Crops and Livestock in India

Crops and Livestock of India
Introduction

India is called an agricultural country because about 52 percent of working people are directly engaged in agriculture and livestock

Crops

Owing to diverse landforms, climates and seasons, different types of crops are grown in India. Ours is a leading country in many crops.

Crop seasons

A crop year can be divided into two seasons : Rabi and Kharif. The Rabi crops are sown in winter months and are reaped by the late spring season. On the other hand, the Kharif crops are sown in the rainy season and are reaped by the winter season. India has made much progress in farming. Our irrigation and farming techniques have improved while we have better fertilizers and seeds. Due to these factors, these crop seasons are not much followed.

Crops and Livestock in India

Classification of Crops

We can divide our crops into different classes. Two main categories of crops are food and non-food crops

Rice : Rice is an important staple diet for a large number of people in India, so it is prominently grown in our country. India is the world’s second largest producer of rice. It is chiefly grown in the states of Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

 Wheat : Wheat is also an important staple diet of a large number of people in North India. It is chiefly grown in the states of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Pulses : Pulses or daals are an important supplementary source of nutrition. These are grown almost all over India.

Millets : Millets are a staple diet for many people in our country. They are grown in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. India is the world’s largest producer of millets.

Crops and Livestock in India

Cash Crops

Cash crops are grown for sale in the market, and not for domestic consumption. Important cash crops include sugarcane, cotton, jute, oilseeds, spices, fruits, vegetables and beverages etc. Thus, we can see that a crop can fall under different categories. Important cash crops are as follows :

Sugarcane :

 India is the world’s largest producer of sugarcane. It is used for making sugar and jaggery (gur). It is mainly grown in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Cotton :

Cotton is a fibre crop and is used for making cloth and other articles. It is grown in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

 Jute :

Jute is a fibre crop which is used for making bags, ropes and carpets. It is chiefly grown in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Rubber : Rubber is an industrial crop which is used for making tyres and tubes for vehicles. It is chiefly grown in the state of Kerala.

Crops and Livestock in India

Some crops can also be grouped as follows

Crops and Livestock in India

Live Stock

Wild animals live in their natural habitat, like the forest. On the other hand, domestic animals are used and reared for different purposes such as food, skin, bone, hair, transportation, recreation and company.

Some animals are reared for food :

The animals such as cow, buffalo, goat etc., give us milk; they are called milch animals.

Some animals are reared for meat and eggs, such as goat, hen, duck, pig, sheep, fish etc. Some animals are used for transport. They are called beasts of burden.

The animals which carry load on their backs are called pack animals, such as horse, donkey, camel, elephant etc.

The animals which draw carts are called draught animals, such as bullock, camel, horse etc.

Many animals are kept for company and recreation, such as horse, dog, cat, parrot etc. These animals are called pet animals.