Factory farming
Topic: Primary Activities: Gathering, Pastoralism, Agriculture and Mining · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Primary Activities"
Meaning
Factory farming is a modern way of rearing livestock, found mainly in Western Europe and North America. Poultry and cattle are kept indoors in stalls and pens and fed manufactured feed instead of grazing in the open. It needs heavy capital for buildings, machines for heating and lighting, and vets to guard against disease. Farmers select breeds carefully to get more meat, eggs or milk. The farm runs like a factory, so output per animal and per worker is high.
Example
In India, the large poultry farms around Namakkal in Tamil Nadu keep lakhs of hens in sheds. They are fed factory-made feed and produce eggs on a factory scale.
Don't confuse with
- Commercial livestock rearing (ranching): animals graze on large, fenced outdoor pastures, as in Australia or Argentina. Factory farming keeps animals indoors on manufactured feed.
- Dairy farming: this is the rearing of milch animals (animals kept for milk) near cities. Factory farming covers poultry and cattle kept in pens.