Kharif and Rabi seasons
Also called: Crop seasons · Topic: Rural Development: Diversification, Allied Sectors and Organic Farming · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Rural Development"
Meaning
India has two main crop seasons. Kharif crops are sown when the south-west monsoon arrives in June-July and are harvested in autumn. Rabi crops are sown in winter and harvested in spring. Most farm work comes in the kharif season. Areas without irrigation have little paid work in the rabi season. This seasonal gap is why rural families need supplementary gainful employment, meaning extra paid work in the lean months, to escape poverty.
Example
Rice, maize and cotton are kharif crops. Wheat, mustard and gram are rabi crops. A labourer in a dry, unirrigated village may find work during the kharif harvest but sit idle through winter. Keeping a few goats or joining a food-processing unit can fill that gap.
Don't confuse with
- Zaid crops: these are a short summer season between rabi and kharif. They are not one of the two main seasons.
Related concepts
- Agricultural diversification
- Sustainable livelihoods
- Cropping pattern
- Crop diversification
- Nutri-cereals