question_answer

What are the two types of subsistence agriculture practised in different countries of the world? Describe the main features of these types.

Answer:

Farming is practised in various ways across the world depending upon the geographical condition, demand of produce, labour and level of technology. Farming can be classified into two main types:

(i) Primitive subsistence agriculture and

(ii) Intensive subsistence agriculture.

Main features of primitive subsistence agriculture:

(a) It is also called shifting agriculture and burn/jhuming/milpa/ladang.

(b) It is widely practised by tribes in Africa, South and Central America, South East Asia.

(c) It is practised in thickly forested areas of Amazon basin, Tropical Africa.

(d) The vegetation are cleared by fire and ashes added to soil fertility. In these areas of heavy rainfall quick regeneration of vegetation takes place.

(e) After the soil looses its fertility, land is abandoned and cultivator moves to a new plot.

Main features of intensive subsistence agriculture:

(a) It is practised in densely populated regions of monsoon in Asia.

(b) Land holdings are small.

(c) Farmers use simple tools and more labour including whole family members.

(d) Climate with large number of sunshine days and fertile soil by using farm yard manure permits growing more than one crop annually on the same plot.

(e) The crops grows in such fields are rice, wheat, maize, pulses and oil seeds.