THE CHOICE OF FARMING SYSTEMS IN PAKISTAN

Farming

A Brief about FARMING SYSTEMS in Pakistan

OVERVIEW:

Farming: A farming system is a time-tested approach to land management that enables the raising of livestock, crops, or both. It encompasses all activities associated with farming, both on and off the farm.

DESCRIPTION METHODS

There are two primary tenets upon which farming systems are classified.

(1) Natural resources that are readily available: these comprise land, water, climate, grazing grounds, etc.

(2) Predominant pattern of household and agricultural activities, including processing, off-farm pursuits, forestry, livestock, crops, and aquaculture.

Farming systems can be categorized in a variety of ways;

a) vast and intensive agricultural systems

b) Systems of commercial and subsistence farming

c) irrigated and dry land farming techniques

d) separate and several farming systems

e) raising cattle, mixed farming, and arable farming 

FACTORS INFLUENCING

THE CHOICE OF FARMING SYSTEMS IN PAKISTAN

1) SOIL: This refers to the various elements of soil, such as texture, salt, acidity, drainage, pH, fertility, slope, erosion, and mineral nutrients.

2) CLIMATE: includes factors like temperature, precipitation, irrigation, photoperiod and solar radiation, humidity, winds, storms, and air pollution.

3) RESOURCES: these include things like money, labor, seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, farm equipment, technology, and storage spaces, among other things.

4) PLANTS AND ANIMALS' CAPACITIES: The genetic potential and productivity of the chosen animals and plants in respect to the location chosen for the farm.

5) ECOLOGY: the crops, diseases, weeds, animals, trees, pests, and other natural features of the area chosen for the farm.

6) SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC FACTORS: markets, nearby agro-based industries, consumer preference, demand, prices of farm inputs and output, traffic, etc.

KINDS OF FARMING SYSTEMS 

Based on the  description methods mentioned above, there are a wide variety of farming systems in the world. Here is a brief summary of a few significant types;

i) ARABLE FARMING

Farming system that consists of growing only crops in the field and managing the farm's cultural practices, harvesting, storing, moving, and marketing. It covers a wide range of cropping system types.

ii) LIVESTOCK FARMING (PASTORAL FARMING SYSTEM)

The raising of animals on farms to produce meat, milk, and eggs as well as associated farm management activities including purchasing inputs, administering vaccination programs, and shipping goods to markets.

iii) POULTRY FARMING

The farming practices of raising chickens for the production of meat and eggs, as well as related management tasks.

iv) INTENSIVE FARMING

To maximize the output from the land and labor resources, this system simultaneously raises more livestock and uses multiple cropping systems during a single calendar year. To achieve the highest yield, the farm uses available resources and solar energy efficiently.

v) LARGE-SCALP FARMING

A large amount of land is used for farming under this system, and little effort is made to use the other resources effectively. Yields per unit area of land are typically low. Reducing the amount of labor, fertilizer, and water used is the aim of this kind of farming system.

vi) DIVERSIFIED FARMING

Numerous crop varieties and a diverse range of animal species are raised in this system.

vii) SUBSISTENCE FARMING

The primary goal of the farming system is to provide the farming family's needs for clothing, food, and shelter. The small land holdings of farmers make it common in developing nations.

viii) COMMERCIAL FARMING

The farming system's goal is to produce agricultural goods, such as crops and livestock products (eggs, meat, and milk), on a commercial scale. 

ix) TRUCK FARMING

Producing one or two main crop varieties or livestock to deliver the goods to neighboring markets or agro-based industries is the aim of such farming systems. The goods are manufactured in large quantities and sold.

x) DRY / RAINFED FARMING

Farming practice that involves growing crops and raising cattle in regions with little rainfall and no access to irrigation. A major factor influencing yields is the availability of water. This type of system aims to preserve moisture while extracting as much revenue and output as possible from the rainfall or water that is available.

xi) FARMING SYSTEM BASED IN THE CITY

One type of high-value perishable good that is produced in large towns and cities on a large scale is fresh vegetables. This commercial system uses a lot of inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and is connected to both rural and urban areas.

xii) About Clean Air Farming

The goal of clean air farming is to produce food without the harmful effects of excessive methane and ammonia emissions. Our goal is to permanently lower the amount of air pollution caused by animal husbandry. This necessitates improving the current legal framework and implementing it more consistently.

xiii) OTHER PAKISTAN FARMING SYSTEMS

Other farming systems include:

a) agri-pastoral farming (farming crops along with livestock) b) fruit farming (orchards)

c) Contour plantations, or mountain farming

d) Grassland farming, which produces fodder for raising livestock

e) Fish farming, which includes fish farming and related agricultural businesses.

Agriculture

The largest sector of our economy is agriculture. It feeds everyone, both in cities and rural areas. Given its significance, planners and decision-makers are constantly eager to obtain accurate area and production statistics of agricultural crops in a timely manner. 

Importance of Agricultural Technology

It is no longer necessary for farmers to evenly distribute pesticides, fertilizers, and water across whole fields. Alternatively, they can target very specific areas, apply the minimum quantities needed, or even handle individual plants differently. Advantages consist of:

increased yield of crops

reduced use of pesticides, fertilizer, and water, which lowers food costs

less of an influence on natural ecosystems

Decreased chemical runoff into rivers and groundwater

improved safety for workers

Furthermore, robotic technologies make it possible to monitor and manage natural resources, like the quality of the air and water, with greater reliability. Additionally, it grants farmers more authority over the cultivation, processing, distribution, and storage of plants and animals, leading to:

Reduced costs and increased efficiency

safer growing environments and food

less of an impact on the environment and ecology

About AMIS

An interagency platform to improve food market transparency and policy response for food security is the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). The G20 Ministers of Agriculture introduced it in 2011 in response to the increases in global food prices in 2007–2008 and 2010. AMIS, which brings together the main agricultural commodity trading nations, evaluates the world's food supply (with a focus on rice, wheat, maize, and soybeans) and offers a forum for coordinating policy responses during unstable markets.