SUGARCANE

SUGARCANE

It is a tropical as well as a subtropical crop. It grows well in a hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21°C to 27°C and annual rainfall between 75cm. and 100cm. Irrigation is required in regions of low rainfall. It can be grown on a variety of soils and needs manual labour from sowing to harvesting. India is the second-largest producer of sugarcane only after Brazil. It is the main source of sugar, gur (jaggary), khandsari and molasses. The major sugarcane-producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.

Figure 4.8: Sugarcane Cultivation

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK

OIL SEEDS

OILSEEDS

In 2016 India was the second-largest producer of groundnut in the world after China. In rapeseed production, India was the third-largest producer in the world after Canada and China in 2016. Different oil seeds are grown covering approximately 12 percent of the total cropped area of the country. Main oil-seeds produced in India are groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum (til), soyabean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower. Most of these are edible and used as cooking mediums. However, some of these are also used as raw material in the production of soap, cosmetics and ointments.

Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts for about half of the major oilseeds produced in the country. Gujarat was the largest producer of groundnut followed by Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh in 2016–17. Linseed and mustard are rabi crops. Sesamum is a Kharif crop in north and rabi crops in south India. Castor seed is grown both as rabi and kharif crop.

Figure 4.9: Groundnut, sunflower and mustard are ready to be harvested in the field

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK

TEA AND COFFEE

TEA AND COFFEE

Tea

Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture. It is also an important beverage crop introduced in India initially by the British. Today, most of the tea plantations are owned by Indians. The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter. Tea bushes require a warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year. Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves. Tea is a labor-intensive industry. It requires abundant, cheap and skilled labour. Tea is processed within the tea garden to restore its freshness. Major tea-producing states are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea-producing states in the country. In 2016 India was the second-largest producer of tea after China.

Figure 4.10: Tea Cultivation & Tea-leaves Harvesting 

Coffee

Indian coffee is known in the world for its good quality. The Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is produced in the country. This variety is in great demand all over the world. Initially, its cultivation was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills and even today its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK

HORTICULTURE CROPS

HORTICULTURE CROPS

In 2016, India was the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China. India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits. Mangoes of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya), bananas of Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, lichi and guava of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, pineapples of Meghalaya, grapes of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, apples, pears, apricots and walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are in great demand the world over.

Figure 4.12: Apricots, apple and pomegranate

Figure 4.13: Cultivation of vegetables – peas, cauliflower, tomato and brinjal

India is an important producer of pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, tomato, brinjal and potato.

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK