AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
PAPER 2
GRADE 12 
NSC EXAMS PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS SEPTEMBER 2019
PREPARATORY EXAMINATIONS

MEMORANDUM 

SECTION A 
QUESTION 1 
1.1
1.1.1 D ✔✔ 
1.1.2 B ✔✔ 
1.1.3 C ✔✔ 
1.1.4 C ✔✔ 
1.1.5 B ✔✔ 
1.1.6 C ✔✔ 
1.1.7 A ✔✔ 
1.1.8 A ✔✔ 
1.1.9 D ✔✔ 
1.1.10 D ✔✔ (10 x 2) (20) 
1.2
1.2.1 G ✔✔ 
1.2.2 D ✔✔  
1.2.3 A ✔✔  
1.2.4 E ✔✔ 
1.2.5 F ✔✔ (5 x 2) (10) 
1.3
1.3.1 cross breed ✔✔ 
1.3.2 marketing chain/agri-business chain ✔✔ 
1.3.3 elasticity ✔✔ 
1.3.4 risk sharing ✔✔ 
1.3.5 overhead costs ✔✔  (5 x 2) (10) 
1.4
1.4.1 segmentation ✔  
1.4.2 eco-labelling ✔ 
1.4.3 mix ✔ 
1.4.4 analytical ✔ 
1.4.5 recombinant ✔ (5 x 1) (5)

TOTAL SECTION A: 45

SECTION B 
QUESTION 2: AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING 
2.1 2.1.1 Letter representing demand curve 

• A ✔ (1) 

2.1.2 Description of what would happen on the market 

• Price P1 – There will be a surplus/oversupply ✔ 
• Price P3 – There will be a shortage ✔ (2) 

2.1.3 Ways of dealing with oversupply 

• Establish new markets ✔ 
• Process produce ✔ (2) 

2.1.4 Factors influencing supply 

• Technology ✔ 
• Production costs ✔ 
• Subsidies ✔ 
• Environmental conditions ✔ (Any 2) (2) 

2.2 2.2.1 Identification of the marketing systems  

• Controlled marketing ✔ 
• Free marketing ✔ (2) 

2.2.2 Disadvantage of a free market  

• Price fluctuations / movements ✔ 
• Many unknown factors ✔ (Any 1) (1) 

2.2.3 Advantages of a free marketing system 

• Intermediaries are eliminated ✔ 
• Entrepreneurship is rewarded ✔ 
• Consumers benefit from better products due to competition ✔   (Any 2) (2) 

2.3 2.3.1 Phases of the entrepreneurial process 

• Phase 1 – Identifying and evaluating the opportunity ✔ 
• Phase 2 – Determining the resources required ✔
• Phase 3 – Developing the business plan ✔ 
• Phase 4 – Starting and managing the enterprise ✔ (4) 

2.3.2 Questions to ask when evaluating the feasibility of a business  idea 

• Is there a market for the goods or services ✔ 
• Are the skills needed to start and run the business present ✔ 
• Are the resources to start and run the business available ✔ (3)

2.3.3 Importance of a business plan in entrepreneurship 

• Enables determination of financial needs ✔
• Guides daily operations ✔
• To foresee problems ✔ 
• To secure funding ✔ 
• Gives an insight about market opportunities and competitors ✔ 
• Allows farmers to test the feasibility of their business idea ✔   (Any 2) (2) 

2.3.4 Use of electronic resources in drawing up a business plan

• Obtaining business plan templates ✔ 
• Gather information about the business from the internet ✔ 
• Get advice from online business planning experts ✔ 
• Get financial formulae that do calculations automatically to get  accurate figures ✔ (Any 2) (2) 

2.3.5

• Confidence / positive attitude / Identifying opportunities ✔
• Enthusiasm ✔ (2) 

2.4 2.4.1 Appropriate marketing approaches for each farmer

• Farmer A – Niche marketing ✔ 
• Farmer B – Mass marketing ✔ (2) 

2.4.2 Methods that could be used by farmer B to advertise 

• Newspapers ✔ 
• Television ✔ 
• Radio ✔ 
• Billboards ✔ 
• Magazines ✔ 
• Electronic media ✔ (Any 2) (2) 

2.4.3 Advantages of niche marketing 

• Consumers are willing to pay higher prices ✔ 
• Less competition from established businesses ✔ (2) 

2.5 2.5.1 Ways of implementing sustainable marketing 

1. Using sustainable farming practices / organic fertilisers / biological control ✔ (1) 
2. Using recycled/recyclable materials in packaging ✔ (1) 

2.5.2 Disadvantages of sustainable marketing 

• Green products are usually expensive ✔ 
• Organic farming is not as productive as conventional farming ✔ (2) [35]

QUESTION 3: PRODUCTION FACTORS 
3.1 3.1.1 Part of the graph which shows diminishing returns C ✔ (1) 
3.1.2 Effect of input application rates on enterprise profitability

• An increase in inputs does not result in an increase in yield ✔ 
• This results in high input costs not matched by increase in yield ✔ 
• Resulting in reduced profits ✔ (3) 

3.1.3 Economic functions of land 

• Land provides physical space for agricultural activities ✔ 
• Land provides food for humans and animals ✔ 
• Land is a source of minerals ✔ 
• Land can be used as collateral ✔ (Any 2) (2)

3.2 Applicable Acts of Parliament 
3.2.1 C ✔ (1)
3.2.2 D ✔ (1)
3.2.3 A ✔ (1)
3.2.4 B ✔ (1) 
3.3. 3.3.1 Benefits of record keeping 

• Improves profitability ✔ 
• Makes management easier ✔ (2)

3.3.2 Records for managing the following assets 

1.  An inventory ✔ (1)
2. Breeding records ✔ (1) 

3.4 3.4.1 Identification of the budget 

• Cash flow budget ✔ (1) 

3.4.2 Figure A 

• R420 000 ✔ (1) 

3.4.3 Figure B 

• R50 000 ✔ – R377 000 ✔ 
• = - R327 000 ✔ (3) 

3.4.4 Deduction of the quarter during which the farmer needs to  borrow money 

Related Items

• 4th quarter ✔ 

Reason 

• farmer has negative cumulative net cash flow / farmer’s  expenses are more than income ✔ (2)

3.5 3.5.1 Identification of the overcapitalising farmer 

• Farmer B ✔ (1) 

3.5.2 Justification of answer to QUESTION 3.5.1 

• Farmer B purchased a bakkie ✔ 
• A luxury considering the value of the loan ✔ (2) 

3.5.3 Examples 

• Movable capital – livestock / bakkie ✔
• Floating capital – feeds / remedies ✔ (2) 

3.5.4 Challenges associated with capital 

• High interest rates ✔ 
• Scarcity of capital ✔ (2) 

3.6 3.6.1 Classification of risk source 

• Technical risk ✔ (1) 

3.6.2 Risk management strategies that could have been used by the  farmer 

• Better scientific agricultural practices ✔ 
• Insurance ✔ 
• Diversification (2) 

3.6.3 Deduction of type of force 

• External force ✔ (1) 

3.6.4 Three main management principles 

• Planning ✔ 
• Implementation ✔ 
• Control ✔ (3) [35]

QUESTION 4: BASIC AGRICULTURAL GENETICS 
4.1 4.1.1 Type of dominance described in the passage 

• Co-dominance ✔ (1) 

4.1.2 Justification of the answer in QUESTION 4.1.1  

• The characteristics of both parent plants ✔ 
• Are expressed fully in the phenotype of the offspring ✔ (2)

4.1.3 Punnet square 

Rubric 

• Punnet square with gametes and offspring ✔ 
• Correct parental gametes ✔
• Correct offspring genotype ✔ (3) 

4.1.4 Phenotypic ratio 

• 1 : 2 : 1 ✔ (1) 

4.2 4.2.1 Breeding method 

• Upgrading ✔ (1) 

4.2.2 Motivation of answer to QUESTION 4.2.1 

• The farmer crossed an inferior cow ✔ 
• with a superior through bred bull ✔ (2) 

4.2.3 Advantages of upgrading to communal farmers 

• Economic way to raise the stock to pedigree level ✔ 
• Rapid results in the first and second generations ✔ (2) 

4.2.4 Other breeding methods that farmers can use 

• Cross breeding ✔ 
• Outbreeding ✔ (2) 

4.2.5 Disadvantages of breeding methods given in  QUESTION 4.2.4 

• Cross breeding – Hybrids vary greatly and can be disappointing /   Can lead to calving problems ✔
• Outcrossing – Undesired traits may also be inherited ✔ (2)

4.3 4.3.1 Bar graph showing the weight ranges of weaners on a farm 

Checklist 

• Correct heading ✔ 
• X-axis: correctly calibrated with label (Weight range) ✔ 
• Y-axis: correctly calibrated with label (Number of calves) ✔ 
• Graph type (bar graph) ✔ 
• Correct unit (kg) ✔ 
• Accuracy ✔ (6) 

4.3.2 Deduction of type of variation on the graph 

• Continuous variation ✔ (1) 

4.3.3 Number of calves owned by the farmer 

• Total number of calves = 14 + 17 + 25 + 19 + 12 ✔  = 87 ✔ (2) 

4.4 4.4.1 Identification of techniques 

• Technique A – Recombinant DNA techniques/Agrobacterium  tumfaciens ✔
• Technique B – Biolistic/Gene gun ✔ (2) 

4.4.2 Advantages of modern plant improvement methods 

• They are precise ✔ 
• They are not limited to individuals of the same species ✔ 
• They are fast ✔ (3) 

4.4.3 Social concerns regarding GMOs 

•  Poor developing countries will become dependent on  developed countries for seed ✔ 
• Farmers cannot retain seeds resulting in high seed costs ✔ 
• Some people think it is ethically unacceptable to produce GM  crops ✔ (3) 

4.4.4 Implications of the use GMO technology to improve plants in  South Africa 

• Herbicide resistance in maize/cotton/soya  beans/tobacco/canola ✔ 
• Resistance to corn borers in maize/cotton bollworm in cotton/  Bt gene ✔ 
• Resistance to diseases ✔ 
• Improved oil quality in canola ✔ 
• Longer shelf-life in tomatoes and apples ✔ 
• Beta-carotene producing rice ✔ 
• Improved starch quality in potatoes ✔ (2) [35] 

TOTAL SECTION B: 105 
GRAND TOTAL: 150