What can be done so that more non-farm production activities can be started in villages?
[question] Question. What can be done so that more non-farm production activities can be started in villages? [/question] [solution] Solution: Three things that need to be done to encourage non-farm production activities in villages: (i) The government should set up schemes whereby landless labourers and small farmers are able to get cheap loans to start small individual/community businesses. (ii) In addition to financial assistance, the government should set up rural workshops to enable the vil...
What are the non-farm production activities taking place in your region?
[question] Question. What are the non-farm production activities taking place in your region? Make a short list. [/question] [solution] Solution: Attempt this question on your own. [/solution]...
Talk to some old residents in your region
[question] Question. Talk to some old residents in your region and write a short report on the changes in irrigation and changes in production methods during the last 30 years. (Optional) [/question] [solution] Solution: Attempt this question on your own. [/solution]...
On what terms did Savita get a loan from Tejpal Singh?
[question] Question. On what terms did Savita get a loan from Tejpal Singh? Would Savita’s condition be different if she could get a loan from the bank at a low rate of interest? [/question] [solution] Solution: Savita required money for buying seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, and water for irrigation. She also needed money for repairing her farm instruments. So, she decided to borrow money from Tejpal Singh, a large farmer in her village. Tejpal Singh agreed to give the loan of Rs. 3000 at an...
How do the medium and large farmers obtain capital for farming?
[question] Question. How do the medium and large farmers obtain capital for farming? How is it different from the small farmers? [/question] [solution] Solution: Medium and large farmers retain a part of their produce and sell the surplus in the market. This provides them with the required capital for farming. Most of them even use these earnings to provide loans to small farmers. By charging high rates of interest on these loans, they succeed in furthering their earnings. Thus, medium and large...
Describe the work of a farmer with 1 hectare of land.
[question] Question. Describe the work of a farmer with 1 hectare of land. [/question] [solution] Solution: The situation of a farmer with 1 hectare of land is truly problematic. Since the land area cultivated by him is small, the output is generally low. The produce is barely enough for the survival of his family. To begin work on his farm, he needs to buy seeds and fertilisers. For these, he needs sufficient capital, which is provided to him by the large farmers, traders and moneylenders as lo...
What are the different ways of increasing production on the same piece of land?
[question] Question. What are the different ways of increasing production on the same piece of land? Use examples to explain [/question] [solution] Solution: Multiple cropping and the use of modern farming methods are the two common ways of increasing production on the same piece of land. Multiple cropping involves growing more than one crop on a piece of land during the year. For example, farmers in the western parts of Uttar Pradesh practise multiple cropping. During the rainy season (kharif),...
In your region, talk to two labourers.
[question] Question. In your region, talk to two labourers. Choose either farm labourers or labourers working at construction sites. What wages do they get? Are they paid in cash or kind? Do they get work regularly? Are they in debt? [/question] [solution] Solution: Attempt this question on your own. [/solution]...
Why are the wages for farm labourers in Palampur less than minimum wages?
[question] Question. Why are the wages for farm labourers in Palampur less than minimum wages? [/question] [solution] Solution: Though the minimum wage fixed by the government for a farm labourer is Rs 60 per day, farm labourers in Palampur get paid much less, about 35 to 40 rupees a day. The reason for this is the competition for work among the agricultural labourers in the village. Knowing that supply is much more than the demand, they themselves agree to work for wages that are lower than min...
Construct a table on the distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur
[question] Question. Construct a table on the distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur [/question] [solution] Solution: Total area of land under cultivation in Palampur = 200 hectares [/solution]...
Is it important to increase the area under irrigation?
[question] Question. Is it important to increase the area under irrigation? Why? [/question] [solution] Solution: Monsoons are by their very nature erratic and variable. So, farming cannot entirely depend upon rains. A large portion of the cultivable land in India is not well irrigated and is dependent entirely upon rains. As a result, when rains are late or are inadequate, farmers incur much loss. The loss is more acutely experienced by the small farmers. Failure of rain means failure of crops ...
How did the spread of electricity help farmers in Palampur?
[question] Question. How did the spread of electricity help farmers in Palampur? [/question] [solution] Solution: The spread of electricity in Palampur transformed the system of irrigation in the village. Persian wheels gave way to electric-run tube wells, which reduced the dependence of the farmers upon rainfall, and enabled larger areas of land to be irrigated. By mid-1970s, the entire cultivated area of 200 hectares was irrigated. This improvement in irrigation allowed farmers to grow three d...
Modern farming methods require more inputs which are manufactured in industry.
[question] Question. Modern farming methods require more inputs which are manufactured in industry. Do you agree? [/question] [solution] Solution: Traditional farming methods involve the use of relatively low-yielding seeds, which require less water for irrigation. Farmers following the traditional methods use cow dung and other natural manure as fertilisers. All these elements are readily available with the farmers. This makes them less dependent on industrial output. Modern farming methods, on...
Every village in India is surveyed once in ten years during the Census and some of the details are presented in the following format.
[question] Question. Every village in India is surveyed once in ten years during the Census and some of the details are presented in the following format. Fill up the following based on information on Palampur. a. LOCATION: b. TOTAL AREA OF THE VILLAGE: c. LAND USE (in hectares): d. FACILITIES: [/question] [solution] Solution: a. LOCATION: Bulandshahar district, Western Uttar Pradesh b. TOTAL AREA OF THE VILLAGE: 226 hectares c. LAND USE (in hectares): d. FACILITIES: [/solution]...