Part-I
Agriculture
• Definition
The term agriculture has been derived from two Latin words : ager meaning ‘land’ and cultural meaning cultivation. Agriculture thus means cultivation of land & rearing of animals.
• Importance of Agriculture in India :
(1) India is an agriculturally important country. Two-thirds of its population is engaged in agricultural activities.
(2) Agriculture is a primary activity, which produces most of the food that we consume.
(3) Besides food grains, it also produces raw material for various industries.
Types of Farming
Primitive Subsistence Farming
(i) Primitive subsistence agriculture is practised on small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks, and family/community labour.
(ii) This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown.
(iii) It is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their family. When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation.
(iv) This type of shifting allows nature to replenish the fertility of the soil through natural processes; land productivity in this type of agriculture is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or other modern inputs. It is known by different names in different parts of the country.
(v) It is jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland; Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of Chattishagarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Commercial Farming
(i) Commercial agriculture is the practice of farming in which crops are raised on a large scale with a view to export them to other countries and earn money.
(ii) Purpose of commercial agriculture is to sell the produce for money.
(iii) Commercial agriculture is done mostly in sparsely populated areas.
(iv) The main characteristics of this type of farming is the use of higher doses of modern inputs, e.g. high yieldingvarieties (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in order to obtain higher productivity.
(v) The degree of commercialization of agriculture varies from one region to another, for example, rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Orissa, it is a subsistence crop.
Plantation Agriculture
(i) Plantation is also a type of commerical farming. In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area.
(ii) The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry, Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant labourers. All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.
(iii) In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc. are important plantation crops. Tea in Assam and North Bengal coffee in Karnataka are some of the important plantation crops grown in these states.
(iv) Since the production is mainly for market, a well developed network of transport and communication connecting the plantation areas, processing industries and markets plays an important role in the development of plantations.
Intensive Farming
(i) Intensive farming is a type of agriculture aiming at maximum possible production on the limited farms with all efforts possible under the circumstances.
(ii) Huge capital and human labour is employed on every hectare of land.
(iii) Intensive farming is capable of raising more than one crop a year.
(iv) It is practised in mostly thickly populated areas.
Cropping patterns
Cropping Pattern
India has three cropping seasons
| Rabi | Kharif | Zaid |
| Crops are sown in winter from October to December | Crops are sown with the onset of monsoon | This is a short season between the rabi and Kharif seasons. |
| Harvested in summer from April to June | Harvested in September to October | Crops produced are watermelons, muskmelons, vegetables and fodder crops. Sugarcane takes almost a year grow. |
| Wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard are some important crops | Paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean are some of the important crops. | |
| Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are important for wheat production & other Rabi crops | Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra (particularly the Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. | |
| Availability of precipitation during winter months by western disturbances helps in growth of rabi crops | Paddy has, become an important crop of Punjab and Haryana. | |
| Green Revolution has given an impetus to the growth of rabi crops | Assam, West Bengal and Orissa grow three crops of paddy every year–Aus, Aman and Boro |
Food Crops
(1) Rice
Rice is the most important food crop of India covering 1/ 4th of the total cropped area and providing food to about half of the Indian population. This is the staple food of the people living in eastern and the southern parts of the country particularly in the areas having over 150 cm annual rainfall .
⇒ It is a kharif crop which requires high temperature, (Above 25°C) and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm. In the areas of less rainfall, it is grown with the help of irrigation.
⇒ The premier rice producing areas include the lower and the middle Ganga plains, the east and west coastal plains, the Brahmaputra valley and parts of the peninsular plateau.
⇒ India is the second largest producer after China.
(2) Wheat
Wheat is the second most important food grain of India and is the staple food of millions of Indians, particularly in the northern and north-western parts of the country.
⇒ Wheat is primarily a crop of midlatitude grasslands and requires a cool climate with moderate rainfall. The ideal wheat climate has winter temperature 10° to 15°C and summer temperature varying from 21°C to 26°C.
⇒ It requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall. In areas of less than 50 cm. annual rainfall, irrigation is necessary for its successful growth.
⇒ Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana are the three prominent wheat producing states. These states account for over 55 per cent of the wheat area and produce about two-thirds of the total wheat production in India. In fact, Punjab, Haryana and the contiguous western parts of U.P. have earned the distinction of being called the ‘Granary of India’.
(3) Maize
Maize is an inferior grain which is used both as food and fodder. Its grain provides food and is used for obtaining starch and glucose. Its stalk is fed to cattle.
⇒ Maize is mainly a rain fed kharif crop which is sown just before the onset of monsoon and is harvested after retreat of the monsoon. It requires 50-100 cm. of rainfall and it cannot be grown in areas of more than 100 cm. rainfall.
⇒ In areas of lesser rainfall, the crop is irrigated. Cool and dry weather helps in ripening of the grain. This crop usually grows well under temperature varying from 21°C to 27°C, although it can tolerate temperature as high as 35°C.
⇒ Fertile well-drained alluvial soil and rich in nitrogen are the best soils for its successful growth. Well drained plains are best suited for its cultivation, although it grows in some hilly areas also.
⇒ Major maize producing states are Karnataka, U.P., Bihar, Andhra Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh.
(4) Millets
⇒ Jowar, bajra and ragi are the important millets grown in India. These are known as coarse grains. They have very high nutritional value. For example, ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro nutrients and roughage.
⇒ Jowar is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production. It is a rain-fed crop mostly grown in the moist areas which hardly needs irrigation. Maharashtra is the largest producer of jowar followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
⇒ Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
⇒ Ragi is a crop of dry regions and grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils. Karnataka is the largest producer of ragi followed by Tamil Nadu, Apart from these states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh are also important for the production of ragi.
(5). Pulses
⇒ India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world. These are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
⇒ Major pulses that are grown in India are tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.
⇒ Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions. Being leguminous crops, all these crops except arhar help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air. Therefore, these are mostly grown in rotation with other crops.
⇒ Major pulse producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Part-II
Food Crops other than Grains
(1) Sugarcane :
Sugarcane belongs to bamboo family of plants and is indigenous to India. It is the main source of sugar, gur and khandsari. About two-thirds of the total sugarcane produced in India is consumed for making gur and khandsari and only one third of it goes to sugar factories. It also provides raw material for manufacturing alcohol. Bagasse, the crushed cane residue, can be more beneficially used for manufacturing paper instead of using it as fuel in the mills.
⇒ It is a long duration crop and requires 10 to 15 and even 18 months to mature, depending upon the geographical conditions.
⇒ It requires hot and humid climate with average temperature of 21°-27°C and 75-150 cm. rainfall. In the latter half, temperature above 20°C combined with open sky helps in acquiring juice and its thickening.
⇒ Three distinct belts of sugarcane cultivation can be identified.
(i) The Satluj-Ganga plain from Punjab to Bihar.
(ii) The black soil belt from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu along the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
(iii) Coastal Andhra and the Krishna Valley.
⇒ India is the second largest producer of sugarcane only after Brazil.
(2) Oilseeds :
India has the largest area and production of oilseeds in the world. Five major oil seeds viz., groundnut, sesamum, rapeseed and mustard, linseed and castor are grown, which is 12% of the total cropped area of the country.
(i) Groundnut is the most important oilseed of India and accounts for about half of the major oilseeds produced in thecountry. Groundnut kernels are rich is proteins and vitamins and have high calorific value.
⇒ Groundnut is a kharif crop. Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of groundnut followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra-linseed and mustard are rabi crops.
(ii) Sesamum (Til)
Sesamum contains 45 to 50 per cent oil which is used for cooking purposes and for manufacturing perfumery and medicines.
⇒ Sesamum is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south India.
(3) Tea
⇒ Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture. It is also an important beverage crop introduced in India initially by the British.
⇒ The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.
⇒ Tea bushes require warm and moist, frost-free climate all through the year. Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.
⇒ Tea is a labour intensive industry. It requires abundant cheap and skilled labour.
⇒ Major tea producing states are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts (West Bengal). Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
⇒ Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea-producing states in the country.
⇒ India is the leading producer as well as exporter of tea in the world.
(4). Coffee
Coffee is one of most popular beverage in India. Initially its cultivation was introduced in Baba Budan hills and even today cultivation is done over there.
⇒ Arabica and Robusta are the two main varieties grown in India accounting for 49% and 51%of area respectively under coffee.
⇒ India produces about four percent of the world’s coffee production. Indian Coffee is well known for its quality and is in much demand in the international market.
Non Food Crops
(1) Rubber
⇒ It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas. It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm. and temperature above 25°C.
⇒ Rubber is an important industrial raw material. It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya. India ranks fifth among the world’s natural rubber producers.
(2) Fibre Crops :
⇒ Cotton, jute, hemp and natural silk are the four major fibre crops grown in India. The first three are derived from the crops grown in the soil, the latter is obtained from cocoons of the silkworms fed on green leaves specially mulberry. Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre is known as sericulture.
(3) Cotton :
⇒ India is believed to be the original home of the cotton plant. Cotton is one of the main raw materials for cotton textile industry. India is the third-largest producer of cotton in the world.
⇒ Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau. It require high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 forst-free days and bright sunshine for its growth. It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.
⇒ Major cotton-producing states are- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
(4) Jute :
⇒ It is known as the golden fibre. Jute grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are renewed every year.
⇒ High temperature is required during the time of growth.
⇒ West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Meghalaya are the major jute producing states.
⇒ It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artifacts. Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibres and packing materials, particularly the nylon.
Technological and institutional Reforms and their impact
Institutional Reforms
(i) Abolition of Zamindari System. In the Post-Independence period Government has abolished Zamindari system. Actual tiller has obtained ownership rights over the land that he works on and raises crops. Government has also enforced land ceiling act under this act. No farmer can own land more than the ceiling limits. Thus redistribution of agricultural land has benefited countless farmers, who were previously landless. After obtaining ownership rights whole-hearted hard work of the farmer has led to vast increase in agricultural yield per hectare and improvement in their economic conditions.
(ii) Chakbandi. Farmers farms were small in size and they were fragmented and scattered at various places before Independence. These farms were uneconomic. Huge fertile land was also wasted in boundaries. In order to remove these drawbacks our government consolidated the fragmented and small holdings at one place and in large size. Chakbandi has led to increase in agricultural production.
(iii) Multi-purpose Co-Operative Societies and Co-operative Banks. Government has established multi-purpose societies and co-operative banks in rural areas for the welfare of farmers and artisans. They advance loans to them for various purposes. They include purchasing insecticides, improved seeds, purchase of cows, bullocks, buffaloes, agricultural implements and tools, for establishing cottage industries and even for social activities like marriages and death ceremonies.
(iv) Agriculture Price Commission. Every year the commission announces the support prices of agricultural produce. This has helped farmers to a great extent. Moneylenders cannot dare now exploit them and purchase their produce at throwaway prices. Government also purchases their produce at support prices and pays them in cash. Food Corporation of India also purchases cereals from farmers directly.
(v) Efforts to Reduce Pressure from Agriculture. Extension of education among rural population and establishment of cottage and rural industries will help reduce pressure from agriculture. To implement these programmes adult education centres have been established, job opportunities are provided to rural educated youth, government have reserved jobs for rural areas in government service.
(vi) Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other schemes introduced by theGovernment of India for the benefit of the farmers.
(vii) Provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease.
Technological Reforms
(i) Improved Seeds and Chemical Fertilizers. Improved seeds and chemical fertilisers form the basis for modernization of agriculture. Government has opened agriculture universities, agricultural research institutes, agricultural farms and demonstrations farms. Here seeds are improved and demonstration is given to farmers for use of chemical fertilisers and improved seeds. Farmers get them on subsidized rates and on loan basis. Co-operative Societies and Development Blocks provide these facilities to the farmers.
(ii) Use of Insecticides and Pesticides. After Independence insecticides and pesticides are used in agriculture in order to do away with various diseases and pests. They are sprinkled by Development Blocks and Co-operative Societies on the affected crops by helicopters and aircraft.
(iii) Use of Modern Scientific and Technological Techniques. Modern, scientific and technological techniques such as dry farming, multiple cropping, intercropping, intensive agriculture, rotation of crops, green revolution and mechanical agricultural devices help increase and improve productivity and fertility of agricultural land.
(iv) Development of Irrigational Facilities. Uncertainty and unevenness of rainfall had led agriculture to depend on irrigation. In order to modernise agriculture it is necessary to develop irrigation. Our government has developed numerous irrigational projects. The irrigation projects have also been taken in hand on local basis, electricity is being provided to farmers in order to energies tubewells and lift system.
(v) Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced on the radio and television.
Contribution of agriculture of the national economy, employment and output
(i) Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy though its share in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has registered a declining trend but it providing employment and livelihood to the population continues to be as high as 63 per cent in 2001.
(ii) The decline and stagnation in agriculture will lead to a decline in other spheres of the economy having wider implications for society.
(iii) The Government of India made concerted efforts to modernise agriculture. Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture development, research and development in the field of meterorology and weather forecast, etc. were given priority for improving Indian agriculture.
(iv) Today, Indian farmers are facing a big challenge from international competition and our government is going ahead with reduction in the public investment in agriculture sector particularly in irrigation, power, rural roads, market and mechanisation.
Add to your Knowledge
(1) Levelling of earth surface is called gradation. Lowering of earth suface is called degradation.
(2) Aggradation is the process of building up land surface by deposition of rock material.
(3) Angel water fall in Venezuela is the world’s highest waterfall. Its height is 979 metres.
(4) Jog Fall on River Sharavati (Karnataka) is the highest water fall of India. Its height is 253 metres.
(5) Landforms formed by the erosion and deposition of weathered material by action of wind is called Aeolian land forms.
(6) The cowboys of Agrentina (South America) who takes the cattles to pastures are known as Gouchos.
(7) Raising cattle for beef is an important occupation in US, Canada and Mexico. Beef cattles are raised and reared in large farms cattle Ranches.
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