Agriculture in India
~11 min read
- Cropping seasons: Kharif (Jun-Oct, rice, cotton, sugarcane). Rabi (Oct-Apr, wheat, mustard, peas). Zaid (Mar-Jun, watermelon, cucumber).
- Major crops: Rice (West Bengal #1), Wheat (UP #1), Sugarcane (UP #1), Cotton (Gujarat #1), Tea (Assam #1), Coffee (Karnataka #1).
- Revolutions: Green (food grains, 1965-70 led by Borlaug + Swaminathan), White (milk, Operation Flood by Verghese Kurien), Blue (fisheries), Yellow (oilseeds).
Agriculture employs ~45% of India's workforce. The cropping calendar follows the monsoon. NDA tests state-wise crop leadership, the revolution programmes, and the cropping seasons.
Three Cropping Seasons
| Season | Months | Crops |
|---|---|---|
| Kharif (monsoon) | Jun–Oct (sown SW monsoon, harvested autumn) | Rice, maize, jowar, bajra, ragi, cotton, jute, sugarcane, groundnut, soyabean |
| Rabi (winter) | Oct–Mar/Apr | Wheat, barley, mustard, peas, gram, lentil |
| Zaid (summer) | Mar–Jun | Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder |
Major Crops — Producer States
| Crop | Top state(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | West Bengal, UP, Punjab | Kharif crop; needs water and warmth |
| Wheat | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, MP | Rabi; staple of North India |
| Sugarcane | Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra | Kharif/perennial; water-intensive |
| Cotton | Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana | Kharif; needs black soil |
| Jute | West Bengal | Kharif; Hooghly delta monopoly |
| Tea | Assam (50%), West Bengal (Darjeeling), Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris) | Plantation crop |
| Coffee | Karnataka (~70%), Kerala, Tamil Nadu | Mostly Arabica and Robusta |
| Rubber | Kerala | Plantation; Kottayam |
| Spices | Kerala (pepper, cardamom), Gujarat (cumin), Andhra Pradesh (chillies) | India is world's largest producer and consumer |
| Pulses | Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra | Largest producer globally |
| Oilseeds | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat | Mustard, soyabean, groundnut |
Agricultural Revolutions
| Revolution | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Green Revolution | Food grains (wheat, rice) | 1965-70. HYV seeds + irrigation + fertilisers. Norman Borlaug (international) + M.S. Swaminathan (India). Punjab, Haryana, west UP were beneficiaries |
| White Revolution | Milk | Operation Flood (1970-96) led by Verghese Kurien at Amul (Anand, Gujarat). India became world's largest milk producer |
| Blue Revolution | Fisheries | 1985 onwards; aquaculture and marine fishing |
| Yellow Revolution | Oilseeds | 1986-87 onwards; mustard, sunflower |
| Pink Revolution | Meat and poultry | Currently underway |
| Silver Revolution | Eggs | Poultry development |
| Grey Revolution | Fertilisers | |
| Black Revolution | Petroleum | To make India self-sufficient in oil |
Farming Systems
- Subsistence: Small farms producing for the family; most of India.
- Commercial: Cash crops for market (cotton, tea, sugarcane).
- Plantation: Large monoculture (tea, coffee, rubber, spices) — colonial origin.
- Shifting (Jhum): Cut-and-burn, then rotate. NE India tribal areas; degrades forest.
- Mixed farming: Crops + livestock; Punjab, Haryana.
- Dry farming: Drought-resistant crops without irrigation; Rajasthan, parts of Karnataka.
NDA PYQ Examples
Q: Which is the largest rice-producing state?
(a) Punjab (b) Uttar Pradesh (c) West Bengal (d) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: (c) West Bengal (different sources sometimes rank UP first; both are top contenders).
Q: The White Revolution in India is associated with:
(a) Norman Borlaug (b) Verghese Kurien (c) M.S. Swaminathan (d) Hargobind Khorana
Answer: (b) Verghese Kurien — Operation Flood at Amul.
Q: Which is India's leading tea-producing state?
(a) West Bengal (b) Assam (c) Tamil Nadu (d) Kerala
Answer: (b) Assam — produces ~50% of India's tea.
Drill Agriculture in India for NDA
NDA-pattern items on Agriculture in India with answer keys and explanations.
Start Free Mock TestFrequently Asked Questions
What is the Green Revolution?
A 1960s-70s leap in food grain productivity using high-yielding varieties (HYV) of wheat and rice + chemical fertilisers + assured irrigation + machinery. Made India self-sufficient in food grains by mid-1970s. Punjab, Haryana, western UP were the main beneficiaries.
Which states benefited most from the Green Revolution?
Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh — they had assured irrigation (canals, tubewells) and the institutional support to take up HYV seeds and fertilisers. Eastern India largely missed out.
What is jhum cultivation?
Slash-and-burn shifting cultivation practised in NE Indian hills. A forest patch is cleared, burned for ash fertiliser, cultivated for 2-3 years, then abandoned for ~10 years to regenerate. With population pressure, the regeneration cycle has shortened, degrading forests.
What is the difference between kharif and rabi crops?
Kharif crops are sown at the onset of the SW monsoon (Jun-Jul) and harvested after the monsoon (Sep-Oct) — rice, cotton, sugarcane. Rabi crops are sown in winter (Oct-Nov) and harvested in spring (Mar-Apr) — wheat, mustard.
What is Operation Flood?
The world's largest dairy development programme, launched 1970 by NDDB under Verghese Kurien. Used the Amul cooperative model to organise milk producers, leading to India becoming the world's largest milk producer.