Land Resources and Agriculture PDF

You must have observed that the land around Unit III you is put to different uses. Some land is Chapter 3 occupied by rivers, some may have trees and on some parts roads and buildings have been built. Different types of land...

You must have observed that the land around Unit III you is put to different uses. Some land is Chapter 3 occupied by rivers, some may have trees and on some parts roads and buildings have been built. Different types of lands are suited to different uses. Human beings thus, use land as a resource for production as well as residence and recreation. Thus, the building of your school, roads on which you travel, parks in which you play, fields in which crops are grown and the pastures where animals graze represent different uses to which land is put. Land Use Categories LAND RESOURCES Land-use records are maintained by land AND AGRICULTURE revenue department. The land use categories add up to reporting area, which is somewhat different from the geographical area. The Survey of India is responsible for measuring geographical area of administrative units in India. Have you ever used a map prepared by Survey of India? The difference between the two concepts are that while the former changes somewhat depending on the estimates of the land revenue records, the latter does not change and stays fixed as per Survey of India measurements. You may be familiar with land use categories as they are also included in your Social Science textbook of Class X. The land-use categories as maintained in the Land Revenue Records are as follows : (i) Forests : It is important to note that area under actual forest cover is different from area classified as forest. The latter is the area which the Government has identified and demarcated for forest growth. The land revenue records are consistent with the latter definition. Thus, there may be an increase in this category without any increase in the actual forest cover. (ii) Barren and Wastelands : The land which may be classified as a wasteland such as barren hilly terrains, desert lands, ravines, etc. normally cannot be brought under cultivation with the available technology. 2024-25  (iii) Land put to Non-agricultural Uses: Land-use Changes in India Land under settlements (rural and Land-use in a region, to a large extent, is urban), infrastructure (roads, canals, influenced by the nature of economic etc.), industries, shops, etc., are activities carried out in that region. However, included in this category. An expansion while economic activities change over time, in the secondary and tertiary activities land, like many other natural resources, is would lead to an increase in this fixed in terms of its area. At this stage, one category of land-use. needs to appreciate three types of changes (iv) Area under Permanent Pastures and that an economy undergoes, which affect Grazing Lands : Most of this type land land-use. (i) The size of the economy (measured is owned by the village ‘Panchayat’ or in terms of value for all the goods and the Government. Only a small services produced in the economy) proportion of this land is privately grows over time as a result of owned. The land owned by the village increasing population, change in panchayat comes under ‘Common income levels, available technology Property Resources’. and associated factors. As a result, the (v) Area under Miscellaneous Tree pressure on land will increase with Crops and Groves (Not included in time and marginal lands would come Net sown Area) : The land under under use. orchards and fruit trees are included (ii) Secondly, the composition of the in this category. Much of this land is economy would undergo a change over privately owned. time. In other words, the secondary and the tertiary sectors usually grow much (vi) Culturable Wasteland : Any land which faster than the primary sector, specifically is left fallow (uncultivated) for more than the agricultural sector. This type of five years is included in this category. change is common in developing It can be brought under cultivation after countries, like India. This process would improving it through reclamation result in a gradual shift of land from practices. agricultural uses to non-agricultural uses. You would observe that such (vii) Current Fallow:This is the land which changes are sharp around large urban is left without cultivation for one or less areas. The agricultural land is being used than one agricultural year. Fallowing for building purposes. is a cultural practice adopted for giving (iii) Thirdly, though the contribution of the the land rest. The land recoups the agricultural activities reduces over time, lost fertility through natural processes. the pressure on land for agricultural (viii) Fallow other than Current Fallow : activities does not decline. The reasons This is also a cultivable land which is for continued pressure on agricultural left uncultivated for more than a year land are: but less than five years. If the land is (a) In developing countries, the left uncultivated for more than five share of population dependent years, it would be categorised as on agriculture usually declines culturable wasteland. much more slowly compared to the decline in the sector’s share (ix) Net Area Sown: The physical extent in GDP. of land on which crops are sown and (b) The number of people that the harvested is known as net sown area. agricultural sector has to feed is increasing day by day. 22 India : People and Economy 2024-25  50 45.5 45 Changes in Shares of Land-use Categories in India: 41.7 Per cent of reporting area 40 1950–51 and 2014–15 35 30 25 23.3 20 17 15 13.4 10 8.7 8 6.9 6.1 5.5 4.9 5 3.2 4 3.6 3.7 2.3 3.3 1.0 0 Forests Area under Barren and Permanent Area Under Culturable Fallow other Current Net Area non- unculturable pasture Misc. Waste than falow sown agricultural waste and Tree crops Land Current use land gazing land and groves fallow 1950-51 2014-15 Fig. 3.1 industrial and services sectors and expansion of related infrastructural Compare the changes of land-use between 1950–57 facilities. Also, an expansion of area and 2014–15. under both urban and rural settlements has added to the increase. Thus, the area India has undergone major changes within under non-agricultural uses is the economy over the past four or five decades, increasing at the expense of wastelands and this has influenced the land-use changes and agricultural land. in the country. These changes between (ii) The increase in the share under forest, 1950–51 and 2014–15 have been shown in as explained before, can be accounted Fig. 3.1. There are two points that you need to for by increase in the demarcated area remember before you derive some meaning from under forest rather than an actual this figure. Firstly, the percentages shown in increase in the forest cover in the country. the figure have been derived with respect to the (iii) The increase in the current fallow cannot reporting area. Secondly, since even the be explained from information reporting area has been relatively constant over pertaining to only two points. The trend the years, a decline in one category usually of current fallow fluctuates a great deal leads to an increase in some other category. over years, depending on the variability Four categories have undergone increases, of rainfall and cropping cycles. while four have registered declines. Share of area under forest, area under non-agricultural (iv) The increase in net area sown is a recent uses, current fallow lands and net area sown phenomenon due to use of culturable have shown an increase. The following waste land for agricultural pupose. observations can be made about these Before which it was registering a slow increases: decrease. There are indications that (i) The rate of increase is the highest in case most of the decline had occurred due to of area under non-agricultural uses. This the increases in area under non- is due to the changing structure of agricultural use. (Note : the expansion Indian economy, which is increasingly of building activity on agricultural land depending on the contribution from in your village and city). Land Resources and Agriculture 23 2024-25  The four categories that have registered a particular relevance for the livelihood of the decline are barren and wasteland, culturable landless and marginal farmers and other wasteland, area under tree crops and groves weaker sections since many of them depend on and fallow lands. income from their livestock due to the fact that The following explanations can be given they have limited access to land. CPRs also are for the declining trends: important for women as most of the fodder and (i) As the pressure on land increased, both fuel collection is done by them in rural areas. from the agricultural and non- They have to devote long hours in collecting fuel agricultural sectors, the wastelands and and fodder from a degraded area of CPR. culturable wastelands have witnessed CPRs can be defined as community’s natural decline over time. resource, where every member has the right of (ii) The decline in land under tree crops and access and usage with specified obligations, groves can be explained by pressure without anybody having property rights over from agricultural land. them. Community forests, pasture lands, village water bodies and other public spaces where a group larger than a household or family unit exercises rights of use and carries responsibility What is the difference between actual increase and of management are examples of CPRs. rate of increase? Work out the actual increase and Agricultural Land Use in India rate of increases for all the land use categories Land resource is more crucial to the livelihood between 1950–51 and 2014–15 from the data given in of the people depending on agriculture: the Appendix (vi). Explain the results. (i) Agriculture is a purely land based activity unlike secondary and tertiary Note for Teacher activities. In other words, contribution For calculating actual increase, the difference of the of land in agricultural output is more compared to its contribution in the land-use categories should be worked out over the two outputs in the other sectors. Thus, lack periods. of access to land is directly correlated with incidence of poverty in rural areas. For deriving the rate of increase, simple growth rate i.e. (ii) Quality of land has a direct bearing on (difference of values between the two time points i.e. the productivity of agriculture, which is value of terminal year minus base year / base year or not true for other activities. 1960-61 value) should be used, e.g. (iii) In rural areas, aside from its value as a productive factor, land ownership has Net sown Area in 2014–15 – Net sown Area in 1950–51 100 a social value and serves as a security Net sown Area in 1950–51 for credit, natural hazards or life contingencies, and also adds to the social Common Pr oper Proper operty esour Resour ty R ces esources status. Land, according to its ownership can broadly An estimation of the total stock of be classified under two broad heads – private agricultural land resources (i.e. total cultivable land and common property resources (CPRs). land) can be arrived at by adding up net sown While the former is owned by an individual or a area, all fallow lands and culturable wasteland. group of individuals, the latter is owned by the It may be observed from Table 3.1 that over the state meant for the use of the community. CPRs years, there has been a marginal decline in the provide fodder for the livestock and fuel for the available total stock of cultivable land as a households along with other minor forest percentage to total reporting area. There has been products like fruits, nuts, fibre, medicinal a greater decline of cultivated land, in spite of a plants, etc. In rural areas, such land is of corresponding decline of cultivable wasteland. 24 India : People and Economy 2024-25  Table 3.1 : Composition of Total Cultivable Land Agricultural Land-use As a percentage of As a percentage of Categories Reporting Area total cultivable land 1950-51 2014-15 1950-51 2014-15 Culturable Waste land 8.0 4.0 13.4 6.8 Fallow other than Current Fallow 6.1 3.6 10.2 6.2 Current Fallow 3.7 4.9 6.2 8.4 Net Area Sown 41.7 45.5 70.0 78.4 Total Cultivable Land 59.5 58.0 100.00 100.00 It is clear from the above discussion that season facilitate the cultivation of temperate and the scope for bringing in additional land under subtropical crops such as wheat, gram and net sown area in India is limited. There is, thus, mustard. Zaid is a short duration summer an urgent need to evolve and adopt land-saving cropping season beginning after harvesting of technologies. Such technologies can be classified rabi crops. The cultivation of watermelons, under two heads – those which raise the yield cucumbers, vegetables and fodder crops during of any particular crop per unit area of land and this season is done on irrigated lands. However, those which increase the total output per unit this type of distinction in the cropping season area of land from all crops grown over one does not exist in southern parts of the country. agricultural year by increasing land-use Here, the temperature is high enough to grow intensity. The advantage of the latter kind of tropical crops during any period in the year technology is that along with increasing output provided the soil moisture is available. from limited land, it also increases the demand Therefore, in this region same crops can be grown for labour significantly. For a land scarce but thrice in an agricultural year provided there is labour abundant country like India, a high sufficient soil moisture. cropping intensity is desirable not only for fuller utilisation of land resource, but also for Types of Farming reducing unemployment in the rural economy. On the basis of main source of moisture for The cropping intensity (CI) is calculated crops, the farming can be classified as irrigated as follows : and rainfed (barani). There is difference in GCA the nature of irrigated farming, as well as based Cropping Intensity in percentage = ×100 NSA on the objective of irrigation, i.e., protective or productive. The objective of protective irrigation Cropping Seasons in India is to protect the crops from adverse effects of soil There are three distinct crop Table 3.2 : Cropping Seasons in India seasons in the northern and interior parts of country, namely Cropping Season Major Crops Cultivated kharif, rabi and zaid. The kharif Northern States Southern States season largely coincides with Southwest Monsoon under which Kharif Rice, Cotton, Bajra, Rice, Maize, Ragi, the cultivation of tropical crops, June-September Maize, Jowar, Tur Jowar, Groundnut such as rice, cotton, jute, jowar, bajra and tur is possible. The rabi Rabi Wheat, Gram, Rapeseeds Rice, Maize, Ragi, October – March and Mustard, Barley Groundnut, Jowar season begins with the onset of winter in October-November and Zaid Vegetables, Fruits, Rice, Vegetables, ends in March-April. The low April–June Fodder Fodder temperature conditions during this Land Resources and Agriculture 25 2024-25 moisture deficiency which often means that Rice irrigation acts as a supplementary source of water Rice is a staple food for the overwhelming over and above the rainfall. The strategy of this majority of population in India. Though, it is kind of irrigation is to provide soil moisture to considered to be a crop of tropical humid areas, maximum possible area. Productive irrigation is it has many varieties which are grown in meant to provide sufficient soil moisture in the different agro-climatic regions. These are cropping season to achieve high productivity. In successfully grown from sea level to about such irrigation the water input per unit area of 2,000 m altitude and from humid areas in cultivated land is higher than protective irrigation. eastern India to dry but irrigated areas of Rainfed farming is further classified on the basis Punjab, Haryana, western U.P. and northern of adequacy of soil moisture during cropping Rajasthan. In southern states and West Bengal season into dryland and wetland farming. In the climatic conditions allow the cultivation of two or three crops of rice in an agricultural year. India, the dryland farming is largely confined In West Bengal farmers grow three crops of rice to the regions having annual rainfall less than 75 called ‘aus’, ‘aman’ and ‘boro’. But in cm. These regions grow hardy and drought Himalayas and northwestern parts of the resistant crops such as ragi, bajra, moong, gram country, it is grown as a kharif crop during and guar (fodder crops) and practise various southwest Monsoon season. measures of soil moisture conservation and rain India contributes 22.07 per cent of rice water harvesting. In wetland farming, the production in the world and ranked second rainfall is in excess of soil moisture requirement after China in 2018. About one-fourth of the of plants during rainy season. Such regions may total cropped area in the country is under rice face flood and soil erosion hazards. These areas cultivation. West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and grow various water intensive crops such as rice, Punjab are the leading rice producing states jute and sugarcane and practise aquaculture in in the country. The yield level of rice is high in the fresh water bodies. Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal and Kerala. In the first Foodgrains four of these states almost the entire land under The importance of foodgrains in Indian rice cultivation is irrigated. Punjab and Haryana agricultural economy may be gauged from the are not traditional rice growing areas. Rice fact these crops occupy about two-third of total cropped area in the country. Foodgrains are dominant crops in all parts of the country whether they have subsistence or commercial agricultural economy. On the basis of the structure of grain the foodgrains are classified as cereals and pulses. Cereals The cereals occupy about 54 per cent of total cropped area in India. The country produces about 11 per cent cereals of the world and ranks Fig. 3.2 : Rice transplantation in southern parts of India third in production after China and U.S.A. India cultivation in the irrigated areas of Punjab and produces a variety of cereals, which are Haryana was introduced in 1970s following the classified as fine grains (rice, wheat) and coarse Green Revolution. Genetically improved varieties grains (jowar, bajra, maize, ragi), etc. Account of seed, relatively high usage of fertilizers and of important cereals has been given in the pesticides and lower levels of susceptibility of following paragraphs : the crop to pests due to dry climatic conditions 26 India : People and Economy 2024-25 Fig. 3.3 : India – Distribution of Rice Land Resources and Agriculture 27 2024-25 are responsible for higher yield of rice in this Bajra region. The yield of this crop is very low in rainfed Bajra is sown in hot and dry climatic conditions areas of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and in northwestern and western parts of the Odisha. country. It is a hardy crop which resists frequent dry spells and drought in this region. Wheat It is cultivated alone as well as part of mixed Wheat is the second most important cereal crop cropping. This coarse cereal occupies about in India after rice. India produces about 5.2 per cent of total cropped area in the 12.8 per cent of total wheat production of world country. Leading producers of bajra are the (2017). It is primarily a crop of temperate zone. states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Hence, its cultivation in India is done during Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Yield of this crop winter i.e. rabi season. About 85 per cent of total has increased during recent years in area under this crop is concentrated in north Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat due to and central regions of the country i.e. Indo- introduction of drought resistant varieties and Gangetic Plain, Malwa Plateau and Himalayas expansion of irrigation under it. up to 2,700 m altitude. Being a rabi crop, it is mostly grown under irrigated conditions. But it Maize is a rainfed crop in Himalayan highlands and parts of Malwa plateau in Madhya Pradesh. Maize is a food as well as fodder crop grown About 14 per cent of the total cropped area under semi-arid climatic conditions and over in the country is under wheat cultivation. Uttar inferior soils. This crop occupies only about Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana 3.6 per cent of total cropped area. Maize and Rajasthan are leading wheat producing cultivation is not concentrated in any specific states. The yield level of wheat is very high region. It is sown all over India exceptPunjab (above 4,000 k.g. per ha) in Punjab and and eastern and north-eastern regions. The Haryana whereas, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan leading producers of maize are the states of and Bihar have moderate yields. The states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Uttar Jammu and Kashmir growing wheat under Pradesh. Yield level of maize is higher than other rainfed conditions have low yield. coarse cereals. It is high in southern states and declines towards central parts. Jowar The coarse cereals together occupy about Pulses 16.50 per cent of total cropped area in the Pulses are a very important ingredient of country. Among these, jowar or sorghum alone vegetarian food as these are rich sources of accounts for about 5.3 per cent of total proteins. These are legume crops which cropped area. It is main food crop in semi-arid increase the natural fertility of soils through areas of central and southern India. nitrogen fixation. India is a leading producer of Maharashtra alone produces more than half of the total jowar production of the country. pulses in the world. The cultivation of pulses Other leading producer states of jowar are in the country is largely concentrated in the Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh drylands of Deccan and central plateaus and and Telangana. It is sown in both kharif and northwestern parts of the country. Pulses rabi seasons in southern states. But it is a occupy about 11 per cent of the total cropped kharif crop in northern India where it is mostly area in the country. Being the rainfed crops of grown as a fodder crop. South of Vindhyachal drylands, the yields of pulses are low and it is a rainfed crop and its yield level is very fluctuate from year to year. Gram and tur are low in this region. the main pulses cultivated in India. 28 India : People and Economy 2024-25 Fig. 3.4 : India – Distribution of Wheat Land Resources and Agriculture 29 2024-25 Gram Groundnut Gram is cultivated in subtropical areas. It is India produces about 18.8 per cent of the total mostly a rainfed crop cultivated during rabi groundnut production in the world (2018). It is season in central, western and northwestern parts largely a rainfed kharif crop of drylands. But in of the country. Just one or two light showers or southern India, it is cultivated during rabi season irrigations are required to grow this crop as well. It covers about 3.6 per cent of total successfully. It has been displaced from the cropped area in the country. Gujarat, Rajasthan, cropping pattern by wheat in Haryana, Punjab Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and northern Rajasthan following the green Karnataka and Maharashtra are the leading revolution. At present, gram covers only about producers. Yield of groundnut is comparatively 2.8 per cent of the total cropped area in the high in Tamil Nadu where it is partly irrigated. country. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, But its yield is low in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and and Karnataka. Rajasthan are the main producers of this pulse crop. The yield of this crop continues to be low Rapeseed and Mustard and fluctuates from year to year even in irrigated Rapeseed and mustard comprise several oilseeds areas. as rai, sarson, toria and taramira. These are subtropical crops cultivated during rabi season Tur (Arhar) in north-western and central parts of India. Tur is the second important pulse crop in the These are frost sensitive crops and their yields country. It is also known as red gram or pigeon fluctuate from year to year. But with the pea. It is cultivated over marginal lands and expansion of irrigation and improvement in seed under rainfed conditions in the dry areas of technology, their yields have improved and central and southern states of the country. This stabilised to some extent. About two-third of the crop occupies only about 2 per cent of total cultivated area under these crops is irrigated. cropped area of India. Maharashtra alone These oilseeds together occupy only about contributes about one-third of the total 2.5 per cent of total cropped area in the country. production of tur. Other leading producer states Rajasthan contributes about one-third are Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and production while other leading producers are Madhya Pradesh. Per hectare output of this crop Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Yields of these is very low and its performance is inconsistent. crops are comparatively high in Haryana and Rajasthan. Other Oilseeds Differentiate between different foodgrains. Mix grains of various kinds and separate cereals from pulses. Also, Soyabean and sunflower are other important separate fine from coarse cereals. oilseeds grown in India. Soyabean is mostly grown in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Oilseeds The oilseeds are produced for extracting edible oils. Drylands of Malwa plateau, Marathwada, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka plateau are oilseeds growing regions of India. These crops together occupy about 14 per cent of total cropped area in the country. Groundnut, rapeseed and mustard, soyabean and sunflower are the main oilseed crops grown Fig. 3.5 : Farmers sowing soyabean seeds in Amravati, in India. Maharashtra 30 India : People and Economy 2024-25 Fig. 3.6 : India – Distribution of Cotton and Jute Land Resources and Agriculture 31 2024-25 These two states together produce about 90 per Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana Per cent of total output of soyabean in the country. hectare output of cotton is high under irrigated Sunflower cultivation is concentrated in conditions in north-western region of the Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and country. Its yield is very low in Maharashtra adjoining areas of Maharashtra. It is a minor where it is grown under rainfed conditions. crop in northern parts of the country where its yield is high due to irrigation. Jute Jute is used for making coarse cloth, bags, sacks Fibre Crops and decorative items. It is a cash crop in West These crops provide us fibre for preparing cloth, Bengal and adjoining eastern parts of the bags, sacks and a number of other items. country. India lost large jute growing areas to Cotton and jute are two main fibre crops grown East Pakistan (Bangladesh) during partition. At in India. present, India produces about three-fifth of jute production of the world. West Bengal accounts Cotton for about three-fourth of the production in the country. Bihar and Assam are other jute growing Cotton is a tropical crop grown in kharif season areas. Being concentrated only in a few states, in semi-arid areas of the country. India lost a this crop accounts for only about 0.5 per cent of large proportion of cotton growing area to total cropped area in the country. Pakistan during partition. However, its acreage has increased considerably during the last 50 years. India grows both short staple (Indian) Other Crops cotton as well as long staple (American) cotton Sugarcane, tea and coffee are other important called ‘narma’ in north-western parts of the crops grown in India. country. Cotton requires clear sky during flowering stage. Sugarcane Sugarcane is a crop of tropical areas. Under rainfed conditions, it is cultivated in sub-humid and humid climates. But it is largely an irrigated crop in India. In Indo-Gangetic plain, its cultivation is largely concentrated in Uttar Pradesh. Sugarcane growing area in western India is spread over Maharashtra and Gujarat. Fig. 3.7 : Cotton Cultivation India ranks second in the world in the production of cotton after China. Cotton occupies about 4.7 per cent of total cropped area in the country. There are three cotton growing areas, i.e. parts of Punjab, Haryana and northern Rajasthan in north-west, Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west and plateaus of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in south. Leading producers of this crop are Fig. 3.8 : Sugarcane Cultivation 32 India : People and Economy 2024-25 Fig. 3.9 : India – Distribution of Sugarcane Land Resources and Agriculture 33 2024-25 In southern India, it is cultivated in irrigated world after China (2018). Assam accounts for tracts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana about 53.2 per cent of the total cropped area and and Andhra Pradesh. contributes more than half of total production of India was the second largest producer of tea in the country. West Bengal and Tamil Nadu sugarcane after Brazil in 2018. It accounts for are the other leading producers of tea. about 19.7 per cent of the world production of sugarcane. But it occupies only 2.4 per cent of Coffee total cropped area in the country. Uttar Pradesh Coffee is a tropical plantation crop. Its seeds produces about two-fifth of sugarcane of are roasted, ground and are used for preparing the country. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil a beverage. There are three varieties of coffee Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh are other leading i.e. arabica, robusta and liberica. India mostly producers of this crop where yield level of grows superior quality coffee, arabica, which sugarcane is high. Its yield is low in northern is in great demand in International market. But India. India produces only about 3.17 per cent coffee of the world and ranks eighth after Brazil, Tea Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia, Honduras, Tea is a plantation crop used as beverage. Black Ethiopia and Peru in 2018. Coffee is cultivated tea leaves are fermented whereas green tea leaves in the highlands of Wester n Ghats in are unfermented. Tea leaves have rich content of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka caffeine and tannin. It is an indigenous crop of alone accounts for more than two-third of total hills in northern China. It is grown over production of coffee in the country. undulating topography of hilly areas and well- drained soils in humid and sub-humid tropics Agricultural Development in India and sub-tropics. In India, tea plantation started in 1840s in Brahmaputra valley of Assam which Indian agricultural economy was largely still is a major tea growing area in the country. subsistence in nature before Independence. It Later on, its plantation was introduced in the had dismal performance in the first half of sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal (Darjeeling, twentieth century. This period witnessed severe Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts). Tea is droughts and famines. During partition about also cultivated on the lower slopes of Nilgiri and one-third of the irrigated land in undivided India went to Pakistan. This reduced the proportion of irrigated area in Independent India. After Independence, the immediate goal of the Government was to increase foodgrains production by (i) switching over from cash crops to food crops; (ii) intensification of cropping over already cultivated land; and (iii) increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under plough. Initially, this strategy helped in increasing foodgrains production. But agricultural production stagnated during late –1950s. To overcome this Fig. 3.10 : Tea Farming problem, Intensive Agricultural District Cardamom hills in Western Ghats. India is a Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural leading producer of tea and accounts for about Area Programme (IAAP) were launched. But two 21.22 per cent of total production in the world consecutive droughts during mid-1960s 2018. India’s share in the international market resulted in food crisis in the country. of tea has declined substantially. It ranks Consequently, foodgrains were imported from second among tea exporting countries in the other countries. 34 India : People and Economy 2024-25 Fig. 3.11 : India – Distribution of Tea and Coffee Land Resources and Agriculture 35 2024-25  New seed varieties of wheat (Mexico) and Growth of Agricultural Output and Technology rice (Philippines) known as high yielding There has been a significant increase in varieties (HYVs) were available for cultivation agricultural output and improvement in by mid-1960s. India took advantage of this and technology during the last 50 years. introduced package technology comprising Production and yield of many crops such HYVs, along with chemical fertilisers in irrigated areas of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar as rice and wheat has increased at an Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Assured impressive rate. Among the other crops, supply of soil moisture through irrigation was the production of sugarcane, oilseeds and a basic pre-requisite for the success of this new cotton has also increased appreciably. agricultural technology. This strategy of Expansion of irrigation has played a agricultural development paid dividends crucial role in enhancing agricultural instantly and increased the foodgrains output in the country. It provided basis production at very fast rate. This spurt of for introduction of modern agricultural agricultural growth came to be known as technology, such as high yielding varieties ‘Green Revolution’. This also gave fillip to the of seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and development of a large number of agro-inputs, farm machinery. The net irrigated area in agro-processing industries and small-scale the country has also increased. industries. This strategy of agricultural Modern agricultural technology has development made the country self-reliant in diffused very fast in various areas of the foodgrain production. But Green Revolution country. Consumption of chemical was initially confined to irrigated areas only. fertilizers has increased by 15 times since This led to regional disparities in agricultural mid-sixties. Since the high yielding development in the country till 1970s, after varieties are highly susceptible to pests which the technology spread to the Eastern and and diseases, the use of pesticides has Central parts of the country. increased significantly since 1960s. The Planning Commission of India focused its attention on the problems of agriculture in Farmer’s Portal of India rainfed areas in 1980s. It initiated agro-climatic The Farmer’s Portal is a platform for farmers to seek planning in 1988 to induce regionally balanced any information related to agriculture. Detailed agricultural development in the country. It also information on farmers’ insurance, agriculture storage, crops, extension activities, seeds, emphasised on the need for diversification of pesticides, farm machineries, etc. is provided. agriculture and harnessing of resources for the Details of fertilizers, market prices, package and development of dairy farming, poultry, practices, programmes, welfare schemes are also horticulture, livestock rearing and aquaculture. given. Block level details related to soil fertility, Initiation of the policy of liberalisation and storage, insurance, training, etc. are available in an interactive map. Users can also download farm free market economy in 1990s influenced the friendly handbook, scheme guidelines, etc. course of development of Indian agriculture. (Source: https://www.india.gov.in/farmers-portal- india-department-agriculture-and-cooperation) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture is to Pr ob lems of Indian Ag oblems Prob ricultur Agricultur riculturee make agriculture more productive, sustainable, The nature of problems faced by Indian remunerative and climate resilient by promoting location specific integrated/composite farming agriculture varies according to agro-ecological systems and to conserve natural resources through and historical experiences of its different regions. appropriate soil and moisture conservation Hence, most of the agricultural problems in the measures. The Government has been promoting country are region specific. Yet, there are some organic farming in the country through the scheme problems which are common and range from such as Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Rashtriya Vikas Yojana (RKVY). physical constraints to institutional hindrances. A detailed discussion on these problems follows: 36 India : People and Economy 2024-25  Why is agricultural productivity low in dry regions? Constraints of Financial Resources and Indebtedness The inputs of modern agriculture are very expensive. This resource intensive approach has become unmanageable for marginal and small farmers as they have very meagre or no saving to invest in agriculture. To tide over these Fig. 3.12 : Roto Till Drill—A modern agricultural equipment difficulties, most of such farmers have resorted to availing credit from various institutions and moneylenders. Crop failures and low returns Dependence on Erratic Monsoon from agriculture have forced them to fall in the Irrigation covers only about 33 per cent of the trap of indebtedness. cultivated area in India. The crop production in rest of the cultivated land directly depends on rain. Poor performance of south-west What are the implications of severe monsoon also adversely affects the supply of indebtedness? Do you feel that the canal water for irrigation. On the other hand, recent incidents of farmers’ suicides in the rainfall in Rajasthan and other drought- different states of the country are the result of indebtedness? prone areas is too meagre and highly unreliable. Even the areas receiving high annual rainfall Lack of Land Reforms experience considerable fluctuations. This makes them vulnerable to both droughts and Indian peasantry had been exploited for a long floods. Drought is a common phenomenon in time as there had been unequal distribution of the low rainfall areas, which may also experience land. Among the three revenue systems occasional floods. The flash floods in drylands operational during British period, i.e., of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan in Mahalwari, Ryotwari and Zamindari, the last 2006 and 2017 are examples of this one was most exploitative for the peasants. After phenomenon. Droughts and floods continue to Independence, land reforms were accorded be the twin menace in Indian agriculture. priority, but these reforms were not implemented effectively due to lack of strong Low productivity political will. Most of the state governments avoided taking politically tough decisions The yield of the crops in the country is low in which went against strong political lobbies of comparison to the international level. Per landlords. Lack of implementation of land hectare output of most of the crops such as reforms has resulted in continuation of rice, wheat, cotton and oilseeds in India is inequitous distribution of cultivable land which much lower than that of the U.S.A., Russia and is detrimental to agricultural development. Japan. Because of the very high pressure on the land resources, the labour productivity in Small Farm Size and Fragmentation of Indian agriculture is also very low in Landholdings comparison to international level. The vast rainfed areas of the country, particularly There are a large number of marginal and small drylands which mostly grow coarse cereals, farmers in the country. The average size of land pulses and oilseeds have low yields. holding is shrinking under increasing Land Resources and Agriculture 37 2024-25  What changes have you noticed in agricultural sector and cropping pattern? Discuss in the class. population pressure. Furthermore, in India, the marginal farmers grow foodgrains, which are land holdings are mostly fragmented. There are meant for their own family consumption. some states where consolidation of holding has Modernisation and commercialisation of not been carried out even once. Even the states agriculture have, however, taken place in the where it has been carried out once, second irrigated areas. consolidation is required as land holdings have fragmented again in the process of division of Vast Underemployment land among the owners of next generations. The There is a massive underemployment in the small size fragmented landholdings are agricultural sector in India, particularly in the uneconomic. unirrigated tracts. In these areas, there is a seasonal unemployment ranging from 4 to 8 Lack of Commercialisation months. Even in the cropping season, work is A large number of farmers produce crops for not available throughout as agricultural self-consumption. These farmers do not have operations are not labour intensive. Hence, the enough land resources to produce more than people engaged in agriculture do not have the their requirement. Most of the small and opportunity to work round the year. 38 India : People and Economy 2024-25 Degradation of Cultivable Land and duration of fallow has substantially One of the serious problems that arises out of reduced owing to multiple cropping. This has faulty strategy of irrigation and agricultural obliterated the process of natural fertilization development is degradation of land resources. such as nitrogen fixation. Rainfed areas in This is serious because it may lead to depletion humid and semi-arid tropics also experience of soil fertility. The situation is particularly degradation of several types like soil erosion alarming in irrigated areas. A large tract of by water and wind erosion which are often agricultural land has lost its fertility due to induced by human activities. alkalisation and salinisation of soils and waterlogging. Excessive use of chemicals such as insecticides and pesticides has led to their concentration in toxic amounts in the soil Prepare a list of agricultural problems in your own profile. Leguminous crops have been displaced region. How similar or different are these problems from the cropping pattern in the irrigated areas compared to the problems mentioned in this chapter? EXERCISES 1. Choose the right answers of the following from the given options. (i) Which one of the following is NOT a land-use category? (a) Fallow land (c) Net Area Sown (b) Marginal land (d) Culturable Wasteland (ii) What one of the following is the main reason due to which share of forest has shown an increase in the last forty years? (a) Extensive and efficient efforts of afforestation (b) Increase in community forest land (c) Increase in notified area allocated for forest growth (d) Better peoples’ participation in managing forest area. (iii) Which one of the following is the main form of degradation in irrigated areas? (a) Gully erosion (c) Salinisation of soils (b) Wind erosion (d) Siltation of land (iv) Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under dryland farming? (a) Ragi (c) Groundnut (b) Jowar (d) Sugarcane (v) In which of the following group of countries of the world, HYVs of wheat and rice were developed? (a) Japan and Australia (c) Mexico and Philippines (b) U.S.A. and Japan (d) Mexico and Singapore Land Resources and Agriculture 39 2024-25  2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words. (i) Differentiate between barren and wasteland and culturable wasteland. (ii) How would you distinguish between net sown area and gross cropped area? (iii) Why is the strategy of increasing cropping intensity important in a country like India? (iv) How do you measure total cultivable land? (v) What is the difference between dryland and wetland farming? 3. Answer the following questions in about 150 words. (i) What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India? (ii) What are the important strategies for agricultural development followed in the post-independence period in India? 40 India : People and Economy 2024-25