Chapter 4 Agriculture

1. Write four points to stress the importance of agriculture in India.

OR
Why is India called an agriculturally important country? Write four supportive arguments.
OR
‘Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian Economy’ Explain the statement by giving
reason.
Answer: India is an agricultural country because of the following reasons:
1. Two-third of its population is engaged in agricultural activities which provide livelihood.
2. Agriculture is a primary activity and produces most of the food and foodgrains that we
consume.
3. It produces raw materials for our various industries, e.g., cotton textile and sugar industry.
4. Some agricultural products, like tea, coffee and spices, are exported and earn foreign
exchange.
5. The share of agriculture in providing employment and livelihood to the population continued
to be as high as 63% in 2001.

4. Write main characteristics of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.

OR
Write main characteristics of Primitive Subsistence Farming.
Answer:
 This type of farming is practised in few pockets of India on small patches of land using
primitive tools and family/community labour.
 Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their
families.
 When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for
cultivation. This type of shifting allows nature to replenish the fertility of the soil through
natural processes.
 Land productivity is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or other modem inputs.

8. Write the main characteristics of intensive subsistence farming.

Answer:

1. It is practised in areas of high population pressure on land.

2. It is labour intensive farming.
3. Yield per hectare is high because high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used.
4. The size of the land-holdings is small and uneconomical.
5. Farmers take maximum output from the limited land by raising 2-3 crops in a year from the
same land, i.e., multiple cropping is practised.

32. What is horticulture?

Answer: Cultivation of fruits, vegetables and flowers is called horticulture.
7. Differentiate between ‘intensive subsistence farming’ and ‘commercial farming’.
Intensive Subsistence Farming Commercial Farming

(i) In this type of farming, production is (i) In this, crops are mainly grown for commercial
mainly for self consumption. purposes.

(ii) It is practised in areas of high (ii) It is practiced on large pieces of land on scientific
population pressure on land. and commercial lines.

(iii) It is labour intensive farming. (iii) In this type of agriculture, machines and modem
technology are used.

(iv) In this, high doses of biochemical (iv) There is higher use of modern agricultural inputs,
inputs and irrigation are used for for example, High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds,
obtaining higher production. fertilisers, irrigation, etc. are used to obtain higher
yields and production.

(v) Farmers take maximum output from (v) The degree of commercialization varies from one
the limited land by raising 2-3 crops in a region to another. Rice is a commercial crop in
year from the same land, i.e., multiple Punjab, while in Orissa it is subsistence crop. For
cropping is practised. example, Plantation agriculture.

9. differences between primitive subsistence farming and commercial farming?

Primitive Subsistence Farming Commercial Farming

1. In this mainly cereals and other

1. In this, crops are mainly grown for commercial
food crops are grown by farmers to
purposes.
sustain themselves.

2. It is generally done on small land

2. It is practiced on large pieces of land on scientific and
holdings which are economically not
commercial lines.
viable.

3. Primitive tools and animals are

3. In this type of agriculture, machines and modern
used for carrying out agricultural
technology are used.
activities.

4. In this, modern agricultural inputs, 4. There is higher use of modern agricultural inputs, e.g.,
e.g., fertilisers and irrigation are not HYV seeds, fertilisers, irrigation, etc. are used to obtain
widely used. higher yields and production.

5. Subsistence Agriculture is called 5. The degree of commercialization varies from one

Jhumming in Assam, Mizoram; region to another. Rice is a commercial crop in Punjab,
Kuruwa in Jharkhand. E.g., Slash and while in Orissa it is subsistence crop. E.g., Plantation
Burn. agriculture.
10. What is the most important characteristic of commercial farming?

Answer: The main characteristic of commercial farming is the use of higher doses of modern
inputs, e.g., high yielding varieties seeds (HYVs), chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase
productivity.
The degree of commercialisation of agriculture varies from one region to another.

12. Write six characteristics of plantation agriculture.

Answer: Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming.
Characteristics of plantation agriculture:
1. A single type of crop is grown on a large area.
2. Plantation is carried out on large estates using lot of capital intensive units.
3. Lot of migrant labourers work on these estates.
4. The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry. All the produce is used as raw
material in the respective industries.
5. The production is mainly for the market, i.e., commercial agriculture.
6. A well developed network of transport and communication connecting the plantation areas,
processing industries and markets plays an important role in the development of plantations.

15. Name three cropping seasons of India. Write their sowing and harvesting time and major
crops of each season.
Answer: Rabi, Kharif and Zaid are the three cropping seasons.

Rabi crops (Winter crops):

These are sown in winter from October to December.
Harvested in summer from April to June.
Important crops are wheat, barley, mustard, peas, gram etc.

Kharif crops (Crops of the rainy season):

These are sown with the onset of monsoon (June-July) and are harvested in September-October.
Important crops are rice, maize, millets, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute,
groundnut and soyabean.

Zaid season: It is a short cropping season during summer months (mainly between March-April
and June-July in different parts of the country).
Important crops are watermelon, musk melon, cucumber and fodder crops, etc.
33. Name the different Indian fruits which are in great demand world over and also name
the states where each is produced.
Answer:
 Mangoes grow in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
 Bananas grow well in Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
 Oranges grow well in Nagpur and Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya).
 Lichi and Guavas grow in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
 Grapes grow well in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
 Pineapple grows well in Meghalaya.
 Apples, Pears, Apricots and Walnuts grow well in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.

42. Give the main reasons which have necessitated agricultural reforms.
Answer: Reforms in agriculture are necessary because of the following reasons:
1. Sustained uses of land without compatible techno-institutional changes have hindered the
pace of agricultural development.
2. Most of the farmers still depend on monsoons because large parts of the country still do not
have irrigation facilities.
3. Farmers still depend on natural fertility in order to carry on their agriculture, i.e., they lack
material resources, e.g., fertilizers, etc.
4. Ours is an agricultural economy and about 63% of people depend on agriculture for
employment and livelihood, therefore reforms have to be implemented.
5. For raising the agricultural production and productivity levels to produce sufficient food for
the growing population.
6. To overcome environmental, economic and social constraints, agricultural reforms have to be
seriously implemented.
7. The declining share in GDP is a matter of serious concern because decline and stagnation in
agriculture will lead to decline in other spheres of economy.

43. What are ‘Institutional Reforms’? Enlist various institutional reforms taken by the
Indian Government to bring about improvements in agriculture.
Answer: Steps taken by the government to bring about improvements in agriculture are termed as
‘Institutional Reforms’.
Some steps are:
1. Collectivisation and consolidation of land holdings to make them economically viable.
2. The green revolution based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution to
increase milk production are important strategies which were initiated to improve agriculture.
3. Cooperation with farmers and Abolition of Zamindari system.
4. Provision of crop insurance to protect the farmers against losses caused by natural calamities,
i.e. drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease.
5. Establishment of ‘Grameen Banks’, Cooperative Societies and Banks for providing loan
facilities to the farmers at lower rates of interest.
6. Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other
schemes introduced by the government for the benefit of farmers.
 7. Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced on the
Radio and TV.
8. Announcement of minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for crops to
check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen and removing the elements
of uncertainty.

44. Describe some concerted efforts made by the government to modernise Indian
agriculture and improve its share in the GDP.
Answer: The following measures have been taken by the government to modernise agriculture
and improve its share in the GDP:

1. Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

2. Setting up of Agricultural Universities.
3. Development of advanced Veterinary Services and Animal Breeding Centres.
4. Development of horticulture.
5. Research and Development in the field of meteorology and weather forecasts, etc.
Improving the rural infrastructure is essential for the same.

46. What are the challenges being faced by Indian farmers? What has this resulted in?
Answer: Challenges faced by Indian farmers:
1. Reduction in public investment by government in the agricultural sector particularly in areas
of irrigation, power, rural roads, market and mechanisation.
2. Subsidy on fertilizers has decreased leading to increase in the cost of production.
3. Reduction in import duties on agricultural products has proved detrimental to agriculture in
the country.
All these factors have led to stiff international competition. Farmers are thus withdrawing
their investment from agriculture causing a downfall in agricultural employment.

49. Give four reasons why Indian farmers should switch over from cereals to high value
crops’ cultivation.
(b) What will be the implication of this change? Name three countries which have
successfully done this.
Answer: (a) Indian farmers should switch from cereals to high value crops because of the
following reasons:
 It will improve their income.
 It will reduce environmental degradation at the same time.
 Fruits, medicinal herbs, bio-diesel crops, flowers and vegetables need much less irrigation
than rice or sugarcane.
 India’s wide variety of climates can be harnessed to grow a wide range of high value crops.
(b) Its implications are:
 India has to import food.
 If we import food while exporting high value crops, our economy will grow.
 Three countries which have such successful economies are: Chile, Israel and Italy, which
export farm products (fruits, wine, olives, speciality seeds) and import food.
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