How Many Cropping Seasons are There in India

Introduction:

There are three harvest seasons in India: Kharif, Rabi and Zaid. About half of the total population in India is engaged in agriculture and related activities. Various types of food and fibre crops, vegetables and fruits, spices and seasonings are among the important crops grown in the country. Agriculture's contribution to GDP is about 18%.

India has three harvest seasons: Kharif, Rabi and Zaid. Of these three seasons, Kharif and Rabi are the two important seasons based on available monsoons. Between the rabbi season and the Kharif season, there is a short summer season called the Zaid season.

India ranks second in the world in terms of arable land. With 394.6 million acres of farmland, India grows the following crops:

Here are some examples. In large amounts:

• Rice

• wheat

•cotton

• sugar cane

• Variety of fruits and vegetables

• corn

Each crop has its own process of planting, harvesting and processing. But by and large, each culture can be distinguished by harvest time. And in India, there are three main harvest seasons.

• Kharif

• Rabi

• Zaid

Kharif Crops

Interestingly, the word 'Kharif' means autumn in Arabic, which best describes the harvest season of the Kharif crops harvested at the end of the monsoon season. Usually, this period is from May to October and takes almost a month, depending on the harvest.

Corn, rice, sugar cane, cotton, peanuts, and turmeric are examples of halif plants. They need plenty of water and a hot environment to grow well. States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Assam are known for Kharif plants. For example, rice, a caliphate crop, is mainly grown in West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

Rabi crops

Rabi is planted around mid-October or November after the rainy season is over. Depending on the type of fruit, it is harvested in April or May. The word "rabbi" is of Arabic origin and means spring. Also called winter grain.

Rabi crops such as wheat, mustard, barley, peas, chickpeas, cumin, fennel, coriander and chickpeas are grown in India. States such as Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are some of the states leading the production of rabbinic plants. Uttar Pradesh is the largest wheat producer, followed by Haryana and Punjab.

Zaid Crops

Summer belongs to Zaid Harvest! They are sometimes called "filler plants" among rabbis and caliphs. Usually, the plant is planted in March and harvested in June. Although this is a short season, Zaid's plants require a warm, dry climate and are also early ripening.

Zaid crops also help farmers make money from different types of melons, pumpkins, cucumbers and other products. These seasonal fruits are mainly grown in the Ganges region of India. Fodder culture is also an example of zaid culture.

Monsoons alone determine the growth cycle and productivity of Kharif, Rabbi and Zaid crops. The timing, amount and duration of rainfall also affect crop health and field productivity. Soil conditions also affect yield. Rice and wheat require loamy clay soils, while millet and cotton can be grown in alluvial soils.

Crop Types in India - Details

1. Kharif crops

• July to October

• Harvest – September to October

• Also called monsoon crops

• Such cultures require large amounts of water

• Examples:

Grains such as rice, sorghum, corn, tea, rubber, coffee, guar, sesame, al-Haldar, pearl millet, soybeans, cotton, oilseeds, etc.

2. Rabi crops

• Sow between October and November

• Harvest - February to April

• winter season crops

• Requires cold weather to grow

• Requires less water

• Example:

Wheat, oats, barley, legumes, cereals, oilseeds, linseeds, etc.

3. Harvesting Zaid crops

• Sowing from March to June (between Halif and Rabbi)

• Requires warm, dry weather for growth and long hours of sunshine for flowering

• example:

seasonal fruits and vegetables

Indian Agriculture Facts

• India ranks second in agricultural output, while India ranks in the top five with about 80% of agricultural output.

• The staple food in India is rice and the amazing fact is that India is the second largest producer of rice in the world. West Bengal is the top rice-producing state, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar. The US Central Research Laboratory is located in Cuttack, Orissa.

• India is the 4th largest wheat producer. Uttar Pradesh is the largest wheat-producing state in India.

• Millet produced in India includes Bajra, Jowar and Ragi. Maharashtra is India's largest producer of Jowar. Rajasthan comes first for vajra production and Karnataka comes first for ragi production.

• India is the second largest tea-producing country and the number one tea-producing state in India is Assam. Karnataka is the largest coffee-producing state.

• Sugarcane is one of the most important crops in India and Uttar Pradesh is an important state for sugar cane production. The Central Research Center for Sugar Cane is located in Lucknow.

• Cotton and jute are the major fibre crops produced in India. Maharashtra is the largest cotton producer and West Bengal is the largest jute producer.

• The major program of the Ministry of Agriculture is Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, established in 2007 on the recommendation of the National Development Council of India. The program aims to improve the overall health of Indian agriculture by providing more planning, better coordination and more tools to improve productivity and overall performance.

Various crops are grown throughout the country:

• Rice wheat: Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, UP, Punjab, Haryana.

• Rice-rice: Irrigated and wet coastal systems of Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.

• Rice Peanuts: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra

• Legumes: Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.

• Corn wheat: Rajasthan, UP, MP, Bihar.

• Sugar cane wheat: UP, Punjab and Haryana account for 68% of the sugarcane production area. Other states that cover crops are Karnataka and MP.

• Cotton wheat: West UP, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.

• Soy Wheat: MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan

• Legume-based cropping systems (legume oilseeds): Gujarat, Maharashtra, MPs, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka.

Conclusion

Agriculture is of great importance in India and its geography, with his 49% of the Indian population dependent on agriculture. It also contributes to income distribution and his 14% of the country's GDP. The total geographical area has a net sown area of 141 million hectares and a gross sown area of 195 million hectares. Finally, prices also affect farmers' incomes. The Indian government has also announced Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops. For example, his MSP for wheat increased from £1,400 per quintal in 2013-14 to £2,015 per quintal in 2022.