Refers to the activity of cultivating land and growing crops. Often used in contexts like agricultural production or farm work.
This area is suitable for farming.
The mechanization of farming is advancing.
農作 refers to agricultural production or crops in general, while 耕作 specifically denotes the act of tilling and working land; the two are easily confused because of the shared 作 and similar sound.
Compound of 農 (agriculture) and 作 (make, produce). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of agricultural production.