Agriculture in India
Agriculture in India
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.
● The major wheat-producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and
Madhya Pradesh.
Millets
● Jowar, bajra and ragi are the important millets grown in India.
● Jowar is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production.
● Jowar is essentially a crop of the Peninsular India.
● Major Jowar producing States were Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh.
● Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil.
● Bajra is a crop of dry region.
● Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and
Maharashtra.
● Ragi is a crop of dry regions and grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black
soils.
● Major Ragi producing states are: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh.
Maize
● It is a kharif crop which requires temperature between 21°C to 27°C and grows well in old
alluvial soil.
● Major maize-producing states are Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana and Madhya Pradesh.
Pulses
● India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world.
● The major pulse growing areas are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra
and Andhra Pradesh.
Cash Crops - Sugarcane, tobacco, fibre crops (cotton, jute, and mesta) and oilseeds are
some important cash crops.
Sugarcane
● India is the second largest producer of sugarcane only after Brazil.
● Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer of sugarcane in India followed by Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
● It grows well in hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21°C to 27°C and an annual
rainfall between 75cm and 100cm.
● Irrigation is required in the regions of low rainfall.
Cotton
● India ranks second next to China in the production of cotton.
● Top cotton producing countries are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab.
● Cotton is the most important cash crop of India. It provides raw material to the largest
industry of India.
● It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.
Jute
● It is a tropical fibre crops, grows well in the alluvial soil.
● West Bengal is the leading state both in cultivation and production of jute. The other
cultivators of jute are Bihar, Assam and Meghalaya.
● It is known as the golden fibre.
Oil Seeds
● Main oil-seeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til), soyabean,
castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower.
● Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts for about half of the major oilseeds produced in the
country. Gujarat was the largest producer of groundnut.
● Linseed and mustard are rabi crops.
● Sesamum is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south India.
● Castor seed is grown both as rabi and kharif crop.
Plantation Crops - Tea, coffee, rubber and spices are the major plantation crops of India.
Tea
● Tea is an evergreen plant that mainly grows in tropical and subtropical climates.
● India is the second largest producer of tea after China in the world.
● Assam is the larger producer of tea in India. Other states are Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West
Bengal.
Coffee
● Coffee is grown in shade and it grows effectively in the altitudes between 1,000 and 1,500 m
above mean sea level.
● India is the 7th largest producer of coffee globally.
● Karnataka is the leading producer of coffee in India. It produces 71% in India, and 2.5 % in
the world
Spices
● Pepper, chillies, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, clove and areca nut are the major spices
cultivated in India.
● Kerala is the leading producer of spices in India.
Rubber
● Rubber plantation were first established in Kerala in 1902.
● It needs hot and wet climatic conditions.
● The major rubber growing areas are Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
Horticulture Crops
● It refers to the cultivation of fruits, flowers and vegetables.
● India was the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China.
● India contributes about 13% of the world’s production of vegetables.
Oil Seeds
CROP STATE
Groundnut Gujarat
Soya bean Madhya Pradesh
Mustard Rajasthan
Sunflower Karnataka
Cash Crops
CROP STATE
Sugarcane Uttar Pradesh
Cotton Gujarat
Coffee Karnataka
Tea Assam
Silk Karnataka
Rubber Kerala
Tobacco Andhra Pradesh
List of Important Agricultural Revolutions in India