Geography

Chapter 4: Agriculture

1. What is the status of agriculture as an economic activity?

i) India is an agriculturally important country.
ii) Two-thirds of its population is engaged in agricultural activities.
iii) Agriculture is a primary activity, which produces most of the food and raw material
for various industries.
2. Name some agricultural products which are exported from India?
Agricultural products like tea, coffee, spices, etc. are exported.
3. Fill in the blank
i) Agriculture is an age-old economic activity in India
ii) Farming varies from subsistence to commercial type
iii) Primitive Subsistence farming is still practised in few pockets of India

4. Why have the cultivation methods changed over the years?

Over years, cultivation methods have changed significantly depending upon the
characteristics of:
i) physical environment,
ii) technological know-how and
iii) socio-cultural practices.

5. Write a short note on Primitive subsistence farming?

This type of farming is still practised in few pockets of India:
i) Primitive subsistence agriculture is practised on small patches of land with the help of
primitive tools like hoe, Dao and digging sticks, and family/community labour.
ii) This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of
other environmental conditions to the crops grown.
iii) It is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
iv) Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their
family.
v) When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for
cultivation.
vi) 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.

6. Explain ‘Slash and burn “farming with an example?

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

7. What is the disadvantage of “Slash and burn” agriculture?

Land productivity in this type of agriculture is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or
other modern inputs.
8. Where is “Slash and burning” agriculture known as Jhumming?
It is called jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland;
Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.

9. What is “Slash and burn” agriculture known as in other countries?

The ‘slash and burn’ agriculture is known as:
i) ‘Milpa’ in Mexico and Central America,
ii) ‘Conuco’ in Venezuela,
iii) ‘Roca’ in Brazil,
iv) ‘Masole’ in Central Africa,
v) ‘Ladang’ in Indonesia,
vi) ‘Ray’ in Vietnam.

10. What is “Slash and burn” agriculture known as in various Indian states? In India, this
primitive form of cultivation is called
i) ‘Bewar’ or ‘Dahiya’ in Madhya Pradesh,
ii) ‘Podu’ or ‘Penda’ in Andhra Pradesh,
iii) ‘Pama Dabi’ or ‘Koman’ or Bringa’ in Orissa,
iv) ‘Kumari’ in Western Ghats,
v) ‘Valre’ or ‘Waltre’ in South-eastern Rajasthan,
vi) ‘Khil’ in the Himalayan belt,
vii) ‘Kuruwa’ in Jharkhand, and
viii) ‘Jhumming’ in the North-eastern region.

11. Write a short note on Intensive subsistence farming?

i) This type of farming is practised in areas of high population pressure on land.
ii) It is labour intensive farming,
iii) where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher
production.

12. Classify subsistence farming

i) Primitive Subsistence Farming
ii) Intensive subsistence farming

13. What has rendered land-holding size uneconomically?

The ‘right of inheritance’ leading to the division of land among successive generations has
rendered land-holding size uneconomically,

14. Why is there enormous pressure on agricultural land?

Through the ‘right of inheritance’ leading to the division of land among successive
generations has rendered land-holding size uneconomically, the farmers continue to take
maximum output from the limited land in the absence of alternative source of livelihood.
Thus, there is enormous pressure on agricultural land.

15. What is the main characteristic of 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 fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in
order to obtain higher productivity.
16. Verify the given statement by giving an example? “Degree of commercialisation of
agriculture varies from one region to another”
YES, the degree of commercialisation of agriculture varies from one region to another. For
example, rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Orissa, it is a subsistence
crop.

17. Write a short note on Plantation?

Plantation is also a type of commercial farming.
i) In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area.
ii) The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry.
iii) Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of
migrant labourers.
iv) All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries.

18. List the important plantation crops of India? And also specify the state where they are
majorly produced?
i) The important plantation crops in India are
a) Tea
b) Coffee
c) Rubber
d) Sugarcane
e) Banana, etc
ii) Area of major production
a) Tea in Assam and North Bengal
b) Coffee in Karnataka

19. What plays an important role in development of plantations and why?

i) A well-developed network of transport and communication connecting the plantation
areas,
ii) Processing industries and markets
The above play an important role in development of plantations because production from
plantations is mainly for market.
20. True or false
i) India is an agriculturally important country: True
ii) Agriculture is a tertiary activity: False
iii) Over years, cultivation methods have changed significantly: True
iv) Primitive subsistence farming does not depend on monsoon: False
v) Primitive subsistence farming requires large quantities of fertilisers: False
vi) In India, the primitive form of cultivation is called ‘Bewar’ or ‘Dahiya’ in Madhya
Pradesh: True
vii) Commercial farming is labour intensive: False
viii) There is no pressure on agricultural land: False
ix) Commercial farming uses traditional seeds: False
x) Plantation is also a type of commercial farming.: True
xi) The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry: True
xii) Jhumming is a name for plantations in the north eastern region: False
21. What constitute important crops grown in India?
Various types of food and fibre crops, vegetables and fruits, spices and condiments, etc.
constitute some of the important crops grown in the country
22. True or false?
i) There are physical diversities and plurality of cultures in India: True
ii) The physical diversities and plurality of cultures in India are reflected in
agricultural practices and cropping patterns in the country: True

23. List the cropping seasons of India?

i) Rabi,
ii) Kharif
iii) Zaid.

24. Write a short note on the rabi season?

i) Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from
April to June.
ii) Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard.
iii) Though, these crops are grown in large parts of India, states from the north and north
western parts such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh are important for the production of wheat and other rabi
crops.
iv) Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western temperate cyclones
helps in the success of these crops.
v) However, the success of the green revolution in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh
and parts of Rajasthan has also been an important factor in the growth of the above
mentioned rabi crops.

25. Write a short note on kharif crops?

i) Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country and
these are harvested in September-October.
ii) Important crops grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar),
moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean.
iii) Some of the most important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal
regions of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra,
particularly the (Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
iv) Recently, paddy has also become an important crop of Punjab and Haryana.
v) In states like Assam, West Bengal and Orissa, three crops of paddy are grown in a year.
These are Aus, Aman and Boro

26. What is the Zaid season?

In between the rabi and the kharif seasons, there is a short season during the summer months
known as the Zaid season.

27. List some crops produced during Zaid season?

Some of the crops produced during ‘Zaid’ are watermelon, muskmelon, sugarcane (takes a
year to grow), cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops.

28. What does grow of crops depend upon in India?

A variety of food and non-food crops are grown in different parts of the country depending
upon the variations in soil, climate and cultivation practices.
29. Classify crops based on type of consumption:
i) Food crops
ii) Non-Food crops

30. Write a short note on rice?

i) Rice is the staple food crop of a majority of the people in India.
ii) Our country is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China.
iii) It is a kharif crop which requires high temperature, (above 25°C) and high humidity with
annual rainfall above 100 cm.
iv) In the areas of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation.
v) Rice is grown in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and the deltaic
regions.
vi) Development of dense network of canal irrigation and tube wells have made it possible to
grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh and
parts of Rajasthan.

31. Which are the 2 largest producers of rice in the world?

i) China (largest)
ii) India (2nd largest)

32. Write a short note on wheat?

i) This is the second most important cereal crop. It is the main food crop, in north and north-
western part of the country.
ii) This rabi crop requires a cool growing season and a bright sunshine at the time of
ripening.
iii) It requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly distributed over the growing season.
iv) There are two important wheat-growing zones in the country – the Ganga-Satluj plains in
the northwest and black soil region of the Deccan.
v) The major wheat-producing states are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan
and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

33. What are millets?

Jowar, bajra and ragi are the important millets grown in India, they are known as coarse
grains and have very high nutritional value.

34. Write a short note on Jowar?

i) Jowar is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production.
ii) It is a rain-fed crop mostly grown in the moist areas which hardly needs irrigation.
iii) Major Jowar producing States are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh.

35. Write a note on bajra?

i) Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil.
ii) Major Bajra producing States are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and
Haryana.

36. Write short note on Ragi?

i) Ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro nutrients and roughage.
ii) Ragi is a crop of dry regions and grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow
black soils.
 iii) Major ragi producing states are: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh.

37. Give some facts on the food crop “maize”?

i) It is a crop which is used both as food and fodder.
ii) It is a kharif crop which requires temperature between 21°C to 27°C and grows well in
old alluvial soil.
iii) In some states like Bihar maize is grown in rabi season also.

38. What practices have led to increased production of maize?

Use of modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation have contributed to the
increasing production of maize.

39. List the major maize-producing states of India?

Major maize-producing states are Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana.

40. Give some facts about pulses?

i) India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world.
ii) These are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.

41. List the major pulses that are grown in India?

Major pulses that are grown in India are tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.

42. Write about the advantages of growing pulses?

i) Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions.
ii) Being leguminous crops, all these crops except arhar help in restoring soil fertility by
fixing nitrogen from the air.
Therefore, these are mostly grown in rotation with other crops.

43. Enumerate the major pulse producing states in India?

Major pulse producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Maharashtra and Karnataka.

44. Write a short note on Sugarcane highlighting the climatic, geographical conditions
needed for its cultivation?
It is a tropical as well as a subtropical crop.
i) Grows well in hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21°C to 27°C and an annual
rainfall between 75cm and 100cm.
ii) Irrigation is required in the regions of low rainfall.
iii) It can be grown on a variety of soils and needs manual labour from sowing to harvesting.

45. Which country is the largest producer of sugarcane, where does India stand in this list?
Brazil is the largest producer of sugarcane; India is the second largest producer of sugarcane
only after Brazil.

46. What food articles can be made from sugarcane?

Sugarcane is a major source of sugar, Gur (jaggary), khandsari and molasses.
47. List the major sugarcane producing states?
The major sugarcane-producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana and Telangana.

48. Write some facts about oil seeds?

i) In 2017 India was the second largest producer of groundnut in the world after China.
ii) In rapeseed production India was third largest producer in the world after Canada and
China in 2017
iii) Different oil seeds are grown covering approximately 12 per cent of the total cropped area
of the country.

49. Enumerate the various oil seeds grown in India?

Main oil-seeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til), soyabean,
castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower.

50. What are these oilseeds use for?

Most of these are edible and used as cooking mediums. However, some of these are also used
as raw material in the production of soap, cosmetics and ointments.

51. Write a short note on Groundnut?

i) Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts for about half of the major oilseeds produced in
the country.
ii) Gujarat was the largest producer of groundnut followed by Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh
in 2016–17

52. Name 2 oil seeds which are rabi crops

Linseed and mustard are rabi crops.

53. Name 2 oilseeds which are both kharif and rabi crops?
i) Castor seed is grown both as rabi and kharif crop.
ii) Sesamum is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south India.

54. Fill in the blanks:

i) Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture
ii) Tea is a beverage crop
iii) Tea was introduced in India initially by the British
iv) Most of the tea plantations are owned by Indians
v) Tea is processed within the tea garden to restore its freshness.

55. What are the climatic conditions and physical factors essential for the growth of tea?
i) The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep,
fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter
ii) Tea bushes require warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year.
iii) Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender
leaves.
iv) Tea is a labour-intensive industry. It requires abundant cheap and skilled labour

56. List the major tea producing states

i) Assam
ii) Hills of Darjeeling
iii) Jalpaiguri districts
 iv) West Bengal
v) Tamil Nadu
vi) Kerala
vii) Himachal Pradesh
viii) Uttarakhand
ix) Meghalaya
x) Andhra Pradesh
xi) Tripura

57. Name the top largest producers of tea in 2017

In 2017 India was the second largest producer of tea after China.

58. Write a short note on Coffee

i) Indian coffee is known in the world for its good quality.
ii) The Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is produced in the country.
iii) This variety is in great demand all over the world.
iv) Initially its cultivation was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills and even today its
cultivation is confined to the Nilgiris in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

59. Name the top horticulture crops producing countries in India

In 2017 India was the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after
China.

60. “India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits” Justify

India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits. These items are in great demand all
over the world:
i) Mangoes of:
a) Maharashtra
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Telangana
d) Uttar Pradesh
e) West Bengal,
ii) Oranges of
a) Nagpur
b) Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya)
iii) Bananas of
a) Kerala
b) Mizoram
c) Maharashtra
d) Tamil Nadu
iv) Lichi and guava of
a) Uttar Pradesh
b) Bihar
v) Pineapples of
Meghalaya
vi) Grapes of
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Telangana
c) Maharashtra
vii) Apples, pears, apricots and walnuts of
a) Jammu and Kashmir
 b) Himachal Pradesh

61. What percentage of world’s vegetables does India produce?

It is an important producer of pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato, brinjal and potato.

62. Write a short note on Rubber

i) Rubber is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical
and sub-tropical areas.
ii) It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm. and
temperature above 25°C.
iii) Rubber is an important industrial raw material.
iv) It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
and Garo hills of Meghalaya.

63. List the 4 major fibre crops grown in India

i) Cotton
ii) Jute
iii) Hemp
iv) Natural silk
Cotton, jute and hemp derived from the crops grown in the soil, Natural silk is obtained from
cocoons of the silkworms fed on green leaves especially mulberry
64. Define sericulture
Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre is known as sericulture

65. Write a short note on cotton

India is believed to be the original home of the cotton plant.
i) Cotton is one of the main raw materials for cotton textile industry.
ii) In 2017 India was second largest producer of cotton after China.
iii) Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
iv) It requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright
sun-shine for its growth.
v) It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.
vi) Major cotton-producing states are:
a) Maharashtra
b) Gujarat
c) Madhya Pradesh
d) Karnataka
e) Andhra Pradesh
f) Telangana
g) Tamil Nadu
h) Punjab
i) Haryana
j) Uttar Pradesh

66. Write a short note on Jute

Jute is known as the golden fibre
i) Jute grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are
renewed every year.
ii) High temperature is required during the time of growth.
 iii) West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya are the major jute producing
states.
iv) It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts.
v) Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibres and packing materials,
particularly the nylon.

67. What has hindered the pace of agricultural development

Agriculture has been practised in India for thousands of years.
Sustained uses of land without compatible techno-institutional changes have hindered the
pace of agricultural development.

68. What do farmers in our country depend on to carry on their agriculture

Inspite of development of sources of irrigation most of the farmers in large parts of the
country still depend upon monsoon and natural fertility in order to carry on their agriculture.
For a growing population, this poses a serious challenge

69. What all were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after
Independence?
i) Agriculture which provides livelihood for more than 60 per cent of its population,
needs some serious technical and institutional reforms.
ii) Thus, the following were given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the
country after Independence.
a) Collectivisation
b) Consolidation of holdings
c) Cooperation
d) Abolition of zamindari, etc

70. What was the main focus of our First Five Year Plan?
‘Land Reform’ was the main focus of our First Five Year Plan

71. What necessitated consolidation of holdings?

The right of inheritance had already led to fragmentation of land holdings necessitating
consolidation of holdings

72. Fill in the blanks:

i) The laws of land reforms were enacted but implementation was lacking or
lukewarm
ii) The Government of India embarked upon introducing agricultural reforms to
improve Indian agriculture in the 1960s and 1970s.

73. Name the two strategies initiated to improve the lot of Indian agriculture.
The Green Revolution based on the use of package technology and the White Revolution
(Operation Flood) were some of the strategies initiated to improve the lot of Indian
agriculture

74. What was the problem with these strategies?

These strategies led to the concentration of development in few selected areas.

75. Explain the comprehensive land development programme

i) In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development programme was initiated,
which included both institutional and technical reforms.
 ii) Some important steps in this direction were:
a) Provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease
b) Establishment of Grameen banks
c) Cooperative societies and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at
lower rates of interest

76. Name some other steps introduced by the Government of India for the benefit of the
farmers.
i) Some other schemes introduced by the Government of India for the benefit of the
farmers were:
a) Kissan Credit Card (KCC)
b) Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS)
ii) Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced
on the radio and television.
iii) The government also announces minimum support price, remunerative and
procurement prices for important crops to check the exploitation of farmers by
speculators and middlemen.

77. Who did Mahatma Gandhi declared as his spiritual heir?

Vinod Bhave

78. Describe Vinod Bhave

Mahatma Gandhi declared Vinoba Bhave as his spiritual heir.
i) He also participated in Satyagraha as one of the foremost satyagrahis.
ii) He was one of the votaries of Gandhi’s concept of gram swarajya.
iii) After Gandhiji’s martyrdom, Vinoba Bhave undertook padyatra to spread Gandhiji’s
message covered almost the entire country

79. Describe Bhoodan

i) Once, when Vinod Bhave was delivering a lecture at Pochampalli in Andhra Pradesh,
some poor landless villagers demanded some land for their economic well-being.
ii) Vinoba Bhave could not promise it to them immediately but assured them to talk to
the Government of India regarding provision of land for them if they undertook
cooperative farming.
iii) Suddenly, Shri Ram Chandra Reddy stood up and offered 80 acres of land to be
distributed among 80 land-less villagers.
iv) This act was known as ‘Bhoodan’

80. Describe Gramdan

Later Vinod Bhave travelled and introduced his ideas widely all over India.
i) Some zamindars, owners of many villages offered to distribute some villages among
the landless. It was known as Gramdan.

81. Why did some land owners choose to provide some part of their land to poor farmers?
Many land-owners chose to provide some part of their land to the poor farmers due to the fear
of land ceiling act

82. What is the Bloodless Revolution?

The Bhoodan-Gramdan movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave is also known as the Blood-less
Revolution.
83. Explain the contribution of agriculture to the national economy, employment and
output
Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy though its share in the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) has registered a declining trend from 1951 onwards; in 2010-11
about 52 per cent of the total work force was employed by the farm sector which makes more
than half of the Indian Population dependent on agriculture for sustenance.

84. Why the declining share of agriculture in the GDP is a matter of concern
The declining share of agriculture in the GDP is a matter of serious concern because any
decline and stagnation in agriculture will lead to a decline in other spheres of the economy
having wider implications for society

85. What were the efforts made to modernise agriculture by the Indian Government?
Considering the importance of agriculture in India, the Government of India made concerted
efforts to modernise agriculture. F
i) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
ii) Agricultural universities
iii) Veterinary services and animal breeding centres
iv) Horticulture development
v) Research and development in the field of meteorology and weather forecast, etc.
Apart from this, improving the rural infrastructure was also considered essential for the same.

86. Fill in the blank:

i) It is clear that though the GDP growth rate is increasing over the years, it is not
generating sufficient employment opportunities in the country.
ii) The growth rate in agriculture is decelerating which is an alarming situation.

87. What challenges are Indian Farmers facing today?

Today, Indian farmers are facing a big challenge from:
i) International competition
ii) reduction in the public investment in agriculture sector
iii) Subsidy on fertilisers is decreased leading to increase in the cost of production.
iv) Moreover, reduction in import duties on agricultural products have proved
detrimental to agriculture in the country.
v) Farmers are withdrawing their investment from agriculture causing a downfall in the
employment in agriculture.

88. When farmers have been facing so many problems and land under agriculture is
decreasing, can we think of alternative employment opportunities in the agriculture
sector?
Yes, they can take up other employment like the following, which is less dependent on the
land available  
i) Dairy farming
ii) Poultry rearing/hatcheries   
iii) Floriculture                   
iv) Horticulture/Fruit growing   
v) Beekeeping          
vi) Fisheries  
89. Explain Globalisation with respect to the history of India
i) Globalisation is not a new phenomenon. It was there at the time of colonisation.
ii) In the nineteenth century when European traders came to India, at that time too,
Indian spices were exported to different countries of the world and farmers of south
India were encouraged to grow these crops.
iii) Till today it is one of the important items of export from India

90. What attracted the British to India during the British period?
i) During the British period cotton belts of India attracted the British
ii) Ultimately cotton was exported to Britain as a raw material for their textile industries.
iii) Cotton textile industry in Manchester and Liverpool flourished due to the availability
of good quality cotton from India.

91. Why did the Champaran Movement emerge?

The Champaran movement started in 1917 in Bihar.
i) 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.
ii) They were unable to grow food grains to sustain their families.

92. “Under globalisation, particularly after 1990, the farmers in India have been exposed to
new challenges.” Explain
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 in those countries.

93. “Today, Indian agriculture finds itself at the crossroads” Explain

Today, Indian agriculture finds itself at the crossroads.
i) To make agriculture successful and profitable, proper thrust should be given to the
improvement of the condition of marginal and small farmers.
ii) The green revolution promised much. But today it’s under controversies.
iii) It is being alleged that it has caused land degradation due to overuse of chemicals,
drying aquifers and vanishing biodiversity.
iv) The keyword today is “gene revolution”, which includes genetic engineering.

94. What is genetic engineering?

Genetic engineering is recognised as a powerful supplement in inventing new hybrid varieties
of seeds.

95. Can you name any gene modified seed used vastly in India?
The Gene modified seed used vastly in India is cotton

96. Why is organic farming much in vogue today?

Organic farming is much in vogue today because it is practised without factory made
chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides. Hence, it does not affect environment in a
negative manner.

97. Why do a few economists think that Indian Farmers have a bleak future?
i) A few economists think that Indian farmers have a bleak future if they continue
growing food grains on the holdings that grow smaller and smaller as the population
rises.
 ii) India’s rural population is about 833 million (2011) which depends upon 250 million
(approximate) hectares of agricultural land, an average of less than half a hectare per
person.

98. What should the Indian Farmers do to have a better future?

i) Indian farmers should diversify their cropping pattern from cereals to high-value
crops.
ii) This will increase incomes and reduce environmental degradation simultaneously.
iii) Because fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers, vegetables, bio-diesel crops like jatropha
and jojoba need much less irrigation than rice or sugarcane.
iv) India’s diverse climate can be harnessed to grow a wide range of high-value crops.

99. Should we have a change in cropping pattern?

Yes, we should have a change in cropping pattern because of the following reasons
i) Change in cropping pattern for example from cereals to high-value crops will mean
that India will have to import food.
ii) During 1960’s this would have been seen as a disaster.
iii) But if India imports cereals while exporting high-value 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.