MULJIBHAI MEHTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Gokul Township Virar (West)

CLASS: X SUB: GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER: 4 (Agriculture)

INDEX
1. Class Notes -Page No. 2 to 6

2. Textual Questions -Page No. 7 to 9

3. Extra Questions- Short and long answers -Page No. 10 to 11

4. Value based Questions -Page No. 12

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1. Class Notes

Introduction
India is an agriculturally important country as two-thirds of its population is engaged in
agricultural activities.

Types of Farming
There are various types of farming systems in different parts of India.

1. Primitive Subsistence Farming:

 It is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
 It is done with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks, and
family/community labour.
 This type of farming depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of
other environmental conditions to the crops grown.
 It is known by different names in different parts of the country, like jhumming, dipa,
bewar, podu, bringa, etc.

2. Intensive Subsistence Farming:

 This type of farming is labour-intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs
and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production.
 This method is commonly done where less land holding is available.

3. Commercial Farming:
 This type of farming is done using higher doses of modern inputs, e.g. high yielding
variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in order to obtain
high productivity.
 Plantation is also a type of commercial farming.
i) In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area.
ii) Examples- tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc.

Cropping Pattern
India has three cropping seasons:

1. Rabi:
 Rabi crops are grown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from
April to June.
 Important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard.
 These crops are grown in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

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2. Kharif:
 Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country and
these are harvested in September-October.
 Important kharif crops are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton,
jute, groundnut and soyabean.
 These crops are grown in Assam, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana,
Kerala, Maharashtra and coastal areas of Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh.

3. Zaid:
 In between the rabi and the kharif seasons, there is a short season during the summer
months known as the Zaid season.
 Important zaid crops are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder
crops.

Major Crops

1. Rice:
 Staple food crop of a majority of the people in India.
 Our country is the second largest producer of rice in the world.
 It is a kharif crop which requires high temperature, (above 25° C) and high humidity
with annual rainfall above 100 cm.
 Important rice growing regions are plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas
and the deltaic regions.

2. Wheat:
 The is the second most important cereal crop.
 It is the main food crop, in north and north-western part of the country.
 It is a rabi crop which requires a cool growing season with 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall
and a bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
 Important wheat growing regions are the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north- west and black
soil region of the Deccan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh.

3. Millets:
 Jowar, bajra and ragi are the important millets grown in India.
 They have very high nutritional value.
 These are known as coarse grains.
 Jowar is the third most important food crop.

4. Maize:
 It is a crop which is used both as food and fodder.
 It is a kharif crop
 It 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,
Telanagana and Madhya Pradesh.

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5. Pulses:
 India is the largest producer as well as the consumer of pulses in the world.
 Major source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
 Major pulses are tur (arhar),urad, moong, masur, peas and gram.
 Pulses need less moisture and survive even in dry season.
 Major pulses producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Food Crops other than Grains

1. Sugarcane:
 It is a tropical as well as a subtropical crop.
 India is the second largest producer of sugarcane.
 It grows well in hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21° C to 27° C and an
annual rainfall between 75 cm and 100 cm.
 Major sugarcane producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.

2. Oil Seeds:
 The oil seeds cover approximately 12 % of the total cropped area of the country.
 These are used as cooking mediums as well as used as raw material in the production of
soap, cosmetics and ointments.
 Main oil-seeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum, soyabean,
castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower.

3. Tea:
 Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture.
 It is an important beverage crop in India.
 Tea is a labour-intensive industry.
 It requires warm and moist frost-free climate with frequent showers all through the year.
 Major tea producing states are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala,

4. Coffee:
 Indian coffee is known in the world for its good quality.
 Its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Horticulture Crops:
 India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits.
 Mangoes, oranges, bananas, lichi, guava, pineapples, apples, pears, apricots and walnuts
are in great demand the world over.
 India produces about 13 percent of the world’s vegetables.
 It is an important producer of pea, cauliflower, cabbage, onion, tomato, brinjal and
potato.

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Non-Food Crops

1. 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 25° C.
 It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andaman and Nicobar islands
and Garo hills of Meghalaya.

2. Fibre Crops:
 Cotton, jute, hemp and natural silk are the four major fibre crops grown in India.
 Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre is known as sericulture.

(a) Cotton:
 It is a kharif crop grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
 It requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright
sun-shine for its growth.
 Major cotton producing states are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

(b) Jute:
 It is known as the golden fibre.
 It grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are renewed
every year.
 High temperature is required during the time of growth.
 Major jute-producing states are West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya.
 It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts.

Technological and Institutional Reforms

 More than 60 percent of India's population depends on agriculture.
 After independence, major institutional reforms such as collectivisation, consolidation of
holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority.
 In 1960s and 1970s, technical reforms such as Green Revolution and White Revolution
also introduced to improve the condition of agriculture.
 In 1980s and 1990s, various provisions for crop insurance, establishment of Grameen
banks, Cooperative societies and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at
lower rates of interest were some important steps in this direction.
 Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other
schemes introduced by the Government of India.
 Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced on
the radio and television.
 Minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for important crops to
check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen.
 The Bhoodan- Gramdan movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave is also known as the
Blood-less Revolution.

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Contribution of agriculture to the national economy, employment and output

 In 2010-11 about 52 percent of the total workforce of India was employed by the farm
sector.
 The government of India made concerted efforts to modernise agriculture.
 Establishment of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), agricultural
universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture development,
development in meteorology and weather forecast, etc. were given priority.
 India's GDP growth rate is increasing over the years but it is not generating sufficient
employment opportunities in the country.
 Today, Indian farmers are facing various challenges.

Food Security

 The government designed national food security system to ensure the food security to
every citizen.
 It consists of two components (a) buffer stock and (b) public distribution system (PDS).
 Food Corporation of India (FCI) is responsible for procuring and stocking foodgrains,
whereas distribution is ensured by public distribution system (PDS).
 PDS is a programme which provides food grains and other essential commodities at
subsidised prices to Below Poverty Line (BPL) in rural and urban areas.
 India’s food security policy has a primary objective to ensure availability of food grains
to the common people at an affordable price.
 The FCI procures food grains from the farmers at the government announced minimum
support price (MSP).
 Consumers are divided into two categories: below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty
line (APL).
 There can be no food security without the security of the small farmers.

Impact of Globalisation on Agriculture

 Globalisation was present at the time of colonisation.

 During the British period, cotton was exported to Britain as a raw material for their textile
industries.
 After 1990, the farmers in India have been exposed to new challenges under
globalisation.
 The agricultural products of India are not able to compete with the developed countries
because of the highly subsidised agriculture in those countries.
 Genetic engineering is revolutionising the agricultural production now a days.
 Organic farming is also in fashion these days because it is practised without factory made
chemicals and does not affect environment.
 Indian farmers should diversify their cropping pattern from cereals to high-value crops.

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2. Textual Questions

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Which one of the following describes a system of agriculture where a single crop is
grown on a large area?
(a) Shifting Agriculture (b) Plantation Agriculture

(c) Horticulture (d) Intensive Agriculture

Answer: Plantation agriculture

(ii) Which one of the following is a rabi crop?

(a) Rice (b) Gram
(c) Millets (d) Cotton
Answer: Gram

(iii) Which one of the following is a leguminous crop?

(a) Pulses (b) Jawar
(c) Millets (d) Sesamum
Answer: Pulses

(iv) Which one of the following is announced by the government in support of a crop?
(a) Maximum support price (b) Minimum support price
(c) Moderate support price (d) Influential support price
Answer: Minimum support price

2. Answer the following questions in 30 words.

(i) Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions required for
its growth.
Answer: One important beverage crop is tea. The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-
tropical climates endowed with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic
matter. Tea bushes require warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year. Frequent
showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves. Tea is a
labour-intensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour. Tea is processed within
the tea garden to restore its freshness.

(ii) Name one staple crop of India and the regions where it is produced.
Answer: Rice is a major staple crop of India. It is grown in the plains of north and north-eastern
India, coastal areas and the deltaic regions

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(iii) Enlist the various institutional reform programmes introduced by the government in
the interest of farmers.
Answer: Various institutional reform programmes introduced by the Government are:

1. Subsidies on agriculture inputs and Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy

2. Crop insurance and establishment of Grameen banks to provide low-interest loans.
3. The launch of Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS).
4. Improvement of the rural infrastructure.
5. Establishment of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), agricultural
universities, veterinary services and animal breeding, etc.
6. Weather bulletins and agricultural programmes on radio and television.

(iv) The land under cultivation has got reduced day by day. Can you imagine its
consequences?
Answer: Consequences of reduction in the land under cultivation-

1. Shortage of food crops and non-food crops.

2. High prices in the market.
3. Imports increase will put stress on the economy.
4. Rise in unemployment.
5. Prevalence of hunger.
6. Decrease in the agricultural contribution in GDP.
7. Migration of landless labourers and farmers to cities.
8. Food security of the country will be affected.

3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.

(i) Suggest the initiative taken by the government to ensure the increase in agricultural
production.
Answer: The Government of India embarked upon introducing agricultural reforms to improve
Indian agriculture in the 1960s and 1970s. The Green Revolution based on the use of package
technology and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were some of the strategies initiated to
improve a lot of Indian agriculture. In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development
programme was initiated, which included both institutional and technical reforms. Provision for
crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease, establishment of Grameen
banks, cooperative societies and banks for providing loan facilities to the farmers at lower rates
of interest were some important steps in this direction. Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal
Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some other schemes introduced by the Government of
India for the benefit of the farmers. Moreover, special weather bulletins and agricultural
programmes for farmers were introduced on the radio and television. The government also
announces minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices for important crops to
check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen.

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(ii) Describe the impact of globalisation on Indian agriculture.
Answer: Globalisation is not a new phenomenon. It was there at the time of colonisation. 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. Till today it is one of the important items of export from India. Under globalisation,
particularly after 1990, the farmers in India have been exposed 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 in those countries. Today, Indian agriculture finds itself at the crossroads. To make
agriculture successful and profitable, proper thrust should be given to the improvement of the
condition of marginal and small farmers.
(iii) Describe the geographical conditions required for the growth of rice.
Answer: Rice is a kharif crop. It requires the following conditions for its growth-
1. It requires a temperature above 250 C and high humidity.
2. It needs annual rainfall above 100 cm.
3. In areas of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation.

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3. Extra Questions- Short Answers
1. Why are farmers committing suicides in several states of the country?
Answer: Farmers are committing suicides in several states of the country due to following
reasons-
a) Heavy indebtedness on farmers.
b) Crop failure due to flood or uncertain climatic conditions.

2. Distinguish between a cash crop and a plantation crop.

Answer:
A cash crop A plantation crop
a) A cash crop is a crop that brings cash a) A plantation crop is that crop which is raised
immediately after it has been raised and sold. singly on the scientific and commercial lines
resulting in factory production.
B) Examples- Cotton, jute, oilseeds etc. b) Examples- Sugarcane, tea, coffee, etc.

3. Why is jute called the golden fibre? Name the major jute producing states.
Answer: Jute is called the golden fibre because of its colour and it fetches valuable foreign
exchange in considerable quantity through exports of jute goods. West Bengal, Bihar, Assam,
Odisha and Meghalaya are the major jute producing states.

4. Mention the geographical conditions required for the growth of cotton.

Answer: Geographical conditions required for the growth of cotton are-
a) Cotton grows well in the drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
b) It requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210-frost free days and bright
sun-shine for its growth.
c) It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.

5. Write any two importance of millets.

Answer:
a) Millets have very high nutritional values. For example, ragi is very rich in iron,
calcium, other micro nutrients and roughage.
b) Jowar and bajra are also used as fodder.

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Long Answers

1. Describe the contribution of agriculture to the national economy.

Answer: Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy.
a) India is an agriculturally important country.
b) In 2010-11 about 52 % of the total work force was employed by the farm sector.
c) More than half of Indian population dependent on agriculture for sustenance.
d) Agriculture is a primary activity, which produces most of the food that we consume.
e) Besides food grains, it also produces raw material for various industries.
f) Moreover, some agricultural products like tea, coffee, spices, etc., are also exported.
g) All other sectors of Indian economy heavily depend on agriculture for their growth.

2. Write the features of primitive subsistence agriculture in India.

Answer: The features of primitive subsistence agriculture in India-
a) This farming is done on a small patch of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao
and digging sticks.
b) It is practiced with the help of family or community members.
c) In this type of farming land productivity is low.
d) It depends upon monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitability of the other
environmental conditions to the crops grown.
e) It is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
d) This type of farming allows the nature to replenish the fertility of the soil through the
natural process.
f) This type of farming does not use fertilisers and modern inputs.

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4. Value based Questions
1. What can be done to increase the share of agriculture in the Gross Domestic Product?
Answer: To increase the share of agriculture in the Gross Domestic Product, investment in
agriculture should be increased in the areas like irrigation, bio manures, agricultural tools like
tractors, harvesters, HYV seeds, etc.
The subsidy on manures, fertilisers and other inputs should be increased so that they can be used
by the farmers. Easy and flexible loan facilities should be made available to the farmers. Agro
based industries should be set up in the rural areas.

2. Explain the challenges faced by Indian agriculture.

Answer: Indian farmers are facing challenges-
a) Our farmers cannot face stiff international competitions.
b) Land under agriculture is decreasing.
c) Our government has reduced investments in agriculture sector particularly in irrigation,
power, rural roads, market and mechanisation.
d) Subsidy on fertilisers is decreased leading to increase in the cost of production.
e) There are no alternative sources of livelihood for the farmers.

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