes and uses many significant events to explain the farmers’ place in Africa (pg 22-35).
As a first, Njoku states that although farming forms the Africans’ standard of living, it is no longer to maintain its place against growing of trade (pg 22). However, the author also demonstrates the importance of agriculture for Africans and proposes how they could create better living conditions for themselves by combining their resources and technological improvements to establish cooperation which could lead them to live in better standard (pg 23-24).
Secondly, Njoku focuses on scheme of cooperative marketing that had established to bring a stable marketing and to prevent disarrangement in the market as well (pg 25). Njoku, however, reveals that the West African control board substituted the ministry of food and used neither to raise the profits of farmers nor to stabilize the market as a benefit of Africans (pg 26-27).
Furthermore, Njoku also indicates that because of the lack of the organized union during the 1920’s through the early 30’s, brokers and money lenders had felt free to lead the market as advantages of them (pg 28-29). There were two events that caused problems according to Njoku (pg28). First, the high rate of interest which had been applied by brokers and lenders were unable to be paid by the farmers, second is available crops that had been pledged to the lenders (Njoku, pg 28-29).
After these issues, Njoku focuses on producers’ marketing societies and operation of marketing boards (pg 29-31). As a first, Njoku states what cooperative marketing societies were established for and what these societies were standing for (pg 29-31).
In addition, the author indicates that these societies are responsible to stabilize the fluctuation in the market and to control sales and export of products which are significant to accelerate the improvement of industrialization (pg30-31).
As a last, Njoku takes the issues which were existed east of Africa (pg31-33). The author, firstly, reveals single-channel marketing existing in cooperative marketing and begins to demonstrate the issue by talking about governments’ responsibilities about the marketing boards. However, Njoku also mentions that the principal tasks of the marketing board have become more important to apply authority on stabilization of economic life (pg 32-33).
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2 comments:
Hi, Ibrahim,
This is Alison,
The following is my comments for you.
you owe me two comments so far... :'(
don't forget that giing me comments also help you to practice your writing and critical thinking skill.
;)
This time, Ibrahim’s oral report was about “farming and trading”. He mentioned that the author said three main points in the book: “trading in Africa is decreasing”, “should stop cooperation”, and “single channel trading destroys farming and trading” which is the “one of those causes of starvation in Africa”, based on Ibrahim’s statement. He mentioned that what he has read in this chapter does not directly strike into what he wants to write in his research paper. I sensed from his look that he was not quite interested in this chapter, but he explained the three points about starvation that the author stated in the chapter, and he mentioned that he especially agrees with the third point about single channel trading which influences and is one of the causes of starvation in Africa. Critically speaking, Ibrahim spoke logically but did not have enough preparation for his material. It may be because this chapter did not interest him too much.
From my point of view, although the author did not directly strike into the main causes of starvation in Africa, the author did gave a hint which was let Ibrahim understand that one of the causes of starvation is “single channel trading which destroys farming and trading”. Besides, I believe that single channel trading definitely limits the opportunities for farmers to select better business for themselves. In addition, it surely affects farmers to produce their grains and to sell them because farmers may pay enormous amounts of money to trade with the single channel trading after they have made an effort to produce their products. No one likes to do non-profit trading. Therefore, with less profit, farmers may stop farming. Further, the overall economic state of this continent would drop off and final cause the starvation. For this possible chain reaction, I believe that single channel trading does influence the original farming and trading system in the bad way, and starvation results in the final.
Have a nice day
Alison
Hi, bro.
I always learn a lot of things in your writing. In this one, too.
I think "Njoku emphasizes and uses many significant events to explain the farmers’ place in Africa" it is your umbrella sentence covering whole this summary. Right?
If yes, I think it can be much better if you change "many significant events" more specific number of events. Also, this sentence should have had cause and effect of the event, I think. Because when I just saw this sentence first time, it was little bit hard to figure out relation between the event and farmers' status.
Anyway, good job!
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