Indian Agriculture Overview

Indian Agriculture is the most significant economic sector for both demographic and geographic reasons, playing a vital role in the socio-economic structure of India. Currently ranked second in global farm output, agriculture’s contribution to India’s GDP has declined from 51.9% in 1950-51 to 13.7% in 2012-13 due to the economy’s shift towards industry and services. Despite this decline, food grain production has seen growth, increasing from 230.8 million tonnes (2007-08) to 277.49 million tonnes (2017-18), supporting 60% of the population’s livelihood. However, the sector faces numerous challenges including small landholdings, poor-quality seeds, lack of mechanization, soil erosion, inadequate storage, and marketing facilities.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand Indian agriculture’s critical role in the economy and food security.
2. Identify key challenges and features of Indian agricultural practices.
3. Gain insights into factors influencing agricultural output.
4. Explore initiatives and revolutions impacting agricultural productivity.

Features of Indian Agriculture

Indian agriculture exhibits several key characteristics:

1. Subsistence Farming: Dominant small-scale farming primarily for local consumption.
2. Insufficient Fodder Crops: Neglect of crops meant solely for livestock feed.
3. Seasonal Patterns: Divided into Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid crop seasons, aligning with monsoons and winters.
4. Population Pressure: Limited per capita land availability due to high population dependency on agriculture.
5. Monsoon Dependency: Agricultural success largely hinges on the monsoon season.
6. Low Yield: Agricultural productivity remains low due to inadequate mechanization.
7. Diverse Crops: Cultivation spans various crops, but food crops are the primary focus.

India’s Position in Global Agricultural Production

India holds a leading position in various agricultural sectors:

1. Milk: Largest producer, with 105 million tonnes annually.
2. Livestock: Houses the world’s largest livestock population (529 million).
3. Fruits and Vegetables: Second-largest producer, yielding 150 million tonnes annually.
4. Food Grains: Ranks third globally, producing 230 million tonnes per annum.
5. Fish: Third-largest fish producer with 7 million tonnes annually.
6. Cultivable Land: Possesses 52% cultivable land compared to the global average of 11%.
7. Diverse Agro-Climatic Zones: Home to 15 major climates, 46 soil types, and 20 agro-climatic regions.

Important Note: India’s agricultural diversity is driven by its varied climate and soil, facilitating cultivation of different crops, making the country self-sufficient in several food categories.

Factors Affecting Indian Agriculture

Seeds

Quality seeds are fundamental to boosting agricultural productivity and overall growth. The Indian Seeds Programme operates through a limited generation system, including three main stages:

1. Breeder Stage: Agricultural universities and research institutions produce seeds.
2. Foundation Stage: National Seeds Corporation and State Seeds Corporation multiply breeder seeds into foundation seeds.
3. Certified Stage: Farm Corporation and private contract growers produce certified seeds.

High Yield Variety (HYV) Seeds were pivotal during the Green Revolution, characterized by:

1. High Input Demand: Require fertilizers and irrigation to maximize output.
2. Short Maturing Period: Allow for double cropping within a single season.
3. Physical Characteristics: Short stems resist wind, and large leaves enhance photosynthesis.

Drawbacks of HYV Seeds:

1. Environmental sensitivity leads to regional agricultural disparities.
2. Crop-specific focus, neglecting oilseeds and pulses.
3. Overexploitation of groundwater in areas of intensive HYV use.

Fertilizers

Indian soils are deficient in key organic materials such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Fertilizers, classified into nitrogenous, potassic, and phosphatic, help alleviate these deficiencies. Issues include:

1. Low Consumption: India’s per hectare fertilizer consumption is low.
2. Imbalanced Use: The NPK ratio of 6.7:3.7:1 deviates from the desirable 4:2:1.
3. Excessive Urea Use: Overuse negatively impacts soil health.

The Green Revolution

The Green Revolution refers to the significant increase in food grain production since 1968 due to the introduction of HYV seeds and technological advancements. Its components include irrigation, fertilizer use, mechanization, and agricultural credit.

1. Positive Impacts: Boosted food security, reduced imports, facilitated capitalistic farming, and promoted rural employment.
2. Negative Impacts: Crop and regional imbalances, increased unemployment due to mechanization, ecological damage, and socio-economic conflicts.

Various Agricultural Revolutions:

Revolution	Area
Green	Food production
Yellow	Oilseed production
White	Milk
Blue	Fish
Pink	Shrimp, food processing
Golden	Fruits, apple, honey, horticulture
Silver	Eggs, poultry
Golden Fibre	Jute
Silver Fibre	Cotton

Major Crop Types and Distribution

India’s diverse climate and soils support a variety of crops:

1. Food Crops: Rice, wheat, maize, jowar, bajra, gram, etc.
2. Cash Crops: Cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, oilseeds, groundnut, etc.
3. Plantation Crops: Tea, coffee, rubber, spices, cardamom, etc.
4. Horticulture: Fruits and vegetables.

Specific Crop Conditions

1. Tea: Requires 24°–30°C temperature, 150-300 cm rainfall; cultivated mainly in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
2. Coffee: Grows best at 15°–28°C, with 150-200 cm rainfall; majorly in Karnataka and Kerala.
3. Cotton: Needs 21°–30°C and 210 frost-free days, predominantly found in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab.
4. Rice: Thrives in hot, humid conditions with 100-200 cm rainfall; significant in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
5. Wheat: Requires 10°-15°C (winter) and 21°–26°C (summer), cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana.

Cropping Seasons

India’s cropping patterns include:

1. Rabi: Sown in October-November, harvested in April-May; includes wheat, barley, peas.
2. Kharif: Grown during the rainy season, sown in June-July, harvested in September-October; includes rice, maize, cotton.
3. Zaid: Short-term crops between Rabi and Kharif, grown from March-June; includes watermelon, cucumber.

Important Note: India’s agriculture operates within diverse agro-climatic regions, resulting in a wide variety of cropping systems tailored to specific environmental conditions.

Food Security and National Food Security Mission (NFSM)

Food security encompasses physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Its three pillars are:

1. Availability: Consistent supply of food.
2. Access: Adequate resources to acquire nutritious food.
3. Use: Proper food utilization based on nutritional knowledge and water/sanitation.

The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) aims to enhance rice, wheat, and pulses production by implementing five components, including NFSM-Rice, NFSM-Wheat, and NFSM-Commercial Crops.

New Initiatives in Agriculture

1. Crop Diversification: Addressing stagnation in traditional Green Revolution states through a ₹500 crore initiative promoting alternative crops.
2. Minimum Support Price (MSP) Scheme: The government sets MSPs for 25 crops to safeguard farmers’ income, facilitated by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and NAFED.
3. Pilot Programme on Nutri-Farms: Introduced micro-nutrient-rich crops such as iron-rich bajra and zinc-rich wheat with an allocation of ₹200 crore.
4. New National Agriculture Policy: Announced in 2000, targeting 4% growth, encompassing Green, White, and Blue Revolutions under a Rainbow Revolution umbrella.
5. Kisan SMS Portal: Provides farmers timely information on agriculture, weather, and procurement.

Concept: The introduction of the Evergreen Revolution, proposed by M.S. Swaminathan, emphasizes adopting best scientific practices and promoting organic farming to double food grain production.

Liv

estock and Sericulture
Livestock accounts for 20% of global livestock, comprising cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, etc. Sericulture focuses on silkworm rearing for silk production. India is unique in producing all four silk varieties: Mulberry, Tasar, Eri, and Moonga. The Central Silk Board leads sericulture development in India.

Horticulture and Floriculture

The horticulture sector is vital for nutritional security, including fruits, vegetables, spices, and floriculture crops. The Government of India has designated floriculture a sunrise industry, promoting 100% export-oriented production.

Irrigation Techniques

Irrigation remains essential due to India’s monsoon variability, with methods like:

1. Flow Irrigation: Gravity-driven water flow through channels.
2. Lift Irrigation: Water lifted using pumps, suitable for high-level farmlands.
3. Drip Irrigation: Delivers water near plant roots, enhancing water-use efficiency.
4. Sprinkle Irrigation: Efficient for irrigating larger areas using minimal water.

Modes of Irrigation:

Multipurpose Projects

Multipurpose projects like the Bhakra Nangal, Damodar Valley, Hirakud Dam, and Tehri Dam provide irrigation, electricity, flood control, and support industries.

MCQ:
Which crop is majorly grown during the Zaid season?

1. Wheat
2. Maize
3. Watermelon
4. Cotton
   Answer: 3. Watermelon