Unit III – Agriculture (10-Mark Answer
Format)
UNIT III – AGRICULTURE (10-MARK ANSWER FORMAT)
1. NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. It refers to the practice of cultivating
crops, rearing animals, and related activities that provide food, raw materials, and
employment.
- Nature of Agriculture in India:
- Predominantly subsistence in nature.
- Seasonal and heavily dependent on the monsoon.
- Labor-intensive and low mechanization.
- Small and fragmented land holdings.
- Importance of Agriculture:
- Employment Generation: Provides employment to over 45% of the population.
- Contribution to GDP: Around 15-18% of India’s GDP.
- Food Security: Produces essential food grains for over a billion people.
- Raw Materials: Supplies raw materials to industries like textiles, sugar, jute.
- Foreign Trade: Contributes to exports (e.g., spices, rice, cotton).
- Socio-economic Development: Vital for rural development and poverty reduction.
2. AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY
- Agricultural Production: Refers to the total quantity of crops grown in a given period.
- India is the largest producer of pulses and second-largest in rice and wheat.
- Major crops: rice, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, tea, coffee, oilseeds.
- Productivity: Refers to output per unit of input (land, labor).
- India has low productivity compared to developed nations.
- Example: Wheat productivity in India is lower than in the U.S. or China.
- Reasons for Low Productivity:
- Traditional farming methods.
- Lack of irrigation facilities.
- Poor quality seeds and fertilizers.
- Inadequate access to technology and credit.
- Measures to Improve Productivity:
- Use of HYV seeds.
- Expansion of irrigation.
- Mechanization and modernization.
- Farmer education and training.
3. MAJOR PROBLEMS IN INDIAN AGRICULTURE
- Fragmented Land Holdings: Small and divided plots reduce efficiency.
- Dependence on Monsoon: Majority of land is rain-fed; droughts affect output.
- Low Capital Investment: Farmers lack access to credit and modern tools.
- Lack of Irrigation: Only about 50% of agricultural land is irrigated.
- Inadequate Storage and Marketing Facilities: Leads to post-harvest losses.
- Soil Degradation: Due to overuse of chemicals and unscientific farming.
- Price Fluctuations: Farmers are not assured of stable income.
- Low Literacy and Awareness: Affects adoption of new technologies.
4. LAND USE PATTERN AND LAND REFORMS
- Land Use Pattern in India:
- Net Sown Area: About 45% of total land.
- Forests: Around 23%.
- Non-agricultural uses: 9%.
- Barren and uncultivable: 6%.
- Land under pastures and miscellaneous: Remaining portion.
- Land Reforms:
- Introduced post-independence to remove inequality and improve productivity.
- Abolition of Zamindari System: Ended intermediary ownership.
- Tenancy Reforms: Secured rights of tenants.
- Ceiling on Land Holdings: Redistribution of surplus land to landless.
- Consolidation of Holdings: Merging scattered plots into single units.
- Achievements and Limitations:
- Some success in abolishing zamindari.
- Poor implementation and political resistance hindered progress.
- Land records are still incomplete and outdated.
5. NEW AGRICULTURE STRATEGIES AND GREEN REVOLUTION
- New Agricultural Strategy (1960s):
- Aimed at increasing food grain production to ensure self-sufficiency.
- Introduced High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, pesticides.
- Focus on irrigation, credit, and rural infrastructure.
- Green Revolution:
- Started in 1966-67 under the guidance of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan.
- First implemented in Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP.
- Dramatically increased production of wheat and rice.
- Positive Impacts:
- Self-sufficiency in food grains.
- Reduction in food imports.
- Growth of agro-industries.
- Negative Impacts:
- Regional imbalance (limited to north-west India).
- Neglect of pulses and coarse cereals.
- Environmental issues: soil degradation, water depletion.
- Increased inequality among farmers.
- Second Green Revolution (proposed):
- Focus on Eastern India.
- Sustainable practices.
- Emphasis on pulses, oilseeds, and millets.
