Which of the following is a Primitive Subsistence Agriculture?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Shifting cultivation
Option (1) Shifting cultivation — Correct. Primitive subsistence agriculture or shifting cultivation is practised by many tribes in the tropics. The vegetation is cleared by fire and the ashes add to the fertility of the soil, so it is also called slash and burn agriculture; the patches are small and the tools are sticks and hoes.
Option (2) Plantation agriculture — Incorrect. It is commercial farming on large estates with large capital, not primitive subsistence.
Option (3) Commercial Dairy Farming — Incorrect. It is highly capital intensive rearing of milch animals, the opposite of primitive subsistence.
Option (4) Viticulture — Incorrect. Viticulture is grape cultivation, a speciality of Mediterranean agriculture.
NCERT (2025-26): “Primitive Subsistence Agriculture … Primitive subsistence agriculture or shifting cultivation is widely practised by many tribes in the tropics, especially in Africa, south and central America and south east Asia (Fig. 4.7). The vegetation is usually cleared by fire, and the ashes add to the fertility of the soil. Shifting cultivation is thus, also called slash and burn agriculture.…” |