India is an agricultural country because of the following reasons:
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Two-third of its population is engaged in agricultural activities.
- Agriculture is a primary activity and produces most of the food and food grains.
- It produces raw materials for our various industries, e.g., cotton textile, sugar industry.
- Agricultural products, like tea, coffee, spices are exported and earn foreign exchange.
Institutional reforms in Agriculture:
- Collectivization and consolidation of land holdings to make them economically viable.
- The green revolution based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution to increase milk production.
- Cooperation with farmers and Abolition of Zamindari system.
- Provision of crop insurance to protect the farmers against losses caused by natural calamities, i.e., drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease.
- Establishment of ‘Grameen Banks’, Cooperative Societies and Banks.
- Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS).
- Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers on radio and TV.
- Announcement of minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for crops to check the exploitation of farmers.
The topics covered in this chapter are as follows:
- Types of Farming
- Cropping Pattern
- Major Crops in India
- Food Crops other than Grains
- Non-Food Crops
- Technological and Institutional Reforms
- Contribution of Agriculture to the National Economy, Employment and Output
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Also Check
Chapter 1: Resources and Development
Chapter 2: Forest and Wildlife Resources
Chapter 3: Water Resources
Chapter 5: Minerals and Energy Resources
Chapter 6: Manufacturing Industries
Chapter 7: Lifelines of National Economy
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Distinguish between primitive subsistence farming and intensive subsistence farming.
Primitive subsistence farming
- This type of farming is still practiced in few pockets of India.
- It is practiced on small patches of land, with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks and family/ community labour.
- This type of farming depends upon monsoon.
- It depends on the natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown. The farmers do not use fertilisers or other modern inputs.
- There is no pressure on agricultural land.
Intensive subsistence farming
- This type of farming is practiced in areas of high population pressure on land.
- It is labour intensive farming, where high doses of bio-chemical inputs are used for obtaining higher production.
- Irrigation is used in this type of farming.
- It does not depend on the natural fertility of the soil instead bio-chemical inputs are used.
- There is enormous pressure on agricultural land because the farmers continue to take maximum output from the limited land in the absence of alternative source of livelihood.
What is the importance of pulses in our economy ? Why are pulses grown as a rotation crop ?
- India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world.
- Pulses are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
- Major pulses grown are tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.
- Major pulses producing states are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
- Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions. Thus, these are grown all over the country.
- Pulses are leguminous crops and therefore, help in restoring soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air. These are, therefore, grown in rotation with other crops. In view of the above the importance of pulses in Indian agriculture is significant.
How did the partition of the country in 1947 affect the jute industry?
- Jute is also known as the golden fibre,
- It grows well on well drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are renewed every year,
- Jute requires high temperature duare ring the time of its growth,
- With the partition of the country, in 1947 three-fourth of the jute producing area as mentioned above went to Bangladesh (erstwhile east Pakistan). As a result of it, only one-fourth area was left in India. Although the mills were in India but jute industry was affected due to lack of raw material producing area.
What is other name of primitive subsistence farming?
It is known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
Mention India’s cropping seasons.
India has three cropping seasons e.g., rabi, kharif and zaid.