Agriculture In India is composed of different crops, with the foremost food staples being rice and wheat. Indian farmers also cultivate pulses, potatoes, sugarcane, oil seeds, and such non-food items as cotton, tea, coffee, rubber, and jute
- About 65-70% of the total population of the country is dependent on agriculture.
- Role of agriculture is paramount in the economy of India.
- About two-third of our population derives its livelihood from agriculture.
- It provides food to the second biggest population and the biggest population of cattle in the world.
- Our agro-based industries are fully dependent on raw material provided by agriculture.
- Agriculture with its allied activities accounts for 45% of our national income. Types of Agriculture in India
Subsistence Farming
- Subsistence Farming, farmers work hard to grow enough food to survive only.
- In this type of farming the produce is consumed mainly by farmer and his family.
- There remains no surplus to sell in the market.
Mixed Farming
- The combination of agriculture and pastoral farming is called mixed farming.
- In this type of farming, cultivation of crops and rearing of animals are done together on the same farm.
Shifting Cultivation
- This is a primitive form of agriculture, in which a plot of land is cultivated for a few years and then is deserted.
- This slash and burn method of farming is carried on in jungles of northeastern part of India.
- A plot of land is cleared for cultivation. As the yield decreases after two or three years, the plot is abandoned and a fresh clearing is made.
Extensive Farming
- This is a system of farming is a system of farming in which the cultivator uses a limited amount of labour and capital on relatively large area.
- This type of agriculture is practised in countries where population size is small and land is enough.
- Here, per acre yield is low but overall production is in surplus due to less population.
- Agriculture is done with the help of machines.
Intensive Farming
- This is a system of farming in which the cultivator uses large amount of labour and capital on a relatively small area.
- In countries where the size of population is big but land is less, this type of farming is done.
- Annually two or three crops are grown due to the demand of food for the large size of population.
- Agriculture is done with the help of manual labour.
Plantation Agriculture
- Plantation type of agriculture, trees or bushes are planted on huge estates.
- A single crop like rubber, sugarcane, coffee, tea or banana is grown.
- These crops are major items of export.
Problems of Indian Agriculture
- The main reason of low productivity of our agriculture is mainly due to the difficulties faced by our peasants.
- Indian agriculture is chiefly of subsistence type where a large manual labour is employed to work on farms to grow just enough food for the needs of the family and very little is left for marketing.
- A major part of the Indian soil has been impoverished because it has been under plough for the last 4000 or 5000 years.
- Deforestation, overgrazing and heavy rainfall have led to soil erosion.
- Divisions of land have led to fragmentation.
- The size of land holding is very small and uneconomic.
- The farmers are poor, illiterate and ignorant.
- They use primitive tools and out-dated method.
- They lack financial credit and investment.
- Good seeds, fertilizers and improved technology are not available to them.
- They lack irrigation facilities and are still on the mercy of nature.
- Most of the farmers have no security against crop failure or loss caused by nature.
- Generally farmers are uneducated and have no scientific approaches.
Different Crop Seasons in India
- There are three crop seasons in India :
(i) Rabi (ii) Kharif and (iii) Zayad.
Rabi
- This season starts after the rainy season.
- Sowing begins in September-October and harvesting takes place in February-March.
- Rabi season is cooler and drier than the Kharif season.
- Wheat, barley, pulses and some oil seeds are grown in the Rabi season.
Kharif
- The Kharif season begins with the onset of the monsoons in June-July.
- The crop grows in the rainy season and harvesting takes place after the retreat of monsoon in September-October. Rice, maize, millets, groundnuts, cotton and jute are grown in the Kharif season.
Zayad
- This is type of agriculture is growing crops which remain till April, May and June.
- Products are mainly vegetables and fruits.
Green Revolution
- The increase in agriculture productivity of cereals that has taken place since the 1960s mainly as a result of introduction of high yielding varieties of wheat and rice and use of fertilizers, machines and irrigation etc., is known as green revolution.
- Green revolution has made us self-sufficient in food production.
- This has not only saved our much precious foreign exchange but has also made us self-reliant.
- But green revolution has proved more beneficial to rich farmers only, because it involves a lot of investment.