Advantages of small scale farming
Intensive subsistence farming is the growing of crops and rearing of animals on small scale for subsistence purpose for example growing cereal crops like cassava and beans for domestic consumption. it is mostly practised in less developed countries like Zambia and some parts of Asia.
The following are advantages of small scale farming or intensive subsistence agriculture
- source of employment opportunities leading to high standard of living
development of infrastructure that is rural feeder roads
- source of government revenue through taxation
- use of family labour which is cheap
- use of small piece of land
- leads to promotion of economic diversification reducing the problem of over depending on on economic sector
- it need low capital and low skills to manage
- provide market for industrial products e.g fertilisers, pesticides and hoes
- environmental protection by providing habitats for plant and animal species
- development of tourism sector for example rice growing in India and china
- source of food for for the farmers families
- it can lead to development of agro based industries like maize milling plants and dairy industries
- source of foreign exchange through export of crops like coffee and cotton
