Agricultural Systems

2026 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

  1. Understand how small-scale subsistence farming, cash crop farming and livestock farming operate as systems made up of inputs, processes and outputs.

What is Agriculture?

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Agriculture is the practice of farming — growing crops and raising animals to produce food and other products. The word comes from two parts: agri (farming) and culture (practice). Agriculture includes growing food crops like wheat and rice, as well as cash crops like cotton and sugarcane.

Farming as a System

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Every type of farming works as a system. A system is a process that has three main parts:

  1. Inputs — These are the things that go INTO the farm (what you need to start farming)
  2. Processes — These are the activities or tasks carried out on the farm (what you DO)
  3. Outputs — These are the products that come OUT of the farm (what you get at the end)

Think of it like baking a cake: inputs are your ingredients (flour, eggs, sugar), processes are the steps you take (mixing, baking), and outputs are the finished cake.

In farming, we can study three main types of systems:

  • Small-scale subsistence farming
  • Cash crop farming
  • Livestock farming

Let's look at each one in detail.

1. Small-Scale Subsistence Farming

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What is Subsistence Farming?

Subsistence farming means growing crops mainly for your own family to eat. If there is any extra food left over (called a surplus), it might be sold in the local village market. Most subsistence farmers also have other jobs to earn extra money, like being a carpenter, blacksmith, or cobbler.

Subsistence farms are usually very small. Farmers use traditional methods and simple tools. The whole family works together on the farm.

Inputs (What Goes In)

Inputs are the resources needed to start farming. In subsistence farming, these include:

Natural Inputs (provided by nature):

  • Land — Usually small plots of land, often fragmented (broken into separate pieces)
  • Soil — Natural soil, often alluvial soil (soil deposited by rivers) which contains nutrients
  • Climate — Rainfall, sunshine, and temperature needed for crops to grow
  • Water — From rainfall, rivers, wells, or simple irrigation methods

Human Inputs (provided by people):

  • Natural manure — Animal dung used as fertilizer instead of chemicals
  • Draft power — Using animals like bullocks (oxen) to pull ploughs
  • Desi seeds — Traditional local seeds that have been used for generations
  • Traditional plough — A simple wooden plough pulled by animals
  • Labour — Family members do all the work by hand
  • Inherited knowledge — Farming methods passed down from parents and grandparents

Processes (What is Done)

Processes are the activities carried out on the farm:

  • Ploughing — Using bullocks to break up and turn over the soil
  • Sowing — Scattering seeds by hand onto the prepared soil
  • Irrigation — Watering crops using traditional methods like the Persian wheel (a water-lifting device) or small channels
  • Fertilizing — Spreading natural manure (animal dung) on the fields
  • Weeding — Removing unwanted plants by hand
  • Harvesting — Cutting the ripe crop by hand using a sickle (a curved blade)
  • Threshing — Separating grain from the stalks, done by hand or by animals trampling on it

Outputs (What Comes Out)

Outputs are the products from the farm:

  • Rice — A staple food crop
  • Wheat — Used to make bread and other foods
  • Maize — Another food grain
  • Vegetables — For family consumption

Most of the output is used to feed the farmer's family. Any extra may be sold locally for a small income.

Characteristics of Subsistence Farming

  • Small scale — Farms are usually less than 5 hectares (a hectare is about the size of a football field)
  • Low inputs — Very little money is spent on fertilizers, machinery, or modern seeds
  • Low outputs — The amount produced is small, just enough for the family
  • Labour-intensive — All work is done by hand or with simple tools
  • Traditional methods — Farmers use methods their ancestors used
  • Fragmented land — Often the farm is split into several small pieces in different locations

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