What are mixed farming practices?

 

Where is Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming Practiced?

Mixed Farming is mainly found in Europe, Zambia, and other underdeveloped countries, and North America, specifically in the United States.

What are mixed farming practices?

Mixed farming practices, also known as mixed farming, involve the use of various farming techniques in different areas of a farm, that's why it's referred to as inter-farming.

Types of mixed farming

These are the various types of mixed farming practices:

Agrarian economies, also known as Open farms, are areas of a farm where the farm owner sells their produce. Some of the factors that can inhibit or promote the growth of agricultural economies are poverty and illiteracy.

Plant-Based Agriculture (PBA) practices are one type of mixed farming practice where the farmer owns cattle farms, and they produce beef for their own consumption.

The origins of mixed crop and livestock farming

According to the term ‘biological farming’, mixed crop and livestock farming originated during the farming period in Africa, Asia, and the Americas in the pre-historic era, though the practice was never spread to the rest of the world.

The practice was, however, widely popular in Europe during the High Middle Ages, when horse rearing was an important industry, especially in countries where agriculture was expensive and labor was scarce. The practice was even institutionalized and became a standard business model throughout Europe.

Mixed farming in Europe

European countries including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom all have farms mixed with crops and livestock farming, with over 100,000 European farms practicing mixed farming.

In the UK, the practice of mixed farming was banned in 1974, but the ban was lifted in 2015.

More on Mixed Farming in the UK and Ireland, here.

Zambia and the rest of Africa

Zambia is one of the biggest producers of crops, providing a sizable market for many farmers.

The land is extremely fertile, enabling the majority of Zambian farmers to produce crops in large amounts. The problem with farming in Zambia is the shortage of food supply.

Mixed farming in Zambia

There are many farmers who use the mixed farming approach. They mainly include;

Cattle Farmers

Farmers who are mainly involved in raising cattle

Fish Farmers

Fish Farmers also use the mixed farming approach.

There are many farmers who are involved in all types of livestock farming. For example;

Mixed Crop Farmers

For more information on farmers in mixed crop farming please contact our Zambia office or call +260900007058

Cattle farmers mix farming with vegetables.

For example;

The next cattle farmer can cultivate gardens in which they can grow vegetables.

Cattle and vegetables do not compete with each other.

Mixed farming in the United States

Mixed farming involves the cultivation of cereals, fruits, vegetables, and various types of animals such as poultry, sheep, and cattle. Farmers in the United States grow two or more different kinds of crops (either jointly or individually) in the same field.

There are many advantages of having mixed farming. It allows farmers to increase their output because they can expand their area and production. This leads to better profit and productivity.

Mixed farming also provides plenty of opportunities for agricultural investors. The farmers in America can maintain a balance between their efforts and the investments from the investors.

We can find some of the farmers in Iowa, which are practicing mixed farming.

1. Potato Farming

This type of mixed farming can be seen in Washington State.

Conclusion

The reason why there is a gap between demand and supply in the global market is large is because of the cost of livestock meat products. This high cost of raising livestock is one of the major reasons people look for alternative means of meat production.

That being said, the future of farm-raised meat can only be bright, if there is an increase in the adoption of livestock farming around the world, especially in the U.S. as it would represent a huge opportunity for investment for meat companies.