Question

2nd AND 3rd Questions

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

2)Plantations are a type of commercial farming where a single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton is grown. ... The development of a transport network is thus essential for such farming

Answer 2

Explanation:

2) Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming in which a single crop is grown for the entire year. This type of farming requires large amount of labour and capital. The crop production may be further processed on the farm itself where it is grown or in nearby factories or small scale industries.

3) 1. Instability:

Agriculture in India is largely depends on monsoon. As a result, production of food-grains fluctuates year after year. A year of abun­dant output of cereals is often followed by a year of acute shortage.

This, in its turn, leads to price income and employment fluctuations. However, for the thirteen year, in successive (1987-88 to 1999-00) a normal monsoon has been observed.

Problem # 2. Cropping Pattern:

The crops that are grown in India are divided into two broad catego­ries: food crops and non-food crops. While the former comprise food-grains, sugarcane and other beverages, the latter includes different kinds of fibres and oilseeds.

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In recent years there has occurred a fall in agricultural production mainly due to fall in the output of non-food articles. Moreover rabi pro­duction has become as important as kharif pro­duction in the late 1990s. In 1999-2000, for exam­ple, of the total grain production of 209 mn. tones, rabi accounted for 104 mn. tones. This indicates a structural change in agricultural production.

Problem # 3. Land Ownership:

Although the owner­ship of agricultural land in India is fairly widely distributed, there is some degree of concentration of land holding. Inequality in land distribution is also due to the fact that there are frequent changes in land ownership in India. It is believed that large parcels of land in India are owned by a- relatively small section of the rich farmers, landlords and money-lenders, while the vast majority of farmers own very little amount of land, or no land at all.

Moreover, most holdings are small and uneco­nomic. So the advantages of large-scale farming cannot be derived and cost per unit with ‘uneco­nomic’ holdings is high, output per hectare is hec­tare is low. As a result peasants cannot generate sufficient marketable surplus. So they are not only poor but are often in debt.

Problem # 4. Sub-Division and Fragmentation of Hold­ing:

Due to the growth of population and break­down of the joint family system, there has occurred continuous sub-division of agricultural land into smaller and smaller plots. At times small farmers are forced to sell a portion of their land to repay their debt. This creates further sub-division of land.

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Sub-division, in its turn, leads to fragmenta­tion of holdings. When the size of holdings be­come smaller and smaller, cultivation becomes un­economic. As a result a major portion of land is not brought under the plough.

Such sub-division and fragmentation make the efficient use of land virtually impossible and add to the difficulties of increasing capital equip­ment on the farm. All these factors account for the low productivity of Indian agriculture.

Problem # 5. Land Tenure:

The land tenure system of India is also far from perfect. In the pre-independence period, most tenants suffered from insecurity of tenancy. They could be evicted any time. How­ever, various steps have been taken after Independ­ence to provide security of tenancy.

Problem # 6. Conditions of Agricultural Labourers:

The conditions of most agricultural labourers in India are far from satisfactory. There is also the problem of surplus labour or disguised unemploy­ment. This pushes the wage rates below the sub­sistence levels.

Problem # 7. Other Problems:

There are various other problems of Indian agriculture.

These are related to:

(i) The systems and techniques of farming,

(ii) The marketing of agricultural products and

(iii) The indebtedness of the farmers.

(i) The Systems and Techniques of Farming:

(b) Inadequate use of manures and fertilisers: