I am from the Midwest where corn, wheat, and beans are high on the farming seed planted. On all of my travels I look for a farming community that mirrors my own; I compare and contrast the two areas. I hope to find that the farmer is cherished in India has he/she is where I am. Are there specific regions or towns that corn and wheat are more prominent? Does the technique or equipment used to farm differ in each region or town?
I have found that most farms are small, and mostly subsistence, growing enough for barter. The history of farming in India is very different. They even had a tradition of collectivist farming, where the community as a whole worked the land in some areas. Slowly, large scale commercial farms are gaining ground, but most serve a family, with enough to bring to market.
Collective farming? That is very interesting and would be great to see in action. To see multiple families in a community work for one common goal. Are these communities farm more like neighborhood gardens in the United States? I am very interested to this style of farming in person and to do more research to pin point where to go to see this.
During 2012 to 2013, here are the regions in India where wheat is produced most: Uttar Pradesh Punjab Madhya Pradesh Haryana Rajasthan As for corn, here are the regions who produced it the most: Madhya Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Rajasthan Here are the farming techniques that regions practice: In Assam, West Bengal and Nilgiri, the most used farming technique is plantation agriculture. This involves planting of one cash crop solely for selling purposes. Subsistence farming is practiced in most parts of India. Farmers cultivate small areas of land with the help of their animals. This is very primitive and old and even in my country, it's the widely used practice. I hope this helps!
This post is very helpful. Good to see that some of the town do overlap. I can also see different variations of farming styles. Other than the specific planting I was curious about, what is known in India? What is a plant I should be looking for?
That's an interesting take on going on trips. I never thought of comparing farmlands, and I always thought tourists would rather go to big cities, travel destinations, and national parks. This is the first time I have heard someone wanting to see the countryside when going to a new country. But to be honest, I'm really curious. Farming communities are simply that - farms. Fields as far as the eyes can see, the occasional farm animals, and small bodies of water. If you're just planning on comparing, it would sound like an incredibly short trip.
@Leaving the Heartland Here's a list of the crops produced in India yearly, aside from wheat and corn: The number one would have to be rice, it covers one third of the total cultivated land in India. The top three places that produce it would be: Punjab, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. But you can actually find rice being cultivated in most of the states of India. Right now, India is predicted to surpass the production of cotton in China as well. Combined, India and China produce about 50% of the cotton in the world. The places where cotton is produced in India are Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Groundnut. Again, India is the leading producer of groundnut after China. Places producing groundnut are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Lastly, India is the largest producer and consumer of black tea. It is actually grown in 16 states in India but the top three producing states are: Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. That's about it. I hope this helps! P.S. India produces more crops as well but I only included the top crops that they harvest each year.
