UPSC Prelims 2023 Question:
Q) Consider the following statements:
- India has more arable area than China.
- The proportion of irrigated area is more in India as compared to China.
- 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
Correct answer: b) Only Two
Learn more about the Arable Land in India and its productivity potential.
Explanation:
Arable land is land ploughed or tilled regularly. India has the most arable land in the world followed by the United States, Russia, China and Brazil.
India and the United States account for roughly 22% of the world's arable land.
India has the largest Arable land of any Country
- India has the largest arable land of any country at 1,656,780 km square (50.4% of total land) compared with 1,084,461 km square (11.3% of total land) of China. So, statement 1 is correct.
- India has a higher percentage of its arable land under irrigation than China. The proportion of irrigated area is around 48% in India and 40-41% in China. However, China has invested more in irrigation infrastructure and technology to cope with water scarcity and increase agricultural productivity. India has a large dependence on rainfall and groundwater for irrigation, which are subject to variability and depletion. So, statement 2 is correct.
- China has higher agricultural productivity than India. The average productivity per hectare in Indian agriculture is 2.4 tonnes for rice and 3 tonnes for wheat, while in China it is 6.7 tonnes for rice and 5 tonnes for wheat. So, statement 3 is not correct.
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