TRANSPORTATION AN ESSENTIAL TOOL IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

TRANSPORTATION AN ESSENTIAL TOOL IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

Transportation plays an essential role in the agricultural sector. This is because without modern modes of transportation, agricultural products will be left in the farm to rot.

It would be almost impossible to deliver them to consumers for farmers to earn a living and increase their production.

Transportation therefore is the movement of people and goods from one location to another.

Transportation provides access to natural resources and promotes trade, allowing a nation to accumulate wealth and power.

Methods of Transportation
Transportation is usually classified by the medium in which the movement occurs, such as by land, air water and pipeline.

The transportation of agricultural products is mostly done by the following:

a. Road Transport: This is the most flexible means of transporting agricultural products both in terms of the routes covered and time schedules. It can be used to move goods door-to-door. It is a fast means of transportation but it is risky in terms of accident.

b. Rail Transport: Rail transport provides a cost-effective means of transport and it is used for moving bulky products such as coal, timber, farm products etc over long distance. It is however a slow means of transport compared to the road and air transport. Again it is not as flexible as road transport because of restricted rail network.

c. Water Transport: A large portion of agricultural products are also transported by water which consists of in land water ways such as cannels and rivers and ocean or coastal waterways by use of ships. Water transport is low cost and is used for non-perishable products such as grains and timber. It is however the slowest mode of transport.

d. Air Transport provides the fastest means of transport and sis used for transporting highly perishable and valuable products such as fish, flower etc. it is however a very costly means of transport.