Agricultural Regions of India

The agricultural regions of India refer to broad geographical divisions of the country distinguished by crop composition, soil type, rainfall, temperature, agricultural practices, and productivity. These regions reflect the combined influence of physical, climatic, and socio-economic factors on Indian agriculture. Since India exhibits great diversity in topography and climate, its agricultural patterns are highly varied and regionally specialised.
Several geographers have classified India into agricultural regions based on dominant crops, cropping intensity, and physical characteristics. The most widely accepted classification was proposed by Dr. L.D. Stamp (1958) and later refined by R.L. Singh (1971).

Determinants of Agricultural Regions

The formation of agricultural regions in India is influenced by the interaction of the following factors:

1. Physical Factors:
   • Relief: Plains, plateaus, and valleys affect the type of cultivation.
   • Climate: Temperature and rainfall patterns determine crop choice (e.g., rice in humid areas, wheat in dry areas).
   • Soil: Fertility and soil type (alluvial, black, red, laterite, etc.) influence crop distribution.
2. Socio-Economic Factors:
   • Irrigation facilities.
   • Technological adoption and mechanisation.
   • Land tenure and ownership patterns.
   • Market accessibility and transport infrastructure.
   • Government policies and agricultural development programmes.
3. Cultural and Historical Factors:
   • Traditional cropping patterns and food habits of the population.
   • Influence of colonial land use and cash crop cultivation.

Major Agricultural Regions of India (as per R.L. Singh, 1971)

R.L. Singh divided India into eleven major agricultural regions, each characterised by distinctive crop combinations and farming systems.

1. Western Himalayan Region

Location: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand (hilly and mountainous areas).
Characteristics:

• Steep slopes, terraced farming, and limited cultivable land.
• Rain-fed and subsistence agriculture.
• Cool-temperate climate.

Major Crops:

• Rice, maize, barley, wheat (in valleys).
• Apples, plums, peaches (horticulture).
• Tea in Kangra Valley and cardamom in Sikkim.

Special Features:

• Agroforestry and horticulture are dominant.
• Dependence on mountain streams for irrigation.

2. Eastern Himalayan Region

Location: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, and hill areas of Assam.
Characteristics:

• High rainfall and humid tropical climate.
• Shifting cultivation (Jhum or slash-and-burn) is common.

Major Crops:

• Rice, maize, millets, pulses, and root crops.
• Tea, orange, pineapple, and spices (ginger, turmeric).

Special Features:

• Sparse population, low productivity, and limited mechanisation.

3. Lower Gangetic Plain Region

Location: West Bengal and adjoining parts of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Characteristics:

• Fertile alluvial soil with heavy rainfall and dense population.
• Extensive irrigation from rivers and canals.

Major Crops:

• Rice (main crop), jute, sugarcane, and pulses.
• Vegetables and oilseeds.

Special Features:

• Double cropping prevalent.
• Jute industry is well developed around Kolkata.

4. Middle Gangetic Plain Region

Location: Eastern Uttar Pradesh and northern Bihar.
Characteristics:

• Fertile alluvial soil and moderate to high rainfall.
• Mixed cropping and intensive agriculture.

Major Crops:

• Rice and wheat (dominant combination).
• Sugarcane, maize, pulses, and oilseeds.

Special Features:

• Highly populated region with small landholdings.

5. Upper Gangetic Plain Region

Location: Western and Central Uttar Pradesh, Southern Uttarakhand.
Characteristics:

• Level plains with fertile alluvial soils.
• Moderate rainfall and extensive irrigation through canals and tube wells.

Major Crops:

• Wheat (rabi crop), sugarcane, rice, pulses, and barley.

Special Features:

• One of India’s most productive agricultural regions.
• High cropping intensity and mechanisation.

6. Trans-Ganga–Yamuna (Punjab–Haryana–Western Uttar Pradesh) Region

Location: Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Delhi.
Characteristics:

• Flat plains, fertile alluvial soil, and developed irrigation.
• Semi-arid climate, supplemented by canal and tube-well irrigation.

Major Crops:

• Wheat, rice (Kharif), sugarcane, cotton, maize, and oilseeds.

Special Features:

• The core area of the Green Revolution.
• High yield per hectare, mechanised farming, and use of HYV seeds and fertilisers.

7. Eastern Coastal Plain Region

Location: Coastal areas of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Characteristics:

• Humid climate with moderate to high rainfall.
• Coastal alluvial soils and irrigation from rivers (Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery).

Major Crops:

• Rice (dominant), pulses, sugarcane, coconut, and chillies.
• Jute and tobacco in some areas.

Special Features:

• Multiple cropping common.
• Fisheries and aquaculture are important supplementary occupations.

8. Western Coastal Plain and Ghats Region

Location: Coastal Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala.
Characteristics:

• Heavy rainfall, laterite soils, and undulating topography.
• Plantation and horticulture-based agriculture.

Major Crops:

• Rice, coconut, arecanut, cashew, rubber, and spices (pepper, cardamom).
• Coffee plantations on Western Ghat slopes.

Special Features:

• Mixed farming and perennial crops dominate.
• High literacy and small landholdings.

9. Deccan Plateau Region

Location: Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.
Characteristics:

• Black cotton soil (Regur) and moderate rainfall.
• Predominantly dryland farming.

Major Crops:

• Cotton, jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), pulses, groundnut, and sugarcane (in irrigated zones).

Special Features:

• Important cotton-growing region of India.
• Crop rotation and mixed cropping practiced widely.

10. Southern Plateau and Hills Region

Location: Tamil Nadu interior, southern Karnataka, and parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Characteristics:

• Hot climate with moderate rainfall.
• Red and black soils with moderate fertility.

Major Crops:

• Millets (ragi, jowar), pulses, groundnut, and cotton.
• Sugarcane, banana, and paddy in irrigated tracts.

Special Features:

• Developed irrigation from rivers like Cauvery, Krishna, and Tungabhadra.

11. Dry Western (Arid) Region

Location: Western Rajasthan (Thar Desert) and parts of Kutch (Gujarat).
Characteristics:

• Arid climate with very low rainfall (< 25 cm).
• Sandy soils with high evaporation.
• Predominantly pastoral economy with limited cropping under irrigation.

Major Crops:

• Bajra, jowar, maize, pulses, and oilseeds.
• Fruits like date palm in irrigated oases.

Special Features:

• Canal irrigation (Indira Gandhi Canal) has transformed parts of the desert into productive land.
• Livestock rearing is a major occupation.

Alternate Classification – Based on Cropping Patterns

Some geographers classify India’s agricultural regions based on dominant crop combinations:

Importance of Agricultural Regionalisation

• Helps in planning region-specific agricultural strategies.
• Facilitates efficient allocation of resources like irrigation and fertilisers.
• Enables specialisation in crops suited to local conditions.
• Supports the development of agro-based industries.
• Enhances understanding of spatial diversity in agricultural practices.