Chapter 4: Agriculture
Complete NCERT textbook questions with model answers for Class 10 Geography Chapter 4. These solutions follow CBSE marking scheme patterns and show how to structure answers for 1, 3, and 5 marks questions. Focus on answer writing technique rather than just memorizing content.
Multiple Choice Questions (1 Mark)
Exam Tip: 1-mark answers should be precise, direct, and not exceed 20-30 words. No explanation needed.
Answer: (b) Plantation agriculture
Answer: (a) Mustard
Answer: (d) Pulses
Answer: (b) Minimum Support Price
Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)
Exam Tip: Write one-word or one-sentence answers. No elaboration required.
Answer: Tea; Requires cool climate, high rainfall, well-drained sloping land, and rich soil.
Answer: Rice; Grown in West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Answer: Provision for crop insurance, establishment of Grameen banks, Kissan Credit Cards, and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme.
Answer: Jhumming in North-East, Bewar or Dahiya in Madhya Pradesh, Podu in Andhra Pradesh.
Answer: Subsistence farming and commercial farming.
Short Answer Questions (3 Marks)
Exam Tip: 3-mark answers should be 60-80 words with clear points. Structure: Introduction + 2-3 points + Conclusion.
Answer: Primitive subsistence farming uses basic tools and depends on natural fertility, while intensive subsistence farming uses higher inputs and irrigation to maximize production from limited land, representing different stages of agricultural development.
| Aspect | Primitive Subsistence Farming | Intensive Subsistence Farming |
|---|---|---|
| Tools Used | Simple tools like hoe, dao, digging sticks | Modern tools, some machinery, irrigation equipment |
| Productivity | Low yield, depends on natural fertility | High yield per unit area through inputs |
| Land Use | Shifting cultivation, land left fallow | Continuous cultivation, multiple cropping |
| Labor Input | Family labor, small plots | High labor input on small holdings |
| Examples in India | Jhumming in NE states, Podu in AP | Rice cultivation in West Bengal, Kerala |
| Sustainability | Low if practiced intensively | Can be sustainable with proper management |
While primitive subsistence is practiced in forested and hilly regions, intensive subsistence dominates in fertile plains with high population density where land is scarce but labor abundant.
Answer: Rabi and kharif are India's two main agricultural seasons based on monsoon patterns, with rabi crops sown in winter and harvested in spring, while kharif crops are sown with monsoon onset and harvested in autumn.
| Aspect | Rabi Crops (Winter Crops) | Kharif Crops (Monsoon Crops) |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing Time | October to December | June to July (with monsoon onset) |
| Harvesting Time | April to June | September to October |
| Water Requirement | Less, mostly irrigation | High, depends on monsoon rains |
| Major Crops | • Wheat • Barley • Mustard • Peas • Gram |
• Rice • Maize • Cotton • Jowar • Groundnut |
| Major Growing States | Punjab, Haryana, UP, MP, Rajasthan | West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala |
| Dependency | Less dependent on monsoon | Highly dependent on monsoon timing |
A third season called Zaid (summer crops) exists between rabi and kharif for crops like watermelon, cucumber, and fodder, but rabi and kharif dominate India's agricultural calendar and food production.
Answer: Agriculture remains the backbone of India's economy despite declining GDP share, providing livelihood to nearly half the population, ensuring food security, supplying raw materials to industries, and contributing to exports and rural development.
| Contribution Area | Significance | Current Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Generation | • Largest employer in India • Absorbs unskilled labor • Supports rural livelihoods • Reduces urban migration pressure |
• 43% of workforce (2021) • Over 250 million people employed • Higher in rural areas (55-60%) |
| GDP Contribution | • Direct contribution to national income • Supplies raw materials to industries • Market for industrial goods • Source of government revenue |
• 18.8% of GDP (2021-22) • Down from 51% in 1950-51 • Still significant given employment share |
| Food Security | • Feeds 1.4 billion population • Buffer stock maintenance • Price stabilization • Nutritional security |
• 308 million tonnes foodgrains (2020-21) • Self-sufficient in most crops • World's largest producer of milk, pulses |
| Industrial Linkages | • Supplies raw materials to agro-based industries • Creates demand for fertilizers, machinery • Supports textiles, sugar, edible oil industries |
• 27% of industrial output from agro-based sectors • Textiles largest employer after agriculture |
| Trade & Foreign Exchange | • Export earnings from agricultural products • Import substitution • Balance of payments support |
• 11.4% of total exports (2020-21) • Rice, spices, cotton major exports • $41.8 billion agricultural exports |
Despite urbanization and industrialization, agriculture's social and economic importance remains critical, especially for poverty reduction, rural development, and maintaining political and social stability in India.
Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)
Exam Tip: 5-mark answers need 120-150 words with proper structure: Introduction, 4-5 main points with examples, and conclusion.
Answer: Rice and wheat are India's principal foodgrains with contrasting geographical requirements - rice needs hot wet conditions while wheat prefers cool dry weather, with distinct regional distributions reflecting these climatic needs across India's agricultural landscape.
Geographical Conditions and Production Areas:
Food Security Significance: Together, rice and wheat constitute over 75% of India's foodgrain production, with rice providing staple food for southern and eastern regions and wheat for northern and western regions, making their geographical distribution crucial for national food security planning.
Answer: Globalization has profoundly transformed Indian agriculture through trade liberalization, technological diffusion, and market integration, creating both opportunities for growth and challenges of vulnerability, with differential impacts across regions and farmer categories.
| Aspect | Positive Impacts | Negative Impacts | Examples/Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Access | • Access to global markets • Better prices for export crops • Diversification opportunities • Export-oriented production |
• Price volatility from global markets • Competition from subsidized imports • Dumping of cheap products • Domestic market disruption |
• Basmati rice exports to Middle East • Cotton exports increased • Cheap palm oil imports affect oilseeds • Dairy imports threaten local producers |
| Technology Transfer | • Access to improved seeds and technologies • Precision farming techniques • Biotechnology applications • Post-harvest technologies |
• High costs of patented technologies • Dependence on MNCs for inputs • Loss of traditional varieties • Environmental concerns with GMOs |
• Bt cotton adoption increased yields • Hybrid seeds from multinationals • Traditional rice varieties declining • Monsanto's Bt cotton patent issues |
| Investment & Infrastructure | • Foreign investment in agri-infrastructure • Cold chains and storage facilities • Food processing industries • Contract farming opportunities |
• Corporate control over agriculture • Small farmer marginalization • Land acquisition issues • Traditional systems undermined |
• PepsiCo's contract farming for potatoes • Walmart's supply chain investments • Land conflicts in SEZ areas • Small farmers becoming laborers |
| Quality Standards | • Improved quality consciousness • Sanitary and phytosanitary standards • Organic farming promotion • Value addition opportunities |
• Compliance costs for small farmers • Rejection of exports due to standards • Certification costs and complexities • Non-tariff barriers affecting trade |
• Grape exports to Europe face strict standards • Organic certification expenses • EU pesticide residue norms affect exports • Geographical indication protections |
| Farmer Incomes | • Higher incomes for export-oriented farmers • Premium prices for quality produce • Direct marketing opportunities • Agri-tourism development |
• Income instability for small farmers • Rising input costs • Debt traps from market failures • Farmer suicides in cash crop areas |
• Floriculture exports from Karnataka • Spice farmers get better prices • Cotton farmers' debt issues • Vidarbha farmer distress cases |
Policy Implications: Globalization requires supportive policies like minimum support prices, crop insurance, infrastructure development, and farmer training to help small farmers benefit while protecting them from vulnerabilities. The 2020 farm laws controversy highlighted tensions between globalization-driven market reforms and protection of farmer interests in India's agricultural transition.
Map-Based Question
Important: Map questions carry 2-3 marks. Always label clearly and include a key/legend if needed.
a) Major rice producing areas
b) Major wheat producing areas
c) Major sugarcane producing areas
d) Major cotton producing areas
e) Major tea producing areas
[Image: Outline map of India showing major crop producing regions]
Map showing: Rice (West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu), Wheat (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, MP), Sugarcane (UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka), Cotton (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana), Tea (Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala)
Answer Key for Map:
- Major rice producing areas: West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar
- Major wheat producing areas: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
- Major sugarcane producing areas: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh
- Major cotton producing areas: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab
- Major tea producing areas: Assam, West Bengal (Darjeeling), Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris), Kerala (Munnar)
Extra Practice Questions
Answer: Plantation agriculture and commercial grain farming represent two distinct forms of commercial agriculture in India, differing in crop types, scale, management, market orientation, and geographical distribution, each playing specific roles in the agricultural economy.
| Aspect | Plantation Agriculture | Commercial Grain Farming |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Large-scale monoculture of cash crops for export | Large-scale cultivation of foodgrains primarily for domestic market |
| Scale & Management | Large estates, capital intensive, scientific management, hired labor | Large farms, mechanized operations, some hired labor combined with family labor |
| Major Crops | • Tea • Coffee • Rubber • Spices • Banana • Sugarcane (in some regions) |
• Wheat • Rice (in some commercial areas) • Maize • Millets (increasingly commercial) |
| Regional Distribution | • Tea: Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala • Coffee: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu • Rubber: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka • Spices: Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
• Wheat: Punjab, Haryana, Western UP • Rice: Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh • Maize: Karnataka, MP, Rajasthan • Millets: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka |
| Market Orientation | Primarily export-oriented, some domestic consumption | Primarily domestic market, some exports (especially rice) |
| Processing Requirements | Extensive processing near plantations (tea processing, rubber tapping, coffee curing) | Minimal processing (cleaning, grading), mills usually located in consumption areas |
| Labor Characteristics | Permanent labor force, often with housing facilities, some seasonal workers | Combination of family labor and seasonal migrant workers during harvesting |
| Historical Development | Developed during colonial period for export to European markets | Expanded significantly post-Green Revolution with government support |
Economic Significance: Plantation agriculture earns valuable foreign exchange (tea is India's second largest agricultural export after rice) while commercial grain farming ensures national food security. Both face challenges: plantations from climate change and labor issues, grain farming from water depletion and sustainability concerns.
Answer: Since independence, India has implemented comprehensive technological and institutional reforms in agriculture to address food security, increase productivity, and improve farmer livelihoods, evolving from the Green Revolution's technological focus to more holistic approaches integrating technology, institutions, and sustainability concerns.
| Reform Category | Specific Reforms | Implementation Period | Impact & Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technological Reforms | • High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds • Chemical fertilizers and pesticides • Irrigation expansion (tube wells, canals) • Mechanization (tractors, harvesters) • Biotechnology (Bt cotton, hybrid seeds) |
Green Revolution (1960s-70s) onwards | • Foodgrain production increased 5-fold • India became self-sufficient in food • Regional disparities increased • Environmental concerns emerged |
| Land Reforms | • Abolition of zamindari system • Land ceiling acts • Tenancy reforms • Consolidation of holdings • Computerization of land records |
1950s-1970s, ongoing digitization | • Reduced feudal exploitation • Limited success in redistribution • Tenancy issues persist • Improved record management |
| Credit & Insurance Reforms | • Nationalization of banks (1969) • Priority sector lending • Regional Rural Banks (1975) • NABARD establishment (1982) • Kisan Credit Cards (1998) • PMFBY crop insurance (2016) |
1960s onwards, continuous evolution | • Increased institutional credit flow • Reduced moneylender dependence • Insurance coverage expansion • Debt issues still prevalent |
| Marketing Reforms | • Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) • Minimum Support Price (MSP) • Food Corporation of India (1965) • E-NAM online trading (2016) • Recent farm laws (2020, repealed) |
1960s onwards, recent controversial changes | • Price support for farmers • Procurement system for food security • Market restrictions criticized • Ongoing reforms debate |
| Sustainability Reforms | • Watershed development programs • Organic farming promotion • Soil health card scheme • Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana • National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture |
1980s onwards, increased focus recently | • Addressing Green Revolution externalities • Soil health improvement • Water conservation focus • Climate resilience building |
| Recent Initiatives | • PM-KISAN income support • Doubling farmers' income by 2022 • FPO promotion • Agriculture Infrastructure Fund • Digital agriculture initiatives |
2014 onwards | • Direct benefit transfer • Infrastructure development • Farmer producer organizations • Technology integration |
Assessment: While technological reforms achieved remarkable production gains, institutional reforms had mixed success. Current challenges include smallholder viability, climate change adaptation, sustainable intensification, and fair value distribution. Future reforms need to balance productivity with sustainability, technology with equity, and globalization with food sovereignty.
Answer Writing Checklist
Final Note: These solutions demonstrate how to write answers, not just what to write. Practice adapting this structure to different questions.
