Question

Distinguish between the following. (i) Primary activities and tertiary activities (ii) Subsistence farming and intensive farming.

Answer 1

(i) Primary Activities and Tertiary Activities

Primary Activities

Human activities that generate income are known as economic activities. Any activity which has a direct dependence on earth’s resources such as minerals, vegetation, water, land, and minerals is known as a primary activity.

1. Agriculture is an activity that is directly dependent on the environment, availability of land, fertile soil, availability of water, etc. Hence agriculture is known as Primary activity.
2. The age-old economic activity in our country is Agriculture.
3. Apart from agriculture, other primary activities are mining, fishing, forestry, hunting, and gathering.
4. The majority of the population in India is dependent on agriculture.
5. Economic activities are broadly grouped into quaternary, tertiary, secondary, and primary activities.

Tertiary Activities

1. Activities that are related to the service sector are known as tertiary activities.
2. As tertiary activities involve consultants, professionally trained experts, and skilled labor; it can be concluded that manpower is an important component of the service sector.
3. Activities involved in banking, transportation, Trade and commerce, insurance, and communication sectors come under tertiary activities.

(ii) Subsistence Farming

1. With the help of family/community labor, and primitive tools like digging sticks, dao, and hoe; Primitive subsistence agriculture is practiced on small patches of land.
2. It is slash and burns agriculture.
3. This type of farming depends upon the natural fertility of the soil, monsoon, and other environmental conditions needed for the growth of the crops.
4. The farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation when the soil fertility decreases.
5. The fertility of the soil gets replenished naturally through this type of shifting cultivation.
6. As the farmer does not use other modern inputs or fertilizers land productivity in this type of agriculture is low.
7. Apart from food grains that are produced by agriculture, it also produces raw materials that are used in various industries.
8. Cereals and other food crops are grown by the farmers to sustain their families, this is done after clearing a patch of land.
9. It is known by different names in different parts of the country.
10. Depending upon socio-cultural practices, technological know-how, and characteristics of the physical environment, cultivation methods have changed significantly in India.
11. Farming varies from subsistence to commercial type.

(iii) Intensive Farming

1. In areas having high population pressure on land, intensive farming is practiced.
2. Intensive farming requires irrigation and high doses of biochemical inputs, and it is labor-intensive farming.