AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
PAPER 2
GRADE 12 
NSC PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

MEMORANDUM 

SECTION A
QUESTION 1
1.1
1.1.1 A ✔✔ 
1.1.2 C ✔✔ 
1.1.3 D ✔✔ 
1.1.4 B ✔✔ 
1.1.5 D ✔✔ 
1.1.6 B ✔✔ 
1.1.7 A ✔✔ 
1.1.8 C ✔✔ 
1.1.9 D ✔✔ 
1.1.10 A ✔✔ (10 x 2) (20) 

1.2
1.2.1 G ✔✔ 
1.2.2 A ✔✔ 
1.2.3 C ✔✔ 
1.2.4 D ✔✔ 
1.2.5 H ✔✔ (5 x 2) (10) 

1.3
1.3.1 Innovation/creativity ✔✔  
1.3.2 Budget ✔✔  
1.3.3 Multiple alleles ✔✔  
1.3.4 Family selection ✔✔  
1.3.5 Genetic modification/engineering/manipulation✔✔ (5 x 2) (10)

1.4
1.4.1 Co-operative ✔ 
1.4.2 Occupational Health and Safety ✔ 
1.4.3 Species crossing ✔ 
1.4.4 Heterozygosity ✔ 
1.4.5 Gene ✔ (5 x 1) (5)

TOTAL SECTION A: 45

SECTION B 
QUESTION 2: AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING 
2.1 Table on marketing  
2.1.1 Marketing system used  

• Farmer A - Free marketing ✔ (1)
• Farmer B - Controlled marketing ✔ (1) 

2.1.2 Reason for the system used by farmer B  

• Price is determined/controlled by the government ✔ (1)

2.1.3 Justification for mass marketing 

• Farmer B is reaching a wide range of consumers(larger markets) via the internet ✔  (1) 

2.1.4 TWO ways to facilitate marketing in rural areas 

• Improve roads/infrastructure ✔
• Improve market information through technology ✔
• Transportation of produce in vehicles with cooling facilities. ✔
• Cold storage depots ✔ 
• Market collectively by combining loads ✔ (Any 2) (2) 

2.2 TWO roles of legislation in ensuring effective marketing 

• Ensures increased market access to all participants ✔
• Makes provision for quality control over imports and exports of  products ✔ (2)   

2.3 Component of a business plan 
2.3.1 Title/cover page ✔ (1)
2.3.2 Human resource plan ✔ (1)
2.3.3 Financial plan ✔ (1) 
2.4 THREE common mistakes when drawing a business plan 

• Provision of unrealistic assumptions/over-ambitious ✔
• Not being able to identify the potential risks/hiding risks ✔
• Provision of too much unnecessary information/leaving gaps/being too  vague ✔
• Committing budget and cash flow errors/incomplete financials ✔
• No information on competitors/not highlighting competition ✔
• Use of incorrect format/poor writing/incomplete plan ✔ 
• Inadequate/poor research ✔
• Insufficient technical details ✔ (Any 3) (3)

2.5 Supply and demand of peaches  
2.5.1 Line graph showing the supply and demand of peaches  

Criteria/rubric/marking guidelines 

• Correct heading ✔
• X axis - correctly calibrated and labelled (Quantities) ✔
• Y axis - correctly calibrated and labelled (Price) ✔
• Correct unit (R and kg) ✔
• Line graph ✔
• Accuracy ✔ (6) 

2.5.2 Determination of the equilibrium price  

• R2,50 ✔ (1) 

2.5.3 Situation when price is below the equilibrium price 

• The quantity demanded is high ✔ and the quantity supplied is  low ✔
  OR
• Quantity supplied is low ✔ and quantity demanded is high ✔ (2) 

2.6 Linking statements to factors hampering marketing of products 
2.6.1 Perishability ✔ (1)
2.6.2 Political situation ✔ (1)
2.6.3 Lack of control over production ✔ (1)
2.6.4 Bulkiness ✔ (1)
2.7 THREE requirements of a container for packaging 

• It must be clean/dry/undamaged ✔
• Not import any foreign taste/odour to the product ✔
• It must be free from signs of fungal growth ✔
• It must be strong/rigid ✔ (Any 3) (3)

2.8 Type of consumers 
2.8.1 Retailers ✔ (1)
2.8.2 Food processing companies/factories ✔ (1)
2.8.3 Exporters ✔ (1) 
2.9 The law of demand  

• The higher the price ✔ the less the people/consumers will demand the  product ✔
  OR
• The lesser the price ✔ the more the people/consumers will buy the  product ✔(2) [35] 

QUESTION 3 : PRODUCTION FACTORS 
3.1 Two groups of farmers 
3.1.1 Factor of land addressed by the two scenarios 

• Land availability/ area of production ✔ (1)   

3.1.2 TWO benefits of the practices by Group B contributing to  higher production  

• Able to work on a large area faster✔ 
• Use of machinery is more effective ✔
• More cost effective to produce ✔ 
• Specialisation ✔ (Any 2) (2)   

3.1.3 TWO techniques for Group A that can improve production

• Use of scientific methods/technology ✔
• Consolidation of small units ✔ (2) 

3.1.4 Economic characteristic negatively affected by monoculture  and continuous cultivation 

• Production potential of the land ✔ (1) 

3.1.5 TWO functions of land as a production factor 

• Provides food ✔
• Provides raw materials ✔
• Provides space ✔ 
• Source of raw minerals ✔ (Any 2) (2)

3.2 Highly ethical and efficient work force  
3.2.1 The type of permanent labour who operates an advanced  tractor  

• Skilled labour ✔ (1) 

3.2.2 Indication of the expertise needed by the employee  

• Technical/operational ✔ (1) 

3.2.3 Act of misconduct 

• Sleeping on duty ✔ (1) 

3.2.4 Legislation that the employer would use to justify disciplinary steps 

• Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 ✔ (1) 

3.2.5 TWO problems related to farm labour  

• Social/HIV and AIDS ✔
• Scarcity ✔
• Employers' concerns ✔
• Competition from industries/economic migrants ✔
• Lack of training/ education ✔
• Poor labour management ✔
• Safety ✔ 
• Poor working conditions ✔ (Any 2) (2)

3.2.6 TWO actions an employer should take  

• Provide incentives ✔
• Rewards for good work ✔
• Provide training/education ✔
• Improve working conditions ✔
• Improved living conditions ✔ 
• Mechanisation ✔ 
• Labour management ✔ (Any 2) (2)

3.3 Management  
3.3.1 Risk management strategy  

• Diversification ✔ (1) 

3.3.2 Reason for the management strategy 

• There are a number of enterprises in one farm/agri-tourism ✔ (1) 

3.3.3 TWO primary sources of risk in a farming business 

• Technical ✔
• Market/price ✔
• Financial ✔
• Production ✔
• Legal ✔ 
• Human resources ✔ (Any 2) (2)

3.3.4 General business management skills applied by the manager  

1. Co-ordination/organisational ✔ (1) 
2. Analytic skills ✔ (1) 
3. Interpersonal/communication ✔  (1) 

3.3.5 Definition of strategic management  

• Management that allows the business to anticipate ✔ and adapt to  changes in the future ✔ 
  OR
• The process of developing strategies that allow a business to  achieve its vision, mission and objectives ✔ and adapt to changing  conditions ✔ (2)

3.4 Capital  
3.4.1 Fixed capital 

• Land ✔ (1) 

3.4.2 TWO sources of capital  

• Grant ✔
• Loan ✔ (2) 

3.4.3 Problem of capital 

• Scarcity ✔ (1) 

3.4.4 Term of repayment  

• Medium term/5 years ✔ (1) 

3.4.5 Calculation of the profit made by the community in 5 years

• Turnover: R12 000 000 x 5 = R60 000 000 ✔
• Expenses: R4 000 000 x 5 = R20 000 000 ✔
• Interest: R2 000 000 x 5% = R100 000 ✔
• R2 000 000 + R100 000 = R2 100 000 ✔
• Turnover – expenses: 
   R60 000 000 – R20 000 000 – R2 100 000 =
• Profit: R37 900 000 ✔ (5) [35]

QUESTION 4: BASIC AGRICULTURAL GENETICS 
4.1 Heterozygous pea plant (G) and a pure breed pea plant (g)  
4.1.1 Genotype of each parent in the first crossing 

• Parent 1 - Gg ✔
• Parent 2 - gg ✔ (2) 

4.1.2 Punnett square determining the possible genotype of the  offspring in the first crossing  

Punnett square with gametes and offspring ✔  
Marking Guideline 

• Complete Punnett square with gametes and offspring ✔
• Correct gametes ✔
• Correct offspring ✔ (3)

4.1.3 Type of dominance in the cross  

• Complete dominance ✔ (1) 

4.1.4 Reason for the type of dominance  

• 50% of the seeds are yellow (G) ✔ and 50% of the seeds are  green (g) ✔
  OR
• No intermediate/new colour ✔ as seeds resemble their parents ✔ (2) 

4.1.5 Calculation of the percentage of heterozygous offspring 

• 2 x 100 ✔
  4
  = 50% ✔ (2) 

4.2 Identification of the breeding system  
4.2.1 B ✔ (1)
4.2.2 A ✔ (1)
4.2.3 D ✔ (1)
4.2.4 C ✔ (1)
4.2.5 A ✔ (1) 
4.3 Variation  
4.3.1 TWO genetic processes causing variation 

• Mutations ✔
• Meiosis/crossing over ✔
• Recombination of genes ✔
• Fertilisation ✔ (Any 2) (2) 

4.3.2 TWO importance of variation 

• Animals/plants with superior characteristics can be selected for  breeding purposes ✔
• Helps to improve the progeny/offspring ✔
• Generate new varieties/ breeds/cultivars ✔
• Maintains biodiversity ✔ (Any 2) (2) 

4.3.3 Distinction between  
Continuous variation 

• Displays a complete range of quantitative characteristics ✔ (1)

Discontinuous variation  

• Qualitative characteristics have a few clear cut/distinct  forms/with no intermediate forms in between ✔  (1)

4.4 Selection  
4.4.1 Group of cattle to be selected  

• Group with a mass of 250 kg ✔ (1) 

4.4.2 Reason  

• It has a higher average mass/average mass higher than the herd ✔ (1) 

4.4.3 Identification of the type of selection method 

• Mass selection ✔ (1) 

4.4.4 Explanation of this selection method  

• Selection based on the individuals with superior characteristics ✔ within the group ✔ (2) 

4.4.5 TWO other selection methods  

• Family selection ✔
• Pedigree selection ✔
• Progeny selection ✔
• Breeding values/EBV/biometrics ✔ (Any 2) (2)

4.5 GM 
4.5.1 Identification of the year  

• 2012/2013 ✔ (1) 

4.5.2 Reason 

• An increase in yield/from10,6 – 12t/ha✔ (1)

4.5.3 TWO advantages that Farmer B got from using GM maize 

• Yields increased ✔
• Increase started from 2012 ✔ (2) 

4.5.4 TWO important characteristics of GM maize crops 

• Resistant to herbicides ✔
• Not affected by insecticides ✔
• Crops have lower water requirements ✔
• Better adapted to the environment/region ✔ (Any 2) (2) 

4.5.5 Reason for the resistance against the use of GM's 

• Health risks ✔
• Environmental risks ✔ 
• Ethical/socio-economic concerns ✔ (Any 1) (1) [35] 

TOTAL SECTION B: 105 
GRAND TOTAL: 150