Agriculture – The science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products is called agriculture.
Agriculture is an art as well as science of raising crops and cultivating soils.
It is one of the oldest activities of mankind.
Today, agriculture includes not only farming but also animal rearing, fishing and forestry
Importance of agriculture:
India is an agriculturally important country.
Two-thirds of its population is engaged in agricultural activities.
Agriculture is a primary activity, which produces most of the food that we consume.
Besides food grains, it also produces raw material for various industries.
Moreover, some agricultural products like tea, coffee, spices, etc. are also exported.
Types of farming:
Agriculture is an age-old economic activity in our country.
Depending upon the characteristics of physical environment, technological know-how and socio-cultural practices following farming systems are practised.
Primitive Subsistence Farming – Farming practiced with small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like and family/community labour is called Primitive Subsistence Farming.
Practised in few pockets of India.
Practised on small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe, Dao and digging sticks, and family/community labour.
Depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown.
It is’slash and burn’ agriculture.
Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their family.
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 in this type of agriculture is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or other modem inputs.
Known by different names in different parts of the country.
It is jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland; Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Slash and burn agriculture – A type of farming in which farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their family and when the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation. This type of farming is called Slash and burn agriculture.
Rinjha lived with her family in a small village at the outskirts of Diphu in Assam.
She enjoys watching her family members clearing, slashing and burning a patch of land for cultivation.
She often helps them in irrigating the fields with water running through a bamboo canal from the nearby spring.
She loves the surroundings and wants to stay here as long as she can, but this little girl has no idea about the declining fertility of the soil and her family’s search for fresh a patch of land in the next season.
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Slash and Burn Farming in India
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Name
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Regions
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Jhumming
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Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland
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Pamlou
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Manipur
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Dipa
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Bastar (Chhattisgarh) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
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Bewar or Dahiya
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Madhya Pradesh
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Podu or Penda
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Andhra Pradesh
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Pama Dabi or Koman or Bringa
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Orissa
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Kumara
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Western Ghats
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Valre or Waltre
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South eastern Rajasthan
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Khi
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Himalayan belt
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Kuruwa
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Jharkhand
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Slash and Burn Farming in World
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Name
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Countries
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Milpa
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Mexico and Central America
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Conuco
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Venezuela
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Roca
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Brazil
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Masole
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Central Africa
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Lading
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Indonesia
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Ray
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Vietnam
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Intensive subsistence farming – A type of agriculture, both of crop plants and of animals, with higher levels of input and output per unit of agricultural land area is called Intensive subsistence farming.
Practised in areas of high population pressure on land.
Labour-intensive farming, high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production.
Though the land holding size is uneconomical, the farmers continue to take maximum output from the limited land in the absence of alterative source of livelihood.
Thus, there is enormous pressure on agricultural land.
Problems of Intensive Farming:
Division of land through successive generation leads to plot size getting smaller and smaller.
This makes it impossible to properly manage the farm inputs.
Moreover, large-scale farming is not possible in that case.
Commercial farming – The farming method in which plant and livestock production is practiced with the intention of selling the products in the market is called Commercial farming.
Use of higher doses of modem inputs, e g. high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in order to obtain higher productivity.
The degree of commercialisation of agriculture vanes from one region to another.
For example, rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Odisha, it is a subsistence crop.
Plantation – A large farm or estate in a tropical or semitropical zone, for the cultivation of single crop is called Plantation.
In Plantation, a single crop is grown on a large area.
The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant labourers.
All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.
Tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc. are important plantation crops.
Tea in Assam and North Bengal, coffee in Karnataka are some of the important plantation crops grown in these states.
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.
Plantation requires a well developed network of transport and communication, processing industries and a good market.
Cropping pattern:
India has three cropping seasons Rabi, Kharif and Zaid.
Kharif crops – Crops which are sown at the beginning of the rainy season is called Kharif crops.
Grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country and harvested in September-October.
Important crops are paddy, maize, Jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean.
Some of the most important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra, particularly the Konkan coast, along with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Recently, paddy has also become an important crop of Punjab and Haryana.
In states like Assam, West Bengal and Odisha, three crops of paddy are grown in a year.
These are Aus, Aman and Boro.
Rabi crops – Crops which are sown at the end of monsoon or the beginning of winter is called Rabi crops.
Sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from April to June.
Important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard.
States from the north and north western parts such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are important for the production of wheat and other Rabi crops.
Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops.
However, the success often green revolution in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan has also been an important factor in the growth of the above mentioned Rabi crops.
Zaid Crops – Agricultural crops which are grown in the short duration between Rabi and Kharif crop season, mainly from March to June, are called Zaid crops.
In between the Rabi and the kharif seasons, a short season crop during the summer months.
Zaid crops are grown during the period called “Zaid cop season”.
They require warm day weather for major growth period and longer day length for flowering.
Its major products are seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Some of the crops produced during ‘zaid are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops Sugarcane takes almost a year to grow.
Major Crops:
A variety of food and non food crops are grown in different parts of the country depending upon the variations in soil, climate and cultivation practices.
Major crops grown in India are rice, wheat, millets, pulses, tea, coffee, sugarcane, oil seeds, cotton and jute, etc
Rice –
Importance:
Staple food crop of a majority of the people in India.
India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China.
Climatic condition:
A kharif crop requires high temperature, above 25 and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm. In the areas of less rainfall, it grows with the help of Irrigation.
Area of Production:
Rice is grown in the plains of north and north eastern India, coastal areas and the deltaic regions.
Development of dense network of canal irrigation and tube wells have made it possible to grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.
Wheat –
Importance:
The second most important cereal crop.
It is the main food crop, in north and north western part of the country.
Climatic Conditions:
Rabi crop requires a cool growing season and a bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
It requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly distributed over the growing season.
Production area:
There are two important wheat-growing zones in the country the Ganga Satluj plains in the North West and black soil region of the Deccan.
The major wheat-producing states are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Millets –
Importance:
Jowar, bajra and ragi are the important millets grown in India.
These are known as coarse grains, have very high nutritional value.
Jowar:
Third most important food crop with respect to area and production.
Rain fed crop mostly grown in the moist areas which hardly needs irrigation.
Maharashtra is the largest producer of Jowar followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Bajra:
Grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil.
Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana
Ragi:
Very rich in iron, calcium, other micro nutrients and roughage.
A crop of dry regions and grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils.
Karnataka is the largest producer of ragi followed by Tamil Nadu Apart from these states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh are also important for the production of ragi.
Do you know?
Corn is called maize by most countries, this comes from the Spanish word maiz Corn is a cereal cop that is part of the grass family.
Maize –
Importance:
It is a crop which is used both as food and fodder.
Climatic conditions –
Kharif crop which requires temperature between 21°C to 27°C.
Areas of production:
Grows well in old alluvial soil.
In some states like Bihar maize is grown in rabi season also.
Use of modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation have contributed to the increasing production of maize.
Major maize producing states are Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Pulses –
Importance:
India is the largest produces as well as the consumer of pulses in the world.
These are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions.
Being leguminous crops, all these crops except arhar help in restoring sod fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air.
Therefore, these are mostly grown in rotation with other crops
Major pulses:
Tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.
Major pulse producing states:
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka
Food Crops other than Grains:
Sugarcane –
Importance:
India is the second largest producer of sugarcane only after Brazil.
It is the main source of sugar, gur (jaggary), khandsari and molasses.
Climatic Condition:
It is a tropical as well as a subtropical crop.
It groups well in hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21°C to 27°C and an annual rainfall between 75cm and 100cm.
Irrigation is required in the regions of low rainfall.
Soil requirement:
It can be grown on a variety of soils and needs manual labour from sowing to harvesting
Production area:
The major sugarcane producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.
Oil Seeds:
Importance:
In 2008. India was the second largest producer of groundnut in the world after China.
Different oil seeds are grown covering approximately 12 per cent of the total cropped area of the country.
Main oilseeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til), soyabean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower.
Most of these are edible and used as cooking mediums.
However, some of these are also used as raw material in the production of soap, cosmetics and ointments.
Climatic condition and Area of production:
Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts for about half of the major oilseeds produced in the country.
Gujarat was the largest producer of groundnut followed by Tamil Nadu in 2011-12.
Linseed and mustard are rabi crops.
Sesamum is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south India.
Castor seed is grown both as rabi and kharif crop.
Tea –
Importance:
Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture.
Important beverage crop introduced in India Initially by the British.
Today most of the tea plantations are owned by Indians.
Climatic conditions:
The tea plant grows well in tropical and subtropical climates endowed with deep and fertile we drained seal rich in humus and organic matter.
Tea bushes require warm and most frost-free climate all through the year.
Frequent showers early distributed over the your ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.
Tea is a labour intensive industry. It requires abundant cheap and skilled labour.
Tea is processed within the tea garden to restore its freshness
Production area:
Major tea producing states are Assam hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West Bengal Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand Meghalaya Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea producing states in the country.
India was the third largest producer of tea in the world after China and Turkey.
Coffee –
Importance:
In 2008, India produced about 32 per cent of the world’s coffee production.
Indian coffee is known in the world for its good quality.
The Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is produced as the country.
This variety is in great demand all over the world.
Area of Production:
Initially its cultivation was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills and even today its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Horticulture crops – The art of cultivating plants in gardens to produce food and medicinal ingredients, or for comfort and ornamental purposes is called Horticulture crops.
In 2008, India was the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China.
India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits.
Mangoes of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Oranges of Nagpur and Cherapunjee (Meghalaya).
Bananas of Kerala, Mizoram Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Lichi and guava of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Pineapples of Meghalaya. Grapes of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Apples, pears, apricots and walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are in great demand the world over.
India produces about 13 percent of the world’s vegetables.
It is an important producer of pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato, brinjal and potato.
Non – Food crops – A crop grown to produce goods for manufacturing, for example fibre for clothing, rather than food for consumption is called Non – Food crops.
Rubber –
Importance:
Rubber is an important Industrial raw material.
India ranked fourth among the world’s natural rubber producers in 2010-11.
Climatic conditions:
It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical and sub tropical areas.
It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm, and temperature above 25°C.
Production area:
It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya.
Fibre crops – The crops grown in fields for their fibres that are used to make ropes, paper, cloth, etc. is called fibre crops.
Cotton, jute, hemp and natural silk are the four major fibre crops grown in India.
The first three are derived from the crops grown in the soil; the latter is obtained from cocoons of the silkworms fed on green leaves especially mulberry.
Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre is known sericulture.
Cotton –
Importance:
India is believed to be the original home of the cotton plant.
Cotton is one of the main raw materials for cotton textile industry.
In 2008, India was the third largest producer of cotton in the world after China.
Requirements:
Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
It requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost free days and bright sun shine for its growth.
It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.
Production area:
Major Cotton producing states are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tami Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Jute:
Importance:
It is known as the golden fibre.
It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yam, carpets and other artefacts.
Climatic conditions:
Jute grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the floodplains where soils are renewed every year.
High temperature is required during the time of growth.
Production Area:
West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya are the major jute producing states.
Problems faced:
Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibres and packing materials, particularly the nylon.
Sericulture – Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk is called sericulture.
Interesting facts:
The introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India.
Technological and Institutional Reforms:
Inspite of development of sources of irrigation most of the farmers in large parts of the country still depend upon monsoon and natural fertility in order to carry on their agriculture.
For a growing population, this poses a serious challenge.
Agriculture which provides livelihood for more than 60 per cent of its population needs some serious technical and institutional reforms.
Steps taken after Independence:
Collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority.
Green Revolution – Strategies that were introduced to increase the agricultural production such as use of HYV seed, fertilisers, modem machinery and inputs is called Green Revolution.
Green Revolution was started in the 1960s and 1970s to improve farm output.
Use of new technology and HYV seeds was encouraged.
Green revolution produced very good results; especially in Punjab and Haryana.
White Revolution – Strategy that was introduced to increase milk production is called White Revolution.
White Revolution (Operation Flood) was initiated to improve milk production in the country.
Problems:
The laws of land reforms were enacted but the laws of Implementation were lacking or lukewarm.
The Government of India embarked upon Introducing agricultural reforms to improve Indian agriculture in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Green Revolution based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were some of the strategies initiated to improve the lot of Indian agriculture.
But this too led to the concentration of development in few selected areas.
Comprehensive Land Development Programme:
In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development programme was initiated, which included both institutional and technical reforms.
Provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease, establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest were some important steps in this direction.
Kissan Credit Card (KOO), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other schemes introduced by the Government of India for the benefit of the farmers.
Moreover, special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced on the radio and television.
The government also announces minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for important crops to check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen.
Bhoodan – Gramdan Mahatma Gandhi declared Vinoba Bhave as his spiritual heir.
He also participated in Satyagraha as one of the foremost satyagrahis.
He was one of the votaries of Gandhi’s concept of gram swarajya.
After Gandhiji’s martyrdom, Vinoba Bhave undertook padyatra to spread Gandhiji’s message covered almost the entire country.
Once, when he was delivering a lecture at Pochampalli in Andhra Pradesh, some poor landless villagers demanded some land for their economic well-being.
Vinoba Bhave could not promise it to them immediately but assured them to talk to the Government of India regarding provision of land for them if they undertook cooperative farming.
Suddenly, Shri Ram Chandra Reddy stood up and offered 80 acres of land to be distributed among 80 land-less villagers.
This act was known as ‘Bhoodan’. Later he travelled and introduced his ideas widely all over India. Some zamindars, owners of many villages offered to distribute some villages among the landless. It was known as Gramdan.
However, many land-owners chose to provide some part of their land to the poor farmers due to the fear of land ceiling act.
This Bhoodan-Gramdan movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave is also known as the Blood-less Revolution.
Contribution of agriculture to the national economy, employment and output:
Declining share of agriculture in the GDP:
Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy though its share in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has registered a declining trend from 1951 onwards; in 2010-11 about 52 percent of the total workforce was employed by farm sector.
The declining share of agriculture in the GDP is a matter of serious concern because any decline and stagnation in agriculture will lead to a decline in other spheres of the economy having wider implications for society.
Concerted efforts made by the Government of India to modernise agriculture:
Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture development, research and development in the field of meteorology and weather forecast, etc. were given priority for improving Indian agriculture.
Apart from this, improving the rural infrastructure was also considered essential for the same.
Why the growth rate in agriculture is decelerating?
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Sector
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Tenth Five Year Plan
(2002-07)
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Eleventh Five
Year Plan
(2007-12)
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2012 – 2017
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Target I
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Target II
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Agriculture
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1.7
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3.2
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4
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4.2
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Industries
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8.3
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7.4
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9.6
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10.9
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Services
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9
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10
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10
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10
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GDP
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7.2
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8.2
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9
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9.5
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It is clear that though the GDP growth rate is increasing over the years, a is not generating sufficient employment opportunities in the country.
Today, Indian farmers are facing a big challenge from international competition and our government is going ahead with reduction in the public investment in agriculture sector particularly in Irrigation, power, rural roads, market and mechanization.
Subsidy on fertilisers is decreased leading to Increase in the cost of production Moreover, reduction in import duties on agricultural products have proved detrimental to agriculture in the country.
Farmers are withdrawing their investment from agriculture causing a downfall in the employment in agriculture
Impact of Globalisation on Agriculture:
Globalisation is not a new phenomenon.
It was there at the time of colonisation.
In the nineteenth century when European traders came to India, at that time too, Indian spices were exported to different countries of the world and farmers of south India were encouraged to grow these crops.
Till today it is one of the important items of export from India.
During the British period cotton belts of India attracted the British and ultimately cotton was exported to Britain as a raw material for their textile industries.
Cotton textile industry in Manchester and Liverpool flourished due to the availability of good quality cotton from India.
You have read about the Champaran movement which started in 1917 in Bihar.
This was started because farmers of that region were forced to grow indigo on their land because it was necessary for the textile industries which were located in Britain.
They were unable to grow foodgrains to sustain their families.
Under globalisation, particularly after 1990, the farmers in India have been exposed to new challenges.
Despite being an important producer of rice, cotton, rubber, tea, coffee, jute and spices our agricultural products are not able to compete with the developed countries because of the highly subsidised agriculture in those countries.
Today, Indian agriculture finds itself at the crossroads.
To make agriculture successful and profitable, proper thrust should be given to the improvement of the condition of marginal and small farmers.
The green revolution promised much.
But today it’s under controversies.
It is being alleged that it has caused land degradation due to overuse of chemicals, drying aquifers and vanishing biodiversity.
The keyword today is “gene revolution”, which includes genetic engineering.
In fact organic farming is much in vogue today because it is practised without factory made chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides.
Hence, it does not affect environment in a negative manner.
A few economists think that Indian farmers have a bleak future if they continue growing foodgrains on the holdings that grow smaller and smaller as the population rises.
India’s rural population is about 833 million (2011) which depends upon 250 million (approximate) hectares of agricultural land, an average of less than half a hectare per person.
Indian farmers should diversify their cropping pattern from cereals to high-value crops.
This will increase incomes and reduce environmental degradation simultaneously.
Because fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers, vegetables, bio-diesel crops like jatropha and jojoba need much less irrigation than rice or sugarcane.
India’s diverse climate can be harnessed to grow a wide range of high-value crops.
Change in cropping pattern for example from cereals to high-value crops will mean that India will have to import food. During 1960’s this would have been seen as a disaster. But if India imports cereals while exporting high-value commodities, it will be following successful economies like Italy, Israel and Chile. These countries exports farm products (fruits, olives, speciality seeds and wine) and import cereals. Are we ready to take this risk? Debate the issue.
