Farming is an intense method that involves loads of things, people, purchases, and the use of the cultivation methodology. A range of farming practices has been emerged to increase the productivity, of the agricultural land. Two such farming practices are intensive farming and extensive farming.
Intensive Farming is a farming method that uses higher inputs and advanced agricultural techniques to increase the overall yield. It is an agricultural system while extensive farming is an agrarian technique. In contrast, Extensive Farming is one in which more and more land is brought under cultivation to increase the output produced. The transportation, manpower, income are limited hence the overall cost of production is more and the produce is less.
The difference between intensive farming and extensive farming is that intensive farming is where the inputs are high in terms of capital, labor, insecticides, etc. Extensive farming is where the inputs are comparatively less.
Difference between Intensive and Extensive Farming
INTENSIVE FARMING
- Intensive Farming refers to an agricultural system, wherein there is high-level use of labor and capital, in comparison to the land area.
- It is a farming practice that gives emphasis on maximizing yield from the given piece of land through various means like heavy use of pesticides, capital, labor, high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of crops, etc. Its main objective is to increase the productivity of the given land as much as possible.
- Intensive farming refers to the intensification and mechanization of agriculture, with the objective of increasing the productivity of a particular land. This is possible through the high-level use of inputs such as capital, labor, fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, weedicides, etc., which results in increased yield of the crop per hectare.
- In densely populated areas, intensive farming can easily be practiced because it requires a small area for cultivation. However, the land in such areas is expensive.
- It can be applied in animal husbandry too, wherein a large number of cattle are reared in small space, as the law of the concerned jurisdiction allows. Further, medication for livestock is adopted to increase their productivity.
- The farms under intensive farming are located near the market area, which minimizes the cost of transportation and distribution.
EXTENSIVE FARMING
- Extensive Farming is a farming technique, in which large farms are being cultivated, with relatively lower inputs, i.e. capital and labor.
- It is a farming technique or agricultural production system in which low inputs of labor, capital, fertilizers, etc., are used relative to the area of the cropland.
- Extensive Farming is a system of cultivation, which uses limited inputs, i.e. labor, investment, machinery, etc., in comparison to the land under cultivation.
- Extensive farming can be undertaken in the areas where there are huge farms for cultivation. Nevertheless, the farms are relatively less expensive.
- In this method, traditional methods of farming are given preference. Further, the productivity is based on the natural fertility of the soil, climate, and terrain of the area and so it is practiced in large farms to achieve higher yields and to achieve profitability.
- In extensive farming, land under cultivation is located in remote areas, which increases its cost of transportation and selling it to the market.
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