Animals and indeed agriculture was the first economy of the mankind, which meet most of the basic needs of humans. No product from farm animals is a wastes. Their flesh, milk and eggs are used as food, blood used animal feed production, hide and skin used for cloth making, and thee by-products used as raw materials for medicine and other products production.
Farm animals are important in the society because they are:
• Source of Food — protein
• Source of medicine
• Source of clothing
• Source of income
• Source of raw materials
• Source manure
• Source labour
• Source of energy
• Job Creation
• Revenue earner
• Foreign exchange earner
• For education
• Recreation
• Sports and entertainment
Source of food – Protein
Animal products such as meat, milk, eggs, fish and other seafood, play an important role in providing food for humans and other animals. Farm animal products are an important source of high-quality, balanced, and highly bioavailable protein and numerous critical micronutrients, including iron, zinc, and vitamins B-12 and A, many of which are deficient in a large portion of the world's population.
Source of medicine
The animal products used as food are invariably medicine because food is also medicine. Also, livestock by-products are used in producing medicine. The by-products used as medications are corticotrophin, insulin, rennet, cortisone, epinephrine, thrombin, and heparin.
Source of income
Animals husbandry is one the early and lucrative occupations. Livestock farm earn income when the sell their animals.
Sources of raw materials
Many manufacturing industries get their raw materials and ingredients from livestock. Leather textile industries depend on livestock for most of their raw materials (natural wool). Examples of products made with by-products include candy, soap lubricants, house insulation, gum, sandpaper, wallpaper, ice cream, fertilizers, canned meats, buttons, perfumes, glue, lanolin, gelatin desserts, marshmallows, dice, camera film, piano keys, toothbrushes, upholstering materials for furniture, cosmetics, rug padding, waxes, printing ink, and candles. By-products are also used as feeds for other animals.
Source manure
Animal wastes are used as manure to fertilize and improve soil fertility for crop production. The crops produced are also useful to humans and for economic development.
Source of farm and domestic labour
Keeping the vegetation at bay, livestock are used as labour in solar farms, where animals graze on the solar farm, the famers are paid and the solar producers have grass growth controlled. Livestock are also doing their part to “go green.” Livestock help conserve soil and soil fertility in the land on which these livestock feeds are grown. In Africa, especially in the Sub-Sahara, camels, donkeys are used to haul loads and to plough the farm soil, as harvesters etc.
Job reaction
Jobs created from livestock farming can’t be excluded when evaluating the importance of agriculture to our economy. Farm animals provide job for the population starting from the farms where the animals are raised to industries where animal by-products are used as raw materials, and to marketing of animal livestock and livestock products.
Clothing
Hide and skin from farm animals are used for leather and wool production. Leather is used in making shoes, bags etc, while wool is used to make fabrics for clothing.
Revenue earner
Livestock value chain generates revenue for the government. Livestock farmers, animal feed producers, marketers, industries that use animal products pay taxes to the government.
Foreign exchange earner
Many countries export comes from livestock products.
For education
Livestock also supply a research model for scientists to study human and animal health. They are often used as Guinea pig to test new vaccines before conducting clinical trials on human body. School set up animal farms for the purpose of learning.
Recreation
Farm animals are kept in the parks for recreation and entertainment
For sports and Entertainment
Farm animals are also used for sports. Example is horse race