HKDSE Geography/M5/Types of Agriculture

There are several ways to classify agriculture:

Output type	Arable farming	Crop cultivation only
	Pastoral farming	Livestock rearing only
	Mixed farming	Both crop cultivation and livestock rearing
Output use	Subsistence farming	Farm outputs are for own consumption
	Commercial farming	Farm outputs are for sale in the market
Input-land ratio	Intensive farming	High input-land ratio
	Extensive farming	Low input-land ratio
Input proportion	Labour-intensive farming	Labour is the most important input
	Capital-intensive farming	Capital and technology are the most important inputs
Permanance of site	Sedentary farming	The farmland or pastureland is permanent
	Non-sedentary farming	The farmland or pastureland is temporary and constantly moves
Technology level	High-technology farming	High technology and a lot of energy is used
	Low-technology farming	Low technology and little energy is used
Output variety	Monoculture	Only one type of crop is grown on the land
	Polyculture	Multiple crop types are grown on the land
	Specialised farming	A farm specialises in certain types of crops
Water use	Irrigation farming	Farming that requires irrigation of crops
	Rain-fed farming	Farming that relies mainly on rainfall as a water source

Important Examples

• Wheat-sheep farming in Australia is an example of extensive mixed farming.
• Greenhouse cultivation is an example of intensive commercial farming.
• Nomadic herding and shifting cultivation (more about that in M7) are examples of non-sedentary farming.

Important Relationships

Also note these relationships:

• Arable farming is preferred in areas with favourable physical inputs like high rainfall and temperature. Irrigation farming and pastoral farming are practiced in areas with more severe conditions.
• Areas with large and low-cost labour supply generally practice intensive farming.
• Areas with favourable cultural factors are more likely to practice commercial farming. Areas far away from markets with limited technology and capital tend to practice subsistence farming.