Chapter 4: Agriculture

Introduction

Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy, providing employment to over half of the country’s population and contributing significantly to GDP. It plays a crucial role in ensuring food security, economic stability, and sustainable development. This chapter explores the types of farming, cropping patterns, and the challenges faced by the sector. It delves into the impact of the Green Revolution, the significance of technological advancements, and government initiatives aimed at modernizing agriculture. With diverse climatic conditions, India boasts a variety of crops, which are categorized into food crops, cash crops, plantation crops, and horticulture.

1. Types of Farming

(a) Primitive Subsistence Farming

• Definition: This is an ancient method of farming where farmers grow crops for personal consumption using basic tools and techniques.
• Features:
  • Shifting cultivation or slash-and-burn method.
  • Low yields due to traditional tools and lack of technology.
  • Practiced on small patches of land.
  • Dependent on monsoons and natural fertility of soil.
  • Common in northeastern states and tribal areas.

(b) Intensive Subsistence Farming

• Definition: This farming method focuses on maximizing productivity from a small land area to meet the family’s needs.
• Features:
  • Involves use of manual labor and simple tools.
  • High population pressure on land.
  • Double cropping practiced in fertile regions.
  • Predominant in densely populated areas of India like West Bengal, Bihar, and Kerala.

(c) Commercial Farming

• Definition: This involves growing crops for sale, not for personal consumption, aiming for high productivity and profit.
• Features:
  • Use of modern inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yielding varieties of seeds.
  • Mechanization of farming operations.
  • Regions like Punjab, Haryana, and Maharashtra are hubs for commercial farming.
  • Includes crops like cotton, sugarcane, and tobacco.

(d) Plantation Agriculture

• Definition: Plantation agriculture refers to the large-scale production of a single crop, often for export purposes.
• Features:
  • Capital-intensive and uses advanced technology.
  • Focuses on crops like tea, coffee, rubber, and coconut.
  • Predominantly practiced in Kerala, Assam, and Karnataka.

2. Cropping Seasons in India

India experiences three distinct cropping seasons: Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid.

(a) Kharif Season

• Time Period: June to September (monsoon season).
• Major Crops: Paddy (rice), maize, cotton, groundnut, soyabean.
• Regions: Areas with high rainfall like Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.

(b) Rabi Season

• Time Period: October to March (winter season).
• Major Crops: Wheat, barley, mustard, peas, gram.
• Regions: Northern and northwestern parts like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

(c) Zaid Season

• Time Period: Between Rabi and Kharif (April to June).
• Major Crops: Watermelon, cucumber, fodder crops.
• Regions: Mainly in irrigated regions.

3. Major Crops of India

India, with its varied climate and geography, grows a wide variety of crops. These can be categorized into food crops, commercial crops, plantation crops, and horticulture crops. Below is a detailed discussion of the major crops in India, their geographical distribution, and their climatic requirements.

1. Food Crops

(a) Rice

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Requires high temperature (above 25°C).
  • Heavy rainfall (above 100 cm).
  • Water-retentive soil is ideal.
• Distribution:
  • Grown in water-rich regions, predominantly in the eastern and southern states.
  • Major States: West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Assam.
  • West Bengal is the leading producer, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

(b) Wheat

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Requires cool growing season and bright sunshine during the harvest.
  • Moderate rainfall (50 to 75 cm) or irrigation.
• Distribution:
  • Mainly grown in the northern and northwestern parts of India during the Rabi season.
  • Major States: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar.
  • Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer, followed by Punjab and Haryana.

(c) Millets (Jowar, Bajra, Ragi)

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Require moderate to low rainfall (50-100 cm).
  • Adapted to dry regions and can tolerate poor soil conditions.
• Distribution:
  • Jowar: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh.
  • Bajra: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana.
  • Ragi: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand.

(d) Maize

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Requires moderate temperature (20°C – 30°C) and rainfall (50-100 cm).
• Distribution:
  • Grown as both a Kharif and Rabi crop.
  • Major States: Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan.

(e) Pulses (Tur, Urad, Moong, Masur, Gram, Peas)

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Grow well in dry and semi-arid regions.
  • Moderate to low rainfall.
• Distribution:
  • Gram: Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra.
  • Tur (Arhar): Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Moong and Urad: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh.

2. Commercial Crops

(a) Sugarcane

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Requires hot and humid climate (21°C to 27°C) with 75-100 cm of rainfall.
  • Requires fertile soil, well-drained, and requires irrigation in some areas.
• Distribution:
  • Major States: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab.
  • Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.

(b) Cotton

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Requires high temperatures (above 25°C).
  • Requires light rainfall (50 to 80 cm) and deep black soil.
• Distribution:
  • Major States: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan.
  • Maharashtra is the leading producer, followed by Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

(c) Jute

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Requires hot and humid climate (24°C to 35°C) with high rainfall (150-250 cm).
  • Grown in waterlogged soils of the deltaic regions.
• Distribution:
  • Major States: West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha.
  • West Bengal is the largest producer of jute in India.

3. Plantation Crops

(a) Tea

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Requires warm, moist climate with frequent showers.
  • Requires acidic soil with good drainage.
• Distribution:
  • Major States: Assam, West Bengal (Darjeeling), Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka.
  • Assam is the largest tea-producing state in India.

(b) Coffee

• Climatic Requirements:
  • Requires cool climate with a temperature range of 15°C-28°C.
  • Requires shade, and grows well in hilly areas with well-drained soil.
• Distribution:
  • Major States: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu.
  • Karnataka is the largest producer of coffee in India.

4. Horticultural Crops

(a) Fruits

• Mangoes:
  • Major States: Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat.
• Bananas:
  • Major States: Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh.
• Oranges:
  • Major States: Maharashtra (Nagpur), Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh.

(b) Vegetables

• Potatoes:
  • Major States: Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab.
• Tomatoes:
  • Major States: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu.
• Onions:
  • Major States: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh.

4. Technological and Institutional Reforms

(a) Green Revolution

• Aimed at increasing agricultural productivity in the 1960s.
• Focused on wheat and rice using high-yield variety (HYV) seeds.
• Led to self-sufficiency in food grains but caused regional disparities.

(b) Land Reforms

• Abolition of the Zamindari system to ensure land redistribution to the tillers.
• Introduction of cooperative farming and consolidation of land holdings.

(c) Government Initiatives

• Kisan Credit Card (KCC): Providing farmers with credit to meet agricultural needs.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): Insurance scheme to protect farmers against crop failure.

Conclusion

Agriculture in India has evolved significantly with advancements in technology, government policies, and institutional reforms. Despite these improvements, challenges like unequal distribution of land, climate change, and reliance on monsoons continue to pose threats. The future of Indian agriculture lies in modernizing techniques, ensuring sustainability, and enhancing market linkages for farmers to thrive in a globalized world.