BASIC READING COMPLETION 1

Farming around the world

In many countries, farmers are getting older and few young people are becoming farmers when older farmers stop working at the end of their career. However, technology is helping with this problem because, with new farming machines, farmers do not have to work so hard and fewer people can do the same work. But farming still needs more young people.

Farming is hard work and involves long working hours with early starts and late finishes to the day. Also, young people all believe the same thing: it will be hard to make much money from farming.

In Kenya, Mary Nyale, who works on the Farm Africa’s Growing Futures project, is trying to change young people’s ideas about farming. Mary is doing this because over 80% of Kenya’s population are younger than 35 years old. Also, around one in four young people do not have a job. Through the programme, young people learn how to grow things like French beans, tomatoes and cabbage. These are what are called high-value crops because you get the most money for them. The young people also learn about farming as a business. And they meet buyers on the programme, so that when they finish the course, they have someone that will buy their vegetables.

Since the project started in 2011, over 4,000 young people have become farmers. The money the farmers get has also increased by 50% in two years.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. There are not many want to become famers in some places.

2. Farming work is going to be easier for farmers with the help of .

3. A lot of work can be done with .

4. People see farming as hard work because it requires as well as early starts and late finishes.

5. Young people think it is to earn a lot of money from farming.

6. Mary Nyale is working on how to change the youth's view on .

7. The majority of Kenya’s population are under the age of .

8. It is believed that young people will learn how to plant vegetables after the programme.

9. Beans, tomatoes, and cabbage are known as as they can be sold at good prices.

10. After 2 years of the programme, farmers' income has risen by since 2011.

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