WHAT IS PRIMITIVE SUBSISTENCE FARMING ?
Primitive Subsistence Farming This type of farming is still practiced in a few remote areas of India. Primitive subsistence agriculture is practiced with small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe, Dao and digging sticks, and family/community labour. This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditions to the crop grown.
It is a mode of agriculture used since the beginning of the civilization. A patch of the forest is cut down and burnt to get a piece of agricultural land. The ashes of the burnt down trees provides manure for the crop. The farmer grows crops which is necessary for the daily use of their family. The family members help him in cultivation and the crops are not meant for sale. So in this type of agriculture food crops necessary for the family were only grown and many crops are grown in the same piece of land.
When the fertility of the soil decreases farmer leaves the land and takes up another piece of land for cultivation. This allows nature to replenish itself and there is no need for farmer to use manures for the cultivation. It is known by different names in different parts of the country. In India the primitive form of agriculture is called 'Bewar' in Madhya Pradesh 'Padu' in Andhra Pradesh, 'koman' in Orissa, 'Valre' in Rajasthan and 'jhumming' in North- eastern region. Intensive Subsistence Farming
In the old times there were a lot land available for cultivation since the population was very less. But now the scenario has changed to a large extend as compared to the situation in the primitive world.
The population has been underwent a great increase in the the recent years. This has resulted in the lessening of the availability of the natural resources including the land . The per capita availability of every natural resources is now limited.
Therefore in these days the primitive subsistence agriculture is difficult to practice.
The population pressures has resulted in the development of a anew form of agriculture. The Intensive Subsistence Farming. This type of farming is practiced in the areas of high population pressure on land. It is Labour intensive farming. Where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production.
Though the 'right of inheritance' leading to the division of land among successive generations has rendered land holding size un-economical, the farmers continue to take maximum output from the limited land in the absence of alternative source of livelihood. Thus there is enormous pressure on the agricultural land.
The Intensive subsistence farming is aimed at higher production and uses new technologies to support the agricultural practices. This includes the use of chemical fertilizers and increased use of insecticides. These farming practices are now becoming a threat to the environment by making the hazardous chemicals enter into the food chain. This is causing the a great threat to the health of man.
Commercial Farming
The main characteristics of this type of farming is the use of higher doses of modern inputs, e.g. high yielding variety seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides in order to obtain higher productivity. The degree of commercialization of agriculture varies from one region to other. For example, rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Orissa, it is a commercial crop.
Plantation is also a type of commercial farming. In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area. The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry. Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant laborers. All the produce is used as raw materials in respective industries.
In India tea, coffee, rubber, sugar cane, banana, etcË are important plantation crops. Tea in Assam and North Bengal Coffee in Karnataka are some of the important plantation crops grown in these states. Since the product is mainly for market, a well developed network of transport and communication connecting the plantation areas, processing industries and markets plays an important in the development of plantations.
But the agriculture in India is now showing a downward trend in these days. People are not interested in taking the farming as a profession and are not readyto come into the field of farming. Many farmers are owning very small pieces of land thus bringing the more input cost and less profit. The modern techniques of the farming is not so common among the farmers.
Our Government should take necessary measures to improve the quality and quantity of the agriculture in India. The new technologies should be implemented in the agriculture without harming the environment. There should be enough measures taken to market the produces of the farmers and assure them a good income.