Chapter -: Agriculture
How can u say that India is an agriculturally important country ?
OR
Why is agriculture called the backbone of the Indian economy? Explain. (Delhi 2020)
Ans: Agriculture is called the backbone of the Indian economy due to the following
reasons:
• It is the main occupation of the majority of people in India, providing employment to a
significant portion of the population.
• Agriculture provides raw materials to the manufacturing sector, supporting industrial
development.
e
• It ensures food security by producing food grains for the growing population.
t
like transportation and storage etc.
s t tu
• Agriculture contributes to the development of the tertiary sector, as it requires services
i
India’s total export come from agriculture.
m In
•About 25% of India’s national income is generated in the agriculture sector and 10% of
Types of farming -:
ny a
i).Primitive Subsistence Farming –: This type of farming is practised in few pockets of
r e
India. Primitive subsistence agriculture is practised on small patches of land with the
a
help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks, and family/ community labour.
V
•This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of
other environmental conditions to the crops grown.
•It is a 'slash and burn agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and
other food crops to sustain their family. 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 in this type
of agriculture is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or other modern inputs. It is
known by different names in different parts of the country.
•It is Jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam ,Meghalaya , Mizoram and Nagaland.
•Pamlou in Manipur.
•Dipa in Bastar district of Chhattishgarh and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
, Write main characteristics of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
Or
Write main characteristics of Primitive Subsistence Farming
Intensive Subsistence Farming-:
Q).Write the main characteristics of intensive subsistence farming.
Ans-:• This type of farming is practised in areas of high population pressure on land.
•It is labour intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are
used for obtaining higher production.
Commercial Farming-:
•The main characteristic of this type of farming is the use of higher doses of modern inputs,
e
e.g. high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in
t
tu
order to obtain higher productivity.
t i
•The degree of commercialisation of agriculture varies from one region to another. For
s
In
example, rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Odisha, it is a
subsistence crop.
a m
1).Give an example of a crop which is commercial in one region and provides
ny
subsistence in another. (2012)
a
Plantation -:
r e
V
• Plantation is also a type of commercial farming. In this type of farming, a single crop is
grown on a large area. The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry.
• Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of
migrant labourers. All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.
•In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc., are important plantation crops
• Tea in Assam and North Bengal , coffee in Karnataka are some of the important
plantation crops grown in these states.
•Since the production is mainly for market, 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.
How can u say that India is an agriculturally important country ?
OR
Why is agriculture called the backbone of the Indian economy? Explain. (Delhi 2020)
Ans: Agriculture is called the backbone of the Indian economy due to the following
reasons:
• It is the main occupation of the majority of people in India, providing employment to a
significant portion of the population.
• Agriculture provides raw materials to the manufacturing sector, supporting industrial
development.
e
• It ensures food security by producing food grains for the growing population.
t
like transportation and storage etc.
s t tu
• Agriculture contributes to the development of the tertiary sector, as it requires services
i
India’s total export come from agriculture.
m In
•About 25% of India’s national income is generated in the agriculture sector and 10% of
Types of farming -:
ny a
i).Primitive Subsistence Farming –: This type of farming is practised in few pockets of
r e
India. Primitive subsistence agriculture is practised on small patches of land with the
a
help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks, and family/ community labour.
V
•This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of
other environmental conditions to the crops grown.
•It is a 'slash and burn agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and
other food crops to sustain their family. 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 in this type
of agriculture is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or other modern inputs. It is
known by different names in different parts of the country.
•It is Jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam ,Meghalaya , Mizoram and Nagaland.
•Pamlou in Manipur.
•Dipa in Bastar district of Chhattishgarh and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
, Write main characteristics of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
Or
Write main characteristics of Primitive Subsistence Farming
Intensive Subsistence Farming-:
Q).Write the main characteristics of intensive subsistence farming.
Ans-:• This type of farming is practised in areas of high population pressure on land.
•It is labour intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are
used for obtaining higher production.
Commercial Farming-:
•The main characteristic of this type of farming is the use of higher doses of modern inputs,
e
e.g. high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in
t
tu
order to obtain higher productivity.
t i
•The degree of commercialisation of agriculture varies from one region to another. For
s
In
example, rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Odisha, it is a
subsistence crop.
a m
1).Give an example of a crop which is commercial in one region and provides
ny
subsistence in another. (2012)
a
Plantation -:
r e
V
• Plantation is also a type of commercial farming. In this type of farming, a single crop is
grown on a large area. The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry.
• Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of
migrant labourers. All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.
•In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc., are important plantation crops
• Tea in Assam and North Bengal , coffee in Karnataka are some of the important
plantation crops grown in these states.
•Since the production is mainly for market, 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.
