Primary sector businesses deal with the raw materials that are eventually processed and delivered to a variety of industries. Countless products are made from the materials extracted and developed by primary sector businesses.
Mining is an extraction business, generating a diverse set of raw materials that drive society. Everything from steel for buildings to lithium for batteries results from mining. The secondary sector relies on the raw materials from mining to manufacture and produce specific products.
Agriculture is a primary sector business that fuels both caloric and raw material needs. Fibers are used in clothing and fabrics, whereas other crops deliver calories to livestock and humans. Like most primary sector businesses, the yields are imported and exported to serve a global economy.
Oil and gas are known for the lubricants and the fuel used in vehicles. Oil is also used in the production of plastics, chemicals, electricity, lubricants and more. Raw oil and gas are extracted from the ground, using pumps and disruption techniques such as fracking.
Fish stocks are a major nutritional source around the world. Wild and farmed fish from saltwater and freshwater environments are resourced to supply global food demands. Fish oils contribute to a variety of products, and the nitrogen-rich, non-food byproducts are ground into fertilizers.
Livestock is both a primary and a secondary sector business. Livestock production is a primary-use food source, which includes everything from bees to cattle. Producing livestock, however, often requires agricultural products. Some livestock producers rely solely upon natural forage, whereas others supplement with products, such as corn, to increase yields. Livestock straddles the line between a primary and secondary sector business.
Raw timber, bamboo and other forestry-based products are harvested for the construction and building industries. These products have a broad array of uses in society. Even the by-product pulp is used in creating paper goods.
