DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

Secunderabad
NACHARAM / MAHENDRA HILLS / NADERGUL
SUBJECT: SOCIAL
CLASS: VIII
GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER-4 AGRICULTURE

1. Explain Subsistence farming and its types

Subsistence farming
This type of farming is practised to meet the needs of the farmer’s family, low
levels of technology and household labour are used.
It is further classified as Intensive Subsistence farming and Primitive
Subsistence farming.
a) Intensive Subsistence Farming
The farmer cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools and more labour.
Climate with a 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.
b) Primitive Subsistence Farming
Includes Shifting Cultivation and Nomadic Herding
1) Shifting Cultivation, a plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them.
● The ashes are then mixed with the soil and crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava
are grown.
● After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new
plot.
● It is practised in the thickly forested areas of Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of
Southeast Asia and Northeast India. These are the areas of heavy rainfall and quick
regeneration of vegetation.
● Shifting cultivation is known by different names in different parts of the world:
Jhum cultivation in North-East India, Milpa in Mexico, Roca in Brazil, Ladang in
Malaysia
2) Nomadic Herding, herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder
and water, along defined routes. This type of movement arises in response to climatic
constraints and terrain.
● Sheep, camel, yak and goats are most commonly reared. They provide milk, meat, wool,
hides and other products to the herders and their families.
● It is practised in the semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of
India, like Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.
2. Write a note on commercial farming and its types
Commercial Farming
Large areas are cultivated and capital investment is also large.
Crops are grown and animals are reared mainly for sale in the market.
Most of the work is done by machines and produce is sold in the market for a profit.
Its types-
a) Commercial grain farming
 Grains are grown for commercial purpose. Wheat and maize are commonly grown
commercial grains. It is generally practised in temperate grasslands of North America,
Europe and Asia.
b) Mixed farming
Land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock. Generally practised
in Europe, Eastern USA, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
c) Plantation agriculture
Farming where a single crop like tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton is
grown. Large amount of labour and capital is required.
The produce may be processed on the farm itself or in nearby factories. Thus, development
of a transport network is most essential for such farming.
Major plantations are found in the tropical regions of the world. Eg: Rubber in Malaysia,
coffee in Brazil, tea in India and Sri Lanka.
3. Write short notes on: (a) Food Security (b) Organic Farming
Food Security: Food security exists when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe
and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy
life.
Organic Farming: In this type of farming, organic manure and natural pesticides are used
instead of chemicals. No genetic modification is done to increase the yield of the crop.
4. What is Agricultural development? How can agricultural development be achieved?
Agricultural Development refers to efforts made to increase farm production in order to meet
the growing demand of increasing population.
Agricultural development can be achieved in the following ways:-
● Increasing the cropped area.
● Increasing the number of crops grown on a particular piece of land.
● Improving irrigation facilities.
● Use of fertilisers.
● Using a High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds.
● Mechanisation of agriculture
5. Compare the lifestyles of farmers in India with the farmers in the USA.
Lifestyle of farmers in Lifestyle of farmers in
India USA
1) Indian farmers own a small farmers have large farms on
piece of land on which they which they grow food and
grow about two crops per fodder crops and also rear
year animals.
2) They use traditional methods They use machines like
of farming and the family tractors, seed drills, levellers,
members help them in farm combined harvesters and
activities. threshers to perform various
agricultural operations. They
also have scientific methods of
farming and employ labour.
3 Sometimes the farmer The farmer has resources to
) borrows money to buy HYV link his farm activities to
seeds, irrigation facilities are satellites and he uses chemical
 shared by two or more fertilisers and produces crops
farmers and they also borrow after soil testing and ensuring
tractors to plough the field. all resources are available.
4 The farms lack storage They have a good marketing
) facilities and they are forced system. The grains are stored
to sell the produce in a nearby in the automated grain storage
Mandi even when the market or dispatched to market
is not favourable for them. agencies.