Why this matters now
Farming types and their global distribution are tested in prelims and provide the world context for India’s agriculture, food security and cropping patterns.
Factors affecting agriculture
Agriculture depends on physical factors (climate, soil, topography, water) and human factors (technology, labour, capital, markets, transport, government policy and land tenure). These determine what is grown where and how intensively.
Types of farming
- Subsistence farming — for self-consumption: primitive (shifting cultivation/jhum) and intensive subsistence (rice-dominated monsoon Asia);
- Commercial farming — for market: commercial grain, mixed farming, dairy, plantation (tea, coffee, rubber) and extensive commercial grain (wheat on the prairies/steppes);
- Market gardening & horticulture — high-value, near cities;
- Nomadic herding and commercial ranching (livestock).
Major crop regions
Major belts include the wheat belts (US/Canada prairies, Ukraine, Punjab), rice in monsoon Asia, the maize/corn belt (US), plantation crops in the tropics, Mediterranean agriculture (fruit, vines, olives), and dairy/livestock in temperate regions.
UPSC angle
Know the factors (physical + human), farming types (primitive/intensive subsistence, commercial grain/mixed/dairy/plantation, market gardening, ranching), and major crop belts (wheat, rice, corn, Mediterranean).
Frequently asked questions
What is subsistence farming?
Farming primarily for the farmer’s own consumption, including primitive (shifting) and intensive subsistence types.
What is plantation agriculture?
A commercial form of farming growing a single cash crop (like tea, coffee or rubber) on large estates, mainly in the tropics.
What factors affect agriculture?
Physical factors (climate, soil, topography, water) and human factors (technology, capital, markets, labour and policy).
Where are the world’s major wheat belts?
The US and Canadian prairies, the Ukrainian/Russian steppes and India’s Punjab plains, among others.