Agriculture in India

TYPES OF FARMING IN INDIA vulgar Subsistence work This type of maturateing is still practised in fewerer pockets of India. Primitive subsistence tillage is practised on sm either patches of land with the jockstrap of primitive tools worry hoe, dao and digging sticks, and family/community labour. This type of farming depends upon monsoon, innate(p) fertility of the dry land and suitability of other environmental conditions to the browses grown. It is a cast out and burn agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other feed crops to sustain their family.When the s rock oil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for floriculture. 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 white plague fertilisers or other current foreplays. It is know by different label in different parts of the c ountry. It is known as jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of Chattishgarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.This primitive form of cultivation is cal lead Bewar or Dahiya in Madhya Pradesh, Podu or Penda in Andhra Pradesh, Pama Dabi or Koman or Bringa in Orissa, Kumari in Western Ghats, Valre or Waltre in South-eastern Rajasthan, Khil in the Himalayan belt, Kuruwa in Jharkhand, and Jhumming in the North-eastern region. Intensive Subsistence Farming This type of farming is practised in aras of exalted population pressure on land. It is labour intensive farming, where gamey doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation argon employ for attaining higher production.Though the right of inheritance leadership to the division of land among masteryive generations has rendered land-holding size uneconomical, the farmers continue to take uttermost output from the limited land in the absence of alternat ive reference book of livelihood. Thus, there is enormous pressure on plain land. Commercial Farming The main characteristic of this type of farming is the spend of higher doses of modern font 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 varies from one region to another. For example, strain is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Orissa, it is a subsistence crop. Plantation Plantation is as well a type of commercial farming. In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large rustic atomic image 18a. The orchard has an interface of agriculture and industry. Plantations coer large tracts of land, victimization capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant labourers. All the produce is apply as raw material in respective industries. In India, tea leaf, coffee, rubber, sugar quite a littlee, banana, and so forth . be historic plantation crops. tea in Assam and North Bengal coffee in Karnataka are near of the eventful plantation crops grown in these states. Since the production is generally for market, a vigorous developed network of transport and communication connecting the plantation areas, processing industries and markets plays an crucial role in the development of plantations. CROPPING PATTERN India has 3 cropping seasons rabi, kharif and zaid. www. excellup. com two hundred9 Send your queries and suggestions to emailprotected com Rabi Rabi crops are set in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from April to June.Some of the grievous rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and chinese mustard. Though, these crops are grown in large parts of India, states from the north and northwestern parts such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh are central for the production of wheat and other rabi crops. Availabil ity of hastiness during winter months due to the western temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops. However, the success of the green revolution in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan has as well as been an important factor in the growth of the above mentioned rabi crops.Kharif Kharif crops are grown with the oncoming of monsoon in different parts of the country and these are harvested in September-October. burning(prenominal) crops grown during this season are sieve paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton plant, jute, groundnut and soyabean. Some of the most important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra, curiously 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 Orissa, triple crops of paddy are grown in a year. The se are Aus, Aman and Boro. Zaid In between the rabi and the kharif seasons, there is a short season during the summer months known as the Zaid season. Some of the crops produced during zaid are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops. Sugarcane takes almost a year to grow. Major Crops Rice It is the staple solid food crop of a major(ip)(ip)ity of the people in India. Our country is the second largest manufacturer of rice in the world after China.It is a kharif crop which requires high temperature, (above 25C) and high humidity with annual rain above 100 cm. In the areas of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation. 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 tubewells be in possession of make it contingent to grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan. Wheat This is the seco nd most important cereal crop. It is the main food crop, in north and north-western part of the country.This 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. There are two important wheat-growing zones in the country the Ganga-Satluj plains in the northwest and black soil region of the Deccan. The major wheatproducing states are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh. Millets Jowar, bajra and ragee are the important millets grown in India. Though, these are known as coarse grains, they fall in very high nutritional value.For example, ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other small nutrients and roughage. Jowar is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production. It is a rain-fed crop mostly grown in the moist areas which but needs irrigation. Maharashtra is the largest producer of jowar followe d by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Bajra grows well on sandy soils and alter black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana. Ragi is a crop of modify 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, www. excellup. com 2009 Send your queries and suggestions to emailprotected com Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh are also important for the production of ragi. Maize It is a crop which is used two as food and fodder. It is a kharif crop which requires temperature between 21C to 27C and grows well in old alluvial soil. In virtually states like Bihar maize is grown in rabi season also. Use of modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation get down contributed to the increasing production of maize.Major maize-producing states are Karnata ka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Pulses India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world. These are the major informant of protein in a vegetarian diet. Arhar, urad, moong, masur, chana and peas are major pulses of India. Pulses help in restoring soil fertility. That is why they are produce in rotation with other crops. UP, MP, Rajasthan and Karnataka are major pulse producing states in India. Sugarcane Sugarcane grows in toothsome and humid climate. It requires temperature range of 21 to 27 c and rainfall of 75 cm to 100 cm.Sugar can grow on variety of soils. after Brazil, India is the second largest producer of sugarcane in the world. It is the main source of sugar, gur (jaggary), khandsari and molasses. The major sugarcane-producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana. Oil Seeds India is the largest producer of oilseeds in the world. Different oil seeds ar e grown covering approximately 12 per cent of the inwardness cropped area of the country. Main oil-seeds 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. Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts for about half of the major oilseeds produced in the country. Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of groundnut followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra 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 Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture.It is also an important beverage crop introduced in India initially by the British. Today, most of the tea plantations are owned by Indians. The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in hummus and organic matter. Tea bushes require warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year. Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure constant growth of tender leaves. Tea is a labourintensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skillight-emitting diode labour. Tea is processed within the tea garden to restore its freshness.Major tea producing states are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea-producing states in the country. India is the hint producer as well as exporter of tea in the world. coffee tree India produces about four per cent of the worlds coffee production. Indian coffee is known in the world for its good quality. The Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is produced in the country. This variety is in gr eat demand all over the world.Intially its cultivation was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills. Others 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 Cherrapunjee www. excellup. com 2009 Send your queries and suggestions to emailprotected com (Meghalaya), bananas of Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, lichi and guava bush 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.Horticulture Crops India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. India produces about 13 per cent of the worlds vegetables. It is an important producer of pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato, brinjal and potato. Non-Food Crops Rubber It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown tropical area s. It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more(prenominal) temperature above 25C. Rubber is an important industrial raw material. It Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicabar islands and Garo India ranks fifth among the worlds natural rubber producers.in tropical and subthan 200 cm. and is mainly grown in hills of Meghalaya. Cotton India is believed to be the original billet of the cotton plant. Cotton is one of the main raw materials for cotton c contendh industry. India is the third-largest producer of cotton in the world. Cotton grows well in shrivelled parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau. It requires high temperature, light rainfall orirrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine for its growth. It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.Major cotton-producing states are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Jute It is known as the golden fibre. Jute grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are re invigorateded every year. eminent temperature is required during the time of growth. West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Meghalaya are the major jute producing states. It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts. Due to its high apostrophize, it is losing market to unreal fibres and packing materials, particularly the nylon.Bhoodan Gramdan & Land Reforms Vinoba Bhave spread the awareness about donating wasted land to the landless. This was a precursor of abolition of Zamindari system. Land put right was the main strain of our First Five Year Plan. The right of inheritance had already lead to fragmentation of land holdings necessitating consolidation of holdings. The laws of land reforms were enacted but the laws of execution of instrument was lacking or lukewarm. The Government of India embarked upon introducing agricultural reforms to improve Ind ian 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. In states like Punjab, UP, proper implementation fo land reform has led viable size of plot. The right size leads to scale frugality and go bad crop worry leading to optimum production. Therefore, in the mid-eighties 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 (KCC), Personal Accident indemnification Scheme (PAIS) are some other s chemes introduced by the Government of India for the eudaemonia of the farmers. Moreover, special weather bulletins and www. excellup. com 2009 Send your queries and suggestions to emailprotected comagricultural programmes for farmers were introduced on the radio and television. The governing body also announces minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for important crops to check the developing of farmers by speculators and middlemen. Current Scenario The growth rate in agriculture is decelerating which is an horrify situation. Today, Indian farmers are facing a big challenge from outside(a) competition and our government is going ahead with reduction in the unrestricted investment in agriculture sector particularly in irrigation, power, rural roads, market and mechanisation.Subsidy on fertilisers is decreased leading to increase in the cost of production. Moreover, reduction in import duties on agricultural products have proven detrimental to agriculture i n the country. Farmers are withdrawing their investment from agriculture do a downfall in the employment in agriculture. land has been the gumption of the Indian economy though its share in the Gross domesticated Product (gross domestic product) has registered a declining trend from 1951 onwards yet its share in providing employment and livelihood to the population continues to be as high as 63 per cent in 2001.The declining share of agriculture in the GDP is a matter of hard concern because any decline and doldrums in agriculture will lead to a decline in other spheres of the economy having wider implications for corporation. Considering the importance of agriculture in India, the Government of India made concerted efforts to modernise agriculture. Establishment of Indian Council of unsophisticated Research (ICAR), agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture development, research and development in the field of meteorology and we ather forecast, etc. were given priority for astir(p) Indian agriculture.Apart from this, improving the rural infrastructure was also considered essential for the same. food for thought SECURITY If any surgical incision of our population does not have this access, that segment suffers from lack of food certification. The number of people who do not have food security measures is disproportionately large in some regions of our country, particularly in economically less developed states with higher incidence of poverty. The contradictory areas of the country are more prone to natural disasters and uncertain food supply. In order to ensure availability of food to all sections of society our government carefully designed a national food security system.It consists of two components (a)buffer stock and (b) public distribution system (PDS). Public scattering System PDS is a programme which provides food grains and other essential commodities at subsidised prices in rural and urban a reas. Indias food security policy has a primary objective to ensure availability of foodgrains to the harsh people at an affordable price. It has enabled the poor to have access to food. The focus of the policy is on growth in agriculture production and on fixing the support price for procurement of wheat and rice, to maintain their stocks.Food confederacy of India (FCI) is responsible for procuring and stocking foodgrains, whereas distribution is ensured by public distribution system (PDS). The FCI procures foodgrains from the farmers at the government announced minimum support price (MSP). The government used to provide subsidies on agriculture inputs such as fertilizers, power and water. These subsidies have now reached unsustainable levels and have also led to large scale inefficiencies in the use of these scarce inputs. Excessive and imprudent use of fertilizers and water has led to waterlogging, salinity and depletion of essential micronutrients in www.excellup. com 2009 Se nd your queries and suggestions to emailprotected com the soil. The high MSP, subsidies in input and committed FCI purchases have distorted the cropping pattern. Wheat and paddy crops are macrocosm grown more for the MSP they get. Punjab and Haryana are foremost examples. This has also created a serious imbalance in inter-crop parities. In PDS consumers are divided into two categories on a lower floor poverty line(BPL) and Above poverty line (APL), with the issue price universe different for each category.However, this categorisation is not perfect and a number of deserving poor have been excluded from the BPL category. Moreover, some of the so called APL slip put up to BPL, because of the failure of even one crop and it is administratively difficult to file such shifts. Suggestion for Future Each district and block can be made self sufficient in foodgrain production if government provides proper agricultural infrastructure, credit linkages and also encourages the use of late st techniques.Instead of concentrating wholly on rice or wheat, the food crop with a better growth potential in that particular area must be encouraged. Creation of necessary infrastructure like irrigation facilities, availability of electricity etc. may also attract private investments in agriculture. The focus on increasing foodgrain production which should be on a sustainable alkali and also free trade in grains will create immense employment and reduce poverty in rural areas. Shifting Agricultural Pattern There has been a gradual shift from cultivation of food crops to cultivation of fruits, vegetables, oil-seeds and industrial crops.This has led to the reduction in net place area under cereals and pulses. With the growing population of India, the declining food production puts a big question mark over the countrys future(a) food security. The competition for land between non-agricultural uses such as living accommodations etc. and agriculture has resulted in reduction in the net sown area. The productivity of land has started showing a declining trend. Fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides, which once showed dramatic results, are now being held responsible for degrading the soils.Periodic scarcity of water has led to reduction in area under irrigation. Inefficient water management has led to water logging and salinity. Impact of Globalisation on Agriculture 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.Change in cropping pattern for example from cereals to high-value crops will mean that India will have to import food. During 1960s this would have been seen as a disaster. But if India imports cereals eon exporting high-value commodities, it will be following s uccessful economies like Italy, Israel and Chile. These countries exports farm products (fruits, olives, speciality seeds and wine) and import cereals. www. excellup. com 2009 Send your queries and suggestions to emailprotected com