Farming has been associated with human lives since the primitive ages.
To gather food, primitive people hunted animals and cultivated food crops. However, with the rapid growth of civilization, farming techniques evolved.
There are different types of farming techniques today. They vary in terms of land usage, climate, population area, market demands, use of fertilizers, capital investments, etc.
One such farming type is extensive agriculture. Let’s get deeper into extensive farming and all you need to know about it.
What is Extensive Farming?
An extensive agricultural system ensures the cultivation of fewer crops on larger farm areas. It involves less human labour and capital investments.
Also, it requires less application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The use of machinery is needed for this type of cultivation.
However, it requires larger areas of farmland for profitability. The reason is that crop production is lower per hectare in this farming type.
This farming technique is mostly functional in areas where the population density is lower. Because the market demand is relatively lower.
Some examples include pastoralism and ranching. Pastoralism is a livestock-raising strategy functional in dryland areas. Animals like cattle, goats, llamas, yaks, camels, sheep, horses, etc are raised. They are reared for food supply and market sales.
Ranching is also a farming type where domesticated animals are raised on larger farmland areas. It also provides the population with food and other animal-derived items.
Types of Extensive Farming:
Extensive farming techniques rear animals in specific regions. These areas experience lower farming productivity. This farming technique ensures enough crop and food production to provide food security. Now, let’s look into the types of extensive farming.
Nomadic Herding: Nomadic herding and pastoralism are some popular examples of extensive farming. The herders usually shift from one place to another. The animals graze on different lands that grow rainfed crops.
Cattle Ranching: This extensive farming technique raises a herd of cattle on larger land areas. The area can be ten thousand acres as well.
Shifting Agriculture: This is a primitive form of extensive farming. This traditional form of farming is mostly practised in rainforest areas. A particular piece of land is cultivated for two to three years. After that, the farmers move to other places.
Meanwhile, the rainforest tends to cover the entire farmland. The lost nutrients get replenished. Once the entire field is covered with rainforest, the farmers move back to the farmland for cultivation.
Organic Farming: This modern farming technique utilizes organic methods of cultivation. The farmers do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Aquaculture: The process grows a very small amount of shrimp in a larger place. It can be ponds or other water bodies. The farmers take the help of limited technology. This farming process is mostly functional in areas with low stocking density.
Functional Locations for Extensive Farming
Extensive farming techniques are only applicable to areas that have larger farmlands. However, these areas have lower population rates. Also, temperate grassland areas are suitable for extensive farming.
Countries like the United States and Canada are the primary locations where extensive farming can be seen. Other places where extensive farming can be seen are Veld, located in South Africa, the Steppes region in Eurasia, Downs, situated in Australia, and the Pampas regions in Argentina.
Characteristics of Extensive Farming
Like any other farming type, extensive farming type also has some specific attributes. Let’s have a look at those.
Large Farm Areas: Hundreds and thousands of hectares are needed for farming. Since the farming type promotes the natural rearing of crops and animals, a larger land area is required. Because animals need natural environments to grow properly. They need a lot of space to freely roam around.
Fewer Farming Inputs: Extensive farming involves less use of external inputs. The farmers use traditional methods for this type of farming. Also, they use less amount of fertilizers, involve fewer irrigation systems and less use of updated machinery.
Relatively Lower Production: The per-hectare crop production is relatively lower. The organic way of farming heavily depends on natural resources for food production. This results in the natural growth of crops and livestock raising. It leads to less crop production.
Zero Environmental Damage: There is zero usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides associated with this farming technique. As a result, the percentage of environmental damage caused by these elements is very low.
The Method of Extensive Cultivation:
Extensive farming techniques are mostly functional in low-population areas. This leads to a lack of human labourers. To ensure better crop yielding, a lot of different techniques and methodologies are used by the farmers. Most of these techniques are traditional.
The farming technique involves various processes like ploughing and harvesting. Other processes include ground preparation, seed plantation, manuring, and application of herbicides, pesticides, etc.
Also, a lot of different types of types of machinery are used to compensate for the lack of skilled labourers.
The Requirements of Extensive Farming:
The Use of Machinery: The organic cultivation of food crops requires some use of farming machinery. For ploughing, planting seeds, spraying insecticides, etc. the farmers need to rely on various types of machinery.
Capital Investment: This type of farming procedure requires a lot of capital investment to fund the initial processes. For extensive farming, the agro-business holders need to have access to larger land areas. The capital investment is required for purchasing lands, the machinery, and for providing the labourers with their wedges.
Market Research: Extensive farming only produces crops that are in high demand. The farmers only cultivate those crops that the local community members require.
Extensive Vs. Intensive Farming: A Quick Comparison
The Difference in Land Area: Extensive farming method is operational on larger farmlands. However, intensive farming cultivates smaller farmlands.
The Farming Inputs: The extensive farming method uses a small amount of human labour and resources. Intensive farming usually involves a greater amount of labour and farming resources.
The Cost: The cost associated with extensive farming methods is relatively lower. With intensive farming, the cost associated with the cultivation process is much higher.
The Output: Per hectare, the output with extensive farming is lower. The crop production rate with intensive farming is much higher.
Population Density: Extensive farming method is practised in areas with low populations like the United States of America, Australia, Canada, etc. Intensive farming techniques are operational in regions with higher population densities like India, Japan, the United Kingdom, etc.
Effect on Environment: Extensive farming techniques involve less use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. It does not harm the environment and does not cause pollution. Intensive farming techniques involve higher use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It affects the environment negatively.
The Advantages of Extensive Farming:
Involves Less Human Labour: Extensive farming grows food crops and raise animals in a natural way. The farmers mostly use traditional methods of cultivation. Some machineries are also used for ploughing, planting, etc. That is why, the farmers do not need to invest a lot of labour like intensive farming.
No Need for Alternative Lands: The farmers already have access to larger farmlands for crop cultivation. They do not need any other piece of land for livestock rearing or crop production.
Animal Welfare: The livestock are raised in an all-natural environment. They freely roam around and graze. This kind of atmosphere lets the animals grow naturally. The general welfare of the livestock is prioritized in this farming type.
Organic Crop Production: The farmers do not use any chemical farming inputs. Zero use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides results in the organic growth of the crops. These food crops are completely safe for human consumption.
No Disturbance to Exotic Species: Since the livestock are free to graze and move around, there is no possibility of human interruption. All the other species also do not face any challenges in terms of maintaining their natural lifestyles. The natural ecosystem is not disturbed in any way.
Quality Meat Production: The farmed animals feed on organic crops. The farmers do not take the help of any supplements to accelerate the growth of the animals. So, the animals provide the market with quality meat.
High Marginal Profit: The total crop production in extensive farming is larger than small farm productions. Since the production cost is lower, the marginal profit gets higher. That is why, the farmers manage to get higher profits.
The Disadvantages of Extensive Farming:
Lower Crop Yielding: The crop production per hectare of farmland is quite lower than intensive farming techniques.
Limiting Wild Species Habitat: The requirement of larger areas of farmlands demands flat lands. Ther farmers might need to increase the land area and make it cultivable through various methods. It limits the natural habitat for the wild lives.
Lack of Skilled Farmers: Extensive farming technique is practised in low-population areas. This results in a lack of knowledgeable farmers to invest their labour.
High Initial Investments: The purchasing of lands, farming equipment, etc. requires a lot of initial funding.
Environmental Impacts of Extensive Farming
Extensive farming offers numerous benefits. But, it affects the environment in numerous ways. Let’s focus deeper on the environmental impacts of this farming method.
Loss of Biodiversity: Extensive farming process involves fibres and feed to raise animals. This leads to an imbalance in the biodiversity.
Degradation of Soil: Sometimes, proper planning in terms of crop rotation and repetitive crop cultivation can lead to the loss of soil nutrients.
Impact on the Food Chain: The food system or the food chain might impact the natural ecosystem due to repeated food production and consumption.
Overuse of Water Resources: Due to the heavy use of water in agriculture, natural water resources might be overused. According to a report, farming consumes almost 70% of the world’s natural water resources.
Deforestation: Rapid farming and the expansion of agriculture lead to deforestation. Almost 70% of the world’s land areas are farmlands.
Emission of Greenhouse Gases: Farming processes lead to greenhouse gas emissions. Reports say almost 21% of total global greenhouse gas emissions are the result of agriculture.
The Social Impact of Extensive Farming:
High Wages of Labourers: The number of farmers in this farming type is significantly lower due to the low-populated areas. This results in higher wages for the farmers.
Cultivation of The Required Crops: Only the high-demand crops will be cultivated in this farming process. The crop selection is decided by the demands of the local community members.
Strengthening Foreign Trade Relations: The food crops are sometimes imported to foreign markets. This results in good trade relations.
Are You Ready for Extensive Farming?
Extensive farming techniques are quite popular, especially, when it comes to growing organic crops. The livestock is also raised naturally.
The result is all-natural food items that are good for consumption. Also, with this farming technique, the environment is also not affected adversely. It focuses on a holistic approach to cultivating the primary food items.
However, the initial investments are high and the production is less intensive. But the farming inputs are quite low.
So, if you are ready to invest initially and interested in growing crops organically, then extensive farming might be right for you!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Ans: Extensive farming refers to lower crop yielding on a larger farmland area. It involves minimal use of farming inputs and generally the crops are rainfed. This type of farming can be seen in low-population regions.
However, intensive farming results in large-scale crop production on a smaller land area using intensive techniques. The farmers use chemical inputs for faster crop growth. It is mostly functional in densely populated areas.
Ans: Extensive farming technique refers to a system of crop harvesting that uses less human labour. The farming method grows crops on larger farmland. The capital investment is relatively lower in this farming procedure. The production of the crops usually depends on a number of factors. These include the soil quality, climate, locality, and access to water.
Ans: Through extensive farming techniques, some of the popular food crops are cultivated. The crops include maize, corn, cotton, millet, wheat, etc.