The document compares commercial wheat farming and intensive subsistence rice agriculture. Commercial wheat farming is practiced on large farms with machinery and chemicals to maximize productivity for international markets. In contrast, intensive subsistence rice agriculture occurs on small plots using family labor to meet local consumption needs. While wheat is grown as a cash crop, rice serves as a staple food for densely populated regions in Southeast Asia and East India. The document analyzes global production trends and distribution of these two important crops.

1. Comparative Analysis
Commercial Wheat and Intensive Subsistence
Agricultural Rice
Presenting by – Arghyadeep Saha
ADAMAS UNIVERSITY, KOLKATA – 700126, IN

2. Content Layout :
• Introduction to the terms.
• Commercial vs Intensive Subsistence Agricultural.
• Comparative Analysis.
• Worldwide Distribution.
• Suggestions.
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3. Introduction to the terms:
• Commercial Farming - Large-scale production of
crops for sale. Example - Wheat, maize, tea, coffee,
sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana, cotton are
harvested and sold in the world markets.
• Intensive Subsistence Agricultural - The farmer
cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools
and more labor. Utilize for their local consumption,
while remaining produce is used for exchange
against other goods. Example – Millets, rice, wheat
are mainly grown.
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4. Commercial vs Intensive Subsistence
Agricultural:
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Commercial Agriculture Intensive Subsistence Agriculture
• Practiced in areas of low population density. • Practiced in areas of high population, pressure
on land.
• Use of farming / harvesting machinery. • Uneconomical due to fragmentation of land
holding.
• HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides
are used to obtain higher productivity.
• Biochemical inputs and modern irrigation
techniques to increase productivity.
• Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and
Western Uttar Pradesh are the notable places
of India.
• Practiced in the most parts of India, mainly in
east and south even today.

5. Comparative Analysis:
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Geography
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0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
Russia European Union United States Canada Ukraine Argentina Australia Turkey Kazakhstan Mexico
in
1,000
metric
tons
Countries
Exporting countries of wheat, flour and wheat products from 2014/2015 to 2020/2021
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
2017/2018
2018/2019
2019/2020
2020/2021
Info Courtesy – Statista

6. Wheat [Commercial crop] -
• Wheat is widely cultivated as a cash crop.
• Low international wheat prices have often encouraged farmers in the
United States to change to more profitable crops.
• Significant profitability differences between low- and high-cost farms,
due to crop yield differences, location, and farm size.
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Comparative Analysis:

7. 13th April 2021
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Comparative Analysis:
157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
In million hectares
Global leading rice producing countries based on area harvested in
2018/19 (in million hectares)
In million hectares
Info Courtesy – Statista

8. Comparative Analysis:
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Geography
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Intensive Subsistence Agriculture with Wet Rice Dominant –
• Planting rice on dryland in a nursery then moving the seedlings to a flooded field.
• Southeast China, East India, and much of Southeast Asia.
• Often Humid Mid-Latitude and Warm Mid-Latitude climatic regions.
• Small amount of land but major source of food.
• Getting two crops a year from the same piece of land - modify often with other crops - is
possible in south China and Taiwan, but rare in South Asia.

9. Comparative Analysis:
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157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
In
million
hectares
Years
World rice acreage from 2010 to 2019 (in million hectares)
In million hectares
Info Courtesy – Statista

10. Worldwide Distribution:
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Picture Courtesy – ourworldindata

11. Worldwide Distribution:
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Picture Courtesy – Wikimedia

12. Worldwide Distribution:
MAPS - AGRICULTURAL REGIONS AND CLIMATIC REGIONS:
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Picture Courtesy – harpercollege

13. Suggestions:
• Intensive farming and dairying ; vegetables, fruit, milk and other dairy
products are perishable so they must get to market quickly.
• Commercial farmers suffer from low incomes because they are capable of
producing much more food than is demanded by consumers.
• Although there are some areas where agricultural land can expand, in other
areas land area available for agriculture is decreasing due to:
Lack of water and desertification.
Excessive irrigation water logging the land.
Urbanization.
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14. Bibliography:
• Reference web supplementary materials and resources:-
• GEG 100 ONLINE
• Statista
• Our World In Data
• Prezi
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