Agriculture in India — I : Introduction

The art and science of cultivating soil, growing crops, raising livestock etc. is called agriculture. It includes all the steps from preparation of soil to harvesting of crops and their marketing. Agriculture has many allied activities like animal husbandry, fisheries, poultry etc.

The system of agriculture in which the farmer produces food exclusively for his own consumption is called subsistence agriculture. The farmer has no surplus production to sell in market. The land holding is very small.

Commercial farming is a system of agriculture in which food crops are produced specifically for sale in the market, by using improved variety of seeds and machinery on large land holdings. Commercial farming are of two types:

1. Intensive commercial farming
2. Extensive commercial farming

The farming system in which the cultivation of crops, horticulture and rearing of livestock is done together is called mixed farming.

The system of agriculture in which a single crop is grown on large scale is called plantation farming. It is labour intensive and huge capital is required. Two examples of plantation farming are tea and rubber.

The importance of agriculture to India can be summarized as follows:

1. Nearly 2⁄3^rd of Indian population directly or indirectly depends on agriculture.
2. Agriculture forms the backbone of Indian economy.
3. Agriculture provides raw material for many key industries like sugar, textile and edible oil.
4. Agriculture also acts as a consumer for many industrial products like tractors, harvesters, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc. leading to the setting up of these industries.
5. India's undulating topography, varied climate with sufficient sunshine, ideal temperature and two main growing seasons provide conditions necessary for agriculture.
6. India exports many agricultural products like tea, tobacco, coffee, cotton and jute that bring in the much needed foreign exchange.

A few important characteristics of Indian agriculture are:

1. Dependence on Monsoons — The Indian agriculture depends upon arrival of monsoon which is highly unreliable and irregular. The large scale irrigation serves only one-third of crop area. The remaining has to suffer the vagaries of monsoon.
2. Variety of crops — India has variety of relief features and climatic conditions which enables cultivation of a variety of crops.
3. Preponderance of food crops — India has to feed a large population. Therefore, priority is give to the cultivation of food crops. More than 2/3rd of the total cropped area is taken up by cultivation of food crops.
4. Agricultural Pattern — India has three main crop seasons based on the changing climatic condition:
   1. Kharif
   2. Rabi
   3. Zaid

Rabi crops are the crops that are sown in October-November and are harvested in March. For example: wheat, barley, gram and oil seeds.

Kharif crops are the crops that are sown in June and harvested in November. For example: rice, maize, groundnut, cotton and jute.

Three problems of Indian agriculture are:

1. Small and fragmented landholding — Intensive farming, increasing population and the practice of dividing and subdividing land for inheritance are some drawbacks of our agriculture. Carrying out farming practices becomes very difficult in small and dispersed land holdings.
2. Poor quality of Seeds — Good quality seeds are not available to all farmers. Poor farmers cannot afford treated and hybrid seeds.
3. Pest and Diseases — Pest and disease management practices are not followed by poor and uneducated farmers.

Subsistence type of agriculture is mainly practised in India.

Jhooming agriculture is also known as 'shifting' or 'Slash and burn' agriculture. This type of agriculture is mostly practised in North-East India. In Jhooming agriculture, a patch of forest land is cleared by burning and crops are grown. After 2-3 years, when the fertility of soil is exhausted, the land is abandoned. The farmers then clear another piece of land and process continues. After 10-15 years the farmer may return to the first piece of land.

The primitive agriculture is something which used to be practised in the past in backward equatorial areas. It involves the use of simple tools and primitive techniques. The farmer uses these old techniques to grow food for their own use.

Intensive commercial farming is practised in countries where the population pressure reduces the size of land holdings. This type of agriculture is practised in monsoon lands of Asia including India (Punjab, Haryana, UP, West Bengal), China, Japan etc.

Extensive commercial farming is a system of agriculture in which smaller amounts of capital or labour investment are applied to relatively large areas of land.

• At times, the land is left fallow to regain its fertility.
• It is mostly mechanized as labour is very expensive or may not be available at all.
• It usually occurs at great distance from market or on poor land of limited potential.

Monoculture refers to growing of same crop year after year on a particular piece of land. It deteriorates the soil health.

textile industry

arrival of monsoon

June

due to population pressure which reduces the size of land holdings

compost is used as fertilizer

the farmer grows crop for his own consumption

cultivation of crops and livestock rearing on the same farm

Punjab

fruits and vegetables

save the crops from the diseases