WAEC Agricultural Science 1997 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 23 October 2026

Ten questions from the 1997 WAEC Agricultural Science paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 56 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

WAEC Agricultural Science 1997 questions and answers

1. 1.Which of the following statements is not true about rearing livestock under the free range system?
   1. A
      It allows for controlled and selective breeding of the animals
      Correct
   2. B
      It requires a large expanse of land
   3. C
      Supervision and management of the animals is difficult
   4. D
      It exposes the animals to predators, theft and diseases
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   Under the free range (extensive) system, livestock are left to roam over open land to source their own feed and water, with little or no fencing or confinement.

2. 2.The following are functions of farm manager except
   1. A
      Weeding of crops on the farm
      Correct
   2. B
      Supervising and directing farm workers
   3. C
      Keeping accurate farm records and accounts
   4. D
      Planning farm operations and allocating resources
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   A farm manager is the person who organises and controls the resources of a farm business — land, labour, capital and farm workers — so that the farm meets its production and profit goals. The recognised functions of a farm manager are managerial ones: planning what to produce and how to allocate resources, supervising and directing the farm workers to see that work is done correctly, and keeping accurate farm records and accounts so that performance can be checked and decisions made. These are all things a manager does with their head and through other people.

3. 3.Common pasture grasses include the following except
   1. A
      Elephant grass
   2. B
      Guinea grass
   3. C
      Spear grass
      Correct
   4. D
      Gamba grass
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   Guinea grass, elephant grass and gamba grass are all deliberately established and managed as pasture/fodder grasses for feeding livestock in Nigeria. They are leafy, palatable, nutritious when young, and respond well to cutting or grazing management, which is why farmers plant them in paddocks and grazing reserves.

4. 4.Progeny selection involves selection of breeding stock on the basis of
   1. A
      Their own individual performance and productivity
   2. B
      The performance records of their ancestors
   3. C
      The performance of their offspring
      Correct
   4. D
      Their physical appearance and body conformation
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   Progeny selection (also called progeny testing) is a method of selecting breeding stock based on the performance of their offspring (progeny), rather than on the animal or plant itself. A breeding animal, for example a bull or cockerel, is mated and then judged as a parent by how well its young perform for traits like growth rate, milk yield, or egg production. A parent whose offspring consistently perform well is kept for further breeding, while one whose offspring perform poorly is culled.

5. 5.New-born animals should be fed with colostrum because it
   1. A
      is easily digested by the newborn's immature stomach
   2. B
      has a high fat content that gives the calf rapid weight gain
   3. C
      encourages the newborn to be weaned early from the mother
   4. D
      contains antibodies which give the animal immunity against diseases
      Correct
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: D

   Colostrum is the thick, yellowish first milk a female animal produces immediately after giving birth, before normal milk comes in. The main reason it must be fed to new-born animals is that it is rich in antibodies (immunoglobulins) passed from the mother.

6. 6.The hormone generally called pregnancy hormone in farm animals is
   1. A
      Prolactin
   2. B
      Progesterone
      Correct
   3. C
      Oxytocin
   4. D
      Oestrogen
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B

   Progesterone is the hormone commonly called the "pregnancy hormone" in farm animals. It is secreted by the corpus luteum (and later by the placenta) after fertilization, and its main job is to maintain the lining of the uterus so the embryo can implant and the pregnancy can be sustained to term. Progesterone also suppresses further ovulation during pregnancy and inhibits uterine contractions that could cause abortion.

7. 7.Farm financing may be obtained from the following except
   1. A
      Relatives and friends
   2. B
      Co-operative societies
   3. C
      Commercial banks
   4. D
      Insurance companies
      Correct
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: D

   Insurance companies are correct as the exception. A farmer's working capital and loans for inputs, equipment or expansion come from sources that actually lend or advance money: commercial banks (through agricultural loan schemes), co-operative societies (through member contributions and credit facilities), and relatives and friends (informal credit). Insurance companies do not provide farm financing; their role is to compensate for losses after an insured risk occurs (e.g. crop failure, fire, flood, disease outbreak), in exchange for a premium paid in advance. That is risk management, not a source of capital to start or run a farm business.

8. 8.Which of the following is not a reason for converting a piece of land into a forest reserve?
   1. A
      To create more land for the cultivation of arable crops
      Correct
   2. B
      To conserve water catchment areas and reduce soil erosion
   3. C
      To ensure a continuous supply of timber and wood products
   4. D
      To provide a habitat for the conservation of wildlife
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   A forest reserve is an area of land legally set aside and protected specifically to keep its natural tree cover intact, usually under government control, so that it is not cleared for other uses like farming or building.

9. 9.Pigs are normally classified into the following group except
   1. A
      Bacon type
   2. B
      Lard type
   3. C
      General-purpose (meat) type
   4. D
      Dairy type
      Correct
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: D

   Pigs are classified by carcass/utility type into three groups: bacon type, lard type, and general-purpose (meat) type.

10. 10.The main component of egg shell is
    1. A
       Calcium phosphate
    2. B
       Calcium carbonate
       Correct
    3. C
       Calcium chloride
    4. D
       Calcium sulphate
    Show answerHide answer

    Answer: B

    Calcium carbonate (CaCO₂) is the correct answer. The hard shell of a bird's egg is made up of about 94–97% calcium carbonate, which is deposited as crystals on a protein matrix in the hen's shell gland during egg formation. This is the same mineral found in limestone and chalk.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

Spotted a wrong answer? Tell us from the app or on the contact page and we check it.

Practise all 56 questions we hold from the 1997 paper, on a timed CBT screen

Every question has the answer and an explanation, in the Skolra app.

Download for WindowsDownload for Mac

About the app · Skolra for Windows · Skolra for Mac