ABSTRACT
Agriculture can make a contribution to the accumulation of foreign exchange. The principles that form the general theory of the role of agriculture in economic development are drawn primarily from the western European experience, and in particular that of the United Kingdom. It is widely recognized that agriculture, the first industry in any economy, played a key role in the development of the industrialized countries. Most of the development models put forth by economists in the post- World War II period have reflected the experience of the industrialized western countries. Capital investment in agriculture is necessary if productivity is to be increased. Capital came from outside agriculture, from the wealthy merchants. The economic potential for agriculture in the southern colonies was much greater. In the language of development economics, the agricultural sector creates backward and forward linkages with the manufacturing sector.
