Agriculture (Advanced)

Types Of Farming

Farming practices can be broadly categorized based on the scale of operation, technology used, and the purpose of cultivation. These types reflect diverse approaches to agriculture driven by environmental, economic, and social factors.

Primitive Subsistence Farming

Primitive subsistence farming is the oldest form of agriculture, practiced by indigenous communities in various parts of the world. It is characterized by the use of basic tools, low yields, and reliance on natural conditions.

• Shifting Cultivation: Also known as "slash and burn" agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of land by cutting trees and burning them to create fertile ash. Crops are grown for a few years until the soil fertility decreases, after which the land is abandoned, and a new patch is cleared. This practice is common in tropical rainforest regions where land is abundant and population density is low. Examples include 'Jhum' in Northeast India, 'Milpa' in Central America, 'Ladan g' in the Philippines, and 'Ray' in Brazil.
• Nomadic Herding: This involves migrating with livestock (like sheep, goats, cattle, camels) in search of pasture and water, following seasonal variations. Herders depend on their animals for milk, meat, hides, and wool, and trade surplus products. This is practiced in arid and semi-arid regions like Sahara, Gobi Desert, Central Asia, and parts of India (e.g., Gujjar, Bakarwal in the Himalayas).

Characteristics: Small output, reliance on family labour, low productivity, minimal use of modern technology, and direct consumption of produce.

Intensive Subsistence Farming

Intensive subsistence farming is practiced in areas of high population pressure on land. Farmers cultivate a small plot of land with the use of more labour and some modern inputs to maximize yields. It is common in regions with fertile soil and adequate rainfall, or where irrigation facilities are available.

• Characteristics:
• Small Landholdings: Cultivation on small plots.
• High Labour Input: Extensive use of manual labour, often from family members.
• Use of Modern Inputs: Increasing use of fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yielding seed varieties (HYVs) to boost productivity.
• Intensive Cultivation: Often involves multiple cropping seasons within a year.
• Dominant in Asia: Widely practiced in the densely populated river basins and coastal plains of Asia, including India, China, and Southeast Asia.
• Crop Types: Primarily focuses on food grains like rice, wheat, and millets to feed the large population.

Commercial Farming

Commercial farming is distinguished by the cultivation of crops and rearing of livestock for sale in the market with the aim of earning profit. It involves large landholdings, significant capital investment, and advanced technology.

• Characteristics:
• Large Scale Operations: Cultivation is done on extensive farms.
• High Capital Investment: Significant use of machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation.
• Monoculture: Often involves growing a single crop or raising a particular type of livestock over a large area.
• Market Orientation: Production decisions are driven by market demand and prices.
• Specialization: Farmers specialize in crops or livestock that are profitable in their region.
• Types:
• Mixed Farming: A system where farming of land is integrated with rearing of livestock. Both crops and livestock products are sold in the market. Common in Europe, North America, and parts of Australia.
• Plantation Agriculture: A type of commercial farming where a single crop (like tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana) is grown over a large area. It involves significant capital, scientific approach, and extensive use of labour. Plantations are found in tropical and subtropical regions.

Cropping Pattern

Cropping pattern refers to the proportion of area devoted to different crops in a given area at a given time. It is influenced by a variety of factors, including climate, soil type, market demand, technological advancements, government policies, and socio-economic conditions.

In India, the cropping pattern has evolved significantly over time, shifting from a subsistence-based pattern focused on food grains to a more market-oriented pattern that includes commercial crops. The major cropping seasons in India are:

• Rabi Season: Sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in summer (April-June). Crops include wheat, barley, peas, gram, mustard.
• Kharif Season: Sown with the onset of monsoon (June-July) and harvested in winter (September-October). Crops include rice, jowar, bajra, pulses, maize, cotton, groundnut, turmeric.
• Zaid Season: A short season during the summer months (March-June) between the Rabi and Kharif seasons. Crops include watermelon, musk melon, cucumber, vegetables, and fodder crops.

The dominance of certain crops in specific regions reflects the prevailing climate and soil conditions. For instance, rice is predominant in areas with high rainfall, while wheat is cultivated in regions with moderate rainfall and cooler winters. Millets are grown in drier regions.

Major Crops

India cultivates a wide array of crops, categorized into food crops and non-food crops, each playing a crucial role in the national economy and food security.

Rice

Rice is India's most important crop, a staple food for the majority. It's a Kharif crop requiring high temperatures (above 25°C), high humidity, and annual rainfall above 100 cm. It thrives in fine, clayey soil. Major producers include West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu.

Wheat

Wheat is the second most important food crop, primarily grown in the north and north-western parts of India. It's a Rabi crop needing a cool growing season and bright sunshine at ripening. It prefers moderate temperatures (10-18°C during growth, 15-25°C at harvest) and moderate rainfall (50-75 cm). Major producing states are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

Millets

Millets are coarse grains vital for nutrition and grown in drier parts of India. They are hardy crops needing less water.

• Jowar (Sorghum): Requires moderate temperature and rainfall, grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.
• Bajra (Pearl Millet): Grows well on sandy and shallow black soils in Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra, Gujarat.
• Ragi (Finger Millet): Needs warm conditions and is grown in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Odisha.

Maize

Maize is used as both food and fodder. It's a Kharif crop but can be grown in Rabi with irrigation. It needs moderate temperatures (21-27°C) and rainfall (50-100 cm). Major producing states include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.

Pulses

India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses globally. Pulses are a primary source of protein for most Indians, especially vegetarians. They require less moisture compared to other food crops and can be grown in rotation with other crops.

• Types: Major pulses grown in India are `Tur` (Arhar), `Urad`, `Moong`, `Masoor`, `Chana` (Gram), and `Peas`.
• Climate: Generally grown in dry conditions, requiring less water than grains.
• Major Producing States: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka.

Food Crops Other Than Grains

These crops are important for diet and nutrition but are not grains:

• Sugarcane: A tropical and subtropical crop. Requires high temperature (21-27°C), rainfall (75-100 cm), and a frost-free climate. Grown in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.
• Oilseeds: Including groundnut, mustard, soybean, castor seed, sunflower, linseed, and cotton seed. They are used for cooking oil. Groundnut is a Kharif crop, while mustard, sunflower, linseed are Rabi crops.
• Horticulture Crops: This category includes fruits and vegetables. India is a major producer of both.
• Fruits: Mangoes (UP, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka), bananas (Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat), apples (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand).
• Vegetables: Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cauliflower, and a wide variety of regional vegetables are grown across the country.

Non-Food Crops

These crops are not primarily for consumption but are important for industries and other uses:

• Cotton: A Kharif crop requiring high temperature (21-30°C), light rainfall (50-80 cm), and sunshine. Prefers black soil. Major producers: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka.
• Jute: Known as the 'golden fibre', used for making sacks, mats, ropes. Kharif crop, requiring high temperature (above 25°C) and heavy rainfall (above 100 cm). Major producers: West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha.
• Tea: A plantation crop grown in tropical and subtropical regions with high rainfall and humid climate. Requires careful cultivation. Major producers: Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.
• Coffee: Another plantation crop requiring warm, humid climate and well-drained soil. Major producers: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu.
• Rubber: Requires moist climate with rainfall above 200 cm and temperature above 25°C. Major producers: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Technological And Institutional Reforms

Agriculture in India has undergone significant reforms to improve productivity, address socio-economic inequalities, and enhance sustainability. These reforms involve both technological advancements and institutional changes.

Technological Reforms

These focus on improving farm inputs and practices:

• Green Revolution: Introduction of High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and advanced irrigation techniques, primarily for wheat and rice, which dramatically increased food grain production.
• Mechanization: Increased use of tractors, harvesters, threshers, and other farm machinery to improve efficiency and reduce labour dependency.
• Irrigation: Expansion of irrigation facilities through canals, tube wells, and sprinklers to reduce reliance on monsoons.
• Research and Development: Establishment of agricultural universities and research institutes to develop better crop varieties, pest control methods, and farming techniques.
• Information Technology: Use of mobile technology and internet for weather forecasts, market prices, and agricultural advice.

Bhoodan – Gramdan

Bhoodan (Land Gift) and Gramdan (Village Gift) movements were socio-economic reforms initiated by **Vinoba Bhave**, a close follower of Mahatma Gandhi. This movement aimed to redistribute land among landless farmers.

• Concept: Vinoba Bhave, during his padyatra (foot journey), appealed to wealthy landowners to voluntarily donate land to the landless.
• Gramdan: In the Gramdan movement, all villagers collectively owned all their land, which was then redistributed among them according to their needs and capacity.
• Impact: While the movement did not solve the land problem entirely, it generated significant awareness about land inequality and encouraged voluntary land redistribution, highlighting a non-violent approach to socio-economic reform. It inspired thousands of landless villagers to receive land.

Other Institutional Reforms:

• Land Reforms: Government initiatives to abolish intermediaries (like zamindars), regulate land ownership (land ceiling acts), and provide land to the landless.
• Credit Facilities: Establishment of cooperative societies and rural banks to provide credit to farmers at reasonable rates.
• Minimum Support Price (MSP): Government support for agricultural prices to ensure farmers receive a minimum price for their produce, incentivizing production.
• Insurance: Crop insurance schemes to protect farmers against losses due to natural calamities.

Contribution Of Agriculture To The National Economy, Employment And Output

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of the Indian economy, significantly contributing to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment, and overall development.

• Contribution to National Economy (GDP): While its share in GDP has declined over the decades (from over 50% in the mid-20th century to around 15-17% currently), agriculture still contributes significantly. This decline is due to the faster growth of the industrial and service sectors, but the absolute value of agricultural output has increased.
• Employment: Agriculture continues to be the largest employer in India, providing livelihoods to a substantial portion of the workforce (around 40-50% of the total workforce, though the percentage engaged in agriculture directly is declining with migration to other sectors). This highlights its importance in rural employment and poverty alleviation.
• Output: India is a leading global producer of many agricultural commodities, including rice, wheat, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, jute, tea, coffee, and spices. Agricultural output is crucial for food security, raw materials for industries (textiles, sugar, edible oils), and export earnings.
• Interlinkages: Agriculture supports various allied sectors like dairy, poultry, fisheries, and forestry, creating a vast ecosystem of rural economic activity. It also provides raw materials for numerous agro-based industries.

Impact Of Globalisation On Agriculture

Globalisation has had a profound impact on Indian agriculture, presenting both opportunities and challenges.

• Opportunities:
• Access to New Markets: Indian agricultural products (like basmati rice, spices, tea, coffee, horticulture products) have gained access to international markets, boosting export earnings.
• Introduction of New Technologies: Globalisation has facilitated the introduction of advanced farming techniques, high-yielding seeds, better agro-chemicals, and modern machinery, leading to increased productivity in some sectors.
• Diversification: Exposure to global demand has encouraged diversification towards more profitable commercial crops, horticulture, and high-value products.
• Improved Quality Standards: To compete in global markets, there's a push towards adopting international quality and safety standards.
• Challenges:
• Competition: Indian farmers face intense competition from subsidized agricultural imports from developed countries, making it difficult for them to compete on price.
• Impact on Small and Marginal Farmers: The high cost of modern inputs, technology, and the need to meet stringent international standards can be prohibitive for small and marginal farmers, potentially widening the gap between large commercial farms and smallholders.
• Shift from Food Grains: A shift towards cash crops driven by market demand may sometimes occur at the expense of food grain cultivation, potentially impacting food security if not managed well.
• Dependence on MNCs: Increased involvement of multinational corporations (MNCs) in seed production, agrochemicals, and retail can lead to dependence and alter traditional farming systems.
• Environmental Concerns: The pressure to increase yields rapidly can sometimes lead to unsustainable practices like overuse of chemicals and water, impacting the environment.

Overall, globalisation has pushed Indian agriculture towards greater efficiency and market integration, but it also necessitates strong government policies to support small farmers, ensure food security, and promote sustainable practices.