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 5 occupied by rivers, some may have trees and on some parts roads and buildings have been built. Different types of lands are suited to...

You must have observed that the land around Unit III you is put to different uses. Some land is Chapter 5 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) Land put to Non-agricultural Uses : Land under settlements (rural and urban), infrastructure (roads, canals, etc.), industries, shops, etc. are included in this category. An expansion in the secondary and tertiary activities 2015-16  would lead to an increase in this Land-use Changes in India category of land-use. Land-use in a region, to a large extent, is (iii) Barren and Wastelands : The land influenced by the nature of economic which may be classified as a activities carried out in that region. However, wasteland such as barren hilly while economic activities change over time, terrains, desert lands, ravines, etc. land, like many other natural resources, is normally cannot be brought under fixed in terms of its area. At this stage, one cultivation with the available needs to appreciate three types of changes technology. that an economy undergoes, which affect (iv) Area under Permanent Pastures and land-use. Grazing Lands : Most of this type land (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 is 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 Waste-Land : Any land which is left fallow (uncultivated) for faster than the primary sector, specifically more than five years is included in this the agricultural sector. This type of category. It can be brought under change is common in developing cultivation after improving it through countries like India. This process would reclamation practices. result in a gradual shift of land from agricultural uses to non-agricultural (vii) Current Fallow : This is the land uses. You would observe that such which is left without cultivation for one changes are sharp around large urban or less than one agricultural year. areas. The agricultural land is being used Fallowing is a cultural practice adopted for building purposes. for giving the land rest. The land recoups the lost fertility through natural (iii) Thirdly, though the contribution of the processes. agricultural activities reduces over time, 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 (ix) Net Area Sown : The physical the decline in the sector’s share extent of land on which crops are in GDP. sown and harvested is known as net (b) The number of people that the sown area. agricultural sector has to feed is increasing day by day. Land Resources and Agriculture 41 2015-16  Note : Categories (iv) and (v) of Section I have been clubbed together in the graph. Fig. 5.1 depending on the contribution from industrial and services sectors and Compare the change in shares of primary, secondary expansion of related infrastructural and tertiary sectors in GDP between 1960-61 and 1999- facilities. Also, an expansion of area 2000 with the changes of land-use between 1960-61 under both urban and rural settlements and 2008-09 using Appendix (vii) Tables 1 and 2. has added to the increase. Thus, the area under non-agricultural uses is India has undergone major changes within increasing at the expense of wastelands the economy over the past four or five decades, and agricultural land. and this has influenced the land-use changes (ii) The increase in the share under forest, in the country. These changes between 1960- as explained before, can be accounted 61 and 2008-09 have been shown in Fig. 5.1. for by increase in the demarcated area There are two points that you need to remember under forest rather than an actual before you derive some meaning from this increase in the forest cover in the country. figure. Firstly, the percentages shown in the (iii) The increase in the current fallow cannot figure have been derived with respect to the be explained from information reporting area. Secondly, since even the pertaining to only two points. The trend reporting area has been relatively constant over of current fallow fluctuates a great deal the years, a decline in one category usually over years, depending on the variability leads to an increase in some other category. Four categories have undergone increases, of rainfall and cropping cycles. while four have registered declines. Share of (iv) The increase in net area sown is a recent area under forest, area under non-agricultural phenomenon due to use of culturable uses, current fallow lands and net area sown waste land for agricultural pupose. have shown an increase. The following Before which it was registering a slow observations can be made about these decrease. There are indications that increases: most of the decline had occurred due to (i) The rate of increase is the highest in case the increases in area under non- of area under non-agricultural uses. This agricultural use. (Note : the expansion is due to the changing structure of of building activity on agricultural land Indian economy, which is increasingly in your village and city). 42 India : People and Economy 2015-16  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 pastures and tree crops 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 pastures and access and usage with specified obligations, grazing lands can be explained by without anybody having property rights over pressure from agricultural land. Illegal them. Community forests, pasture lands, village encroachment due to expansion of water bodies and other public spaces where a cultivation on common pasture lands is group larger than a household or family unit largely responsible for this decline. exercises rights of use and carries responsibility of management are examples of CPRs. Agricultural Land Use in India What is the difference between actual increase and Land resource is more crucial to the livelihood rate of increase? Work out the actual increase and of the people depending on agriculture: rate of increases for all the land use categories between (i) Agriculture is a purely land based 1960-61 and 2008-09 from the data given in the Appendix activity unlike secondary and tertiary (vii) (Table 1). Explain the results. activities. In other words, contribution Note for Teacher of land in agricultural output is more compared to its contribution in the For calculating actual increase, the difference of the outputs in the other sectors. Thus, lack land-use categories should be worked out over the two of access to land is directly correlated periods. 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 Net sown Area in 2008-09 - Net sown A rea in 1960-61 productive factor, land ownership has ´ 100 a social value and serves as a security Net sown A rea in 1960-61 for credit, natural hazards or life contingencies, and also adds to the social Common Proper Proper ty R operty esour Resour 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 5.1 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. Land Resources and Agriculture 43 2015-16  Table 5.1 : Composition of Total Cultivable Land Agricultural Land-use As a percentage of As percentage of Categories Reporting Area total cultivated land 1960-61 2008-09 1960-61 2008-09 Culturable Waste Land 6.23 4.17 10.61 7.14 Fallow other than Current Fallow 3.5 3.37 5.96 5.75 Current Fallow 3.73 4.76 6.35 8.13 Net Area Sown 45.26 46.24 77.08 78.98 Total Cultivable Land 58.72 58.54 100.00 100.00 It is clear from the above discussion that this season facilitate the cultivation of temperate the scope for bringing in additional land under and 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 for labour significantly. For a land scarce but grown thrice in an agricultural year provided labour abundant country like India, a high there is 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 as crops, the farming can be classified as irrigated follows : and rainfed (barani). There is difference in the GCA nature of irrigated farming as well based on Cropping Intensity in percentage = ´ 100 NSA objective of irrigation, i.e. protective or productive. The objective of protective irrigation Cropping Seasons in India There are three distinct crop Table 5.2 : 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 44 India : People and Economy 2015-16 is to protect the crops from adverse effects of soil Rice moisture deficiency which often means that Rice is a staple food for the overwhelming irrigation acts as a supplementary source of water majority of population in India. Though, it is over and above the rainfall. The strategy of this considered to be a crop of tropical humid areas, kind of irrigation is to provide soil moisture to it has about 3,000 varieties which are grown in maximum possible area. Productive irrigation is different agro-climatic regions. These are meant to provide sufficient soil moisture in the successfully grown from sea level to about cropping season to achieve high productivity. In 2,000 m altitude and from humid areas in such irrigation the water input per unit area of eastern India to dry but irrigated areas of cultivated land is higher than protective irrigation. Punjab, Haryana, western U.P. and northern Rainfed farming is further classified on the basis Rajasthan. In southern states and West Bengal of adequacy of soil moisture during cropping the climatic conditions allow the cultivation of season into dryland and wetland farming. In 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 21.6 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 2008-09. About one-fourth of of plants during rainy season. Such regions may the total cropped area in the country is under face flood and soil erosion hazards. These areas rice cultivation. West Bengal, Punjab and grow various water intensive crops such as rice, Uttar Pradesh were the leading rice producing jute and sugarcane and practise aquaculture in states in the country in 2009-10. The yield level the fresh water bodies. of rice is high in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal and Foodgrains Kerala. In the first four of these states almost the The importance of foodgrains in Indian entire land under rice cultivation is irrigated. agricultural economy may be gauged from the Punjab and Haryana are not traditional 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. 5.2 : Rice transplantation in southern parts of India third in production after China and U.S.A. India produces a variety of cereals, which are growing areas. Rice cultivation in the irrigated areas of Punjab and Haryana was introduced classified as fine grains (rice, wheat) and coarse in 1970s following the Green Revolution. grains (jowar, bajra, maize, ragi), etc. Account Genetically improved varieties of seed, relatively of important cereals has been given in the high usage of fertilisers and pesticides and lower following paragraphs : levels of susceptibility of the crop to pests due Land Resources and Agriculture 45 2015-16  Fig. 5.3 : India – Distribution of Rice 46 India : People and Economy 2015-16 to dry climatic conditions are responsible for Bajra higher yield of rice in this region. The yield of Bajra is sown in hot and dry climatic conditions this crop is very low in rainfed areas of Madhya in northwestern and western parts of the Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. country. It is a hardy crop which resists frequent dry spells and drought in this region. It is Wheat cultivated alone as well as part of mixed Wheat is the second most important cereal crop cropping. This coarse cereal occupies about 5.2 in India after rice. India produces about 12 per per cent of total cropped area in the country. cent of total wheat production of world. It is Leading producers of bajra are the states of primarily a crop of temperate zone. Hence, its Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan cultivation in India is done during winter i.e. and Haryana. Being a rainfed crop, the yield level rabi season. About 85 per cent of total area of this crop is low in Rajasthan and fluctuates a under this crop is concentrated in north and lot from year to year. Yield of this crop has central regions of the country i.e. Indo-Gangetic increased during recent years in Haryana and Plain, Malwa Plateau and Himalayas up to Gujarat due to introduction of drought resistant 2,700 m altitude. Being a rabi crop, it is mostly varieties and expansion of irrigation under it. grown under irrigated conditions. But it is a rainfed crop in Himalayan highlands and parts Maize 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, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and 3.6 per cent of total cropped area. Maize Madhya Pradesh are five leading wheat cultivation is not concentrated in any specific producing states. The yield level of wheat is region. It is sown all over India except eastern very high (above 4,000 k.g. per ha) in Punjab and north-eastern regions. The leading and Haryana whereas, Uttar Pradesh, producers of maize are the states of Madhya Rajasthan and Bihar have moderate yields. The Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, states like Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Yield and Jammu and Kashmir growing wheat under level of maize is higher than other coarse cereals. rainfed conditions have low yield. 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 pulses and accounts for about one-fifth of the of the total jowar production of the country. total production of pulses in the world. The Other leading producer states of jowar are cultivation of pulses in the country is largely Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh concentrated in the drylands of Deccan and and Telangana. It is sown in both kharif and central plateaus and northwestern parts of the rabi seasons in southern states. But it is a country. Pulses occupy about 11 per cent of kharif crop in northern India where it is mostly the total cropped area in the country. Being the grown as a fodder crop. South of Vindhyachal rainfed crops of drylands, the yields of pulses it is a rainfed crop and its yield level is very are low and fluctuate from year to year. Gram low in this region. and tur are the main pulses cultivated in India. Land Resources and Agriculture 47 2015-16  Fig. 5.4 : India – Distribution of Wheat 48 India : People and Economy 2015-16 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 (2008-09). season in central, western and northwestern parts It is largely a rainfed kharif crop of drylands. of the country. Just one or two light showers or But in southern India, it is cultivated during rabi irrigations are required to grow this crop season as well. It covers about 3.6 per cent of successfully. It has been displaced from the total cropped area in the country. Gujarat, Tamil cropping pattern by wheat in Haryana, Punjab Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and northern Rajasthan following the green and Maharashtra are the leading producers. revolution. At present, gram covers only about Yield of groundnut is comparatively high in 2.8 per cent of the total cropped area in the Tamil Nadu where it is partly irrigated. But its country. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, yield is low in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana 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 2.5 per cent contributes about one-third of the total of total cropped area in the country. Rajasthan production of tur. Other leading producer states contributes about one-third production while are Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and other leading producers are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. Per hectare output of this crop Haryana, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. is very low and its performance is inconsistent. Yields of these 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. 5.5 : Farmers sowing soyabean seeds in Amravati, in India. Maharashtra Land Resources and Agriculture 49 2015-16  Fig. 5.6 : India – Distribution of Cotton and Jute 50 India : People and Economy 2015-16 These two states together produce about 90 per in south. Leading producers of this crop are cent of total output of soyabean in the country. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Sunflower cultivation is concentrated in Punjab and Haryana. Per hectare output of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and cotton is high under irrigated conditions in adjoining areas of Maharashtra. It is a minor north-western region of the country. Its yield crop in northern parts of the country where its is very low in Maharashtra where it is grown yield is high due to irrigation. under rainfed conditions. Fibre Crops Jute These crops provide us fibre for preparing cloth, Jute is used for making coarse cloth, bags, sacks bags, sacks and a number of other items. and decorative items. It is a cash crop in West Cotton and jute are two main fibre crops grown Bengal and adjoining eastern parts of the in India. country. India lost large jute growing areas to East Pakistan (Bangladesh) during partition. At Cotton present, India produces about three-fifth of jute Cotton is a tropical crop grown in kharif season production of the world. West Bengal accounts for about three-fourth of the production in the in semi-arid areas of the country. India lost a large proportion of cotton growing area to country. Bihar and Assam are other jute growing Pakistan during partition. However, its acreage areas. Being concentrated only in a few states, this crop accounts for only about 0.5 per cent of has increased considerably during the last 50 years. India grows both short staple (Indian) total cropped area in the country. cotton as well as long staple (American) cotton called ‘narma’ in north-western parts of the Other Crops country. Cotton requires clear sky during Sugarcane, tea and coffee are other important flowering stage. crops grown in India. 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. 5.7 : Cotton Cultivation India ranks fourth in the world in the production of cotton after China, U.S.A. and Pakistan and accounts for about 8.3 per cent of production of cotton in the world. 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 Fig. 5.8 : Sugarcane Cultivation Land Resources and Agriculture 51 2015-16  Fig. 5.9 : India – Distribution of Sugarcane 52 India : People and Economy 2015-16 In southern India, it is cultivated in irrigated after Sri Lanka and China. 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 2008-09. It accounts are the other leading producers of tea. for about 23 per cent of the world production of sugarcane. But it occupies only 2.4 per cent Coffee of total cropped area in the country. Uttar Coffee is a tropical plantation crop. Its seeds Pradesh produces about two-fifth of sugarcane are roasted, ground and are used for preparing of the country. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil a beverage. There are three varieties of coffee Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are other i.e. arabica, robusta and liberica. India mostly leading producers of this crop where yield level grows superior quality coffee, arabica, which of sugarcane is high. Its yield is low in northern is in great demand in International market. But India. India produces only about 3.2 per cent coffee of the world and ranks seventh after Brazil, Tea Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethopia and Tea is a plantation crop used as beverage. Black Mexico in 2008-09. Coffee is cultivated in the tea leaves are fermented whereas green tea leaves highlands of Western Ghats in Karnataka, are unfermented. Tea leaves have rich content of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka alone caffeine and tannin. It is an indigenous crop of 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 Agriculture continues to be an important sector still is a major tea growing area in the country. of Indian economy. In 2001 about 53 per cent Later on, its plantation was introduced in the population of the country was dependent on it. sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal (Darjiling, The importance of agricultural sector in India Jalpaiguri and Cooch Bihar districts). Tea is also can be gauged from the fact that about 57 per cultivated on the lower slopes of Nilgiri and cent of its land is devoted to crop cultivation, whereas, in the world, the corresponding share is only about 12 per cent. In spite of this, there is tremendous pressure on agricultural land in India, which is reflected from the fact that the land-human ratio in the country is only 0.31 ha which is almost half of that of the world as a whole (0.59 ha). Despite various constraints, Indian agriculture has marched a long way since Independence. Strategy of Development Indian agricultural economy was largely Fig. 5.10 : Tea Farming subsistence in nature before Independence. It Cardamom hills in Western Ghats. India is a had dismal performance in the first half of leading producer of tea and accounts for about twentieth century. This period witnessed severe 28 per cent of total production in the world. droughts and famines. During partition about India’s share in the international market of tea one-third of the irrigated land in undivided has declined substantially. At present, it ranks India went to Pakistan. This reduced the third among tea exporting countries in the world proportion of irrigated area in Independent Land Resources and Agriculture 53 2015-16  Fig. 5.11 : India – Distribution of Tea and Coffee 54 India : People and Economy 2015-16 India. After Independence, the immediate goal the need for diversification of agriculture and of the Government was to increase foodgrains harnessing of resources for development of production by (i) switching over from cash dairy farming, poultry, horticulture, livestock crops to food crops; (ii) intensification of rearing and aquaculture. cropping over already cultivated land; and (iii) Initiation of the policy of liberalisation and increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable free market economy in 1990s is likely to and fallow land under plough. Initially, this influence the course of development of Indian strategy helped in increasing foodgrains agriculture. Lack of development of rural production. But agricultural production infrastructure, withdrawal of subsidies and stagnated during late 1950s. To overcome this price support, and impediments in availing of problem, Intensive Agricultural District the rural credits may lead to inter-regional and Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural inter-personal disparities in rural areas. Area Programme (IAAP) were launched. But two consecutive droughts during mid-1960s Growth of Agricultural Output and Technology resulted in food crisis in the country. There has been a significant increase in Consequently, the foodgrains were imported agricultural output and improvement in from other countries. technology during the last fifty years. New seed varieties of wheat (Mexico) and Production and yield of many crops rice (Philippines) known as high yielding such as rice and wheat has increased at varieties (HYVs) were available for cultivation an impressive rate. Among the other by mid-1960s. India took advantage of this and crops, the production of sugarcane, introduced package technology comprising oilseeds and cotton has also increased HYVs, along with chemical fertilizers in irrigated appreciably. India ranked first in the areas of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar p r o d u c t i o n o f p u l s e s and j u t e in Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Assured 2008-09. It is the second largest- supply of soil moisture through irrigation was producer of rice, wheat, groundnut, a basic pre-requisite for the success of this new sugarcane and vegetables. agricultural technology. This strategy of Expansion of irrigation has played a very 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 fertilizers, 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 increased from 20.85 to industries. This strategy of agricultural 54.66 million ha over the period 1950-51 development made the country self-reliant in to 2000-01. Over these 50 years, area foodgrain production. But green revolution was irrigated more than once in an agricultural initially confined to irrigated areas only. This year has increased from 1.71 to 20.46 led to regional disparities in agricultural million ha. development in the country till the seventies, Modern agricultural technology has after which the technology spread to the Eastern diffused very fast in various areas of the and Central parts of the country. country. Consumption of chemical The Planning Commission of India fertilizers has increased by 15 times since focused its attention on the problems of mid-sixties. In 2001-02, per hectare agriculture in rainfed areas in 1980s. It consumption of chemical fertilizers in India initiated agro-climatic planning in 1988 to was 91 kg which was equal to its average induce regionally balanced agricultural consumption in the world (90 kg). But in development in the country. It also emphasised the irrigated areas of Punjab and Haryana, Land Resources and Agriculture 55 2015-16  the consumption of chemical fertilizers per Low productivity unit area is three to four times higher than The yield of the crops in the country is low in that of the national average. Since the high comparison to the international level. Per yielding varieties are highly susceptible to hectare output of most of the crops such as pests and diseases, the use of pesticides rice, wheat, cotton and oilseeds in India is has increased significantly since 1960s. much lower than that of U.S.A., Russia and Japan. Because of the very high pressure on the land resources, the labour productivity in Indian agriculture is also very low in comparison to international level. The vast rainfed areas of the country, particularly drylands which mostly grow coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds have very low yields. Why is agricultural productivity low in dry regions? Constraints of Financial Resources and Fig. 5.12 : Roto Till Drill - A modern agricultural equipment Indebtedness Pr Proob lems of Indian Ag blems ricultur Agricultur e riculture The inputs of modern agriculture are very expensive. This resource intensive approach has The nature of problems faced by Indian become unmanageable for marginal and small agriculture varies according to agro-ecological farmers as they have very meagre or no saving and historical experiences of its different regions. Hence, most of the agricultural problems in the to invest in agriculture. To tide over these country are region specific. Yet, there are some difficulties, most of such farmers have resorted problems which are common and range from to availing credit from various institutions and physical constraints to institutional hindrances. money lenders. Crop failures and low returns A detailed discussion on these problems follows: from agriculture have forced them to fall in the trap of indebtedness. Dependence on Erratic Monsoon Irrigation covers only about 33 per cent of the cultivated area in India. The crop production What are the implications of severe in rest of the cultivated land directly depends indebtedness? Do you feel that the recent on rainfall. Poor performance of south-west incidents of farmers’ suicides in different Monsoon also adversely affects the supply of states of the country are the result of canal water for irrigation. On the other hand, indebtedness? the rainfall in Rajasthan and other drought prone areas is too meagre and highly unreliable. Even the areas receiving high annual rainfall Lack of Land Reforms experience considerable fluctuations. This Indian peasantry had been exploited for a makes them vulnerable to both droughts and long time as there had been unequal floods. Drought is a common phenomenon in distribution of land. Among the three the low rainfall areas which may also experience revenue systems operational during British occasional floods. The flash floods in drylands of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan in period i.e. Mahalwari, Ryotwari and 2006 are examples of this phenomenon. Zamindari, the last one was most exploitative Droughts and floods continue to be twin menace for the peasants. After independence, land in Indian agriculture. reforms were accorded priority, but these 56 India : People and Economy 2015-16 reforms were not implemented effectively due of land holding is shrinking further under to lack of strong political will. Most of the state increasing population pressure. Furthermore, governments avoided taking politically tough in India, the land holdings are mostly decisions which went against strong political fragmented. There are some states where lobbies of landlords. Lack of implementation consolidation of holding has not been carried of land reforms has resulted in continuation out even once. Even the states where it has been of inequitous distribution of cultivable land carried out once, second consolidation is which is detrimental to agricultural required as land holdings have fragmented development. again in the process of division of land among the owners of next generations. The small size Small Farm Size and Fragmentation of fragmented landholdings are uneconomic. Landholdings Lack of Commercialisation There are a large number of marginal and small farmers in the country. More than 60 per cent A large number of farmers produce crops for of the ownership holdings have a size smaller self-consumption. These farmers do not have than one (ha). Furthermore, about 40 per cent enough land resources to produce more than of the farmers have operational holding size their requirement. Most of the small and smaller than 0.5 hectare (ha). The average size marginal farmers grow foodgrains, which are What changes have you noticed in agricultural sector and cropping pattern? Discuss in the class. Land Resources and Agriculture 57 2015-16 meant for their own family consumption. tract of agricultural land has lost its fertility Modernisation and commercialisation of due to alkalisation and salinisation of soils and agriculture have however, taken place in the waterlogging. Alkalinity and salinity have irrigated areas. already affected about 8 million ha land. Another 7 million ha land in the country has Vast Under-employment lost its fertility due to waterlogging. Excessive There is a massive under-employment in the use of chemicals such as insecticides and agricultural sector in India, particularly in the pesticides has led to their concentration in toxic un-irrigated tracts. In these areas, there is a amounts in the soil profile. Leguminous crops seasonal unemployment ranging from 4 to 8 have been displaced from the cropping pattern months. Even in the cropping season work is in the irrigated areas and duration of fallow not available throughout, as agricultural has substantially reduced owing to multiple operations are not labour intensive. Hence, the cropping. This has obliterated the process of people engaged in agriculture do not have the natural fertilization such as nitrogen fixation. opportunity to work round the year. Rainfed areas in humid and semi-arid tropics also experience degradation of several types Degradation of Cultivable Land like soil erosion by water and wind erosion which are often induced by human activities. One of the serious problems that arises out of faulty strategy of irrigation and agricultural development is degradation of land resources. This is serious because it may lead to Prepare a list of agricultural problems in your own depletion of soil fertility. The situation is region. How similar or different are these problems particularly alarming in irrigated areas. A large 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 58 India : People and Economy 2015-16  (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 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? Land Resources and Agriculture 59 2015-16