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Types of Farming & Major Crops
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High Yield·15/27 papers · 5 years
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By the end of this lesson, you'll solve:

"India has over 50% of its workforce in agriculture — but it contributes only 17% of GDP. Why this gap?"

Types of Farming in India

India's farming ranges from primitive subsistence farming (farmers grow only enough to eat) to large commercial farms using modern techniques. The type of farming depends on land size, availability of water, technology, and purpose.

Key Points

  • 1
    Subsistence farming: grow for own consumption. Most of rural India. Small plots, low yield.
  • 2
    Commercial farming: grow for market. Punjab wheat, Maharashtra cotton, Assam tea.
  • 3
    Intensive farming: use lots of labour/capital on small land. West Bengal rice = 2-3 crops/year.
  • 4
    Extensive farming: large area, less labour per hectare. Rajasthan wheat farms.
  • 5
    Mixed farming: crops + livestock on same farm. Common in Haryana, Punjab.
  • 6
    Plantation farming: large single crop (tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane). Introduced by British.

Pro Tip

Plantation farming = colonial legacy. British introduced tea (Assam, Darjeeling), coffee (Coorg), rubber (Kerala) as export crops. Modern India still grows these, but now for domestic consumption too.

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