3.2 The Primary Sector

The primary sector is very broad and includes: forestry, fishing and agriculture. Raw materials are specifically recovered or created by this sector. The following areas are covered by this sector:

• Extraction - Oil and Gas, Fish, Oil
• Agriculture - Animal Husbandry, Farming, Forestry

Across the globe, it's common to see various countries with regions which are unique for certain primary sector activities. From farming, to mining, to livestock rearing, certain regions in most countries are renowned for one or more activities in this sector. 

The United Kingdom encourages numerous agricultural activities. Farming and agrarian practices still thrive in various regions across Britain which has vast arable lands that are dedicated to farming. Regions and their farming practices are highlighted below:

• Wales - Rearing of animals (cattle and sheep) and vegetable farming
• Eastern England - Poultry farming, arable farming, vegetable farming
• Scotland - Growing potatoes, sheep and cattle rearing
• South-West England - Sheep and cattle rearing, potato farming
• Midlands - Arable farming
• North Midlands - Poultry, pigs and arable farming

Mechanisation is used today by developed countries to till and harvest the soil. It's very efficient and allows farmers to successfully collect the harvest and produce larger amounts in a shorted period of time. 

Pesticides and sprays are also in use and have the benefit of reducing crop and livestock losses from disease.

This is a huge development considering that many years ago it was extremely labour intensive and time consuming. However, the drawback is that it now requires less employees to labour on farms; there is always a trade off with technological advances. 

Less developed countries still require this labour and typically they have a larger proportion of the workforce involved in this sector. 

Without the natural resources produced by the primary sector, other sectors cannot survive and in return, the economy will fail (or at least they will have to rely upon more expensive imports).

Oil drilling and refineries are important to the secondary and tertiary sectors. Another example is with wood production by the primary sector. It's then sold onto a paper mill in the secondary sector, where high quality glossy paper for magazines is made. This is then sold to then magazine publishing company which uses the paper to print stories and articles. These magazines are then distributed to the tertiary sector - retail outlets, supermarkets and high street shops, where these magazines are sold to the consumer.


The primary sector utilises many natural resources including:

• Water - with numerous businesses which provide water for different purposes. It also involves management of reservoirs, springs, canals, lakes, rivers and underground water
• Fishing - this involves farming across the various coasts of the United Kingdom for the best sources for market usage
• Forestry - This involves afforestation and deforestation for economic uses. The Forestry Commission is responsible for regulating the production of wood, whose demand has grown tremendously over the years
• Minerals - which are used for building and construction among other uses. These come from different formations in the earth like rocks. Minerals are found in soil formations as well. Products from minerals include Limestone, Gravel, Chalk and Salt.