India is a diverse country, not just culturally but agriculturally as well! With its rich agrarian history, varying topography and extensive array of agronomic practices, agriculture farming in India engages more than 50% of its population, and the market size stands at nearly 372.94 billion USD (2024).  This sector provides food to the increasing population, supplies raw materials to numerous industries, and positively contributes to the country’s economy. The farming system in India is powerfully shaped by determinants such as climatic conditions, structural landscape, consumer demand, technological innovation, and other infrastructural elements, with several farming techniques forming the core of Indian agriculture as we see it today.

Farming System: Types of Farming in India

TRADITIONAL FARMING

Traditional farming, although known to be a primitive style of agriculture, is still used by nearly 50% of the global population. Food production in this style of farming is sculpted by age-old practices, indigenous knowledge, natural resources, simple and traditional equipment such as wooden tools or bullock carts, manual labor, natural manure, and the farmer’s cultural beliefs. This type of farming has its teeth pierced into tradition and is generally practiced for many generations. Typically, when carried out on a small scale with no use of technology, there is less efficiency in yield.

Some types of traditional farming are:

Subsistence Farming: To produce for the sustenance of one’s livelihood, subsistence farming does not integrate the use of advanced machinery, High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, and fertilizers. With no intention to gain commercial profits, this type of farming builds on physical labor and is practiced on small land holdings with the assistance of primitive and rudimentary farming tools. It can further be classified into:

1. Primitive subsistence farming: Also called Shifting Cultivation, this type of farming involves relatively short durations of cultivation that are followed by long periods of restorative fallow. Dependent on monsoons, family labor, and simple tools, this type is practiced on small patches of land that are later cleared. Yielding low productivity due to no support from modern machinery, primitive subsistence farming only caters to the livelihood of the farmer’s immediate family.
2. Intensive subsistence farming: This type is also practiced on small land but with the help of more labor, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides. With the support of traditional farming techniques, a multitude of crops can be grown for the sustenance of the farmer and his community.

Dry Land Farming: Generally practiced in arid regions, this type of farming does not depend on irrigation to supply water to the crops; it largely depends on occasional rainfall, soil moisture, and groundwater for the healthy growth of drought-resistant crops like millets, pulses, etc.

Wetland Farming: This type is more intense and is practiced in the presence of a waterland or a water body. Cultivation of crops such as jute and sugarcane is done in soils that are flooded by natural water for the majority of the year, thus requiring a lot of attention, care, and maintenance.

Terrace Agriculture: Cultivation of crops in hilly or mountain regions is done by cutting out steps or slopes to form terraces. This practice is labor intensive and prevents soil erosion and water loss to increase productivity.

MODERN FARMING

This approach to farming revolves around the technological revolution, utilizing synthetic inputs like fertilizers along with irrigation systems for uninterrupted water supply, mechanization, and modern genetics to maximize yield, and increase productivity and efficiency. Backed by scientific knowledge and data analysis, modern farming unites with capital inputs and advanced agricultural equipment that carry out various specialized tasks such as harvesting, storing, threshing, spraying, etc. Modern farming benefits the farmer by leading to increased crop production and providing them the golden opportunity to sell their products in the local and global market. This supports them financially and enables the sustenance of India’s rapidly growing population.

Some types of Modern farming are:

Intensive and Extensive Farming: Intensive Farming utilizes a small area of land along with an intense amount of labor, farming methods/techniques, and resources to achieve a large output per hectare. Extensive farming on the other hand utilizes a large area of land with smaller inputs such as cash or labor, leading to a smaller output per hectare.

Commercial Farming: Based on a business model that seeks to produce agricultural products, not just for one’s own needs and sustenance but also for sale in the market and exportation to other nations for profits. This large-scale production is characterized by the involvement of precision farming techniques, global supply chains, crop selection based on market demands, and mechanization, which leads to the generation of profits, high yields, and increased productivity.

Plantation farming: This approach is identified by the clearing of land before the cultivation of a single crop such as tea, coffee, or rubber, on a large scale. Plantation farming is heavily commercialized since it involves weighty use of labor, fertilizers, capital investment, plant breeders, modern implements, and good infrastructure that helps in the production of crops to meet the increasing market demand. The resulting efficiency and productivity open the door for the exportation of the cultivated crop to other nations.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING

This widely embraced approach seeks to fulfill society’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to fulfill their needs. Sustainability lies at the core of this type of farming since it utilizes renewable resources, natural biological cycles, and on-farm resources to promote soil health and minimize the use of water. Unsustainable agricultural practices are a big source of greenhouse gases and are known to pollute the soil, air, and water along with destroying wildlife. 

Sustainable farming on the other hand addresses issues related to food insecurity, soil nutrient management, and waste management and promotes social and economic equity together with biodiversity, environmental quality, and economic prosperity. Being environmentally sound, this practice not only aims to minimize environmental damage but also improve the quality of life of the farmers and increase their productivity and profitability. Sustainable farming can be practiced through:

Mixed Farming: This type of farming includes the harvesting of crops and raising of livestock, simultaneously so that they support each other’s growth; while the animals can feed off of the planting crops, they also provide fertilizers. The main goal of such a farming system is to reduce dependency on external inputs such as fertilizers, increase the reliance on natural resources, and adapt to the natural environment along with becoming resilient to hazardous weather conditions. It not only preserves biodiversity and improves soil life but also ensures that the farmland is continuously producing, leading to enhanced yield.

Organic Farming: Developed, keeping in mind the environmental damage caused by farming, this type eliminates the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to embrace biological fertilizers derived from animal and plant waste, organic pesticides, crop residues, and other organic waste.

Co-operative Farming: This new and innovative model includes the pooling of resources by farmers such as tractors, fertilizers, and other agricultural machinery except the land. This allows effective cultivation of crops, usage of these resources to their maximum capacities, and increasing the comprehensive land productivity.

Crop Rotation: This type of farming is systematic whereby various crops are planted in a sequential and pre-determined manner on the same land to enhance soil fertility and its structure along with increasing land productivity. It helps in managing soil erosion, disrupting the life of seeds, eliminating pests along delivering various other ecological and economic benefits.

SPECIALIZED FARMING

The large-scale bulk production of a specific type of crop or rearing livestock is known as specialized farming. This type requires a specialized routine to be followed with less equipment and labor which makes it ideal for specific soil types, climatic conditions, etc. Specializing in one single crop gives the farmer mastery over its cultivation and the opportunity to make heavy profits.

Different types of specialized farming are:

Ley Farming: Usually practiced in dry lands, this is a crop rotation system where the arable crops are grown in rotation with grasses. It improves the fertility of soil and nutrient content in the grain in addition to preventing soil erosion and the growth of weeds and other diseases.

Dairy farming: As the name suggests, dairy farming involves the rearing of livestock for milk production and other dairy products. Dairy animals are well-fed and cared for to increase the quality and quantity of production. The market for dairy products, especially milk, is huge and the farmers earn huge profits by selling them.

The farming system in India is diverse, with loads of layers characterizing it. If one closely uncovers these layers, one will be able to spot farm implements and how they are placed at the very heart of the farming system in India. Fieldking, a prominent producer of agricultural machinery, has shaped the lives of millions of farmers by providing a broad array of implements at relatively economical rates. Working along the lines of integrity, innovation, and excellence, Fieldking only offers high-quality products that are long-lasting, robust, and resilient to the harshest of conditions. Keeping up with the modern times, the company’s high-tech agricultural machinery is capable of making progress, productivity, and profitability possible for farmers all over country!