Wheat and rice farming is fairly different in India. Explain

Technically agriculture is said to be the practice in which an individual or group grows crops on soil and maintains livestock. Agriculture is commonly referred to as Farming. Agriculture is considered to be the most followed profession in India. It is said that over two of the Indian population practice agriculture. Among the complete works, India stands second based on crop yield. Agriculture not only provides employment to the majority of India but also contributes to approximately 20 per cent of the country’s GDP. Though agriculture is practised all over India the methods used may vary from place to place or from crop to crop. Two major crops grown in India are wheat and rice. Here in this article, we will discuss the differences between wheat and rice farming. 

per cent

Rice is one of the major crops produced by farmers in India. Rice has the highest production among all the crops. It is consumed as a staple food in Asia and Africa and is grown widely there. Rice is considered a Kharif crop which requires moderate temperature and high water requirement. Generally, they are fast-planted in the ground and after they reach a certain stage they are removed from their original place and attached to a flooded field. Rice is mostly grown in places with high rainfall and low labour cost as this work is labour intensive. India is the country with the second largest rice producer in the world. West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are the leading producers of rice and account for 14,11.5 and 10.5 per cent of total rice production respectively. 

Wheat Farming in India:

Wheat is one of the most consumed crops in India. Wheat is considered to be a rabi crop. It does not require high temperatures to grow. The wheat crop thrives in areas with lower temperatures. The water requirement of the wheat crop is moderate and can be mostly fulfilled through rainfall and there is no need for external irrigation methods. Amongst all the states in India, the northern states of Punjab and Haryana are the largest producers of wheat. 

Rice Farming  vs. Wheat Farming

Rice Farming	Wheat Farming
Rice is the staple food of India	Wheat is the second highest consumed cereal in India.
Rice is considered to be a tropical/Kharif crop.	Wheat is a rabi crop.
The Rice crop requires a huge amount of water to grow.	The wheat crop requires black soil or alluvial soil to grow properly.
Rice crop grows in areas with higher or moderate temperatures.	The wheat crop grows in areas with lower or moderate temperatures during the winter months.
Rice crop has high water requirement which can be fulfilled by rain or irrigation.	The wheat crop requires a moderate amount of rainfall.
The areas with higher rice production are North India, Northeastern India and Delta region.	The areas with higher wheat production are the Ganga Sutlej plain and places with huge quantities of black soil.
States with the highest rice production are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab	States with the highest wheat production are UP, Punjab and Haryana.

Frequently Asked Questions

Que 1. What are the conditions required for the growth of rice?

Answer –

Rice is considered to be a tropical/Kharif crop. The Rice crop requires a huge amount of water to grow.

Que 2. What are the conditions favourable for Wheat growth?

Answer –

Wheat is a rabi crop and requires black soil or alluvial soil to grow properly.

Que 3. Explain the importance of Agriculture with reference to India.

Answer –

Agriculture is considered to be the most followed profession in India. It is said that over two of the Indian population practice agriculture. Agriculture not only provides employment to the majority of India but also contributes to approximately 20 percent of the country’s GDP

Que 4. Which states are the largest producers of wheat and Rice in India?

Answer –

States with the highest rice production are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

States with the highest wheat production are UP, Punjab and Haryana.

Que 5. Explain the water requirement of both crops and how are they different.

Answer –

Rice crop has high water requirement which can be fulfilled by rain or irrigation. The wheat crop requires a moderate amount of rainfall as its a rabi crop.