Agriculture: a major source of pollution

1.      Farming system:

Farming system defined as an appropriate combination of farm enterprises viz. Cropping systems, horticulture, livestock, fishery, forestry, poultry and the means available to the farmers to raise them for profitability.  The farming system in its real sense will help in different ways to lift the economy of agriculture and standard of living of the farmers of the country as a whole. Farming system is a resource management strategy to achieve economic and sustained agricultural production to meet diverse requirements of farm livelihood while preserving resource base and maintaining a high level of environment quality (Lal and Miller 1990).

Determinants of types of farming system:

•           Natural factors (climate, topography etc.) determine the type of farming in an area.

•           Economic factors-relative prices of farm products, resources of the farmer, farm size,

•           Physical and technological factors-transport facility, land value and technological developments etc. influence the type of farming practiced in a region and set the proportion of area under each enterprises.

•           Social factor: Religious beliefs and social background also play some part in following the type of farming on the farm.

A farm is a system in that it has inputs, process and outputs.

A. Inputs

These are things that go into the farm and may be split into Physical Inputs (e.g. amount of rain, soil) and Human Inputs (e.g. labour, money etc.)

B. Process

These are things which take place on the farm in order to convert the inputs to outputs (e.g. sowing, weeding, harvesting etc.)

C. Outputs

These are the products from the farm (i.e. wheat, barley, cattle). Depending on the type of farming e.g. commercial/subsistence, the type and amount of inputs, processes and outputs will vary

Types of farming System:

1. According to the size of the farm

Collective farming

Cultivation farming

2. Classification according to the degree of commercialization

Farms are classified into three groups based on the destination of the agricultural output

Subsistence farming: If there is virtually no sale of crop and animal products,

Partly commercialized farming: If more than 50% of the value of the produce is for home consumption

Commercialized farming: If more than 50% of the produce is for sale.

3. Classification according to the proportion of land, labour and capital investment

 Intensive cultivation

 Extensive cultivation

4. According to the value of products or income or on the basis of comparative advantages

Specialized farming

 Diversified farming

Mixed farming

Ranching

 Dry farming

1) Diversified or General farm

A farm on which no single product or source of income equals as much as 50% of the total receipt is called a diversified or general farm. On such a farm, the farmer depends on several sources of income.

Advantages of Diversified farming:

•           Better use of resources

•           Business risk is reduced due to crop failure or unfavorable market prices.

•           Regular and quicker returns are obtained from various enterprises

Disadvantages of Diversified Farming:

1. Marketable produce is insufficient unless the producers arrange for the sale of their produce on co-operative basis.

2. Because of varied jobs in diversified farming, a farmer can effectively supervise only limited number of workers.

3. Better equipping of the farm is not possible because it is not economical to have expensive implements and machinery for each enterprise.

4. There are chances when some of the leaks in farm business may remain undetected due to diversity of operations.

Under Nepalese conditions, the advantages of diversified farming far outweigh any consideration for specialized farming.

As a rule, crop-dairy type of diversified farming is followed, because it offers more economical use of land, labour and capital and permits safest possible way to withstand adverse weather conditions or violent price fluctuations.

Very often complementary relationships are observed among enterprises, which contribute to increased farm production and profitability.

(2) Specialized farming

A specialized farm is one on which 50% or more receipts are derived from one enterprise. Income is sale plus produce used at home.

Conditions for Specialization

(i) Where there are special market outlets,

(ii) Where economic conditions are fairly uniform for a long period,

(iii) Where an enterprise is not much affected by abnormal weather conditions,

e.g., poultry farm.

Advantages of Specialized Farming

1. Better use of land - It is more profitable to grow a crop on a land best suited to it. For example, jute cultivation on a swampy land.

2. Better Marketing – Specialization allows better assembling grading, processing, storing, transporting and financing of the produce.

3. Better management – The fewer enterprises on the farm are liable to be less neglected and sources of wastage can easily be detected.

4. Less equipment and labour are needed - A fruit farmer needs only special machinery and comparatively less labour for raising fruits.

5. Costly and efficient machinery can be kept – A wheat harvester and combine can be maintained in a highly specialized wheat farm.

6. Efficiency and skill are increased - Specialization allows a man to be more efficient and expert at doing a few things.

Disadvantages of Specialized Farming

1. There is greater risk – Failure of crop and market together may ruin the farmer.

2. Productive resources-Land, labour and capital are not fully utilized.

3. Fertility of soil cannot properly be maintained for lack of suitable rotations.

4. By-products may not be fully utilized for lack of sufficient livestock on the farm.

5. Farm returns in each are not generally received more than once a year.

(3) Mixed Farming

Mixed farming is a type of farming under which crop production is combined with livestock raising.  The livestock enterprise is complementary to crop production so as to provide a balanced productive system of farming. When the livestock begin to complete with crops for the same resources, the relationship between the two enterprises changes from complementary phase to competitive nature.

In Nepal mixed farming offers the following advantages:

1. Milch cattle provide draught animals for crop production and rural transport.

2. Mixed farming helps in the maintenance of soil fertility. Crops cannot be grown successfully without the use of manure. The most readily available supply of plant food is farmyard manure.

3. It tends to give a balanced labour load throughout the year for the farmer and his family.

4. It permits proper use of the farm by-products.

5. It offers higher returns on farm business

4) Ranching

A ranch differs from other type of crop and livestock farming in that the livestock grazes the natural vegetation. Ranches are not utilized for tilling or raising crops. The ranchers have no land of their own and make use of the public grazing land.

(5) Dry Farming

Farmers in dry and precarious tracts, which receive 50 cm or less of annual rainfall, struggle for livelihood.

The major farm management problem in these tracts, where crops entirely depends upon rainfall, is the conservation of soil moisture.

On the basis of farm ownership:

•           Cooperative farming

•           Peasant farming

•           State farming

•           Capitalistic farming

1.      Co-operative farming:

Co-operative farming is divided into two classes:

 i) Co-operative joint farming &

ii) Co-operative collective farming.

Meaning of Co-operative Farming:

Co-operative farming means a system under which all agricultural operations or part of them are carried on jointly by the farmers on a voluntary basis, each farmer retaining right in his own land. The farmer would pool their land, labour and capital. The land would be treated as one unit and cultivated jointly under the direction of an elected management.

2) Peasant Farming:

Peasant farming is concerned with peasant relation to land. The Zamindari Abolition Act of government has given the right of ownership to practically all the peasant-operators in the country. Peasant farming has given them opportunities to organize and operate their farms in their own way and get due reward for their labour and capital. Besides, peasant farming encourages them to maintain and develop the fertility in the occupation of land with social prestige attached to the ownership.

(3) State farming:

Under this system of farming, the farms are managed by government. The agricultural laborers are paid wages on weekly or monthly basis in accordance with the wages fixed by country laws and bylaws.

(4) Capitalistic farming:

The capitalistic farming is based on the capital provided by the owner of the farm in carrying out of farm operations. Such type of farming is practiced where landlordism exists as in England or the U.S.A. In India, this type of farming is seen in sugarcane area where factory owners have their own farms. On these farms, five factors of productions namely, land, labour, capital, management and entrepreneurship are in evidence. The manager is a salaried person and the entrepreneur takes risk and gets profit or may sustain loss.