4.6 Extensive Commercial Grain Cultivation

Extensive commercial grain cultivation^? is practised in the interior parts of the semi-arid mid-latitudes. Wheat is the principal crop, though corn, barley, oats and rye are also grown. The size of the farm is very large — therefore the entire chain of operations from ploughing to harvesting is mechanised. There is low yield per acre but high yield per person.

SVG Map — World Belts of Extensive Wheat Cultivation

Figure 4.6: Extensive commercial grain farming is best developed in the Eurasian steppes, the Canadian and American Prairies, the Pampas of Argentina, the Velds of South Africa, the Australian Downs and the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand.

Chart — World Wheat Production by Major Region

Figure 4.7: Approximate share of world wheat production by major belt. Most wheat actually comes from intensive Asian belts (China, India), but in terms of the extensive commercial model the Prairies, Pampas and Steppes lead.

4.7 Mixed Farming

Mixed farming^? is found in the highly developed parts of the world — North-western Europe, Eastern North America, parts of Eurasia and the temperate latitudes of the southern continents. The defining feature is that equal emphasis is laid on crop cultivation and animal husbandry; one income stream feeds the other.

Mixed farms are moderate in size. The crops associated with mixed farming are wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, fodder and root crops. Fodder crops are an important component of the system, since they feed the livestock that simultaneously fertilise the soil. Crop rotation and intercropping play an important role in maintaining soil fertility.

Animals like cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry provide the main farm income alongside crops. Mixed farming is characterised by high capital expenditure on farm machinery and farm buildings, extensive use of chemical fertilisers and green manures, and the skill and expertise of the farmers themselves.

Where in the World Is Mixed Farming Practised?

4.8 Dairy Farming

Dairy farming^? is the most advanced and efficient type of rearing of milch animals. It is highly capital-intensive. Animal sheds, storage facilities for fodder, feeding and milking machines all add to the cost of running a dairy. Special emphasis is laid on cattle breeding, health care and veterinary services.

Dairy is also highly labour-intensive, because feeding and milking demand rigorous, daily care. Unlike crop farming, there is no off-season during the year — cows must be milked every day of the calendar.

Why Near Cities? — The Logic of Location

Dairy farming is practised mainly near urban and industrial centres, which provide a neighbourhood market for fresh milk and dairy products. The development of three technologies has steadily extended the supply chain:

SVG Map — The Three World Belts of Dairy Farming

Figure 4.8: The three major dairy belts: (1) NW Europe — the largest, (2) Canada and the bordering NE United States, and (3) South-eastern Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania.

4.9 Mediterranean Agriculture

Mediterranean agriculture^? is a highly specialised commercial agriculture, practised in countries on either side of the Mediterranean Sea — in Europe (Italy, Spain, Greece, southern France) and in north Africa from Tunisia to the Atlantic coast — as well as in lookalike climatic regions elsewhere: southern California, central Chile, the south-western parts of South Africa, and the south and south-western parts of Australia.

This region is an important supplier of citrus fruits — oranges, lemons, mandarins. Viticulture, or grape cultivation, is a special speciality of the Mediterranean region. The world's best-quality wines, with distinctive flavours, are produced from high-quality grapes here. The inferior grapes are dried into raisins and currants. The region also produces olives and figs.

Iconic Mediterranean Crops

4.10 Market Gardening & Horticulture

Market gardening^? and horticulture specialise in the cultivation of high-value crops — vegetables, fruits and flowers — solely for the urban markets. Farms are small and located where there are good transportation links with the urban centre, and where high-income consumers live. The activity is both labour and capital intensive, and lays emphasis on the use of irrigation, HYV seeds, fertilisers, insecticides, greenhouses and artificial heating in colder regions.

This type of agriculture is well developed in the densely populated industrial districts of north-west Europe, north-eastern United States of America and the Mediterranean regions. The Netherlands specialises in growing flowers and horticultural crops — especially tulips, which are flown to all major cities of Europe.

Truck Farming — A Special Sub-Type

Where farmers specialise in vegetables only, the activity is called truck farming^?. The distance of truck farms from the market is governed by the distance that a truck can cover overnight — hence the name. The farmer must reach the city wholesaler before the morning auction; if the produce is not at the market by sunrise, it cannot fetch a fair price.

Factory Farming & Modern Agribusiness

Alongside market gardening, a modern development in the industrial regions of Western Europe and North America is factory farming^?. Livestock — particularly poultry and cattle — are reared in stalls and pens, fed on manufactured feedstuff, and carefully supervised against diseases.

This requires heavy capital investment in buildings, machinery for various operations, veterinary services, heating and lighting. One of the important features of poultry farming and cattle rearing is breed selection and scientific breeding. Adjacent to factory farming is the rise of organic agriculture and community-supported agriculture (CSA) — small-scale, ecologically managed farms that supply boxes of seasonal produce directly to subscribing urban households.

Comparing Five Commercial Systems at a Glance