Foodgrains
Topic: Major Crops of India: Distribution and Conditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Land Resources and Agriculture"
Meaning
Foodgrains are cereals and pulses taken together. They are put into these two groups by the structure of the grain. Cereals include rice, wheat, jowar and bajra. Pulses include gram, tur and moong. Foodgrains cover about two-thirds of India's total cropped area. They lead in both subsistence regions, where farmers grow food mainly for their own families, and commercial regions, where crops are grown for sale. India's foodgrain output is about 330 million tonnes or more (verify current).
Example
The north-west, mainly Punjab and Haryana, grows more wheat and rice than it needs. This surplus goes by rail to eastern and north-eastern India, which grow too little grain for their own needs.
Don't confuse with
- Cereals: these are only one part of foodgrains. Pulses such as gram and tur are foodgrains but not cereals.
- Horticulture: this means fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices and plantation crops. Since 2012-13, horticulture output has been larger than foodgrain output.