Chapters
Introduction | Types of farming | Cropping Pattern | Technological and Institutional Reforms | Bhoodan – Gramdan
Introduction :
India is agriculturally significant, with two-thirds of its population engaged in agricultural activities.
Agriculture is a primary activity, responsible for producing the majority of the food consumed in the country.
In addition to food grains, agriculture also provides raw materials for various industries.
Types of farming :
Agriculture in India encompasses various types of farming practices influenced by environmental, technological, and socio-cultural factors.
Primitive Subsistence Farming:
Practiced in pockets of India, relying on primitive tools and family/community labor.
Dependent on monsoon, natural soil fertility, and environmental conditions.
Involves 'slash and burn' agriculture, with farmers shifting to new land when soil fertility declines.
Intensive Subsistence Farming:
Practiced in densely populated areas, employing high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation for higher production.
Despite land fragmentation, farmers maximize output due to limited alternatives for livelihood.
Commercial Farming:
Characterized by the use of modern inputs like high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides for higher productivity.
Degree of commercialization varies regionally; rice is commercial in Haryana and Punjab but subsistence in Odisha.
Plantation Farming:
Involves large-scale cultivation of a single crop with capital-intensive inputs and migrant labor.
Crops like tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, and banana are grown for market, serving as raw materials for industries.
Plantations require well-developed transport and communication networks connecting production areas, processing industries, and markets for development.
NCERT Class 10 Geography | Chapter 4 | Agriculture
Cropping Pattern:
India's agricultural diversity is reflected in its cropping patterns, influenced by physical geography and cultural practices.
Three main cropping seasons in India: Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid.
Rabi crops: sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in summer (April-June), including wheat, barley, peas, gram, and mustard, crucially grown in north and north-western states.
Kharif crops: grown with the onset of monsoon and harvested in September-October, such as paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur, cotton, and groundnut, with significant rice-growing regions in Assam, West Bengal, and coastal areas.
Zaid crops: grown between Rabi and Kharif seasons, including watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, and fodder crops.
Major crops in India:
Rice: second-largest producer globally, predominantly a kharif crop grown in areas with high temperature and humidity.
Wheat: second most important cereal crop, grown in rabi season in the Ganga-Satluj plains and Deccan region.
Millets: jowar, bajra, and ragi, grown mostly as rain-fed crops with high nutritional value, majorly in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
Maize: used as food and fodder, predominantly a kharif crop grown in states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
Pulses: major source of protein, grown in both kharif and rabi seasons, with major producing states being Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
Sugarcane: tropical and subtropical crop, second-largest producer globally, predominantly grown in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Oilseeds: cover approximately 12% of total cropped area, including groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower, with Gujarat being the largest groundnut producer.
Tea: example of plantation agriculture, grown mainly in Assam, Darjeeling, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
Coffee: known for good quality Arabica variety, grown in Baba Budan Hills and Nilgiri region.
Horticulture crops: India's second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, including mangoes, oranges, bananas, grapes, apples, pineapples, and various vegetables.
Fibre crops: cotton, jute, hemp, and natural silk, with cotton being a major raw material for textiles, grown mainly in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. Jute mainly produced in West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam.
Technological and Institutional Reforms :
Agriculture in India has a long history, but sustained land use without technological and institutional changes has hindered agricultural development.
Despite the development of irrigation sources, many farmers still rely on monsoon and natural fertility, posing a challenge for a growing population.
Institutional reforms like collectivization, consolidation of holdings, and abolition of zamindari were prioritized post-Independence, with land reform as a focus of the First Five Year Plan.
Implementation of land reform laws was lacking, leading to fragmented land holdings, necessitating consolidation.
Concentration of development in selected areas prompted comprehensive land development programs in the 1980s and 1990s, encompassing institutional and technical reforms.
Measures such as crop insurance, establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies, and loan facilities at lower interest rates were introduced.
Initiatives like Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS), and special weather bulletins on radio and television were introduced for farmers.
The government also announces minimum support prices and procurement prices for crops to prevent exploitation by speculators and middlemen.
Bhoodan – Gramdan
Vinoba Bhave was declared Mahatma Gandhi's spiritual heir and participated actively in Satyagraha.
He advocated Gandhi's concept of gram swarajya (village self-governance).
After Gandhi's death, Bhave undertook padyatra (foot march) across India to spread his message.
In Andhra Pradesh, villagers demanded land for their economic well-being during one of Bhave's lectures.
Unable to promise immediate land, Bhave suggested cooperative farming and was offered 80 acres by Shri Ram Chandra Reddy, initiating the 'Bhoodan' movement.