Exploring Beyond Food crops – A Deep Dive into Oilseeds, Fiber Crops, and Plantation Crops

Grains like wheat, rice, and corn are food crops, which often take center stage in discussions about global food production, it is essential to recognize the significant role played by a diverse array of food crops beyond grains.

In this article, The realm of food crops beyond grains such as oilseeds, fiber crops ,plantation crops etc and  their cultivation practices, distribution and role in shaping the food system will be discussed.

Harvesting Gold: A Closer Look at Oilseeds and Their Role in Edible Oils and Beyond

• The oilseeds are produced for extracting edible oils.
• Oilseeds account for about 14% of total cropped area.
• Main Oilseed Crops: These are  Groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, rapeseed and mustard (Refer figure). 
  • Most of these are edible and used as cooking mediums. 
  • However, some of these are also used as raw material in the production of soap, cosmetics and ointments.

Groundnut Cultivation: Nourishing India’s Food Basket Beyond Grains

• Groundnut, one of the food crops, plays a significant role in India’s agricultural landscape.
• Groundnut Cultivation in India: India produces 18.8% of global groundnut (2018).
  • It is a rainfed kharif crop in drylands and rabi season crop in southern India and covers about 3.6% of total cropped area.
• Leading Producers States: These are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

Rapeseed and Mustard Cultivation: Diverse Oilseeds Enriching India’s Agricultural landscape

• Rapeseed and mustard, integral food crops, contribute significantly to India’s oilseed production.
• Varieties of Rapeseed and Mustard: Rapeseed and mustard comprise several oilseeds such as rai, sarson, toria and taramira.
• Challenges and Characteristics: It is a subtropical crop, cultivated during rabi season. 
  • It is frost-sensitive, having fluctuations in yield. 
• Leading Producers States: These are Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh.
  • About two-thirds of cultivated area is irrigated and covers about 2.5% of total cropped area.

Groundnut, sunflower and mustard are ready to be harvested in the field

Other Oilseeds

• Soyabean: It is mainly grown in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Sunflower: It is cultivated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.

Fiber Crops: Nurturing Textile Traditions in India

• Weaving the Fabric of Industry: Fiber crops provide material for cloth, bags, sacks and other fabrics. Main fiber crops are cotton, jute and silk.
  • Cotton, hemp and jute  are derived from the crops grown in the soil,
• Silk:  The silk is obtained from cocoons of the silkworms fed on green leaves, especially mulberry. 
  • Rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fiber is known as sericulture.
• Cotton: 
  • Cotton Cultivation in India: It is a tropical crop grown in kharif season in semi-arid areas. India ranks second in global cotton production.
    • It occupies about 4.7% of total cropped area. 
    • It gives high yield under irrigated conditions.

Cotton Cultivation

• Leading producers are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana (Refer figure). 

India – Distribution of Cotton and Jute

• Jute
  • The Golden Fiber:  Jute is used for making coarse cloth, bags, sacks and decorative items, hence called as golden fibre.
  • Jute Cultivation in India: It has about 0.5% of total cropped area, India produces about 60% of world jute.
    • It is a cash crop in West Bengal and adjoining eastern parts of the country (Refer figure). 
  • Leading producer is West Bengal, also grown in Assam ,Bihar, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh.

In addition to their textile significance, fiber crops such as cotton, jute, and silk play a crucial role in shaping the broader agricultural landscape and contributing to India’s diverse range of food crops.

Plantation Crops

Sugarcane: Sweetening Fields and Diverse Crop Landscapes in India

• Sugarcane Cultivation India: Sugarcane is a tropical crop, largely cultivated in irrigated areas and covers about 2.4% of total cropped area. 
  • India was the second-largest producer of sugarcane after Brazil in 2018.
• Leading Producer States: Cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh with high yields in Maharashtra and southern states(Refer figure).
• Beyond its primary role as a cash crop for sugar production, sugarcane also contributes to the rich tapestry of food crops in India, influencing regional agricultural practices and the country’s diverse food system.

 Sugarcane Plantation

Tea Plantations in India: Steeping Tradition and Global Impact

• Tea Plantations: Tea is a plantation crop used as a beverage. 
  • Black tea leaves are fermented whereas green tea leaves are unfermented.
• Tea Cultivation in India: 
  • It is indigenous to hilly areas.
  • India ranks second in global tea production.
  • Assam is a major producer, about 53.2% of total tea cropped area is in Assam.
• Leading Producers States: These are Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu (Refer figure).
• Tea, although primarily recognized as a beverage, adds a unique dimension to India’s agricultural landscape, contributing to the country’s diverse array of food crops and influencing cultural practices

Brewing Excellence: Coffee Plantations in India’s Western Ghats

• Coffee Plantation: It is a tropical plantation crop. 
  • Its seeds are roasted, ground and are used for preparing a beverage.
  • There are three varieties of coffee i.e. arabica, robusta and liberica.
• Coffee Cultivation In India: It is grown in the highlands of Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu (Refer figure)
  • India produces about 3.17% of global coffee (2018).
  • Karnataka accounts for over two-thirds of total coffee production.
  • Superior quality arabica coffee is predominant in India. 

 Distribution of Tea and Coffee

India’s Rubber Revolution: Tapping into Prosperity and Industrial Growth

• Rubber Plantation:  is an important industrial raw material. 
  • Although rubber is typically grown in equatorial regions, it has also found a place in tropical and subtropical areas of India. 
  • Ideal conditions for rubber cultivation include a moist and humid climate with over 200 cm of rainfall and temperatures exceeding 25°C. 
• Major rubber-producing regions include Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as the Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

Distribution of Sugarcane

Also Read: Major Crops in India: A Comprehensive Overview of Food and Non-Food Cultivation Practices