Agricultural Sector

We explain what the agricultural sector is, its characteristics and activities. Also, why it is important.

agricultural sector
Agriculture is an ancient productive activity.

What is the agricultural sector?

The agricultural sector or agrarian sector is the set of productive initiatives of society that are dedicated to obtaining agricultural products, that is, raw materials of plant origin such as foods, plant fibers, seeds, etc. These initiatives are part of the primary sector -that is, the sector in charge of generating raw materials- and also constitutes, together with the livestock sector, the agricultural sector.

The agricultural products generated by this sector are obtained through cultivation, that is, sowing and harvesting is used. For this reason, the raw materials from forest exploitation are not considered agricultural, and in some cases neither are those from harvesting.

These products can be of two types:

  • Agricultural food products intended for food consumption.
  • Industrial agricultural products intended to feed secondary industries and subsequently become processed products.

Agriculture is an ancient productive activity, which played a fundamental role in the destiny of civilization. In fact, the drastic change brought about by the appearance of agriculture in humanity's way of life was called the Neolithic Revolution, allowing the emergence of sedentary communities. Since then, the agricultural sector has been a fundamental part of the economy.

Characteristics of the agricultural sector

The agricultural sector is characterized by the following:

  • In basic terms, your activity consists of the use of tools to prepare the land and water to water the seeds. The plantation is then cared for until harvest time, when the products are collected and processed.
  • It carries out an ancient activity, which has accompanied human beings since the beginning of civilization, and which throughout history has been modernized through the use of more sophisticated tools and newer technologies. Currently, the agricultural model is highly technical.
  • The total planetary surface dedicated to the agricultural sector since the mid-20th century varies between 50% and 35%.
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Agriculture is classified, depending on its water management, into:

  • dryland agriculture, that does not require additional irrigation from the farmer, but depends on the rains.
  • irrigated agriculture, which implies an effort on the part of the farmer to water the crop.

Depending on its production schemes and its relationship with the market, agriculture can be of two types:

  • subsistence agriculture, that produces barely enough for the peasant to survive.
  • industrial or market agriculture, that produces enough to satisfy the demand of a consumer market.

Finally, depending on the performance that agricultural production obtains and its ecological impact, agriculture is classified into two types:

  • intensive agriculture, which requires little space for large production, depleting soil resources.
  • extensive agriculture, which uses large areas of land and obtains lower yields, but has a lower ecological impact.

Agricultural sector activities

agricultural sector planting activities
Currently, the activities of the agricultural sector are highly technical.

Among the activities of the agricultural sector are, fundamentally:

  • The sowing. This activity consists of preparing the soil to receive the seeds scattered in it, so that they germinate and produce new plants in the desired places. To do this, the seeds are also usually prepared (by washing, moistening, scarifying, etc.), to guarantee a greater chance of success and reduce the possible presence of pests. In some cases, instead of seeds, entire plant shoots are planted.
  • The cultivation. During the cultivation stage, the plants are watered and fed, providing them with the necessary materials for rapid and healthy growth, and they are protected from natural threats such as droughts, hailstorms or pests (fungi, insects, microorganisms, rodents, etc.).
  • The harvest. The final stage of the agricultural process culminates with the appearance of the fruit or the useful part of the plant, which is then massively collected and processed for subsequent distribution and commercialization. The cultivation time can vary greatly depending on what product is desired: fruits, seeds, flowers, fibers, etc.
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Importance of the agricultural sector

Agriculture is a fundamental activity in the human way of life, which allows our species grow your own food and also obtain useful materials for the manufacture of more elaborate objects such as plant fibers, cotton, bark, seeds, etc.

Therefore, it constitutes a key economic activity in the development of nations, although once they venture into industrialization, their relative dependence on the agricultural sector decreases noticeably.

Even so, in the face of a world in constant growth and continuous demand for food, the agricultural sector retains its vital importance as a producer of food or raw materials for the food manufacturing sector. Along with mining, livestock, fishing and harvesting, it is one of the main ways of obtaining useful matter for very varied purposes in human society.

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References

  • “Agriculture” on Wikipedia.
  • “What activities are included in the agricultural sector?” in the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy of Spain.
  • “Importance of agriculture in socio-economic development” in the Social Economic Observatory of the National University of Rosario (Argentina).
  • “Agriculture and food” at the World Bank.