Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

We all are familiar with the word “Agriculture“. In fact, we have our chapters in classes 5, 6, 7, 8, etc., on this topic. Foods are the core thing of our survival which we get from agriculture. For decades, agriculture is playing an important role in our lives and the economy of any nation. Earlier, it was just used for or was restricted to just food crops production, but now it’s far beyond just production with changes around. Everything from production, processing, collecting, managing, and marketing to distribution of food crops comes under one roof of agriculture. And in the coming future, with more advancements in technology, things will add to positively impact your life and the nation’s economy. 
When talking about agriculture, one can never deny the fact that it is the backbone of the economy irrespective of nation. Along with providing food for survival, and raw materials for product manufacturing, agriculture is also a source of employment for a large section of our society. Proceed further with this blog to know more about agriculture and its types, especially what intensive subsistence agriculture is.

What is Subsistence Agriculture?

Starting the description by defining what subsistence agriculture means to get a clear understanding of the base and what’s coming ahead. So, the term “subsistence agriculture” applies to farming in which the farmers grow what they need for themselves and their families. It is an ancient way of living that has been practised for millennia. Urbanization and globalization are at their peak and are adversely affecting agricultural practice. This is because people now have very less land to cultivate. 

Types of Subsistence Agriculture:

There are two types of subsistence agriculture: 

1. Primitive Subsistence Agriculture:

This is the oldest form of farming. In other terms, it is called simple subsistence farming, where the farmer produces food as per the family’s requirement. If some surplus is left after need fulfillment, it is either bartered with cash or goods. This type of agriculture is done in two forms: Nomadic Herding and Shifting Cultivation. 

2. Intensive Subsistence Agriculture:

Then comes intensive subsistence agriculture. It is a type of agriculture where many latest technology and tools are not used. This means lots of manual inputs are given. In this type of farming, the farmer has a lot more control over what goes on in their fields and what happens with their crops from start to finish. Farmers also use crop diversity in this kind of farming to provide all nutrients for their plants.

Difference Between Intensive and Primitive Subsistence Agriculture:

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture	Primitive Subsistence Agriculture
Few of the recent inputs are used like HYV seed, machines where required.	The complete manual task is done using conventional tools like dow, hoe, etc.
Farming is done on comparative bigger patches of land.	A small patch of land for farming.
Irrigation is supported by canals, tube wells, etc.	Farming is completely dependent on rainfall.
Manpower is more as labours are hired as per needs.	Completely supported by family.
Land productivity is comparatively high and fits commercial needs.	Land productivity is low and is just sufficient for family needs fulfillment.

Characteristics of Intensive Subsistence Farming:

Below mentioned are a few of the characteristics that properly describe this farming technique. Let’s get started:

• Small Land Holdings:
  The main characteristic of intensive subsistence farming is very smallholdings. This means that farmers cannot take the help of modern technology to get bigger yields, with some exceptions, such as rice production. 
• Pasture Intensification:
  It is a system of animal farming in which animals are raised on pastures but then moved to other fields so that the land can recuperate. This practice serves a few different purposes: it helps maintain healthy plant life for grazing and controlling dust, allows for better management of access to water sources, and helps prevent the spread of parasites among the animals.
• More Manual Inputs:
  Traditionally, much hand labour is used in the cultivation of crops. Ploughing is done using buffaloes, the fields are raked by hand, and the women plant crops like paddy painstakingly in precise rows. But in between, people used few techniques for better yield.
• Rotational Gazing:
  Rotational grazing is a type of pasture intensification that entails breaking grazing areas into smaller paddocks. This allows for more intensive farming and more animals in a given area while also providing better quality livestock products.
• More Dependency on Manure than Fertilisers:
  Farmers have long relied on animal manure and other natural fertilizers, but with the help of chemical fertilizers, farms can produce more crops and grow them faster.

Conclusion:

The intensification of agriculture has played a crucial role for ages. It helped farmers to grow and nurture their communities. But, in today’s time, intensive agriculture is no longer effective and sustainable. So, with the passing of time, one should start adapting to all new advancements to fetch more benefits without hurting the environment.