NON FOOD CROPS IN INDIA

 Non-Food Crops ....

Rubber: It is an equatorial crop, but under

special conditions, it is also grown in tropical

and sub-tropical areas. It requires moist and

humid climate with rainfall of more than 200

cm. and temperature above 25°C.

Rubber is an important industrial raw

material. It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil

Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar

islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya.

Cotton: India is believed to be the original home

of the cotton plant. Cotton is one of the main

raw materials for cotton textile industry. In

2017, India was second largest producer of

cotton after China. Cotton grows well in drier

parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan

plateau. It requires high temperature, light

rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and

bright sun-shine for its growth. It is a kharif

crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.

Major cotton-producing states are–

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil

Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Fibre Crops: Cotton, jute, hemp and natural

silk are the four major fibre crops grown in India.

The first three are derived from the crops grown

in the soil, the latter is obtained from cocoons of

the silkworms fed on green leaves specially

mulberry. Rearing of silk worms for the

production of silk fibre is known as sericulture.