Agriculture employs a large share of India's population. Crops are grown in different seasons based on climate and rainfall. Understanding the major crops and the three cropping seasons is essential for geography and economy sections of exams.
Three Cropping Seasons
- Kharif - sown in June-July, harvested in autumn. Examples: rice, maize, cotton.
- Rabi - sown in winter, harvested in spring. Examples: wheat, gram, mustard.
- Zaid - short summer season. Examples: watermelon, cucumber.
Major Food Crops
- Rice - main Kharif crop; needs high rainfall and warm climate.
- Wheat - main Rabi crop; grown mostly in the north.
- Millets - jowar, bajra and ragi grown in dry areas.
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Major Cash Crops
- Cotton - needs black soil; India is a major producer.
- Sugarcane - grown in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
- Jute - the golden fibre, grown mainly in West Bengal.
Plantation Crops
- Tea - grown in Assam and the hills of the south.
- Coffee - mainly in Karnataka.
- Rubber - grown in Kerala.
Quick Revision Points
- Three cropping seasons are Kharif, Rabi and Zaid.
- Rice is the main Kharif crop; wheat is the main Rabi crop.
- Cotton grows best in black soil.
- Jute is mainly grown in West Bengal.
- Sugarcane leads in Uttar Pradesh.
- Tea is a major crop of Assam.
- Zaid is a short summer cropping season.