Land Resources and Agriculture (India) — Practice

Question 1

What are the geographical conditions required for growing rice and wheat in India? Name the leading states for each.

Accepted Answer

RICE (PADDY): GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS: Temperature: 20–35°C — warm throughout growing season. Rainfall: 150 cm or more per year (OR reliable irrigation — as in Punjab/Haryana). Soil: Clayey or silty loam with high water retention capacity. Growing season: Kharif (June–November, sown with monsoon onset). LEADING STATES: West Bengal (largest producer), Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar. Note: Punjab grows rice despite semi-arid climate — using extensive tubewell irrigation. WHEAT: GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS: Temperature: 15–20°C (cool, moist growing season); warm, dry at harvest time. Rainfall: 50–75 cm annually. Soil: Well-drained, fertile loam soil (alluvial soils of the Indo-Gangetic Plain ideal). Growing season: Rabi (November–April, sown after the Kharif harvest). LEADING STATES: Uttar Pradesh (largest producer), Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan. KEY DIFFERENCE: Rice = high temperature + high rainfall/irrigation + clayey soil. Wheat = moderate temperature + moderate rainfall + well-drained alluvial soil. Both crops are grown in the Indo-Gangetic Plain — the Green Revolution belt — but rice in the wetter east (Bengal) and the irrigated northwest, while wheat dominates the drier northwest (Punjab/Haryana).

Question 2

Discuss the regional disparities created by the Green Revolution in India.

Accepted Answer

GREEN REVOLUTION AND REGIONAL DISPARITIES: The Green Revolution (1960s–70s) introduced High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and irrigation — dramatically increasing agricultural productivity. However, its benefits were NOT distributed equally across India. REGIONS THAT BENEFITED: Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh emerged as the main beneficiaries because: (1) FLAT TERRAIN: Easy to irrigate (canal and tubewell). (2) CANAL IRRIGATION ALREADY ESTABLISHED: British-era canal networks provided irrigation infrastructure. (3) WELL-CONNECTED MARKET: Good roads and railways to reach mandis and urban markets. (4) PROSPEROUS FARMERS: Large enough landholdings to afford HYV seeds, fertiliser, and pump sets. (5) Green Revolution crops (wheat, rice) suited the climatic and soil conditions. REGIONS LEFT BEHIND: (1) EASTERN INDIA (Bihar, East UP, Odisha, West Bengal): High rainfall, fertile land — suitable for agriculture. But: smaller landholdings, less irrigation infrastructure, weaker market access, and the Green Revolution's initial focus on wheat (not rice) meant these states were initially bypassed. Second Green Revolution in rice came later. (2) DRYLAND REGIONS (Marathwada in Maharashtra, Rayalaseema in AP, Rajasthan): Coarse cereal and oilseed farmers had no HYV technology for their crops (jowar, bajra, ragi, groundnut) until much later. (3) NORTHEAST INDIA: Shifting cultivation tribal communities received no Green Revolution benefit. CONSEQUENCES OF DISPARITY: Income inequality between states widened sharply. Punjab's per capita agricultural income rose dramatically; Bihar's stagnated. This regional disparity drove distress migration — Bihar farmers migrated to Punjab for harvest labour. Environmental costs concentrated in Punjab/Haryana: groundwater depletion, soil degradation, pesticide pollution. The 'Punjab model' is now environmentally unsustainable — the same irrigation that drove the Green Revolution is depleting aquifers at 0.5–1m/year.

Question 3

Analyse the major problems of Indian agriculture and suggest measures for their resolution.

Accepted Answer

MAJOR PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS: (1) SMALL AND FRAGMENTED HOLDINGS: PROBLEM: 68% of Indian farms are sub-1 hectare — too small for mechanisation, economies of scale, or commercial viability. Fragmentation (holdings split across multiple non-contiguous parcels) increases transaction costs. Average farm size 1.08 ha (2015-16) and declining as land is divided through inheritance. SOLUTIONS: Land consolidation (chak-bandi) programmes — Punjab and Haryana have done this effectively. Cooperative farming — farmers pool land for collective cultivation (like the AMUL model for dairy). Agricultural land leasing — allowing small farmers to lease land to larger, commercial operators while retaining ownership. (2) MONSOON DEPENDENCE: PROBLEM: 54% of net sown area is rainfed. Irregular monsoons cause crop failures — 2023 deficient August monsoon hit kharif crops. SOLUTIONS: Expanding irrigation (target: 70% of net sown area by 2030). Drip and sprinkler irrigation for efficient water use. Weather-based crop insurance (PMFBY — Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, 2016). Drought-resistant HYV varieties (for dryland crops — ICRISAT research). (3) AGRICULTURAL DEBT AND CREDIT: PROBLEM: 30–40% of farmers still borrow from informal moneylenders at 20–40% interest. Crop failure leads to debt traps. Farm loan defaults and farmer suicides (~10,000–11,000/year). SOLUTIONS: Kisan Credit Card (KCC): low-interest crop loans from banks (7% interest with subvention). PM-KISAN: ₹6,000/year direct income support to all landowner farmers. Crop insurance to reduce income volatility. Debt waiver schemes (Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka — though these are expensive and politically driven). (4) POOR MARKET ACCESS: PROBLEM: APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committees) monopoly forced farmers to sell only in designated mandis — often far from farms, with multiple middlemen taking 20–40% of consumer price. SOLUTIONS: e-NAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market): online price discovery allowing farmers to sell to any registered buyer across India. Contract farming: companies contract with farmers for predetermined prices and quantities (PepsiCo-potato in Punjab). FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations): collectives that aggregate small farmers' produce for better market leverage. (5) POST-HARVEST LOSSES: PROBLEM: 15–25% of food production lost to inadequate cold storage, poor roads, moisture damage in open storage. India wastes ~$14 billion/year in post-harvest food losses. SOLUTIONS: Cold chain infrastructure investment (WDRA — Warehouse Development and Regulatory Authority). Electronic warehouse receipts allow farmers to store and get credit against stored produce. PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana) improves rural connectivity. (6) SOIL DEGRADATION AND SUSTAINABILITY: PROBLEM: Green Revolution areas face groundwater depletion (Punjab water table falling 1m/year), soil salinity, reduced organic matter. SOLUTIONS: Crop diversification away from paddy-wheat monoculture. Natural/zero-budget farming (reducing chemical inputs). Micro-irrigation (drip/sprinkler) to reduce water use.

Practice — Land Resources and Agriculture (India)

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