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India is a very diverse nation with varied climatic conditions and geography that contribute to food production. Major crops of India are grown in different regions and climates. There are three main factors affecting crop production. First is the climate, which determines which crops can be grown in a particular area, and secondly, its suitability for cultivation. Apart from this lies the important task of technology and availability of irrigation facilities. Thirdly is the status of the plantation sector, as these crops are sometimes more profitable than cereals.
Major crops of India and cropping patterns involved
The major crops of India are Wheat, Rice, Maize (Corn), Jowar (Sorghum), Bajra (Pearl Millet), Ragi (Finger Millet), Pulses, and others – cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, etc.
- Wheat
Wheat is the most important cash crop in India. In 2020, its production was around 107.6 million tonnes accounting for over 33% of total cereal production and nearly 80% of total cereal output in the country. However, wheat production was severely affected due to dry spells during 2007-08. The area under wheat farming has shown an upward trend since 1976-77 due to high yields and good prices for wheat straw and byproducts.
- Rice
India is the second-largest producer of rice in the world after China. Rice production has been declining in recent years, and annual production continues to fall. The annual grain production (excluding paddy) is 18 million tonnes, while the total paddy area is 2.3 million hectares, nearly 76% of which remains unirrigated. All rice grown in India is consumed locally, with only a small proportion of production being exported. Of the total area under paddy cultivation, over 60% belongs to rainfed areas, and 40% is irrigated.
The crop calendar largely determines the rice produced, i.e., Monsoon Rice and Kharif Rice. The area under paddy cultivation depends on the monsoon. In a normal year, the monsoon occurs from June to September, it rains during this period, and most of the area is covered with paddy from July to October.
- Maize
Maize is an important food crop that forms an integral part of the Indian diet. Maize production in India rose from 2 million tonnes in 1961 to 31 million metric tonnes in 2021. The main reason for the high production of maize is the development of new high-yielding varieties, better management practices, and advances in technology. Maize production has been progressing faster in recent years due to the large area under cultivation, mainly due to better access to ample water resources. During 1950-51 India used to produce 1.73 million MT maize, which has increased to 27.8 million MT by 2018-19, recording close to 16 times increase in production.
Major Crops are Grown in India (area wise)
In India, wheat and rice are the largest cultivated crops. They account for a large share of the total harvested area in most states. The area under rice has continued to increase at a steady rate of about 1 million hectares per year over the past few years. The area under maize cultivation has more than doubled because of the intensive use of complex technologies and large-scale fertilizers, insecticides, and agrochemicals.
The area under oilseeds was 1.5 million hectares in 1991-92, which increased 10% over the previous year. The area under groundnut has declined since 1983-84 and is expected to decline further during 1991-92.
The area under minor oilseeds—sesamum, sunflower, cottonseed, mustard, and linseed—has increased significantly in the last decade due to their higher incomes.
The area under sugarcane has declined because of the rapid adoption of mechanized technology and intensive irrigation facilities in sugarcane growing areas. Interest in energy crops, such as jatrophas, farinaceous and oil palms, and tree species such as eucalyptus and pine, has increased in recent years due to the large area available for plantation.
The area under horticultural crops has increased due to new technology such as tissue culture and better varieties. The area under oil palm in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka increased exponentially due to the large-scale cultivation of oil palm on estates owned by private companies. The area under jatropha, guar, castor, and sunflower has also increased because they are considered high-yielding crops.
The area under cereal crops has declined in the past five years because of the fall in demand for food and beverages and lower prices. The area under sugarcane has also declined during this period because of the reduction in the area under irrigation, increased mechanized and improved cultivation techniques, more intensive use of fertilizer and agrochemicals, low rainfall, land shortage, and poor productivity due to dry spells.
Conclusion
The distribution and production of major crops differ significantly from region to region, depending on local influences such as soil type and climate, which determine what crops will grow well. While differences in geography can explain this, there are also cultural differences between regions that impact what crops are grown regionally. For example, the east Indian states of Bihar and the U.P. are dry and produce a large amount of wheat, sugarcane, and pulses. Some dry regions, such as the western districts of Maharashtra, and Dindigul, along with many other coastal areas, also produce wheat, sugarcane and pulses.
