Question 81 from UPSC CSE 2019 - Geography

Question

With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in the last five years, consider the following statements:
1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
2. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: A. 1 and 3 only

Strategy: First, focus on recent trends in major crops: rice consistently commands the largest sown area among Kharif crops. Jowar has seen a decline in area, while oilseeds, especially soyabean and groundnut, account for more area, making statement 2 incorrect. For statement 3, cotton is sown on a much larger area than sugarcane. Statement 4 is incorrect because sugarcane area has not steadily decreased and has in fact shown mixed trends. Thus, only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

Key Info: Kharif crops in India are sown at the beginning of the southwest monsoon and harvested after the monsoon subsides, typically June–October. Rice occupies the largest Kharif cropped area in the country, with over 40 million hectares under cultivation annually, making it the dominant crop. Jowar (sorghum), once a major millet, has steadily lost ground to both pulses and oilseeds; in the last decade, total oilseeds cultivated area (largely comprising soyabean, groundnut, and sunflower during Kharif season) far exceeds jowar area. Cotton is a substantial Kharif crop, with around 12–13 million hectares under cultivation, whereas sugarcane is grown on about 5 million hectares — cotton's sown area is more than double that of sugarcane. Sugarcane, cultivated throughout the year, has seen fluctuation but not a steady area decrease; area under sugarcane has sometimes increased due to pricing support, especially in states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Key sources for this data include the Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Economics & Statistics, and annual publications such as 'Agricultural Statistics at a Glance'. India is one of the world's largest producers of rice, cotton, and sugarcane.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: 2, 3, and 4 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: 2 and 4 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: 1, 2, 3, and 4