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produces raw material for various industries. Can you name some such types of farmings?
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Can you name some industries based on
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It is jhumming in north-eastern states like
agricultural raw material?
Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland;
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Moreover, some agricultural products like
tea, coffee, spices, etc. are also exported.
Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of
Chhattishgarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar
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Islands.
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TYPES OF FARMING
Jhumming: The slash and burn agriculture
Agriculture is an age-old economic activity in is known as Milpa in Mexico and Central
our country. Over these years, cultivation
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the soil and her familys search for fresh a Tea in Assam and North Bengal coffee in
patch of land in the next season.
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family is engaged in?
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Can you enlist some crops which are grown
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in such farming?
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Intensive Subsistence Farming
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This type of farming is practised in areas of
high population pressure on land. It is labour-
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intensive farming, where high doses of
biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for Fig. 4.2: Banana plantation in Southern
obtaining higher production. part of India
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Commercial Farming
The main characteristic of this type of farming
is the use of higher doses of modern inputs,
e.g. high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical Fig. 4.3: Bamboo plantation in North-east
fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in order
to obtain higher productivity. The degree of
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AGRICULTURE 35
CROPPING PATTERN vegetables and fodder crops. Sugarcane takes
almost a year to grow.
You have studied the physical diversities and
plurality of cultures in India. These are also Major Crops
reflected in agricultural practices and
A variety of food and non food crops are grown
cropping patterns in the country. Various
in different parts of the country depending
types of food and fibre crops, vegetables and
upon the variations in soil, climate and
fruits, spices and condiments, etc. constitute cultivation practices. Major crops grown in
some of the important crops grown in the India are rice, wheat, millets, pulses, tea, coffee,
country. India has three cropping seasons sugarcane, oil seeds, cotton and jute, etc.
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rabi, kharif and zaid.
Rabi crops are sown in winter from October Rice: It is the staple food crop of a majority of
to December and harvested in summer from the people in India. Our country is the second
April to June. Some of the important rabi crops largest producer of rice in the world after China.
are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard. It is a kharif crop which requires high
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Though, these crops are grown in large parts temperature, (above 25C) and high humidity
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of India, states from the north and north- with annual rainfall above 100 cm. In the areas
of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation.
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western parts such as Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
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Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are important north-eastern India, coastal areas and the
deltaic regions. Development of dense network
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for the production of wheat and other rabi
crops. Availability of precipitation during
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winter months due to the western temperate
cyclones helps in the success of these crops.
However, the success of the green revolution
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36 CONTEMPORARY INDIA II
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AGRICULTURE 37
of canal irrigation and tubewells have made it
possible to grow rice in areas of less rainfall
such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar
Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.
Wheat: This is the second most important
cereal crop. It is the main food crop, in north
and north-western part of the country. This
rabi crop requires a cool growing season and
a bright sunshine at the time of ripening. It
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requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly-
distributed over the growing season. There are
two important wheat-growing zones in the
Fig. 4.6: Bajra Cultivation
country the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-
west and black soil region of the Deccan. The
crop of dry regions and grows well on red,
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major wheat-producing states are Punjab,
black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils.
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Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and
Major ragi producing states are: Karnataka,
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parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh.
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and fodder. It is a kharif crop which requires
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temperature between 21C to 27C and grows
well in old alluvial soil. In some states like Bihar
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Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow as the consumer of pulses in the world. These
black soil. Major Bajra producing States were: are the major source of protein in a vegetarian
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, diet. Major pulses that are grown in India are
Gujarat and Haryana in 2011-12. Ragi is a tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and
38 CONTEMPORARY INDIA II
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AGRICULTURE 39
gram. Can you distinguish which of these states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,
pulses are grown in the kharif season and Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
which are grown in the rabi season? Pulses Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.
need less moisture and survive even in dry
Oil Seeds: In 2008 India was the second
conditions. Being leguminous crops, all these
largest producer of groundnut in the world
crops except arhar help in restoring soil fertility
after china. In rape seed production India was
by fixing nitrogen from the air. Therefore, these
third largest producer in the world after
are mostly grown in rotation with other crops.
Canada and China in 2008. Different oil seeds
Major pulse producing states in India are
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, are grown covering approximately 12 per cent
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Maharashtra and Karnataka. of the total cropped area of the country. Main
oil-seeds produced in India are groundnut,
Food Crops other than Grains mustard, coconut, sesamum (til), soyabean,
Sugarcane: It is a tropical as well as a castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and
subtropical crop. It grows well in hot and sunflower. Most of these are edible and used
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humid climate with a temperature of 21C to as cooking mediums. However, some of these
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27C and an annual rainfall between 75cm. are also used as raw material in the production
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and 100cm. Irrigation is required in the regions of soap, cosmetics and ointments.
of low rainfall. It can be grown on a variety of Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts
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the country. Gujarat was the largest producer
of groundnut followed by Andhra Pradesh and
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Tamil Nadu in 2011-12. Linseed and mustard
are rabi crops. Sesamum is a kharif crop in north
and rabi crop in south India. Castor seed is
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Fig. 4.9: Groundnut, sunflower and mustard are ready to be harvested in the field
40 CONTEMPORARY INDIA II
cheap and skilled labour.
Tea is processed within
the tea garden to restore
its freshness. Major tea-
producing states are
Assam, hills of Darjeeling
and Jalpaiguri districts,
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu
and Kerala. Apart from
these, Himachal Pradesh,
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Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Fig. 4.10: Tea Cultivation Fig. 4.11: Tea-leaves Harvesting
Andhra Pradesh and
Tripura are also tea-producing states in the tropical as well as temperate fruits. Mangoes
country. In 2008 India was the third largest of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar
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producer of tea after China and Turkey. Pradesh and West Bengal, oranges of Nagpur
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Coffee: In 2008 India produced 3.2 per cent and Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya), bananas of
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of the world coffee production. Indian coffee is Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil
known in the world for its good quality. The Nadu, lichi and guava of Uttar Pradesh and
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Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is Bihar, pineapples of Meghalaya, grapes of
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produced in the country. This variety is in great Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, apples,
demand all over the world. Intially its cultivation pears, apricots and walnuts of Jammu and
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was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are in great
even today its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri demand the world over.
in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
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AGRICULTURE 41
Non-Food Crops
Rubber: It is an equatorial crop, but under
special conditions, it is also grown in tropical
and sub-tropical areas. It requires moist and
humid climate with rainfall of more than 200
cm. and temperature above 25C.
Rubber is an important industrial raw
material. It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar
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islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya. In 2010-11
India ranked fourth among the worlds natural
rubber producers.
Fig. 4.15: Cotton Cultivation
List the items which are made of rubber and
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are used by us. plateau. It requires high temperature, light
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rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and
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bright sun-shine for its growth. It is a kharif
crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.
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Dipped
Goods
4.7%
Others
62.2%
Major cotton-producing states are
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4%
Latex Foam Auto Tyres Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
and Tubes Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
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4.6%
Belts and Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Hoses
Fig. 4.14: Consumption of natural rubber - 2010-11 market to synthetic fibres and packing
materials, particularly the nylon.
Source : Statistics and Planning Department Rubber
Board, Kottayam, Kerala Technological and Institutional Reforms
Fibre Crops: Cotton, jute, hemp and natural It was mentioned in the previous pages that
silk are the four major fibre crops grown in India. agriculture has been practised in India for
The first three are derived from the crops grown thousands of years. Sustained uses of land
in the soil, the latter is obtained from cocoons of without compatible techno-institutional
the silkworms fed on green leaves specially changes have hindered the pace of
mulberry. Rearing of silk worms for the agricultural development. Inspite of
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main raw materials for cotton textile industry. growing population, this poses a serious
In 2008 India was second largest producer of challenge. Agriculture which provides
cotton after China. Cotton grows well in drier livelihood for more than 60 per cent of its
parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan population, needs some serious technical and
42 CONTEMPORARY INDIA II
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Fig. 4.16: Modern technological equipments used in agriculture
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institutional reforms. Thus, collectivisation, programmes for farmers were introduced on
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consolidation of holdings, cooperation and the radio and television. The government also
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abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority
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to bring about institutional reforms in the remunerative and procurement prices for
country after Independence. Land reform was important crops to check the exploitation of
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the main focus of our First Five Year Plan. The farmers by speculators and middlemen.
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right of inheritance had already lead to
fragmentation of land holdings necessitating
consolidation of holdings. Bhoodan Gramdan
Mahatma Gandhi declared Vinoba Bhave as
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reforms to improve Indian agriculture in the Gandhis concept of gram swarajya. After
1960s and 1970s. The Green Revolution Gandhijis martyrdom, Vinoba Bhave
based on the use of package technology and undertook padyatra to spread Gandhijis
the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were message covered almost the entire country.
some of the strategies initiated to improve the Once, when he was delivering a lecture at
lot of Indian agriculture. But, this too led to Pochampalli in Andhra Pradesh, some poor
the concentration of development in few landless villagers demanded some land for
selected areas. Therefore, in the 1980s and their economic well-being. Vinoba Bhave
1990s, a comprehensive land development could not promise it to them immediately
programme was initiated, which included both but assured them to talk to the Government
institutional and technical reforms. Provision of India regarding provision of land for them
for crop insurance against drought, flood, if they undertook cooperative farming.
cyclone, fire and disease, establishment of Suddenly, Shri Ram Chandra Reddy stood
Grameen banks, cooperative societies and up and offered 80 acres of land to be
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banks for providing loan facilities to the distributed among 80 land-less villagers.
farmers at lower rates of interest were some This act was known as Bhoodan. Later he
important steps in this direction. travelled and introduced his ideas widely all
Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal over India. Some zamindars, owners of
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Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some many villages offered to distribute some
other schemes introduced by the Government villages among the landless. It was known
of India for the benefit of the farmers. Moreover, as Gramdan. However, many land-owners
special weather bulletins and agricultural chose to provide some part of their land to
AGRICULTURE 43
the poor farmers due to the fear of land Table 4.1: India: Growth of GDP and
ceiling act. This Bhoodan- Gramdan major sectors (in %)
movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave is also Sector Tenth Five Year 11th Five Year
known as the Blood-less Revolution. Plan (Actual) Plan (Projected)
(2002-07) (2007-2012)
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GDP 7.2 9.0
Domestic Product (GDP) has registered a
declining trend from 1951 onwards; in Source: 11th Five Year Plan, 2002-07
2010-11 about 52 per cent of the total work mechanisation. Subsidy on fertilisers is
force was employed by the farm sector which decreased leading to increase in the cost of
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makes more than half of the Indian Population production. Moreover, reduction in import
dependent on agriculture for sustenance.
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duties on agricultural products have proved
The declining share of agriculture in the
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detrimental to agriculture in the country.
GDP is a matter of serious concern because
Farmers are withdrawing their investment
any decline and stagnation in agriculture will
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lead to a decline in other spheres of the
from agriculture causing a downfall in the
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economy having wider implications for society. employment in agriculture.
Considering the importance of agriculture
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When farmers have been facing so many
in India, the Government of India made
problems and land under agriculture is
concerted efforts to modernise agriculture.
decreasing, can we think of alternative
Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural
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and development in the field of meteorology and Why are farmers committing suicides in
weather forecast, etc. were given priority for several states of the country?
improving Indian agriculture. Apart from this,
improving the rural infrastructure was also FOOD SECURITY
considered essential for the same. You know that food is a basic need and every
citizen of the country should have access to
food which provides minimum nutritional
Find out why an Indian farmer does not want level. If any segment of our population does
his son to become a farmer. not have this access, that segment suffers from
lack of food security. The number of people
who do not have food security is
From the Table 4.1, it is clear that though
disproportionately large in some regions of
the GDP growth rate is increasing over the
our country, particularly in economically less
years, it is not generating sufficient
developed states with higher incidence of
employment opportunities in the country. The
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international competition and our government carefully designed a national food security
is going ahead with reduction in the public system. It consists of two components (a)
investment in agriculture sector particularly buffer stock and (b) public distribution
in irrigation, power, rural roads, market and system (PDS).
44 CONTEMPORARY INDIA II
As you know, PDS is a programme which growth potential in that particular area must
provides food grains and other essential be encouraged. Creation of necessary
commodities at subsidised prices in rural and infrastructure like irrigation facilities,
urban areas. availability of electricity etc. may also attract
Indias food security policy has a primary private investments in agriculture.
objective to ensure availability of foodgrains The focus on increasing foodgrain
to the common people at an affordable price. production which should be on a sustainable
It has enabled the poor to have access to food. basis and also free trade in grains will create
The focus of the policy is on growth in massive employment and reduce poverty in
agriculture production and on fixing the rural areas.
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support price for procurement of wheat and There has been a gradual shift from
rice, to maintain their stocks. Food cultivation of food crops to cultivation of fruits,
Corporation of India (FCI) is responsible for vegetables, oil-seeds and industrial crops. This
procuring and stocking foodgrains, whereas has led to the reduction in net sown area under
distribution is ensured by public distribution cereals and pulses. With the growing
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system (PDS). population of India, the declining food
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The FCI procures foodgrains from the production puts a big question mark over the
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farmers at the government announced countrys future food security. The competition
minimum support price (MSP). The
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government used to provide subsidies on as housing etc. and agriculture has resulted
agriculture inputs such as fertilizers, power in reduction in the net sown area. The
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and water. These subsidies have now reached productivity of land has started showing a
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unsustainable levels and have also led to large declining trend. Fertilisers, pesticides and
scale inefficiencies in the use of these scarce insecticides, which once showed dramatic
inputs. Excessive and imprudent use of results, are now being held responsible for
degrading the soils. Periodic scarcity of water
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provides proper agricultural infrastructure, Total 201.4 207.5 210.8 201.2 215.8
credit linkages and also encourages the use of Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics,
latest techniques. Instead of concentrating only Department of Agriculture and Cooperation,
on rice or wheat, the food crop with a better Economic Survey, 2011-12.
AGRICULTURE 45
One important reason is land degradation. simultaneously. The higher the supply the
Free power to a section of farmers has lower is the demand. This causes distress sale
encouraged them to pump groundwater to also. Therefore, there can be no food security
grow water-intensive crops in low-rainfall without the security of the small farmers.
areas (rice in Punjab, sugarcane in
Maharashtra). This unsustainable pumping Impact of Globalisation on Agriculture
has reduced water storage in aquifers. Globalisation is not a new phenomenon. It was
Consequently, many wells and tubewells have there at the time of colonisation. In the
run dry. This has pushed the marginal and nineteenth century when European traders
small farmers out of cultivation. came to India, at that time too, Indian spices
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The big farmers with deeper tubewells still were exported to different countries of the world
have water, but many others face a water crisis. and farmers of south India were encouraged
Inadequate storage and marketing facilities also to grow these crops. Till today it is one of the
act as a disincentive to the farmer. Thus, the important items of export from India.
During the British period cotton belts of
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farmers are badly affected by the uncertainties
of production and market. They suffer from a India attracted the British and ultimately
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double disadvantage as they pay high prices cotton was exported to Britain as a raw material
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for inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers etc. but for their textile industries. Cotton textile
lack the bargaining power to fix prices in their industry in Manchester and Liverpool
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favour. All the production reaches the market flourished due to the availability of good
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46 CONTEMPORARY INDIA II
quality cotton from India. You have read about Can you name any gene modified seed used
the Champaran movement which started in vastly in India?
1917 in Bihar. This was started because
farmers of that region were forced to grow
indigo on their land because it was necessary
for the textile industries which were located in
Britain. They were unable to grow foodgrains
to sustain their families.
Under globalisation, particularly after
1990, the farmers in India have been exposed
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to new challenges. Despite being an important
producer of rice, cotton, rubber, tea, coffee, jute
and spices our agricultural products are not
able to compete with the developed countries
because of the highly subsidised agriculture Fig. 4.18: Problems associated with heavy pesticide
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in those countries. use are widely recognised in developed and
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developing countries
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Infact organic farming is much in vogue
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made chemicals such as fertilisers and
pesticides. Hence, it does not affect environment
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in a negative manner.
A few economists think that Indian farmers
Fig. 4.17: Tissue culture of teak clones have a bleak future if they continue growing
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profitable, proper thrust should be given to the depends upon 250 million (approximate)
improvement of the condition of marginal and hectares of agricultural land, an average of less
small farmers. The green revolution promised than half a hectare per person.
much. But today its under controversies. It is Indian farmers should diversify their
being alleged that it has caused land cropping pattern from cereals to high-value
degradation due to overuse of chemicals, drying crops. This will increase incomes and reduce
aquifers and vanishing biodiversity. The environmental degradation simultaneously.
keyword today is gene revolution. Which Because fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers,
includes genetic engineering. vegetables, bio-diesel crops like jatropha
and jojoba need much less irrigation than
Genetic engineering is recognised as a rice or sugarcane. Indias diverse climate
powerful supplement in inventing new can be harnessed to grow a wide range of
hybrid varieties of seeds. high-value crops.
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Change in cropping pattern for example from cereals to high-value crops will
mean that India will have to import food. During 1960s this would have been
seen as a disaster. But if India imports cereals while exporting high-value
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commodities, it will be following successful economies like Italy, Israel and Chile.
These countries exports farm products (fruits, olives, speciality seeds and wine)
and import cereals. Are we ready to take this risk? Debate the issue.
AGRICULTURE 47
EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES
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(c) Horticulture
(d) Intensive Agriculture
(ii) Which one of the following is a rabi crop?
(a) Rice (c) Millets
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(b) Gram (d) Cotton
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(iii) Which one of the following is a leguminous crop?
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(a) Pulses (c) Millets
(b) Jawar (d) Sesamum
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(iv) Which one of the following is announced by the government in support of
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a crop?
(a) Maximum support price
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(b) Minimum support price
(c) Moderate support price
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(iv) The land under cultivation has got reduced day by day. Can you imagine
its consequences?
PROJECT WORK
1. Group discussion on the necessity of literacy among farmers.
2. On an outline map of India show wheat producing areas.
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48 CONTEMPORARY INDIA II
ACTIVITY
Solve the puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically to find the
hidden answers.
A Z M X N C B V N X A H D Q
S D E W S R J D Q J Z V R E
D K H A R I F G W F M R F W
ed
F N L R G C H H R S B S V T
G B C W H E A T Y A C H B R
H R T K A S S E P H X A N W
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J I E S J O W A R J Z H D T
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K C L A E G A C O F F E E Y
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L T E F Y M T A T S S R G I
re RP D E J O U Y V E J G F A U
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O U M H Q S U D I T S W S P
E
U O A C O T T O N E A H F O
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Y O L F L U S R Q Q D T W I
T M U A H R G Y K T R A B F
o N
E A K D G D Q H S U O I W H
W Q Z C X V B N M K J A S L
AGRICULTURE 49