.   CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES AND SUGGESTED REMEDIES                             
Majority of the candidates were unable to:

• state ways in which export of agricultural produce contribute to the economy of West African countries;
• state differences between communal and individual land ownership;
• distinguish between irrigation and drainage;
• explain ways in which each of socio-economic factors and topography affect land availability for agriculture in West Africa;
• give characteristics of a fertile soil;
• differentiate between macro nutrients and micro nutrients as used in crop production;
• discuss the effects of farming practices such as clean clearing and crop rotation on the soil;
• discuss the swollen shoot disease of cocoa under the headings: causal organism, mode of transmission, two symptoms and two preventive and control measures;
• list effects of each of afforestation and deforestation on the environment;
• differentiate between afforestation and deforestation;
• discuss the viral disease of maize under the headings: name of disease, mode of transmission, symptoms and two control measures;
• state advantages of vegetative propagation;
• mention planting materials for banana cultivation;
• name parts of the digestive system of chicken and give one function of each named part;
• mention malnutrition-related diseases in farm animals;
• state effects of aquatic weeds in a fish pond;
• state benefits of each marketing services such as grading, processing and packaging.

The Chief Examiners proffered  the following remedies to overcome the outlined weaknesses:

• Agricultural science teachers should expose students to the need to use the appropriate conjunctions anytime they are required to distinguish /differentiate between concepts or ideas;
• Agricultural science teachers should be continually trained and retrained on emerging trends in teaching and learning of agricultural science;
• Agriculture should be taught as a practical oriented subject. Students should be exposed to the practical aspect of agriculture through field trips, excursions and laboratory activities.