Chapter 4: Agriculture

Answer:
This chapter explains the importance of agriculture in India, types of farming, cropping seasons, major food crops, non-food crops, plantation crops, fibre crops, technological reforms, institutional reforms and government initiatives for farmers. It also shows how physical conditions, monsoon, soil, technology and socio-economic factors influence Indian agriculture.

Answer:
Agriculture is a primary economic activity in which crops are grown and animals are reared to produce food, raw materials and other useful products. It provides food grains, fruits, vegetables, fibre, beverage crops and raw materials for many industries such as cotton textiles, sugar, jute, tea, coffee and rubber.

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Some industries based on agricultural raw material are cotton textile industry, jute textile industry, sugar industry, tea processing industry, coffee processing industry, edible oil industry, rubber industry, food processing industry, dairy industry and leather industry.

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Rinjha’s family is engaged in primitive subsistence farming, also known as slash and burn agriculture or jhumming in North-East India. Crops grown in this type of farming include rice, maize, millets, vegetables and other food crops needed to sustain the family.

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Intensive subsistence farming is practised in densely populated agricultural regions such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Assam, Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu. It is common in areas where population pressure on land is high and farmers try to obtain maximum output from small holdings.

Answer:
Rice is a commercial crop in Punjab and Haryana but a subsistence crop in Odisha and many eastern states. Wheat may be grown commercially in Punjab and Haryana but mainly for local consumption in some small farming regions. Sugarcane, cotton and maize may also be commercial crops in some regions and subsistence or local-use crops in others.

Answer: (b) Plantation Agriculture

Explanation: Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming in which a single crop is grown on a large area. Tea, coffee, rubber and sugarcane are examples.

Answer: (b) Gram

Explanation: Gram is a rabi crop. Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from April to June.

Answer: (a) Pulses

Explanation: Pulses are leguminous crops. Most pulses help restore soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air.

Answer:
Tea is an important beverage crop. It requires a warm and moist frost-free climate, frequent showers, deep fertile well-drained soil rich in humus and organic matter. It is labour-intensive and needs abundant skilled labour.

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Rice is one staple crop of India. It is grown in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions. It is widely grown in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Answer:
Institutional reforms include collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation, abolition of zamindari, land reforms, crop insurance, Grameen banks, cooperative societies, loan facilities at lower interest rates, Kisan Credit Card, Personal Accident Insurance Scheme, minimum support price and procurement prices.

Answer:
The government has taken several initiatives to increase agricultural production. After Independence, collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari were given priority. Land reforms were made the main focus of the First Five Year Plan. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Green Revolution introduced high-yielding variety seeds, fertilisers, irrigation and modern technology. The White Revolution improved dairy production.

Later, crop insurance, Grameen banks, cooperative societies and banks provided loans to farmers at lower interest rates. Kisan Credit Card and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme were introduced for farmers. Weather bulletins and agricultural programmes were started on radio and television. The government also announces minimum support price, remunerative prices and procurement prices to protect farmers from exploitation.

Answer:
Rice is a kharif crop and the staple food of a majority of Indians. It requires high temperature above 25°C, high humidity and annual rainfall above 100 cm. In areas with less rainfall, rice can be grown with the help of irrigation. It grows well in fertile alluvial soils and lowland areas where water can be retained.

Rice is grown in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions. Major rice-growing areas include Assam, West Bengal, coastal Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Canal irrigation and tubewells have also made rice cultivation possible in areas of lower rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.

Answer:
Technological and institutional reforms were needed because many farmers still depended on monsoon and natural soil fertility. Fragmentation of landholdings, low productivity, poverty, lack of irrigation, lack of credit and dependence on traditional methods slowed agricultural development. For a growing population, India needed higher agricultural production. Therefore, reforms such as land reforms, consolidation of holdings, Green Revolution, credit facilities, crop insurance and price support were introduced.

Answer:
The Green Revolution was a strategy introduced in the 1960s and 1970s to increase agricultural production, especially wheat and rice. It was based on package technology such as high-yielding variety seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, assured irrigation and modern farming methods. It increased foodgrain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.

Answer:
The Bhoodan-Gramdan movement was started by Vinoba Bhave. At Pochampally in Telangana, landless villagers demanded land for their livelihood. Shri Ram Chandra Reddy offered 80 acres of land to be distributed among 80 landless villagers. This act became known as Bhoodan. Later, some landowners and zamindars offered entire villages for distribution among the landless, known as Gramdan. This movement is also called the Blood-less Revolution.

Suggested Points:
Literacy is very important for farmers because it helps them understand modern farming techniques, government schemes, crop insurance, weather forecasts, market prices and bank loan facilities. Literate farmers can read instructions on fertilisers, pesticides and seeds. They can use mobile apps, Farmers’ Portal, radio and television programmes to improve productivity. Literacy also helps farmers avoid exploitation by middlemen and moneylenders. Educated farmers can adopt sustainable agriculture, maintain records, use digital payments and make better decisions about crops and markets.

Suggested Answer:
Mark and label the following major wheat-producing states on the outline map of India:

1. Punjab
2. Haryana
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Madhya Pradesh
5. Bihar
6. Rajasthan

Also mark the two major wheat-growing zones:
Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and the black soil region of the Deccan.

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