Land Resources and Agriculture

Land Use in India: • India's total geographical area is 328.7 million hectares. • Land use data is collected by the Ministry of Agriculture from state governments. Types of Land Use (categories): 1. Forests: • Area under forests — includes reserved, protected, and unclassed forests. • Target: National Forest Policy (1988) aims for 33% forest cover; current recorded forest cover ~24%. 2. Barren and Uncultivable Land: • Land under mountains, desert wasteland, glaciers — cannot be brought under cultivation. 3. Land under Non-agricultural Use: • Land under roads, railways, buildings, settlements, industrial areas. 4. Culturable Wasteland: • Land that can be brought under cultivation with investment — currently not farmed. 5. Permanent Pastures and Grazing Lands: • Grasslands for animal grazing. 6. Land under Miscellaneous Tree Crops: • Orchards, groves, coconut plantations — outside forest area. 7. Current Fallows: • Land that rested for one year — allowed to recover fertility. 8. Other Fallows: • Land left uncultivated for more than one year. 9. Net Sown Area (NSA): • Land sown with crops at least once in the agricultural year. • NSA in India: About 140 million hectares — about 43% of total geographical area. 10. Gross Cropped Area (GCA): • NSA + area sown more than once = total sown area counting multiple crops on same land. Land Degradation: • Land degradation refers to the decline in land quality due to human activities or natural processes — reducing its productivity. Causes: 1. Soil erosion: Water erosion (by rainfall and rivers) and wind erosion (in arid areas) remove topsoil. Major problem in Chambal ravines, Northeast India. 2. Waterlogging: Over-irrigation without adequate drainage raises water table and makes land saline and unproductive. Major problem in canal-irrigated areas of Punjab, Haryana, UP. 3. Salinisation: Waterlogging brings salts to the surface — 'usar' or 'reh' land in UP. 4. Deforestation: Removal of forests exposes soil to erosion, reduces water retention. 5. Mining: Open-cast mining destroys land — Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh. 6. Overgrazing: Removes vegetation cover → soil erosion. 7. Shifting cultivation (jhum): If cycle is too short, land doesn't recover. Consequences: Loss of agricultural land, reduced groundwater recharge, flooding, desertification.

Cropping Seasons in India: 1. Kharif Season (Monsoon crop): • Sown at the beginning of the monsoon (June–July) and harvested in September–October. • Crops: Rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton, jute, groundnut, soybean, sugarcane. • Dependence on monsoon rainfall — a failed monsoon = failed kharif. 2. Rabi Season (Winter crop): • Sown after the monsoon retreats (October–November) and harvested in March–April. • Depends on: Winter rains, irrigation, and residual soil moisture. • Crops: Wheat, barley, mustard, gram (chickpea), peas, linseed. • Green Revolution transformed rabi wheat production — Punjab, Haryana, UP. 3. Zaid Season (Summer crop): • Short season between Rabi and Kharif (March–June). • Crops: Watermelon, cucumber, musk melon, some vegetables. • Grown on irrigated land. Major Food Crops: 1. Rice: • India's most important food crop — staple for over half the population. • Major producers: West Bengal, UP, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana. • Requires: High temperature (>25°C), high rainfall (>150 cm) or irrigation. 2. Wheat: • Second most important food crop — staple of North and Northwest India. • Major producers: UP, Punjab, Haryana, MP, Rajasthan. • Green Revolution dramatically increased wheat yields — Punjab is India's 'wheat bowl.' 3. Millets (Jowar, Bajra, Ragi): • Drought-resistant crops grown in rain-shadow areas. • Jowar: Maharashtra, MP, Karnataka. • Bajra: Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra. • Ragi: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh. Major Commercial Crops: 1. Cotton: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Punjab — India is the world's largest cotton producer. 2. Jute: West Bengal, Bihar, Assam — 'golden fibre'; for sacking, rope, cloth. 3. Sugarcane: UP (largest producer), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu — for sugar, jaggery, molasses. 4. Tea: Assam (largest), West Bengal (Darjeeling), Tamil Nadu — India is the world's largest consumer and second-largest producer. 5. Coffee: Karnataka (Coorg), Kerala, Tamil Nadu — arabica and robusta varieties. 6. Oilseeds: Groundnut (Gujarat), Mustard (Rajasthan, UP), Soybean (MP).

Major Agricultural Problems in India: 1. Small and fragmented land holdings: • Average farm size: About 1.1 hectares (very small). • Fragmentation: A farmer's land may be spread across several small, non-contiguous plots. • Impact: Uneconomical to mechanise; low productivity; inefficient land use. 2. Dependence on monsoon: • About 60% of India's cultivated area is still rain-fed — dependent on the south-west monsoon. • Erratic monsoon → crop failure → agrarian distress. 3. Soil degradation: • Erosion, waterlogging, salinisation (see above) reduce productive land. 4. Lack of capital: • Most farmers lack capital for quality seeds, fertilisers, machinery, irrigation. • Indebtedness: Farmers borrow from moneylenders at high interest → debt trap → agrarian suicides (Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab). 5. Inadequate irrigation: • Only about 50–55% of cultivated land is irrigated — rest depends on monsoon. 6. Marketing problems: • Farmers lack access to good markets — forced to sell to middlemen at low prices. • Lack of storage facilities → distress selling after harvest (when prices are low). 7. Low productivity: • India's agricultural productivity per hectare is much lower than in China, USA, or Europe — for most crops. Measures to Improve Agriculture: 1. Land reform: Abolition of zamindari, ceiling on land holdings, tenancy rights. 2. Green Revolution (1960s–70s): HYV seeds, fertilisers, irrigation — transformed wheat and rice productivity. 3. Irrigation expansion: Major and minor irrigation projects; drip irrigation. 4. MGNREGA: Guaranteed rural employment — reduces distress; funds watershed development. 5. MSP (Minimum Support Price): Government guarantees a minimum price for key crops. 6. PM-KISAN: Direct cash transfers to farmers. 7. E-NAM (National Agriculture Market): Online market platform linking APMCs across India. 8. Soil Health Cards: Informing farmers about their soil's nutrient needs. 9. Agricultural credit: Kisan Credit Cards, priority sector lending. 10. Doubling Farmers' Income: Government target to double farm income by 2022.