Geography

Agriculture
Meaning of Agriculture
The science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of
crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.
Agriculture in India

*India is an agriculturally important country. *Agriculture produces most of the food that
we consume. ** *Agriculture also produces raw materials for various industries.
India is second in the world in crop output, next to China. 1.4 million square kilometers of
land in India is under cultivation. Agriculture is India's biggest economic sector and
employs 52.1% of the total workforce.

Types of farming

1. Primitive subsistence farming 2. Intensive subsistence farming

3. Commercial farming.

Primitive subsistence farming: This type of farming is still practised in few places in
India. It is practised on small patches with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and
digging sticks, and family or community labour. This type of farming depends upon
monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditions. It
is also called “slash and burn” cultivation. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce crops
to sustain their family. When soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and start
cultivating in the same way on a fresh patch of land.

Jhumming: The ‘slash and burn’ agriculture is known as ‘Bewar’ or ‘Dahiya’ in Madhya
Pradesh, ‘Podu’ or ‘Penda’ in Andhra Pradesh, ‘Pama Dabi’ or ‘Koman’ or Bringa’ in Odisha,
‘Kumari’ in Western Ghats, ‘Valre’ or ‘Waltre’ in South-eastern Rajasthan, ‘Khil’ in the
Himalayan belt, ‘Kuruwa’ in Jharkhand, and ‘Jhumming’ in the North-eastern region.

Intensive subsistence farming: This type of farming is practised in areas of high

population pressure on land. It is labour- intensive farming, where high doses of
biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production. The right of
inheritance leading to the division of land among successive generations has rendered land-
holding size uneconomical. The farmers continue to take maximum output from the limited
land in the absence of alternative source of livelihood. Thus, there is enormous pressure on
agricultural land.
Commercial farming: In this type of farming, higher doses of modern inputs like HYV
seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides, and pesticides are used to obtain higher
productivity. The degree of commercialisation varies from region to region.
For example: Rice is a commercial crop in Punjab and Haryana, but in Orissa, it is a
subsistence crop.
Plantation agriculture: It is the type of farming in which a single crop is grown in a large
area. The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry. Plantations use capital-
intensive inputs, with the help of migrant labourers. Tea plantations (Assam and North
Bengal), Coffee plantations (Karnataka), Banana plantations (South India), Rubber
plantations (Kerala), and Bamboo plantations (North-East India), etc. are some important
plantation crops grown in India.
Agricultural Seasons in India
Rabi Crops: Sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from
April to June. Important crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram, and mustard. States such as
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and western Uttar
Pradesh are the main rabi crop (mainly wheat) producing states. The availability of
precipitation during winter months due to the western temperate cyclones helps in the
success of these crops.
Kharif Crops: Sown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country and
harvested in September – October. Important crops are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur
(arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean. Recently, paddy has also
become an important crop in Punjab and Haryana. In states like Assam, West Bengal and
Orissa, three crops of paddy are grown in a year: Aus, Aman, and Boro.
Zaid season: Zaid season is a short season between the Rabi and Kharif seasons, during
the summer months. Crops produced are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables,
and fodder crops.
Major Crops (Food Crops)
Rice: A staple food crop of a majority of the people in India. India is the second largest
producer in the world after China. Kharif crop which requires high temperatures, (above
25 degrees Celsius) and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm. It is grown in the
plains of North and North-Eastern India, coastal areas, and the deltaic regions. The
development of a dense network of canal irrigation and tube wells has made it possible to
grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, and
parts of Rajasthan.
Wheat: Second most important cereal crop. Main food crop in the North and North-
Western part of the country. Requires cool growing season and bright sunshine at ripening
time. Requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly distributed over the growing season.
Important wheat growing zones – Ganga-Sutlej Plains & Black soil region in Deccan. Major
wheat-producing states – Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and parts of
Madhya Pradesh.

Millets: Jowar, Bajra, and Ragi are the important millets grown in India. Though these are
known as coarse grains, they have high nutritional value.
Ragi is rich in iron, calcium, other micronutrients, and roughage. It is a crop of dry regions
and grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy, and shallow soils. Karnataka is the largest
producer followed by Tamil Nadu.
Jowar is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production. It is a
rain-fed crop grown in moist areas. Maharashtra is the largest producer of jowar
Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer.
Maize: Maize is used as both food and fodder. It is a Kharif crop. It requires a
temperature between 21-27 degrees Celsius. And grows well in alluvial soil. In states like
Bihar, it is grown as a rabi crop also. The use of modern inputs like HYV seeds, fertilisers,
and irrigation has contributed to the increasing production of maize. Major maize-
producing states are Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Pulses: India is the largest producer as well as consumer of pulses in the world. Eg.
Tur(arhar), Urad, Moong, Masur, Peas and Gram. Pulses need less moisture and survive even
in dry conditions. All these crops except arhar help in restoring soil fertility by fixing
nitrogen from the air, because of which it is grown in rotation with other crops. Major
pulse-producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
Food crops other than grains
SUGARCANE: It is a tropical as well as sub-tropical crop. It grows well in hot and humid
climates with a temperature of 21 to 27 degrees Celsius and an annual rainfall between 75
cm and 100 cm. Can be grown on a variety of soils and needs manual labour from sowing to
harvesting.
India is the second largest producer after Brazil.
The main sources of sugar, are jaggery, khandsari, and molasses. Major sugar-producing
states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Punjab etc.
Oil Seeds: Different oil seeds are grown covering approximately 12% of the total cropped
area of India. The main oilseeds produced in India are:
Groundnut: Groundnut is a Kharif crop and accounts for half of the major oilseeds
produced in India. Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnuts.
Mustard: is a rabi crop.
Sesamum (til): is a Kharif crop in the north and rabi crop in south India.
Castor seeds: It is grown as both Rabi and Kharif crops.
Linseed: is a rabi crop. Coconut (copra), Soyabean, Cotton seeds, Sunflower, etc. are other
oil seeds.
Beverage Crops
TEA: Example of plantation crop. Important beverage crop introduced in India by the
British. 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 a warm and
moist climate throughout the year. Tea requires abundant, cheap, and skilled labour. Major
tea-producing states are Assam, the hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. India is the leading producer as well as exporter of tea in
the world.
COFFEE: India produces about 4% of the world’s coffee. Indian coffee is known in the
world for its good quality. The Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is produced in
India. This variety is in great demand in the world. Its cultivation was initially introduced
in the Baba Budan Hills and even today its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri in
Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Horticulture: India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. India is a
producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits.
Fruits in great demand: Mangoes of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and
West Bengal. Oranges of Nagpur and Cherapunjee. Bananas of Kerala, Mizoram,
Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Lichi and Guava of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Pineapples of
Meghalaya. Grapes of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Apples, Pears, Apricots, and
Walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. India produces 13% of the world’s
vegetables. It is an important producer of peas, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato,
brinjal and potato.
NON-FOOD CROPS:
RUBBER: It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical
and sub-tropical areas. Requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm
and temperature above 25 degrees Celsius. It 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.
FIBRE CROPS-
COTTON: India is believed to be the original home of the cotton plant. One of the main
raw materials for the cotton textile industry. India is the 3rd largest producer of cotton
in the world. Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black soil of the Deccan plateau.
Requires high temperature, light rainfall, 210 frost-free days, and bright sunshine for
growth. Kharif crop requires 8-10 months to mature. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh are
major cotton-producing states.
 JUTE: It is known as the golden fibre. It grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the
flood plains. A high temperature is required for its growth. It is used in making gunny
bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets, and other artifacts.

Major jute-producing states are West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, and Meghalaya.

Indian Agriculture – Limitations and Prospects

• Despite the development of sources of irrigation most of the farmers in large parts
of the country, still depend upon monsoon and natural fertility to carry on their
agriculture.
• Agriculture needs serious technical and institutional reforms.
collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation, and abolition of zamindari,
etc. were given priority to bring reforms in the country after independence.
• Land focus was the focus of the First Five Year plan.
• Right of inheritance had led to the fragmentation of land holdings.
• Laws of land reforms were enacted but laws of implementation were lacking.
Agricultural Reforms

• Government of India introduced various reforms to improve Indian agriculture in

the 1960s and 1970s.
• The Green Revolution based on the use of package technology to increase the
production of food grains and other agricultural products and the White Revolution
or Operation Flood to enhance the production of milk and milk products were some
of the strategies initiated to improve Indian agriculture.
• But this led to the concentration of development in a few selected areas.
• In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development program was initiated,
which included both institutional and technical reforms.
• Provisions for crop insurance against calamities
• establishment of Grameen banks,
• cooperative societies and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at
lower rates of interest were some steps taken.
• Kissan Credit Card (KCC), and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some
other schemes introduced by the Government of India for the benefit of the
farmers.
• Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farm products and Public Distribution System
(PDS) are other initiatives.
Minimum support price: Remunerative and procurement prices for important crop
to check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middleman. It is a
preannounced price for the products.
• Special weather bulletins and agriculture programs for farmers were introduced on
the radio and television.
• The Government of India made concerted efforts to modernize agriculture.
• Establishment of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), agricultural
universities, veterinary services, and animal breeding centers, horticulture
development, research and development in the field of meteorology and weather
forecast, etc.
• Government of India has taken several initiatives under The Atma Nirbhar Bharat
Abhiyan.
Impact of Globalisation on Agriculture
• During the British period cotton belts of India attracted the British and eventually
cotton was exported to Britain as a raw material for their textile industries.
• The Champaran movement started in 1917 in Bihar because the farmers of that
region were forced to grow Indigo for British textile industries.
• Under globalization, particularly after 1990, Indian farmers have been exposed to
new challenges.
• Despite India being an important producer of rice, cotton, rubber, tea, coffee,
jute, and spices, our agricultural products are not able to compete with developed
countries due to their highly subsidized agriculture in those countries.
• To make agriculture successful and profitable, proper thrust should be given to the
improvement of the condition of marginal and small farmers.
• The green revolution promised much. But it is being alleged that it has caused land
degradation. The keyword today is “gene revolution” which includes genetic
engineering.
• Organic farming is much in vogue today because it is practiced without factory-
made chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. Hence, it does not negatively
affect the environment.
• Indian farmers have a bleak future if they continue growing food grains on the
holdings that grow smaller and smaller as the population rises. India’s diverse
climate can be harnessed to grow a wide range of high-value crops. Organic
agriculture will adapt to climate change more quickly.
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