NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Geography Chapter 4 Agriculture

(i) Good irrigation system, Organic or bio manure, Use of modern agricultural tools.
(ii) Direct help to farmers, subsidy direct in account.
(iii) Government help, easy and cheap loans.
(iv) Easy accessibility of electricity and water.
(v) Accessibility up to markets.
(vi) Crop insurance to protect from flood, drought, cyclone, fire, and insects.
(vii) Education about agriculture, special weather bulletins.
(viii) Establishment of school, collages and research institute of Agriculture and their use. Practice the following maps and fill the outline maps.

Rabi crops are grown during middle of October to December and are harvested in summer during April to June. Wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustered etc. are main Rabi crops.

Kharif crops are grown in June-July in the different regions of country with the arrival of Monsoons. These crops are harvested in September-October. The main crops of Kharif season are Rice, Maize, Jowar, Bajra, Tur, Moong, Urad, Cotton, Jute, Groundnut and Soyabean.

(i) Uncertainty of Monsoon.
(ii) Poverty and vicious cycle of Debt.
(iii) Migration towards cities. Withdrawal from agricultural investment.
(iv) Difficulty in reaching Government facilities and middle men.
(v) International competition and reduction in public investment.

The type of farming with the primitive tools in which farmer do production for the fulfilling of their family needs is known as Subsistence Farming.

Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their family. When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation. This type of farming is known as Slash and burn farming.

(i) Two third of population is engaged in agricultural activities.
(ii) Agriculture is a primary activity.
(iii) Providing raw material for various industries.
(iv) An age old economic activity of India.
(v) Over these years, cultivation method has changed significantly.

It is a labour intensive farming, where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production.

A type of commercial farming in which a single crop is grown on a large area using capital intensive inputs with the help of migrant labourers is known as Plantation Farming.

Tea is an important beverage crop. To grow well, the tea plant needs tropical or sub tropical climates, and deep and fertile well-drained soil which is rich in humus and organic matter.

Rice is a staple food crop of India. It grows in the plains of north and north-east India, coastal areas and the deltaic regions.

The various institutional reform programmes introduced by the government for the benefit of farmers are − Minimum Support Price policy, provision for crop insurance, subsidy on agricultural inputs and resources such as power and fertilisers, Grameen banks, Kissan Credit Card and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme.

A declining area of land under cultivation coupled with increasing population can lead to serious food grain shortages. This would in turn increase imports of food grains, thereby causing the economy to reel under huge debts.

To ensure increase in agricultural production, the government prioritised collectivisation, consolidation of holdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari system. ‘Land reform’ was the main focus of the First Five Year Plans. In the 1960s and 1970s, agricultural reforms were the order of the day. The Green Revolution and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were aimed at improving Indian agricultural productivity. During the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development programme was initiated. Under this, various technical and institutional reforms were introduced by the government for the benefit of farmers, e.g., Minimum Support Price policy, provision for crop insurance, subsidy on agricultural inputs and resources such as power and fertilisers, Grameen banks, Kissan Credit Card, Personal Accident Insurance Scheme, and special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes like ‘Krishi Darshan’ on national television.

The impact of globalisation on Indian agriculture has been felt since colonial times. Raw cotton and spices were important export items from India. In 1917, Indian farmers revolted in Champaran against being forced to grow indigo in place of food grains, in order to supply dye to Britain’s flourishing textile industry. Thus, globalisation has had its boons and banes for Indian agriculture. Post liberalisation, Indian farmers face new challenges in the form of competition from highly subsidised agriculture of developed nations. This prompts the need for making Indian agriculture successful and profitable by improving the conditions of small and marginal farmers, countering the negative effects of Green Revolution, developing and promoting organic farming, and diversifying cropping pattern from cereals to high-value crops.

Rice is a kharif crop grown in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions. It requires high temperatures (above 25°C) and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm. In areas with less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation via canals and tubewells.