Types of Agriculture
Shifting Agriculture
Shifting agriculture is the primitive form of subsistence farming in which a batch of forest is cleared by cutting or burning vegetation that's is why it is called slash-and-burn agriculture. Crops cultivated for two to three years after which declining soil fertility forces farmer to abundant the land and move to a new plot, leaving the old land fallow for natural regeneration.
It is practices in different parts of India and world however, with different names that include
| Place | Regional Name in India |
|---|---|
| Assam and Northeast | Jhum |
| Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha | Podu |
| Kerala and Western Ghats | Kumari |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bewar |
| Chhattisgarh | Dhiaya |
| Rajasthan | Walra |
| Country | Regional Name |
|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | Chenna |
| Indonesia and Malaysia | Ladang |
| Central America and Mexico | Milpa |
| Venezuela | Conuco |
| Sudan | Ngasu |
Challenges of Shifting Agriculture
-
Economic Challenges
- Low productivity due to traditional farming methods.
- No permanent irrigation or mechanization.
- Poor market integration and low farm income.
- Limits agriculture commercialization.
-
Environmental Challenges
- Deforestation and biodiversity loss.
- Soil erosion and nutrients depletion.
- Carbon emission from burning vegetation.
- Increased landslides and flood risks in hilly regions.
- Shortened fallow cycles prevents forest regeneration.
-
Social Challenges
- Food insecurity due to unstable production.
- Poverty among tribal communities.
- Limited access to education, healthcare and infrastructure.
- Conflicts over forest land and tenure rights.
Government Initiatives
- National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) for climate resilient farming.
- Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) to promote horticulture in hilly regions.
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for irrigation.
- Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) under TRIFED to improve tribal livelihood through minor forest produced.
- Forest Right Act 2006, recognizing community forest rights.
- Promotion of terrace farming, agroforestry, bamboo cultivation, rubber, species and horticulture as sustainable alternatives
- Soil Health Card Scheme and watershed development programs.
- Financial support through Northeast Council and Ministry of Development of Northeast region (DoNER) for sustainable livelihood projects.
Rather than imposing a complete ban, policy should modernize shifting cultivation by integrating agroforestry, longer fallow periods, scientific land management, secure land right and market access, respecting indigenous knowledge while introducing sustainable technologies can improve both tribal livelihood and ecological conservation.
Subsistence Agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is system of farming in which production is primarily meant for household consumption rather than the market. It is characterized by small and fragmented land holdings, low mechanization, family labour, traditional seeds and low capital investment.
Why Subsistence Agriculture is a major challenge?
According to economic survey 2025-26 and the agriculture statics at glance over 86% India's farmers are small and marginal. The operation holding is also fragmented thus limits economics of scale. Its consequences are
- Low productivity and limited adoption of modern technology.
- Low market surplus, restricting farmers income.
- Limited access to institutional credits, irrigation and quality input.
- Higher vulnerability to climate change, increasing income instability.
According to economic survey 2025 nearly half of India's workforce i.e. 45% depends on agriculture but agriculture contributes only around 16 to 18% of GDP, reflecting disguised unemployment, seasonal unemployment, low labour productivity.
Thus subsistence farming perpetuates rural poverty, low investment and slow agriculture transformation, hindering India's goal for becoming a global competitive agriculture economy.
Government Initiatives
- Farmer Producer Organization (FPOs) to aggregate small farmers, promotion of land leasing and consolidation.
- PM-Kisan, PMFBY, PMKSY and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to improve irrigation and storage.
- Expansion of digital agriculture, precision farming, mechanization and climate resilient agriculture.
- Diversification towards horticulture, dairying, fisheries and agro-processing.
Transforming subsistence farming into market oriented technology driven and climate resilient agriculture is essential for achieving higher farm income, food security and inclusive rural development in lime with the vision of Viskshit Bharat@2047.
Mixed Farming
Mixed farming is an agricultural system in which crop cultivation is integrated with livestock rearing such as dairy, poultry, sheep, pigs, goats fisheries, etc. on the same farm. Its aim to maximize resource efficiency, diversify income and reduce production risks.
India has immense potential for mixed farming because about 80% of operational holdings are small and marginal, making diversification essential for sustainable development.
How Mixed Agriculture improve Indian Agriculture?
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Income Diversification
Livestock provides regular cashflow, reducing dependency on seasonal crop income.
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Risk Reduction
Crop failure due to drought or floods can be compensated by income from milk, eggs, meat or fish.
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Improved Soil fertility
Farmyard manure and compost reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers.
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Efficient Resource Recycling
Crop residue become fodder while livestock waste is converted into organic manure or biogas.
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Employment Generation
Creates year round rural employment particularly for women.
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Nutritional Security
Increases availability of milk, eggs, meat and other protein rich sources.
Government Initiatives
- Rashtriya Gokul Mission for indigenous cattle improvement.
- National Livestock Mission for sheep, goat, poultry and fodder development.
- Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund for dairy and meat processing infrastructure.
- Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to integrate fisheries with farming.
- National dairy plant and dairy cooperative expansion.
- Soil Health Card Scheme and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) to promote integrate nutrient management.
- Promotion of integrated farming system by Indian Council of Agriculture Research.
Mixed farming transforms agriculture from single income, high risk activity into diversified and resilient production system by integrating crops with livestock, fisheries and allied activities. It can double farmers income, enhance nutritional security, improve soil health and make Indian agriculture more sustainable and climate resilient.
Commercial Farming
Commercial farming is a system of agriculture in which crops and livestock are produce primarily for sale in the market rather than for household consumption. It is characterized by large scale production, mechanization, high capital investment, improve seeds, fertilizers, irrigation and integration with domestic and global markets.
How can Commercial Farming improve Indian Agriculture?
- Enhances farmers income through greater market surplus.
- Increase agriculture productivity via mechanization and scientific farming.
- Promotes crop diversification towards high value crops such as shoots, vegetables, species, floriculture, medicinal plant and plantation crops.
- Boost agro-processing and value addition generating rural employment.
- Improves agriculture exports and strengthens India's position in global value chain.
- Encourages private investment, contract farming and modern supply chain.
- Facilitates adoption of precision agriculture, digital technologies and climate smart farming.
Government Initiatives
- Formation and promotion of 10 thousand farmers produce organizations.
- Agriculture Infrastructure Fund for warehouses, cold chains and processing.
- e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) for transparent digital marketing.
- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) for food processing and value addition.
- PM-KISHAN, PM-FBY, PM-KSY for income support, crop insurance and irrigation.
- Digital agriculture mission promoting AI, drones and precision farming.
- National Mission on Edible Oil - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) and horticulture mission for high value agriculture.
Horticulture
Horticulture is a branch of agriculture concerned with the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, plantation crops, spices, medicinal plants, and aromatic plants. It is a high-value, labour-intensive, and market-oriented form of agriculture that generates higher returns per unit area than cereal cultivation.
India is second largest producer of foods and vegetables in the world, next only to China. According to Economic Survey 2025-26 horticulture contributes around one third of gross value added of agriculture, despite occupying only about 15% of gross cropped area, making it a key driver of agriculture diversification.
Significance of Horticulture
- Enhances farmer income through high value crop.
- Diversifies agriculture, reducing dependence on rice and wheat.
- Generates employment, specially for women in cultivation, grading, packaging and processing.
- Improves nutritional security by supplying fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin and minerals.
- Promote export of fruits, species, tea, coffee and floriculture products.
- Supports agro-processing industries.
- Boost rural industrialization.
- Better use of water to increase water use efficiency.
Challenges of Horticulture
- Post harvest loss up to 15%.
- Small and fragmented land holdings.
- Price volatility because of perishability.
- Inadequate processing and value addition.
- Pest and disease outbreak.
- Climate change affecting fruit quality and productivity.
- Limited access to export quality infrastructure and quality certification.
Government Initiatives
- Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
- Operation Green to stabilize prices and reduce post harvest losses.
- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana for food processing and cold chain infrastructure.
- Agriculture Infrastructure Fund for warehouses, cold storage and logistics.
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) promoting drip and sprinkler irrigation.
- National Horticulture Board supporting commercial horticulture and post harvest management.
- e-NAM for improves market access and transparent price discovery.
Horticulture represents the future of Indian agriculture by combining higher productivity better profitability, nutritional security and export potential. A shift from "more grain per hectare" to "more value per hectare" supported by modern infrastructure and technology will be crucial for doubling farmers income and achieving Viksit Bharat 2047.
India-New Zealand FTA (Recent Development)
Recently India and New Zealand have signed free trade agreement (FTA) in July 2026 and that will boost Indian horticulture sector also. This FTA provides following opportunities:-
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Technology transfer by New Zealand in post harvest management
New Zealand is one of the leader in
- Cold chain logistics,
- Food grading and sorting,
- Control atmosphere storage,
- Backhouse management,
- Export quality certification.
This can significantly reduce post harvest losses specially in fruits and vegetables.
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Better access to premium markets
India and New Zealand FTA reduces trade barrier and create opportunities for horticulture products and processed horticulture. India can also integrate into Asia-Pacific horticulture value chain.
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Joint Research on
- Disease free planting material,
- Nursery development,
- Climate resilient food varieties,
- Precision horticulture,
- Protected cultivation.
Why New Zealand so successful in minimizing perishability to not more than 6%?
New Zealand exports fruits like kiwi fruit and apples over very long distance while maintaining quality because it has built an integrated "farm to port" system. Its success rest on
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Control atmosphere storage
- Oxygen is reduced,
- Carbon dioxide is regulated,
- Temperature is primarily controlled
This slows fruit respiration and extends shelf life from weeks to several months.
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Integrated cold chains
From farm➡️backhouse➡️refrigerated trucks➡️ports➡️shipping container to destination warehouse. Thus there are virtually no breaks in cold chain from farm to destination.
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Strong farmer cooperatives
Uniform quality, better branding, lower logistics cost and strong bargaining power.
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a soil less farming technique in which plants are grown in a nutrient rich water solution with or without an inert growing medium such as coco beat or rock wool. Since nutrients are supplied directly to the roots plant growth is faster and more efficient than in conventional soil based farming.
Hydroponics is an important component of Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) and it increasingly used for cultivating leafy vegetables, tomato, cucumber, strawberry, herbs and flowers.
How does Hydroponic work?
- Plants are placed in channels, pipes or containers.
- Roots receives and balanced nutrient solution water continuously circulated and recycled.
- Temperature, light, humidity, pH and nutrient level monitored.
- Crops are harvested throughout the year under controlled conditions.
Significance of Hydroponics
- Save up to 80 to 90% water compare to conventional farming.
- Produces 30 to 50% higher yields due to optimum nutrient supply.
- Enable year round cultivation, independent of seasons.
- Require very little land, making it suitable for urban and peri urban farming.
- Eliminates soil born diseases and reduces pesticide use.
- Produce uniform high quality vegetable for premium market.
- Useful in water scare and climate vulnerable regions.
Challenges of Hydroponics
- High initial investment in green house and equipment.
- Dependence on uninterrupted electricity and technical expertise.
- Limited awareness among farmers.
- Expensive nutrients solutions.
- Marketing challenges for premium price produce.
Government Initiatives
- Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture supports protected cultivation.
- National Horticulture Board provides assistance for greenhouse and polyhouse cultivation.
- Agriculture Infrastructure Fund offers financing for modern agricultural infrastructure.
- ICAR conducts research and demonstration.
- Digital Agriculture Mission promotes precision farming and smart agriculture technologies.
- Several states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujrat encourages hydroponics through Horticulture Mission and Start-ups support.
Aquaponics
Aquaponics is integrated farming system that combines aquaculture i.e. fish farming with hydroponics in a closed loop ecosystem. In this system fish waste is converted by beneficial bacteria into nutrients that are absorb by plants. This technique is called bio floc technique, while the plants naturally filled up and purify water which is then recirculated back to the fish tank. Aquaponics is component of Controlled Environmental Agriculture.
Significance
Same as hydroponics
Challenges
Along with challenges present in hydroponics
- Continues monitoring of water quality, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrient balance.
Government Initiatives
Along with horticulture and hydroponics initiatives
- The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for fisheries development.
- National Fisheries Development Board promoting sustaining aquaculture.
Aeroponics
Aeroponics is an advance soil less farming technique in which plant root are suspended in air and periodically sprayed with very fine mist containing water and dissolved nutrients. Since in this roots are not submerged in water, allowing greater oxygen availability and faster plant growth. It is also component of CEA.
Significance
Same as hydroponics
Challenges
Same as hydroponics
Government Initiatives
Along with horticulture and hydroponics initiatives
- ICAR has developed aeroponic technology for quality seed potato production.