Agriculture
Geography · कृषि
📋Quick Overview
Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. About 42% of India's total land area is used for agriculture. India is the second-largest producer of food grains in the world after China. Agriculture contributes about 15-18% of GDP but employs nearly 42% of the total workforce. India has three major cropping seasons: Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid.
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Green Revolution (1966-67) transformed India from a food-deficit to a food-surplus nation, led by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (Father of Green Revolution in India)
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Norman Borlaug is called the Father of Green Revolution globally. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.
📖Types of Farming
| Type | Description | Key Features | Where Practiced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subsistence Farming | Farming for self-consumption | Small land, family labour, low technology | Most of India (small farmers) |
| Commercial Farming | Farming for sale in market | Large scale, modern tech, HYV seeds | Punjab, Haryana, Western UP |
| Plantation Farming | Single crop on large area | Export-oriented, heavy capital | Tea-Assam, Coffee-Karnataka, Rubber-Kerala |
| Shifting Cultivation | Slash & burn, then move | Called Jhum (NE India), Podu (AP) | North-East India, tribal areas |
| Intensive Farming | Maximum output from small land | Heavy use of fertilizers, irrigation | Indo-Gangetic plain |
📖Cropping Seasons — Rabi, Kharif & Zaid
- •Zaid Season: March to June (between Rabi & Kharif)
- •Zaid Crops: Watermelon, Muskmelon, Cucumber, Moong, Urad
- •Zaid crops are short-duration and need warm-dry weather
📖Major Crops & Top Producing States
| Crop | Type | Season | Top Producer | 2nd Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | Food Grain | Kharif | West Bengal | Uttar Pradesh |
| Wheat | Food Grain | Rabi | Uttar Pradesh | Punjab |
| Sugarcane | Cash Crop | Kharif | Uttar Pradesh | Maharashtra |
| Cotton | Cash Crop | Kharif | Gujarat | Maharashtra |
| Jute | Fibre Crop | Kharif | West Bengal | Bihar |
| Tea | Plantation | All year | Assam | West Bengal |
| Coffee | Plantation | All year | Karnataka | Kerala |
| Rubber | Plantation | All year | Kerala | Tripura |
| Mustard | Oilseed | Rabi | Rajasthan | Madhya Pradesh |
| Groundnut | Oilseed | Kharif | Gujarat | Rajasthan |
📝Green Revolution
- •Started in India in 1966-67 during Third Five Year Plan
- •Father of Green Revolution in India: Dr. M.S. Swaminathan
- •Father of Green Revolution (World): Norman Borlaug (Nobel Peace Prize 1970)
- •Main crops benefited: Wheat and Rice
- •Major states benefited: Punjab, Haryana, Western UP
- •Used HYV (High Yielding Variety) seeds, chemical fertilizers, irrigation
- •Negative effects: soil degradation, water table decline, loss of biodiversity
📝Irrigation Types
- •Wells & Tube Wells: Most widely used in India (accounts for ~62% of irrigated area)
- •Canals: Second most used, mainly in Punjab, Haryana, UP
- •Tanks: Common in peninsular India (Tamil Nadu, AP, Karnataka)
- •Drip Irrigation: Most water-efficient method, pioneered by Israel
- •Sprinkler: Suited for sandy soil, used in Rajasthan
📝Land Reforms in India
- •Abolition of Zamindari System — ended intermediaries between state and farmers
- •Land Ceiling Acts — fixed maximum limit of land ownership
- •Consolidation of Holdings — scattered land plots merged into one
- •Cooperative Farming — small farmers pool resources for better output