36 Facts About Agriculture In India: Know What Grows Where!

No matter how far humans have come and how much we have invented, there are still a few jobs that are best suited when people with experience do them. One example is the agriculture sector.

The agricultural sector is the very birthplace of food grain production, almost every country and its citizens depend on agricultural production. However, when we talk about farms, they aren't just the production places for food grains, but also for animal products as well.

Fertile land is the very first requirement that one needs to have success in the agriculture industry. Some countries have very fertile lands that are capable of growing food grains for themselves and other countries as well, which comparatively don't have as much fertile land. One such country with an abundance of agricultural land is India.

There are three seasons for growing crops. These seasons are called the Kharif season, the Rabi season, and the third is known as the Zaid season.

The Indian economy relies upon the Indian agriculture sector. Agriculture in India provides jobs to more than 40% of the total population.

This also makes it very difficult for Indian farmers to stand out in the race. Since farming is widely practiced in India, it sometimes causes problems for its own population.

Too much production means fewer prices, and fewer prices mean a loss for the farmers. Although Indian agriculture is a beautiful industry that provides food to billions of people, it can sometimes be a very difficult industry that can end up putting farmers in generations' worth of debt.

Importance Of Indian Agriculture

Indian agriculture has other allied sectors which greatly affect the Indian GDP. Thus, it's fair to say that agricultural products make up a large part of India's agricultural GDP.

• Year after year, agriculture in India has been responsible for an increase in the GDP.
• In the years 2021-2022, the share of agriculture in GDP increased by around 2% compared to the years 2019-20.
• Since Indian agriculture has too many players playing the same game, some farmers are now trying their hands at organic farming.
• Organic agriculture is quickly becoming more famous in India, it is also the reason why some of the organic farming states are earning more than the traditional framing states in India.
• India is gifted with an incredible soil water ecosystem. This means that apart from shipping agricultural products to other countries, India also is one of the three largest suppliers when it comes to fish production.
• Some states of India are more fertile than others. The northern states of India are generally less fertile, whereas the southern states are rich in excellent soil quality.
• The southern states along with Punjab are responsible for the fish production in India.
• Agriculture in India has been booming for a long time now. However, the Indian government has only recently started to assist in agriculture exports to help India step up in the export industry.
• After the assistance by the Indian government, the agricultural commodities have seen a boon in their export. India is now exporting 40% more than it was earlier.
• The agricultural sector in India often comes with close ties with other sectors as well. One such example is poultry production and the production of milk and milk products.
• India is the world's largest milk producer. The country also produces various grains such as pulses, ragi, and jawar.
• India is also known to have the second largest population of cattle; thus, this obviously makes India the largest producer of milk.
• The farms of southern India, especially Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, are known to be major producers of rice and wheat.
• When it comes to the Indian economy, Indian agriculture takes up to 13% of the share of the country's economy.

What crops are grown in India?

It's fair to say that all countries do farming, and every country has its very own techniques and traditional methods for doing so. However, what makes India so special when it comes to agriculture in India is that the country's population often manages agriculture through horticulture. Some states in India also manage animal husbandry along with agricultural production.

• The rural economy of India, which is mostly marginal farmers, often engages in both plantation crops and horticulture.
• Due to Indian agriculture, the gross domestic product of India has seen a peak in the last three years.
• Studies suggest that if proper agricultural research is done on the soil, providing farmers with new irrigation facilities, the agricultural produce can increase.
• Animal husbandry plays a crucial role in the Indian agricultural economy. Animal husbandry contributes more than half of the Indian agricultural economy.
• Although many crops are grown in India as part of their yearly agricultural products, there are some crops that are native to India. Crops such as wheat, ragi, cotton, and rice are the main agricultural products of India.
• India is also famous for growing jute and is the world's largest jute producer.
• Agriculture products such as sugarcane and groundnut, along with other spices, are grown in India.
• India is famous for its homegrown spices and some of these spices are only grown in India they arent grown anywhere else.
• The famous Indian chai, also known as Indian chai tea, is grown in Kerala. If these chai teas are grown somewhere else, they just do not taste the same.

Special Features Of India’s Agriculture

India's agriculture is very important to the Indian population, as it provides employment for more than half the population.

• Not all Indian states export their crops and agricultural produce. Indian farmers follow a subsistence agricultural model. That means they grow their crops on small plots of land, and whatever they grow by the end of the season gets used for their own consumption.
• India is a growing country, and the Indian population is growing at a rapid rate. With this more and more people are migrating to urban areas. These activities put pressure on only a few remaining parts of rural India to provide for the entire population of India.
• Providing for the Indian population can often get very difficult as many of the states are still dependent on the monsoon (rainy season). If there is no rainy season, the crops will ultimately fail, and most rural parts don't have any other irrigation facilities.
• India has a large variety of crops. Their variety is greater compared to any other country's. This is because India is a diverse country and there is a new culture and language in almost every state. The same can be said about their climate conditions as well.

What Indian state is the largest grower?

Not all Indian states have the same level of soil fertility. States such as Rajasthan hardly receive any rain, so they often don't yield much, whereas the southern and northwestern states receive a good enough amount of rain, making them good producers of agricultural products.

• Utter Pradesh is known to be the highest producer of grains and agricultural products in India.
• After Uttar Pradesh, states such as Punjab and Madhya Pradesh are known to contribute the most to agricultural products.
• States that follow an organic agriculture model often can't feed themselves. In India, organic farming is not considered a sustainable model. It requires farmers to use expensive manure, and the yield is comparatively far less.
• India's agricultural GDP stands out compared to other countries' GDP in the world bank.
• In earlier times India often didn't perform well globally when it came to its agricultural exports, as there was not much support from the government.
• Only recently the Indian government has started investing in the Indian agriculture and India is now believed to export more than ever to other countries with the help of proper agricultural marketing and cold storage for grains.
• It is commonly believed that the Indian agriculture industry doesn't benefit the farmers as much as it should. It's a common myth that since India is the largest producer of grain and milk, the farmers in India are well rewarded for their work. The same is not true. Unfortunately, many Indian farmers do not profit as much as they deserve from their work, and it's the middle man and multi-million companies that become the face of these exports and make large profits after the hard work done by the farmers.
• It's also reasonable for India to lead the global position of the largest supplier as the agricultural produces of India are comparatively affordable and possess good quality compared to the competition.
• For many years Indian farmers have been sustaining themselves on their own without any help from the government. A large majority of these farmers come from rural areas and they have been farming for generations without any sort of external help.