1. Subsistence Farming
- Description: Subsistence farming is a type of farming where individuals or families produce food and other agricultural products purely for their own consumption, with little or no surplus sold in the market.
- Characteristics:
a) Small-scale farming: Subsistence farming is usually practiced on small plots of land, which are sufficient to sustain the farmer's family.
b) Diversity of crops: Subsistence farmers cultivate a variety of crops to meet their daily nutritional needs, often including staple crops such as rice, wheat, maize, or potatoes.
c) Limited use of technology: Subsistence farming relies on traditional farming methods, with minimal use of machinery or modern tools.
d) Low income: Since the focus is on self-sufficiency, subsistence farmers typically have low or no income from agricultural production.
2. Commercial Farming
- Description: Commercial farming refers to large-scale agricultural enterprises focused on producing crops and livestock to generate profit by selling products in markets or to other businesses.
- Characteristics:
a) Capital-intensive: Commercial farms require a significant investment in infrastructure, machinery, and technology for higher efficiency and productivity.
b) Specialized crops or livestock: Unlike subsistence farming, commercial farming often specializes in one or a few high-value crops or livestock to maximize profits.
c) Modern techniques: Commercial farming incorporates modern techniques, such as irrigation systems, genetically modified seeds, and mechanization, to optimize production and increase yields.
d) Market-oriented: The main goal of commercial farming is to generate profit by selling agricultural products in local or international markets.
3. Livestock Farming
- Description: Livestock farming focuses primarily on raising animals, such as cattle, sheep, pigs, or poultry, for various purposes like meat, milk, eggs, and wool.
- Characteristics:
a) Grazing or confined feeding: Livestock farming can involve grazing animals on large areas of land or confining them in specialized buildings, depending on the type of animals and farming methods.
b) Feed production: These farms may allocate significant resources to grow or purchase animal feed, to ensure proper nutrition for the animals.
c) Animal welfare: Livestock farms prioritize the health and well-being of the animals, providing proper shelter, veterinary care, and suitable living conditions.
d) Product processing: Livestock farms often include facilities for processing milk, meat, and other animal products before distribution to consumers.
4. Plantation Farming
- Description: Plantation farming refers to large-scale monoculture agriculture, mainly focused on the cultivation of cash crops such as coffee, tea, sugarcane, rubber, or palm oil.
- Characteristics:
a) Large land area: Plantations cover vast areas of land, often spanning hundreds or thousands of hectares.
b) Labor-intensive: Plantation farming requires a substantial workforce for planting, harvesting, and processing the cash crops.
c) Export-oriented: The primary purpose of plantation farming is to produce crops for export to national or international markets.
d) Intensive use of inputs: Plantations rely heavily on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation systems to maximize crop yields.
1. Outline and give characteristics of the different basic farm types
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