Agriculture: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Activities PDF

# 4 Agriculture ## Word Origin The word agriculture is derived from Latin words *ager* or *agri* meaning soil and *culture* meaning cultivation. ## Agriculture, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Activities - Gurpreet, Madho and Tina saw a farmer tilling land. It was explained to them that wheat...

# 4 Agriculture ## Word Origin The word agriculture is derived from Latin words *ager* or *agri* meaning soil and *culture* meaning cultivation. ## Agriculture, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Activities - Gurpreet, Madho and Tina saw a farmer tilling land. It was explained to them that wheat was being grown and manure was added to the soil to make it more fertile. - The wheat is then sold in the *mandi*, taken to factories and processed into flour, bread and biscuits. - This transformation from a plant to a final product involves three types of economic activities: - **Primary activities**: extraction and production of natural resources like agriculture, fishing and gathering. - **Secondary activities**: processing of resources like manufacturing steel, baking of bread, and weaving of cloth. - **Tertiary activities**: services that support primary and secondary sectors like transport, trade, banking, insurance, and advertising. ## Agriculture as a Primary Activity - Agriculture includes growing of crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and rearing of livestock. - 50% of the world's population is engaged in agricultural activity. - 2/3 of India's population is still dependent on agriculture. - Favourable topography, soil, and climate are vital for agriculture. - **Arable land** is land on which the crops are grown. ## World Distribution of Arable Land - Agricultural activity is concentrated in the areas of the world where suitable factors for the growing of crops exist. ## Do you know? | **Term** | **Description** | |-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **Agriculture** | The science and art of cultivation on the soil, raising crops and rearing livestock. It is called farming. | | **Sericulture** | Commercial rearing of silk worms. It may supplement the income of the farmer. | | **Pisciculture** | Breeding of fish in specially constructed tanks and ponds. | | **Viticulture** | Cultivation of grapes. | | **Horticulture** | Growing vegetables, flowers and fruits for commercial use. | ## Farm System - Agriculture or farming can be looked at as a system. - The important inputs are: seeds, fertilizers, machinery, and labour. - The processes involved in a farm are: ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding and harvesting. - The outputs of the farm system include crops, wool, dairy and poultry products. ## Types of Farming - Farming practices vary across the world depending upon geographical conditions, demand of produce, labour and level of technology. - There are two main types of farming: - **Subsistence Farming:** to meet the needs of the farmer's family. It involves low levels of technology and household labour. It occurs on small outputs. There are two types of subsistence farming: - **Intensive subsistence agriculture** : cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools and more labour. Climate with large number of days with sunshine and fertile soils permit growing of more than one crop annually on the same plot. Rice is the main crop. It is prevalent in thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of south, southeast and east Asia. - **Primitive subsistence agriculture**: includes shifting cultivation and nomadic herding. - **Shifting cultivation**: practiced in thickly forested areas of Amazon basin, Tropical Africa, parts of South Asia and Northeast India. It occurs in areas of heavy rainfall and quick regeneration of vegitations. A plot of land is cleared by felling the trees, burning them, and ashes are mixed with the soil. Crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava are grown. Once the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new plot. It is also called *slash and burn* agriculture. - **Nomadic herding**: practiced in semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and semi-arid parts of India, like Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. Herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water, along defined routes. They provide milk, meat, wool, hides and other products to the herders and their families. - **Commercial Farming:** crops are grown and animals are reared for sale in the market. The area cultivated and the amount of capital used is large. Most of the work is done by machines. There are three types of commercial farming: - **Commercial grain farming**: crops are grown for commercial purpose. Wheat and maize are common commercially grown grains. It is prevalent in temperate grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia. It occurs in sparsely populated with large farms spreading over hundreds of hectares. - **Mixed farming**: land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock. It is practiced in Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, southeast Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. - **Plantations**: a type of commercial farming where single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton are grown. Large amounts of labour and capital are required. The produce may be processed on the farm itself or in nearby factories. It is essential for such farming to have a transport network. Major plantations are found in the tropical regions of the world. Rubber in Malaysia, coffee in Brazil, tea in India and Sri Lanka are some examples. ## Major Crops - A large variety of crops are grown to meet the requirement of the growing population. Crops also supply raw materials for agro based industries. - **Major food crops** are wheat, rice, maize and millets. - **Fibre crops** are jute and cotton. - **Important beverage crops** are tea and coffee. ### Specific Crops - **Rice**: staple diet of the tropical and sub-tropical regions. It needs high temperature, high humidity and rainfall. It grows best in alluvial clayey soil, which can retain water. China leads in the production of rice followed by India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Egypt. In favourable climatic conditions, as in West Bengal and Bangladesh, two to three crops are grown in a year. - **Wheat**: requires moderate temperature and rainfall during growing season and bright sunshine at the time of harvest. It thrives best in well drained loamy soil. Wheat is grown extensively in USA, Canada, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and India. In India it is grown in winter. - **Millets**: known as coarse grains. They can be grown on less fertile and sandy soils. It is a hardy crop that needs low rainfall and high to moderate temperature and adequate rainfall. Jowar, bajra and ragi are grown in India. Other countries are Nigeria, China and Niger. - **Maize**: requires moderate temperature, moderate rainfall and lots of sunshine. It needs well-drained fertile soils. Maize is grown in North America, Brazil, China, Russia, Canada, India and Mexico. - **Cotton**: requires high temperature, light rainfall, two hundred and ten frost free days and bright sunshine for its growth. It grows best on black and alluvial soils. China, USA, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt are the leading producers of cotton. It is one of the main raw materials for the cotton textile industry. - **Jute**: known as the 'Golden Fibre'. It grows well on alluvial soil and requires high temperature, heavy rainfall and humid climate. This crop is grown in the tropical areas. India and Bangladesh are the leading producers of jute. - **Coffee**: requires warm and wet climate and well-drained loamy soil. Hill slopes are more suitable for growth of this crop. Brazil is the leading producer followed by Columbia and India. - **Tea**: a beverage crop grown on plantations. It requires cool climate and well distributed high rainfall throughout the year for the growth of its tender leaves. It needs well-drained loamy soils and gentle slopes. Labour in large number is required to pick the leaves. Kenya, India, China, Sri Lanka produce the best quality tea in the world. ## Agricultural Development - Agricultural development refers to efforts made to increase farm production in order to meet the growing demand of increasing population. - This can be achieved in many ways such as increasing the cropped area, the number of crops grown, improving irrigation facilities, use of fertilisers and high yielding variety of seeds. - Mechanisation of agriculture is also another aspect of agricultural development. - The ultimate aim of agricultural development is to increase food security. ## Agriculture in Different Parts of the World - Developing countries with large populations usually practice intensive agriculture where crops are grown on small holdings, mostly for subsistence. - Larger holdings are more suitable for commercial agriculture as in USA, Canada and Australia. ## A Farm in India - **Village:** Adilabad, Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh - **Farmer:** Munna Lal - **Farmland:** 1.5 hectares - **Crops:** wheat, rice, and pulses - **Seeds:** purchased from the market. - **Fertilizers:** uses high-yielding varieties of seeds and takes advice from friends and elders as well as government agricultural officers. - **Ploughing:** uses a tractor on rent. - **Irrigation:** uses a tubewell in the nearby field on rent. - **Livestock:** 2 buffaloes and few hens - **Livestock Management:** he is a member of the cooperative society which advises him on the type of fodder for his animals, veterinary measures to protect the health of the livestock and artificial insemination. - **Selling Output:** he sells his produce in the mandi located in the nearby town. - **Challenges:** farmers do not have adequate storage facilities, so they are forced to sell the produce even when the market is not favourable to them. ## A Farm in the USA - **Farm size:** about 250 hectares - **Crops:** corn, soyabean, wheat, cotton and sugarbeet. - **Farmer:** Joe Horan, Midwest USA ## Agricultural Practices in the USA 1. **Soil Testing:** Soil samples are sent to a soil testing laboratory to check whether the nutrients are sufficient or not. 2. **Scientific Fertiliser Programme:** the results of the soil test help Joe Horan to plan a scientific fertiliser programme. 3. **Computerized Data Analysis:** Joe Horan's computer is linked to the satellite, giving him a precise picture of his field. This helps him to use chemical fertilisers and pesticides wherever they are required. 4. **Mechanized Farming:** Joe Horan uses tractors, seed drills, leveller. combined harvester and thresher to perform various agricultural operations. Grains are stored in the automated grain storage, or despatched to market agencies. ## Conclusion - The American farmer in USA works like a businessman and not like a peasant farmer.