Question

Mention any four characteristics of primitive subsistence agriculture.

Answer 1

Characteristics of primitive subsistence agriculture are:

• Primitive subsistence agriculture or shifting cultivation is widely practised by many tribes in the tropics, especially in Africa, south and Central America, and Southeast Asia.
• The vegetation is usually cleared by fire, and the ashes add to the fertility of the soil.
• The cultivated patches are very small and cultivation is done with very primitive tools such as sticks and hoes.
• After some time (3 to 5 years) the soil loses its fertility and the farmer shifts to other parts and clears other patches of the forest for cultivation.