Question

Compare the primitive subsistence farming and commercial farming.

Answer 1

Hint: Primitive subsistence farming is practised with the help of primitive tools and is dependable on monsoons. Commercial farming is done for a profit where food is produced with the help of advanced technological means.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
-Primitive Subsistence farming is carried out on small areas of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe , dao and digging sticks.
-Farmer's families produce crops and cereals for themselves and for the local market.
- It is labour intensive. Maximum activities are done by family labour.
-It is usually carried out in densely populated areas.
Wheat, rice and millets are mainly grown.

There are 2 varieties of primitive farming:
Shifting cultivation : In this method of cultivation, farmers clear the cultivated land after harvesting. They maintain the fertility of the soil.
Nomadic herding: In this method of cultivation, farmers travel from place to place with their animals. It is common in regions of Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.

-Commercial farming is practised on large areas with the use of modern machinery and inputs like HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides.
-Crops grown in this technique are exported to other countries.
-It is capital intensive. Maximum activity is done with the help of machines.
-It is usually carried out in sparsely populated areas.
Coffee, cotton and sugarcane are mainly grown.

There are 3 varieties of commercial farming:
Commercial grain farming: This method involves farmers growing grains and trading them in the market.
Plantation farming: This method is a mixture of agriculture and industry in which the end product itself is used as a raw material.
Mixed farming: This method involves the cultivation of crops, livestock and growing fodder.

Note: The primitive subsistence farming is also known as slash farming. Crops such as tapioca, corn , millet, beans and bananas are the output of primitive subsistence farming. In commercial farming cash crops such as jute, sugarcane and oilseeds are grown which are profitable.