80% of the rural population depend on agriculture as their main source of income.

Current variations in climatic conditions compared to what has been previously witnessed, have caused plants to change their photosynthetic conditions to adapt to these patterns. In the process they change their flowering and physiological activities. Certain crops require a certain number of sunlight hours in order for them to manifest, and if not reached can affect fruiting, food production and yield. Sporadic climate patterns also affects agricultural activities as unpredictable rainfall patterns, make it difficult for farmers to determine when to prepare their land for farming therefore disrupting food production and threatening food self-sufficiency strategies. As crop scarcity continues market prices for crops increase making crops which were once affordable, far more expensive.

Plantains, groundnuts, citrus, and Irish potatoes

Improved varieties are materials that have undergone research and development taking into account (climatic and environmental considerations) to create specific crop lines that are found to have high production and productivity in specific ecological zones. These varieties contain characteristics such as having high tolerance to the mosaic virus, being high yielding , having a shorter lifespan and early maturity.

The mosaic virus is parasite that infects the vegetation on a molecular level until vegetation is unable to continue thriving. High tolerance to the virus means that the seeds runs low risks of incurring crop damage as they mature. Seeds which are high yielding increase the amount of crops farmers can cultivate thus allowing them to sell higher amounts and increasing profitability. Early maturity also fosters shorter cultivation periods where farmers can harvest crop more rapidly. However, early maturity requires farmers to harvest on time to prevent crops from rotting.

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to soil through various systems of tubes, pumps, and sprayers. It is usually used when there are inadequate amounts of water to support crop growth. This may be due to rainy and dry seasons, drought or arid/semi-arid climate conditions. Irrigation systems may also be used to maintain consistent moisture levels even in areas with moderate precipitation levels as it has been shown to improve crop performance. In cases where there is high salinity levels (high concentration of solute salts including Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in soils), irrigation systems are used also. High soil salinity levels can be a natural occurrence associated in many- semi-arid and arid locations or as result of poor agricultural practices and ineffective drainage. In cases impacted by salt levels in the soil, irrigation must often be coupled with drainage in order to achieve the desired benefits.