Primitive Subsistence Farming

1.Key Features: Practiced on small land patches with primitive tools and relies heavily on monsoon rains and natural soil fertility. Also known as slash and burn agriculture.

2.Regional Names: Jhumming in north–eastern states, Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

3.Sustainability: Soil fertility is maintained through a natural cycle as farmers move to new plots of land once fertility decreases.

Intensive Subsistence Farming

1.Key Features: Labour-intensive, reliant on high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation.

2.Regions: Areas with high population pressure on land.

3.Challenges: The division of land through inheritance makes land-holdings smaller and less economical, but farmers still try to maximise output due to lack of alternative livelihoods.