Consider the following statements:
1. India has more arable area than China.
2. The proportion of irrigated area is more in India as compared to China.
3. The average productivity per hectare in Indian agriculture is higher than that in China.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
4. Ans: a
Explanation:
Arable land is defined by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as land currently used, or potentially capable of being used, to grow seasonal crops. This definition includes annual crops, such as wheat, beans, and rice, but excludes land used for pasturing, tree farming (or “silviculture”), or more durable agricultural installations such as vineyards, orchards, and coffee and rubber plantations.
India’s Position in World Agriculture
| Area (Million Hectares) | India’s Rank | Next To | |
| Total Area | 328.73 | Seventh | Russian Federation, Canada, U.S.A, China, Brazil, Australia |
| Land Area | 297.32 | Seventh | Russian Federation, China, U.S.A, Canada, Brazil, Australia |
| Arable Area | 155.37 | Second | U.S.A |
Hence, statement 1 is correct.
Source: https://desagri.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Agricultural-Statistics-at-a-Glance-2022.pdf
China has a higher percentage of irrigated land compared to India’s irrigated area.
China- 53.8%
India 36.6%
Source: https://icid-ciid.org/icid_data_web/World-irrigated-area.pdf
Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
China’s productivity in most crops is 50 to 100% higher than India’s. Both India and China are among the world’s top three producers of important crops such as rice, wheat, cotton, and maize, but China produces much more from each hectare of land than India does.
It is worth noting that China’s fertiliser consumption in 2016 was 503 kg/ha of arable area compared to just 166 kg/ha for India, as per World Bank estimates.
Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
As per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, land comes under the purview of State Governments. Therefore, State governments are to take suitable steps to check the diversion of arable land for commercial non-agricultural purposes.
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