Agriculture (UPSC) (Part-I)

The importance of cotton crop is as follows:
• Economic Significance – Cotton is a major cash crop in India, providing livelihoods to millions of farmers and supporting the country’s large textile industry.
• Global Position – India is the largest producer of cotton globally, playing a crucial role in the international cotton market.
• Textile Industry Backbone – Cotton is the primary raw material for the textile industry, which is a significant contributor to India’s GDP and export earnings.
• Employment Generation – The cotton industry, from farming to textiles, creates employment opportunities across various sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, and trade.
• Cultural Importance – Cotton has historical and cultural significance in India, being central to traditional clothing and crafts.

• Cotton cultivation in India plays a crucial role in the country’s agricultural economy and textile industry.
• ndiais one of the largest producers of cotton globally, with major cultivation areas in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
• The crop thrives in warm climates, ideally requiring temperatures between 21-30°C and well-drained loamy soils.
• Typically grown as a Kharif crop, cotton is sown in June-July and harvested from November to February.
• The crop’s success is highly dependent on adequate rainfall, with an ideal range of 50-100 cm, and efficient water management, as it is sensitive to waterlogging.

• Indiais the second-largest wheat producer in the world after China. Wheat cultivation accounts for 13 per cent of the country’s cropped area.
• The highest production of wheat in India comes from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana, with Uttar Pradesh leading as the top producer due to its fertile alluvial soil and extensive irrigation network.
• India has done better in wheat cultivation by achieving yields closer to the global average.
  o It has recorded an average yield of 3.37 tonnes per hectare.
  o However, it is still far from countries like France (6.84 tonne), Germany (6.67 tonne) and China (5.42 tonne). Production of wheat can be increased by the following measures:
• Area-specific technology has to be used, e.g., micro-irrigation in dry areas of the Deccan Region.
  o Improved supply of better seeds.
  o Better supply of fertilisers.
  o Control of weeds, pests and diseases.

• It is the second most crucial fibre crop in India after cotton.
• It is used for manufacturing gunny bags, ropes, carpets, rugs, tarpaulins, and more.
• This crop has great demand due to its low price, softness, and strength.
• However, the introduction of synthetic alternatives has resulted in a decline in demand for jute.

• It is a major horticulture crop cultivated on nearly 3 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, producing 60 lakh tonnes of the crop.
• It is cultivated throughout the tropical world for its tuberous roots, from which cassava flour, breads, tapioca, a laundry starch, and an alcoholic beverage are derived.
  Climatic conditions required
• Soil: Any well-drained soil, preferably red lateritic loamy soil.
• It thrives best in a tropical, warm, humid climate
• Rainfall: Well-distributed rainfall of over 100 cm per annum.
• This crop can be cultivated upto an elevation of 1000 m.

Cotton Cultivation in India

• Cotton cultivation in India plays a crucial role in the country’s agricultural economy and textile industry.
• ndiais one of the largest producers of cotton globally, with major cultivation areas in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
• The crop thrives in warm climates, ideally requiring temperatures between 21-30°C and well-drained loamy soils.
• Typically grown as a Kharif crop, cotton is sown in June-July and harvested from November to February.
• The crop’s success is highly dependent on adequate rainfall, with an ideal range of 50-100 cm, and efficient water management, as it is sensitive to waterlogging.

Onion Production in India

• India is the world's second-largest producer of onions, after China, with annual production averaging 25–30 million tonnes.
• Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Rajasthan are the leading producers.
• The country grows three onion crops, Kharif, Late Kharif, and Rabi, with Rabi onions having higher storage potential and accounting for nearly 60% of annual output.
• Maharashtra dominates production due to a favourable climate and large-scale cultivation in districts like Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, and Solapur. However, despite its massive output, the sector faces persistent problems..

There are four major and broad climatic conditions in India:

Tropical wet       Subtropical humid

Tropical dry       Montane

'A' refers to Gujarat where groundnut is a major crop.

'B' refers to western part of Maharashtra which is known for sugarcane.

'C' refers to southern part of Orissa and northern part of Andhra Pradesh, where 'Ragi' is cultivated abundantly.

'D' refers Andhra Pradesh and tobacco is cultivated in this area.

Groundnut >Soyabean> Mustard > Sesamum

Oilseeds

• Oilseeds are generally, seeds grown primarily for the production of edible (i.e. cooking) oils. India is one of the major oilseeds grower and importer of edible oils.
• The diverse agro-ecological conditions in the country are favourable for growing 9 annual oilseed crops, which include 7 edible oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed & mustard, soybean, sunflower, sesame, safflower and niger) and two non-edible oilseeds (castor and linseed).
• India has been forced to go in for large imports of edible oils since the domestic production of oilseeds falls short of demand. The self-sufficiency in oilseeds attained through “Yellow Revolution” during early 1990s, could not be sustained beyond a short period.