AGRICULTURE

Answer the following question:

1. What is agriculture?
Answer: Growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing livestock are together
called agriculture.
2. Name the factors influencing agriculture.
Answer: Climate, type of soil, population density and technology.
3. What is shifting cultivation?
Answer: Shifting cultivation or slash-and-burn cultivation is a type of farming
activity which involves clearing a plot of land by felling trees, burning the felled
trees, mixing the ashes with soil, and then growing crops like maize, yam, potatoes
and cassava on the cleared land. After the soil loses its fertility, the land is
abandoned and the cultivator moves on to a new plot.
4. What is meant by ‘nomadic herding’?
Answer: Nomadic herding means a particular pattern of animal husbandry in which
people are merely herdsmen and they are continuously on the move along with their
families and cattle in search of food and water supply. This occupation is adopted only
by primitive tribes in the semi arid & arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia, and in
Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir in India
5. Distinguish between the followings.
(i) Primary activities and Tertiary activities.
Primary Activities Tertiary Activities
➢ Primary activities are those ➢ Tertiary activities are those activities
activities which are associated which provide support to primary
with the extraction & production and secondary activities through
of natural resources. services.
➢ Examples are - Extraction ➢ Examples are - Transport,
(mining), gathering, fishing, communication, trade, banking,
agriculture. media etc.

6. Distinction between Subsistence & Intensive Farming:

Subsistence Farming
➢ This type of farming is carried out to meet the needs of the farmer’s family.
➢ It is done generally on a traditional basis using low levels of technology and household
labour.
➢ A variety of crops are raised in small quantity on a small plot of land.
Intensive Farming
➢ It is a kind of subsistence farming only where a farmer cultivates a small plot of land by
simple tools and more labour.
➢ Climate with large number of day’s sunshine and fertile soils help in growing more than
one crop on the same plot in a year.
➢ This type of farming is common in the thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of
south, southeast and east Asia.
7. Describe the various kinds of commercial farming.
Answer: The different kinds of commercial farming are-
Commercial grain farming:
➢ In this type of farming, crops are grown for commercial purpose in areas that are sparsely
populated with large farms spreading over hundreds of hectares.
➢ Severe winters restrict the growing season and only a single crop can be grown.
➢ Wheat and maize are common commercially grown grains.
Mixed farming:
➢ In such type of farming, the land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock.
Plantation farming:
➢ In this type of farming, a single crop is grown using large amount of labour and capital.
➢ The production may be processed on the farm itself or in nearby factories.
➢ The development of a transport network is thus essential for such farming.
➢ Primarily crops like tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton are grown in this
type of farming.
8. What is agricultural development? How can it be achieved?
Answer: Agricultural development refers to the efforts made to increase farm production in order to meet
the growing demand of increasing population. This can be achieved by many ways such as increasing the
cropped area, the number of crops grown, improving irrigation facilities, use of fertilizers and high
yielding variety of seeds.

9. Define the following terms: Sericulture, pisciculture, viticulture, horticulture (refer book page
number 41 – box)

10. How does agricultural development lead to economic development in India?

ARABLE LAND: Most of soil in India is most suitable for agriculture. This is the very reason
2/3rd of the population of India is still dependent on agriculture for earning their livehood and thus
contributing to national income.
FEEDING HUGE POPULATION: Agriculture in India is the main source of food supply for
the huge population our country has. This makes sure that we don’t import much for food supply
and thus contributes to economic development.
GENERATION OF EMPLOYMENT: 2/3rd of India population is dependent on agriculture for
their livelihood. So, this means most of the problem of unemployment in the country is solved due
to agriculture.
RAW MATERIAL FOR INDUSTRIES: The products of agriculture are mostly the raw
materials for many industries in India. This way, agriculture indirectly facilitates economic
development by enabling many industries to contribute to national income.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE: Many agricultural crops are also exported to other countries which
will fetch foreign exchange for our country. This way agricultural development will lead to
economic development in India.

11. Major Crops and Producing States in India

Largest Rice producing state in India is West Bengal
Largest Wheat producing state in India is Uttar Pradesh
Largest Sugarcane producing state in India is Uttar Pradesh
Largest Maize producing state in India is Andhra Pradesh
Largest Cotton producing state in India is Gujarat
Largest Banana producing state in India is Tamil Nadu
Largest Tea producing state in India is Assam
Largest Coffee producing state in India is Karnataka
Largest Rubber producing state in India is Kerala
Largest Pulses producing state in India is Madhya Pradesh