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AGRICULTURE

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India's agricultural sector, involving two-thirds of its
population, is crucial for producing food grains and raw
materials for various industries, contributing significantly
to the country's economy.
 TYPES OF FARMING
• Agriculture in India is an ancient economic activity.
• Evolution has been influenced by the physical environment,
technology, and socio-cultural practices.
• Transformation spans from subsistence to commercial farming
systems.
Primitive Subsistence Farming in India:

• Relies on primitive tools, family

labor, and natural elements like
monsoon, soil fertility, and
environmental conditions.
• Dependent on traditional methods
for crop growth.
• Involves clearing land for
Slash and Burn Agriculture:
food crops, followed by
shifting to new areas as soil
fertility diminishes.

• Allows nature to naturally

restore soil fertility.

• Low productivity due to the

absence of modern inputs.
Geographical Presence:

• Commonly observed in
north-eastern states: Assam,
Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Manipur, Dipa,
Chhattishgarh, Andaman, and
Nicobar Islands.
 Intensive Subsistence Farming Overview:
• High population pressure.
• Labor-intensive approach.
• Relies on significant biochemical inputs.
• Utilizes irrigation for increased production.
 Challenges in Land Ownership:

• Division of land among generations.

• Inheritance rights impact land-holding.
• Economic challenges due to land fragmentation.
 Motivation for Maximized Output:
• Lack of alternative livelihood sources.

• Despite uneconomical land-holding, farmers strive to

maximize production.
Commercial Farming
 Modern Farming Practices:
• Uses high inputs like HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides,
and pesticides for increased productivity.
• Commercialization varies regionally, e.g., rice in Haryana and
Punjab.
 Plantation Farming:

• Involves a single crop grown on large land, blending agriculture and

industry.
• Capital-intensive inputs and often relies on migrant labor.
Key Plantation Crops in India:

crucial for market

development.
 Infrastructure and Connectivity:

• Well-developed transport and communication network

links plantation areas, processing industries, and markets.
Cropping Seasons:

• Rabi
• Kharif
• Zaid

are the three main cropping seasons in India.

 Rabi Crops:
• Sown in winter and harvested in summer.
• Includes wheat, barley, peas, gram, and mustard.
• Key regions: Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir,
Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Success influenced by western temperate cyclones and the green
revolution in specific states.
• Grown during the monsoon season. Kharif Crops:
• Includes paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur, moong, urad, cotton, jute,
groundnut, and soyabean.
• Grown in regions like Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and
Bihar.
 Zaid Season:

• Short summer period between rabi and kharif.

• Produces watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, and fodder
crops.
• Sugarcane takes almost a year to grow.
 Influencing Factors:

• Western temperate cyclones and green revolution

contribute significantly to the success of rabi crops in
winter.
• Key regions for wheat production: Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and
Uttar Pradesh.
 Rice:
• Second-largest global producer.
• Grown in north-eastern plains, coastal areas, and deltaic regions.
• Canal irrigation and tubewells used in low rainfall areas.
• Major states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan.
 Wheat:
• Second most vital cereal crop.
• Main food crop in north-western regions.
• Requires cool season, bright sunshine, and 50-75 cm annual rainfall.
• Major states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Bihar, Rajasthan.
 Millets:
• Includes Jowar, bajra, and ragi.
• Coarse grains with high nutritional value.
• Jowar grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and
Madhya Pradesh.
• grown in multiple states including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Jharkhand, and Arunachal Pradesh.
 Maize:
• Kharif crop with a temperature requirement of 21°C-27°C.
• Thrives in old alluvial soil.
• Major producing states: Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.
 Pulses:
• India is the world's largest producer and consumer.
• Includes tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas, and gram.
• Except arhar, pulses help restore soil fertility by fixing nitrogen.
• Major producing states: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka.
Food Crops other than Grains
 Sugarcane:
• Tropical crop.
• Thrives in hot and humid climates.
• India is the second-largest producer.
• Major producing states: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana..
 Oilseeds:
• India ranks high in global production.
• Groundnut is a key crop (kharif) with Gujarat as the largest producer.
• Other oilseeds: linseed, mustard, sesamum, castor seed.
• Used in cooking, soap, cosmetics, and ointments production.
 Tea:
• Introduced by the British.
• Thrives in tropical and sub-tropical climates.
• Main production regions: Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.
• Mostly owned by Indians.
 Coffee:
• India produces high-quality Arabica coffee.
• Arabica variety originally from Yemen.
• Indian coffee is in high demand globally.
 Horticulture Crops:

• India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables globally.

• Tropical and temperate fruits: mangoes, oranges, bananas, lichi,
guava, pineapples, grapes, apples, pears, apricots, walnuts.
• Important vegetables: pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato,
brinjal, potato
Non-Food Crops
 Rubber:
• Grown in equatorial, tropical, and sub-tropical areas.
• Requires moist climates with over 200cm of rainfall and above 25°C.
 Fibre Crops in India:

• Major crops: cotton, jute, hemp, and natural silk.

• Derived from soil-grown crops and silkworm cocoons
(sericulture).
 Cotton in India:
• India is the second-largest cotton producer after China.
• Grows well in drier soil, high temperature, light rainfall, and bright
sunshine.
• Major producing states: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh.
 Jute:
• Known as the golden fibre.
• Grows in floodplains with fertile soils.
• Major producing states: West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha,
Meghalaya.
• Used in gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets, and artefacts.
Technological and Institutional Reforms
 Historical Agriculture in India:

• Traditional agriculture in India practiced for centuries.

• Lack of technological advancements hampers progress.
• Dependency on monsoons and natural fertility.
 Challenges and Population Dependency:

• Agriculture supports over 60% of the population.

• Growing population intensifies agricultural
challenges.
 First Five Year Plan Focus:

• Initial emphasis on collectivization, land consolidation,

cooperation, and abolition of zamindari (landlord system).
• Land reform laws introduced, but slow implementation.
 1960s-1970s Agricultural Reforms:

• Introduction of Green Revolution and Operation Flood.

• Development concentrated in specific regions.
 1980s-1990s Comprehensive Reforms:
• Initiation of a comprehensive land development program.
• Implementation of institutional and technical reforms.
• Introduction of crop insurance, Grameen banks, and
cooperative societies.
 Government Schemes:

• Introduction of various schemes like KCC and PAIS for

farmer benefits.
• Special weather bulletins and agricultural programs to
combat exploitation by middlemen.
These reforms collectively represent efforts spanning
decades, aiming to modernize and enhance India's
agricultural sector.
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