MAHATMA GLOBAL GATEWAY

(Affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi)

CHAPTER 4: AGRICULTURE

KEYWORDS
⮚ Agriculture – Growing crops and raising animals.
⮚ Subsistence Farming – Farming for family needs, not for sale.
⮚ Commercial Farming – Farming to sell in the market.
⮚ Plantation – Large-scale farming of a single crop.
⮚ Horticulture – Growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
⮚ Sericulture – Rearing of silkworms for silk.
⮚ Pisciculture – Breeding of fish.
⮚ Rabi Crops – Grown in winter (e.g., wheat).
⮚ Kharif Crops – Grown in monsoon (e.g., rice).
⮚ Zaid Crops – Grown between Rabi and Kharif (e.g., watermelon).

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

1. Why is India called an agriculturally important country? Write four supportive
arguments.
India is an agricultural country because of the following reasons:
1. Two-third of its population is engaged in agricultural activities which provide
livelihood.
2. Agriculture is a primary activity and produces most of the food and foodgrains that
we consume.
3. It produces raw materials for our various industries, e.g., cotton textile and sugar
industry.
4. Some agricultural products, like tea, coffee and spices, are exported and earn
foreign exchange.
5. The share of agriculture in providing employment and livelihood to the population
continued to be as high as 63% in 2001.
2. Write main characteristics of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
This type of farming is practised in few pockets of India on small patches of land using
primitive tools and family/community labour.
● Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain
their families.
● When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for
cultivation. This type of shifting allows nature to replenish the fertility of the soil
through natural processes.
● Land productivity is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or other modem
inputs.

3. Compare ‘intensive subsistence farming’ with that of ‘commercial farming’ practiced in

India.
Intensive Subsistence Farming Commercial Farming
(i) In this type of farming,
(i) In this, crops are mainly
production is mainly for self
grown for commercial purposes.
consumption.
(ii) It is practised in areas of(ii) It is practiced on large pieces
high population pressure on of land on scientific and
land. commercial lines.
(iii) In this type of agriculture,
(iii) It is labour intensive
machines and modem technology
farming.
are used.
(iv) There is higher use of
(iv) In this, high doses of modern agricultural inputs, for
biochemical inputs and example, High Yielding Variety
irrigation are used for (HYV) seeds, fertilisers,
obtaining higher production. irrigation, etc. are used to obtain
higher yields and production.
(v) The degree of
(v) Farmers take maximum commercialization varies from
output from the limited land one region to another. Rice is a
by raising 2-3 crops in a year commercial crop in Punjab, while
from the same land, i.e., in Orissa it is subsistence crop.
multiple cropping is practised. For example, Plantation
agriculture.

4. What are the major differences between primitive subsistence farming and commercial
farming?
Primitive Subsistence Farming Commercial Farming
1. In this mainly cereals and 1. In this, crops are mainly
other food crops are grown by grown for commercial
farmers to sustain themselves. purposes.
2. It is generally done on small 2. It is practiced on large pieces
land holdings which are of land on scientific and
economically not viable. commercial lines.
3. Primitive tools and animals 3. In this type of agriculture,
are used for carrying out machines and modern
agricultural activities. technology are used.
4. There is higher use of
modern agricultural inputs, e.g.,
4. In this, modern agricultural
HYV seeds, fertilisers,
inputs, e.g., fertilisers and
irrigation, etc. are used to
irrigation are not widely used.
obtain higher yields and
production.
5. Subsistence Agriculture is 5. The degree of
called Jhumming in Assam, commercialization varies from
Mizoram; Kuruwa in one region to another. Rice is a
Jharkhand. commercial crop in Punjab,
 while in Orissa it is subsistence
E.g., Slash and Burn. crop. E.g., Plantation
agriculture.
5. Write six characteristics of plantation agriculture.
Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming.
Characteristics of plantation agriculture:
1. A single type of crop is grown on a large area.
2. Plantation is carried out on large estates using lot of capital intensive units.
3. Lot of migrant labourers work on these estates.
4. The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry. All the produce is used
as raw material in the respective industries.
5. The production is mainly for the market, i.e., commercial agriculture.
6. 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.
6. Name three cropping seasons of India. Write their sowing and harvesting time and
major crops of each season.
Rabi, Kharif and Zaid are the three cropping seasons.
I. Rabi crops (Winter crops):
These are sown in winter from October to December.
Harvested in summer from April to June.
Important crops are wheat, barley, mustard, peas, gram etc.
II. Kharif crops (Crops of the rainy season):
These are sown with the onset of monsoon (June-July) and are harvested in September-
October. Important crops are rice, maize, millets, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad,
cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean.
III. Zaid season: It is a short cropping season during summer months (mainly between
March-April and June-July in different parts of the country).
Important crops are watermelon, musk melon, cucumber and fodder crops, etc.
7. Which is the third most important food crop of India? Name the cropping season in
which it is grown. Name four leading states of its production.
Jowar is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production. It is
mainly the crop of Kharif season. It is a rainfed crop grown in moist areas.
Leading states of production are: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh.
8. What are coarse grains? Why are they important in India? Name the crops which are
included in this category and name three leading states producing each of these crops.
Millets are called coarse grains. They are important because they have high nutritional
value and make an important part of the diet for poor people.
Most important millets are as follows:
1. Ragi —Leading producer is Karnataka, followed by Tamil Nadu. Himachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Sikkim etc are other important regions.
2. Jowar—Maharashtra is the leading producer followed by Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.
3. Bajra—It grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soils. Rajasthan is the largest
producer followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
9. Write the geographical and labour conditions required for the growth of tea.
Geographical conditions:
1. It grows well in tropical and subtropical climates.
2. It requires deep, fertile, well drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.
3. It requires warm and moist frost free climate round the year.
4. Frequent showers evenly distributed through the year ensure continuous growth of
tender leaves.
5. Tea is a labour intensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour.
6. It is processed within tea gardens to restore its freshness.
10. What is India’s position in the world in the production of fruits and vegetables? Name
the different Indian fruits which are in great demand world over and also name the states
where each is produced.
India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world.
Mangoes grow in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Bananas grow well in Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Oranges grow well in Nagpur and Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya).
Lichi and Guavas grow in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Grapes grow well in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Pineapple grows well in Meghalaya.
Apples, Pears, Apricots and Walnuts grow well in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.
11. Write the geographical conditions required for the growth of rubber. Name the item
which consumes maximum share of rubber for its manufacture.
Conditions:
1. It requires hot and humid climate.
2. Rainfall – 200 cms.
3. Temperature – above 25°C.
Maximum rubber is consumed in the manufacture of auto tyres and tubes and cycle tyres
and tubes. They together consume about 57.8% of the total rubber production.
12. Which fibre crop is called as the ‘Golden fibre’? Which is the most important region
of its growth and why? Give one major reason why it is losing the market now.
Jute is known as the golden fibre.
Jute is mainly grown in West Bengal, especially in the Hooghly Basin because there the
geographical conditions favour its growth. These conditions are:
● High temperature required during the time of growth.
● Jute grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are
renewed every year. Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibres and
other packing materials particularly to nylon.
13. Give the main reasons which have necessitated agricultural reforms.
Reforms in agriculture are necessary because of the following reasons:
1. Sustained uses of land without compatible techno-institutional changes have
hindered the pace of agricultural development.
2. Most of the farmers still depend on monsoons because large parts of the country still
do not have irrigation facilities.
3. Farmers still depend on natural fertility in order to carry on their agriculture, i.e.,
they lack material resources, e.g., fertilizers, etc.
 4. Ours is an agricultural economy and about 63% of people depend on agriculture for
employment and livelihood, therefore reforms have to be implemented.
5. For raising the agricultural production and productivity levels to produce sufficient
food for the growing population.
6. To overcome environmental, economic and social constraints, agricultural reforms
have to be seriously implemented.
7. The declining share in GDP is a matter of serious concern because decline and
stagnation in agriculture will lead to decline in other spheres of economy.
14. What are ‘Institutional Reforms’? Enlist various institutional reforms taken by the
Indian Government to bring about improvements in agriculture. (2015)
Institutional reforms:
Steps taken by the government to bring about improvements in agriculture are termed as
‘Institutional Reforms’.
Some steps are:
1. Collectivisation and consolidation of land holdings to make them economically
viable.
2. The green revolution based on the use of package technology and the White
Revolution to increase milk production are important strategies which were initiated
to improve agriculture.
3. Cooperation with farmers and Abolition of Zamindari system.
4. Provision of crop insurance to protect the farmers against losses caused by natural
calamities, i.e. drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease.
5. Establishment of ‘Grameen Banks’, Cooperative Societies and Banks for providing
loan facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest.
6. Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some
other schemes introduced by the government for the benefit of farmers.
7. Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced
on the Radio and TV.
8. Announcement of minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for
crops to check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen and
removing the elements of uncertainty.
15. Describe some concerted efforts made by the government to modernise Indian
agriculture and improve its share in the GDP.
The following measures have been taken by the government to modernise agriculture and
improve its share in the GDP:
1. Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
2. Setting up of Agricultural Universities.
3. Development of advanced Veterinary Services and Animal Breeding Centres.
4. Development of horticulture.
5. Research and Development in the field of meteorology and weather forecasts, etc.
Improving the rural infrastructure is essential for the same.
16. “The contribution of agriculture to national economy is on the decline.” Write five
facts to support this statement.
Contribution of agriculture is showing a declining trend:
1. The share of agriculture in GDP has shown a declining trend since 1951.
2. Yet its share in providing employment and livelihood to the population continued to
be as high as 63% in 2001.
 3. Although GDP growth rate of the country is increasing, it is not generating
sufficient employment opportunities in the country, especially in the field of
agriculture.
4. Farmers are dragging away their investment from agriculture because they have to
face big challenges from international competition. This has resulted in further
downfall in employment in agriculture.
5. The growth rate in agriculture is decelerating which is an alarming situation.
17. What are the challenges being faced by Indian farmers? What has this resulted in?
Challenges faced by Indian farmers:
1. Reduction in public investment by government in the agricultural sector particularly
in areas of irrigation, power, rural roads, market and mechanisation.
2. Subsidy on fertilizers has decreased leading to increase in the cost of production.
3. Reduction in import duties on agricultural products has proved detrimental to
agriculture in the country.
All these factors have led to stiff international competition. Farmers are thus
withdrawing their investment from agriculture causing a downfall in agricultural
employment.