Question

Identify from the following, the correct statements with reference to the characteristics of intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by wet paddy cultivation.
(A) Land holdings are very small due to the high density of population.
(B) Farmers work with the help of family labour leading to intensive use of land.
(C) Farm yard manure is used to maintain the fertility of the soil.
(D) The yield per unit area is low, but productivity per labour is high.

• A. (A), (B) and (D) only
• B. (A), (C) and (D) only
• C. (A), (B) and (C) only
• D. (B), (C) and (D) only

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

In intensive subsistence agriculture, particularly wet paddy cultivation, evaluate these assertions:

1. Land holdings are very small due to high population density.
   This is accurate; intensive subsistence farming, prevalent in densely populated areas, leads to fragmented land ownership.
2. Farmers rely on family labor, resulting in intensive land utilization.
   This is also accurate; family labor is a common resource to maximize land productivity in subsistence farming.
3. Farmyard manure is used to sustain soil fertility.
   This is correct; organic fertilizers such as farmyard manure are essential for maintaining soil health in these farming systems.
4. The yield per unit area is low, but productivity per labor is high.
   This statement is false. Intensive subsistence agriculture, especially wet paddy cultivation, is characterized by high yields per unit area due to significant labor and input investment. Productivity per labor, however, may not be equally high.

Statements (A), (B), and (C) are correct.