Types of Farming MCQs Quiz | Class 10
This quiz is designed for Class X students, covering the Subject: Geography, Unit: Agriculture. It focuses on Primitive, Intensive, and Commercial types of farming. Test your knowledge, then submit your answers to review your score and download a detailed PDF answer sheet for future reference.
Understanding Types of Farming in India
Farming practices across India are incredibly diverse, influenced by physical environments, technological advancements, and socio-cultural traditions. To better understand Indian agriculture, it’s essential to categorize farming based on its nature and objectives. This section details the primary types of farming discussed in the quiz.
1. Primitive Subsistence Farming
This is the oldest and most basic form of cultivation, typically practiced on small patches of land with primitive tools like hoes, daos (a kind of cutting tool), and digging sticks, and relies on family or community labour. It is highly dependent on monsoon rainfall, the natural fertility of the soil, and the suitability of environmental conditions for the crops grown.
- ‘Slash and Burn’ Agriculture: A common practice where farmers clear a patch of land by felling trees and burning the vegetation. The ashes provide nutrients to the soil. After crops are grown for a few seasons and the soil fertility declines, the farmers shift to a new patch of land. This type of farming is known by different names in various regions: ‘Jhumming’ in North-Eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland; ‘Pamlou’ in Manipur; ‘Dipa’ in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Internationally, it’s known as ‘Milpa’ in Mexico and Central America, ‘Roca’ in Brazil, and ‘Ladang’ in Indonesia.
- Low Productivity: Due to reliance on natural processes and lack of modern inputs, productivity per unit area is generally low.
2. Intensive Subsistence Farming
This type of farming is typically found in areas with high population pressure on agricultural land. It is characterized by:
- Labour-intensive Farming: Significant manual labour is employed.
- High Biochemical Inputs: Farmers apply higher doses of biochemical inputs (like fertilizers) and use irrigation facilities to achieve higher production from the limited land.
- Small Land Holdings: The right of inheritance leading to the division of land among successive generations has resulted in small, uneconomical land holdings, often making mechanization difficult. The primary aim is to maximize output from the remaining land for family consumption.
3. Commercial Farming
The main characteristic of commercial farming is the use of higher doses of modern inputs to obtain higher productivity. These modern inputs include High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides. The produce is primarily intended for sale in the market rather than for self-consumption.
- Varying Commercialization: The degree of commercialization varies from one region to another. For example, rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but it is a subsistence crop in Odisha.
- Plantation: A unique type of commercial farming. In plantation agriculture, a single crop is grown on a large area. Plantations are typically capital-intensive, requiring significant investment, and are often worked with migrant labour. The produce from plantations is used as raw material in various industries. Examples include tea in Assam and West Bengal, coffee in Karnataka, rubber in Kerala, sugarcane in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and bananas in southern states.
Comparative Overview of Farming Types
| Feature | Primitive Subsistence | Intensive Subsistence | Commercial Farming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land Size | Small patches | Small due to inheritance | Large holdings |
| Inputs | Primitive tools, natural fertility | Biochemical inputs, irrigation, family labour | Modern inputs (HYV, fertilizers, pesticides), machinery |
| Purpose | Self-consumption (subsistence) | Self-consumption + some local market surplus | Market sale |
| Productivity | Low | Medium to high (per unit area) | High |
| Labour | Family/community | Family (labour-intensive) | Hired labour, often migrant |
| Examples | Jhumming, ‘slash and burn’ | Rice, wheat in densely populated regions | Wheat, cotton, maize, tea, coffee, rubber |
Quick Revision Points
- Primitive Subsistence: Characterized by ‘slash and burn’, dependence on natural fertility, small plots, and production primarily for self-consumption.
- Intensive Subsistence: Found in high population density areas, uses high inputs and irrigation, labour-intensive, with small, fragmented land holdings.
- Commercial Farming: Distinguished by the use of modern inputs (HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides) to achieve high productivity for market sale.
- Plantation: A specialized form of commercial farming where a single crop is grown on a large estate, typically capital-intensive and providing raw material for industries.
Extra Practice Questions
- Which farming system is often called ‘slash and burn’ agriculture and why?
- What is the primary objective of Intensive Subsistence Farming, and what challenges does it face regarding land holdings?
- Identify two modern inputs that are commonly used in Commercial Farming to enhance productivity.
- How does plantation agriculture differ from other forms of commercial farming in terms of its scale and labour requirements?
- Name any three states in India where ‘Jhumming’ (shifting cultivation) is a prevalent practice.
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