During the colonization, India gradually turned more and more into an agricultural country. Since independence, Indian agriculture also continues to play a critical role in the country's economy. The share of the agricultural population is more than 70%. Of these, more than 40% are landless and landless peasants, and in addition to them, agricultural workers. Agriculture in India is mainly plant-oriented, despite the fact that the country has the largest livestock population in the world. Cattle 230 million heads, sheep and goats 120 million.
But the role of animal husbandry in India is completely unusual. First of all, cattle in the country are used as the main labor force in production. Cows and buffalos are used for arable and harvesting operations, transportation of goods and irrigation of fields. The working cattle here is the main property of the peasant, they feed him and carefully look after him. After the cattle grows old, it is not slaughtered, so the countries are filled along the fields and roads, interfering with traffic, while remaining untouchable and βsacredβ animals. There is very little meat and milk consumed in India. Meat due to the fact that the bulk of the population is vegetarians, and milk is consumed only by adding it to tea. Products of animal origin are consumed in very small quantities in the country. Only 42 liters of milk, 1.5 kilograms of meat and 3 eggs per capita are produced per year. These products are consumed only by a wealthy population, which in India is a thin layer in the bulk. As in India, the agriculture of Indonesia and other countries of South Asia pays very little attention to animal husbandry.
From livestock products, India exports only skins, bones, hides and bristles. In addition, manure is widely used in the country, which is not only the main type of fertilizer for peasant farms, but also the main type of fuel. Despite the fact that the country's climate allows farming all year round, almost rarely where more than one crop is harvested. More than 85% of the sown area is occupied by food crops. The Ganges and Brahmaputra valleys, as well as the coastal lowlands, are one of the parts of the great world rice belt, which further extends to China and the countries of Southeast Asia. In the Northwest Zone, Indian agriculture represents the country's wheat zone.
Wheat is grown on irrigated fields in the winter season. In poorly irrigated and arid regions drought-resistant crops are grown: sorghum, ragas, bajra and various small millet crops. Widely varied types of peas, beans and other legumes are also widespread. But, despite this, the country's gross agricultural output does not fully provide the population with food, and therefore it is often necessary to import large quantities of grain. For most of the country's inhabitants, oil crops are the main and only source of fat. They are cultivated everywhere in India, but their needs are much greater and India has to buy vegetable oil abroad.
India's agriculture is the world's largest producer of sugarcane. The country's main sugar producing belt is the Ganges Valley . In addition, India is one of the world's leading cotton-growing nations. The country is also the largest tea producer in the world. It grows about one third of the world's total tea harvest. A traditionally important item in Indian exports is the export of a variety of spices and spices. The most important of them is black pepper. India takes the second place in the world for the collection of bananas. Of other fruits, an important place is given to mangoes - this is the Indian βqueenβ of fruits.