Farming is a part of agriculture. Agriculture comparatively covers a vast subject area including production, research and development, and farming is the process of the implementation of agricultural activities.
Agriculture is the science and art of growing crops and livestock. Agriculture was a major development in human civilization, with subsistence farming creating an abundance of food that enabled people to live in cities.
For decades agriculture has been linked to the production of essential food crops. Currently, more and more agriculture includes agriculture, dairy, fruit farming, poultry, beekeeping, mushrooms, lemons, etc.
We have compiled a list of terms commonly used in Farming activities like paddy, chaff, grain, combine etc. for beginners to build agriculture vocabulary .
Farming and Agriculture Terms Vocabulary
Following is a list of 20+ words associated with farming and agriculture along with their meanings:
| Word | Meaning |
| Agriculture | deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain |
| Crop | any plant cultivated by people |
| Kjon | wild onions |
| subsistence agriculture | production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer’s family |
| commercial agriculture | production of food primarily for sale off the farm |
| prime agricultural land | most productive farmland |
| Agribusiness | commercial farming |
| shifting cultivation | slash and burn farming |
| Swidden | area cleared by slash and burn tactics |
| pastoral nomadism | herding of domesticated animals |
| Transhumance | seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures |
| pasture | grass or other plants grown for feeding animals |
| intensive subsistence agriculture | most of the work is done by hand or with animals |
| sawah | flooded field |
| paddy | Malay wet rice |
| chaff | husks |
| winnowed | blown away by the wind |
| Hull | outer covering of rice |
| double cropping | obtaining two harvests per year from one field |
| crop rotation | rotating the use of different fields from crop to crop each year |
| plantation | large farm that specializes in one or two crops |
| cereal grain | oats, wheat, rye, and barley |
| milkshed | ring surrounding a city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling |
| grain | seed from various grasses |
| winter-wheat | planted in autumn, harvested at start of summer |
| spring-wheat | planted in spring, harvested in late summer |
| reaper | machine that cuts grain standing in the field |
| combine | machine that reaps, threshes, and cleans |
| ranching | commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area |
| horticulture | growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers |
| truck farming | commercial growing of fruits and vegetables |
| sustainable agriculture | preserves and enhances environmental quality |
| ridge tillage | planting crops on ridge tops |
| desertification | human actions causing land quality to deteriorate |
| green revolution | invention and rapid diffusion of more productive agricultural techniques |
Let’s have a quick recap of some of the terms using the following image.
Importance of Agriculture
- Source of Livelihood: The main source livelihood of many people is agriculture.
- Contribution to National revenue: Agriculture is the main source of national income for most developing countries.
- Supply of Food as well as Fodder: The agricultural sector provides fodder for livestock. Cows give people milk as a protective food. In addition, livestock also meet human food needs.
- Significance to the International Trade: Agricultural products such as sugar, tea, rice, spices, tobacco, coffee etc. make up large exports to agricultural countries.
- Marketable Surplus: The growth of agricultural sector contributes to marketable surplus.
- Source of Raw Material: The main source of raw material is for large industries such as cotton and jute fabric, sugar, tobacco, edible oils and non-edible agricultural products.
- Significance in Transport: Most agricultural products are transported by rail and road from farm to industry.
- Foreign Exchange Resources: The nation’s export trade depends largely on agricultural sector
- Great Employment Opportunities: The construction of irrigation schemes, water supply systems and other such activities in the agricultural sector is important as it provides great job opportunities.
- Economic Development: With more employment, agriculture is contributing to economic development. As a result, the national income and living standards of the people are being improved.
- Source of Saving: Development in agriculture may also increase savings.
- Food Security: A stable agricultural sector ensures a nation of food security.
Keep exploring EnglishBix to learn words related to different occupations.
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