Agriculture — NCERT Solutions

Correct Option: (b) Plantation Agriculture

Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming where a single crop (such as tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, or banana) is grown on a large area of land. It is capital-intensive and the produce is mainly used as raw material for industries.

Correct Option: (b) Gram

Rabi crops are sown in winter (October–November) and harvested in spring (March–April). Gram (chickpea) is a rabi crop. Rice, millets, and cotton are kharif crops, sown in the summer/monsoon season.

Correct Option: (a) Pulses

Pulses (such as arhar, moong, urad, gram) are leguminous crops. They have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil through nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules, thereby enhancing soil fertility. Jowar and millets are cereals, while sesamum is an oilseed crop.

Beverage Crop: Tea

Geographical Conditions Required for Tea:

• Temperature: Cool climate with temperatures between 20°C–30°C.
• Rainfall: Well-distributed rainfall of 150–300 cm throughout the year.
• Soil: Well-drained, loamy soil rich in humus and organic matter.
• Relief: Hilly slopes that allow water to drain away (stagnant water is harmful).
• Labour: Cheap and abundant labour is required for plucking tender leaves.

Tea is mainly grown in Assam, West Bengal (Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri), Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

Staple Crop: Rice (Paddy)

Rice is the most important staple food crop of India.

Major Producing Regions:

• West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Assam are the leading rice-producing states.
• It is grown mainly in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas, and the deltaic regions.

Institutional Reform Programmes for Farmers:

1. Land Reforms – Abolition of zamindari system and redistribution of land to the landless.
2. Consolidation of Holdings – Merging of fragmented land holdings.
3. Cooperative Farming – Encouraging farmers to form cooperatives.
4. Minimum Support Price (MSP) – Government announces MSP to protect farmers from price fluctuations.
5. Crop Insurance – Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to protect against crop failure.
6. Kissan Credit Card (KCC) – Providing easy credit to farmers.
7. Personal Accident Insurance Scheme – For farmers.
8. Provision of loans at lower rates of interest through rural banks and cooperatives.

Government Initiatives to Increase Agricultural Production:

The Indian government has taken several important steps to boost agricultural production:

1. Land Reforms: Abolition of the zamindari system and redistribution of land ensured that farmers owned the land they tilled, motivating them to produce more.

2. Green Revolution: Introduction of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, especially for wheat and rice, along with increased use of fertilisers and irrigation, led to a significant increase in food grain production.

3. Irrigation Facilities: Expansion of canal networks, tube wells, and drip/sprinkler irrigation to bring more land under cultivation.

4. Minimum Support Price (MSP): The government announces MSP before the sowing season to assure farmers of a fair price for their produce.

5. Subsidies: Subsidies on seeds, fertilisers, and electricity to reduce the cost of farming.

6. Crop Insurance: Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana protect farmers against losses due to natural calamities, pests, and diseases.

7. Kissan Credit Card (KCC) and Institutional Credit: Easy and affordable credit is provided to farmers through rural banks, cooperatives, and the KCC scheme.

8. Agricultural Research: Establishment of institutions like ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) to develop better seeds, farming techniques, and pest control methods.

9. Infrastructure Development: Improvement of rural roads, cold storage, and market facilities to reduce post-harvest losses and connect farmers to markets.

These measures have collectively helped India achieve self-sufficiency in food grain production.