2.3.1. Subsistence Agriculture

Subsistence agriculture is one in which the farming areas consume all, or nearly so, of the products locally grown. It can be grouped in two categories — Primitive Subsistence Agriculture and Intensive Subsistence Agriculture.

2.3.1.1. Primitive Subsistence Agriculture

Primitive subsistence agriculture or shifting cultivation is widely practised by many tribes in the tropics, especially in Africa, south and Central America and South East Asia. The vegetation is usually cleared by fire, and the ashes add to the fertility of the soil. Shifting cultivation is thus, also called slash and burn agriculture.

It is prevalent in tropical region in different names, e.g. Jhuming in North eastern states of India, Milpa in Central America and Mexico and Ladang in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Fig. 4 Areas of Primitive Subsistence Agriculture Fig. 5 Areas of Intensive Subsistence Agriculture Fig 6. Areas of Extensive Commercial Grain Cultivation This form of agriculture is found in the highly developed parts of the world, e.g. North- western Europe, Eastern North America, parts of Eurasia and the temperate latitudes of Southern continents.Fig. 7 Areas of Mixed Farming