It is rain fed
One of the disadvantages of subsistence farming is that it depends on the rain to do well. For this reason, farming activity is restricted only to the rainy season. Sometimes the rain may fail leading to great loses to the people.
Inability to irrigate the land
The answer to the problem of rainfall is to resort to irrigation. However, subsistence farmers are mainly poor rural folks who are cultivating just about between one and five acres of land. The level of rural poverty does not allow them to venture into irrigation, hence their restriction to farming in the farming alone.
Limited production
The farm activity is mainly on personal or family lands held by individuals therefore the farmers are unable to produce much. They produce only to feed their own families. Not much contribution is done towards national production of crops.
No room for profit making
The level of production is very low, intended to feed only the family. If any surpluses are sold to other people, it is not to make any meaningful profit. It is only to make ends meet. So subsistence farming does not lead to financial profits in the real sense of the word.
Not attractive to investors
Private entrepreneurs enter farming for business purposes. Their aim is to make profits. This being so, they are not attracted to subsistence farming. This is because there is no profit to be made. They prefer to engage in large commercial farming.
Cannot take advantage of increased demands
Another disadvantage of subsistence farming is that the farmers cannot take advantage of an increased demand for their produce. The reason is that they can only produce so much and therefore even if the demand for their product increases, they cannot take advantage of it. Their output is constantly low.
