Agriculture and Allied Sector | Uttarakhand State PSC (UKPSC): Preparation - UKPSC (Uttarakhand) PDF Download

 Page 1


Agriculture and Allied Sector
The Importance of Agriculture in Uttarakhand
Like many parts of India, agriculture plays a significant role in the
Uttarakhand economy with 70 percent of the rural population engaging in this
sector for their livelihoods. Poor infrastructure and lack of alternative means
of livelihood have led a majority of people to be dependent on agriculture for
their incomes and subsistence. Uttarakhand is an important producer of non-
seasonal vegetables like peas, potatoes, cabbage etc. A large number of
orchards in Uttarakhand produce various fruits like apples, pears, litchi etc.
The local production of fruits has stimulated the growth of a large processing
industry in the state.
Out of the total, about 89% of agricultural holding fall under small and sub
marginal category. As large number and area is under small and marginal
holdings, scale of economies cannot be availed of, and so the input cost per
unit of output is higher. The soil of tarai region is very fertile and support to
number of crops. Indiscriminate use of chemicals and overexploitation of
groundwater makes the soil of this region less fertile, causing the reduction in
the sustainability in productivity. On the other hand the hill region is prone to
constant soil erosion due to steep slopes making it less and less fertile, which
could be achieved through adoption of better management practices.
In the state, farmers adopt generally two types of agricultural practices ie
the rainfed and the irrigated. Most of the agriculture in the state is rainfed.
The net irrigated area of the state stands at 3.38 lakh hectares (2009-2010).
The net irrigated area to net sown area for the state is 47 percent. Being large
area under hills, irrigation is available mostly in the plains and valleys. So
there is a need to generate alternate sources of irrigation to increase the net
irrigated area, which in turn shall also increase the cropping intensity of the
state. These alternative sources can be rainwater harvesting, check dams,
hydram for lift irrigation etc. Technologies like drip irrigation, sprinklers etc.
can also be used for better water management.
The growth of foodgrain production is quite variable in different areas. As a
result, agriculture scenario presents a mixed picture. Productivity of district
Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Nainital (plain) and Dehradun (plain) is very
Page 2


Agriculture and Allied Sector
The Importance of Agriculture in Uttarakhand
Like many parts of India, agriculture plays a significant role in the
Uttarakhand economy with 70 percent of the rural population engaging in this
sector for their livelihoods. Poor infrastructure and lack of alternative means
of livelihood have led a majority of people to be dependent on agriculture for
their incomes and subsistence. Uttarakhand is an important producer of non-
seasonal vegetables like peas, potatoes, cabbage etc. A large number of
orchards in Uttarakhand produce various fruits like apples, pears, litchi etc.
The local production of fruits has stimulated the growth of a large processing
industry in the state.
Out of the total, about 89% of agricultural holding fall under small and sub
marginal category. As large number and area is under small and marginal
holdings, scale of economies cannot be availed of, and so the input cost per
unit of output is higher. The soil of tarai region is very fertile and support to
number of crops. Indiscriminate use of chemicals and overexploitation of
groundwater makes the soil of this region less fertile, causing the reduction in
the sustainability in productivity. On the other hand the hill region is prone to
constant soil erosion due to steep slopes making it less and less fertile, which
could be achieved through adoption of better management practices.
In the state, farmers adopt generally two types of agricultural practices ie
the rainfed and the irrigated. Most of the agriculture in the state is rainfed.
The net irrigated area of the state stands at 3.38 lakh hectares (2009-2010).
The net irrigated area to net sown area for the state is 47 percent. Being large
area under hills, irrigation is available mostly in the plains and valleys. So
there is a need to generate alternate sources of irrigation to increase the net
irrigated area, which in turn shall also increase the cropping intensity of the
state. These alternative sources can be rainwater harvesting, check dams,
hydram for lift irrigation etc. Technologies like drip irrigation, sprinklers etc.
can also be used for better water management.
The growth of foodgrain production is quite variable in different areas. As a
result, agriculture scenario presents a mixed picture. Productivity of district
Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Nainital (plain) and Dehradun (plain) is very
high, on the other side; productivity of the hilly area is very low, although the
valleys are fertile. Plains and hill agriculture stand in stark contrast to each
other. While productivity in plains can be compared with agriculturally
developed regions of the country, productivity in hill lags far behind. The
Green Revolution had highly benefitted the farming system of the plain area
of the State while it has neglected the hilly region.
Besides the threats there are ample opportunities of increasing production
and productivity, especially in the field of pulses and oilseeds, by utilising
cultivable waste land, by better managing land and water resources
throughpractices like rain water harvesting activities. There is also a good
opportunity of organic farming, diversification of agriculture, post-harvest
technologies, strengthening of market interventions, and use of farm
machinery to make the agriculture more profitable occupation.
The percentage of agricultural workers in the total workforce of
Uttarakhand was 58.4 percent in 2011. This was similar to the All India
proportion of 58.2 percent for agricultural workers. While at the country
level, male agricultural workers as a proportion of total workers were around
61 percent, this was much lower at 39 percent for females, but in the case of
Uttarakhand state, female workers in agriculture (52.2 percent) were a larger
proportion than their male counterparts (47.8 percent) establishing the fact
that agriculture employs a larger proportion of female workers in the state
Table 15.1: Occupational Classification of Main Workers in
Uttarakhand and India, 2011
Category Uttarakhand India
i- Agricultural Workers(000) No. % No. %
Male 874 47.8 142745 60.98
Female 954 52.2 91342 39.02
All 1828 58.4 105616 58.2
Household Industry Workers(000)    
Male 43 60.0 8744 51.57
Female 28 39.4 8212 48.43
All 71 2.2 16956 4.21
Page 3


Agriculture and Allied Sector
The Importance of Agriculture in Uttarakhand
Like many parts of India, agriculture plays a significant role in the
Uttarakhand economy with 70 percent of the rural population engaging in this
sector for their livelihoods. Poor infrastructure and lack of alternative means
of livelihood have led a majority of people to be dependent on agriculture for
their incomes and subsistence. Uttarakhand is an important producer of non-
seasonal vegetables like peas, potatoes, cabbage etc. A large number of
orchards in Uttarakhand produce various fruits like apples, pears, litchi etc.
The local production of fruits has stimulated the growth of a large processing
industry in the state.
Out of the total, about 89% of agricultural holding fall under small and sub
marginal category. As large number and area is under small and marginal
holdings, scale of economies cannot be availed of, and so the input cost per
unit of output is higher. The soil of tarai region is very fertile and support to
number of crops. Indiscriminate use of chemicals and overexploitation of
groundwater makes the soil of this region less fertile, causing the reduction in
the sustainability in productivity. On the other hand the hill region is prone to
constant soil erosion due to steep slopes making it less and less fertile, which
could be achieved through adoption of better management practices.
In the state, farmers adopt generally two types of agricultural practices ie
the rainfed and the irrigated. Most of the agriculture in the state is rainfed.
The net irrigated area of the state stands at 3.38 lakh hectares (2009-2010).
The net irrigated area to net sown area for the state is 47 percent. Being large
area under hills, irrigation is available mostly in the plains and valleys. So
there is a need to generate alternate sources of irrigation to increase the net
irrigated area, which in turn shall also increase the cropping intensity of the
state. These alternative sources can be rainwater harvesting, check dams,
hydram for lift irrigation etc. Technologies like drip irrigation, sprinklers etc.
can also be used for better water management.
The growth of foodgrain production is quite variable in different areas. As a
result, agriculture scenario presents a mixed picture. Productivity of district
Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Nainital (plain) and Dehradun (plain) is very
high, on the other side; productivity of the hilly area is very low, although the
valleys are fertile. Plains and hill agriculture stand in stark contrast to each
other. While productivity in plains can be compared with agriculturally
developed regions of the country, productivity in hill lags far behind. The
Green Revolution had highly benefitted the farming system of the plain area
of the State while it has neglected the hilly region.
Besides the threats there are ample opportunities of increasing production
and productivity, especially in the field of pulses and oilseeds, by utilising
cultivable waste land, by better managing land and water resources
throughpractices like rain water harvesting activities. There is also a good
opportunity of organic farming, diversification of agriculture, post-harvest
technologies, strengthening of market interventions, and use of farm
machinery to make the agriculture more profitable occupation.
The percentage of agricultural workers in the total workforce of
Uttarakhand was 58.4 percent in 2011. This was similar to the All India
proportion of 58.2 percent for agricultural workers. While at the country
level, male agricultural workers as a proportion of total workers were around
61 percent, this was much lower at 39 percent for females, but in the case of
Uttarakhand state, female workers in agriculture (52.2 percent) were a larger
proportion than their male counterparts (47.8 percent) establishing the fact
that agriculture employs a larger proportion of female workers in the state
Table 15.1: Occupational Classification of Main Workers in
Uttarakhand and India, 2011
Category Uttarakhand India
i- Agricultural Workers(000) No. % No. %
Male 874 47.8 142745 60.98
Female 954 52.2 91342 39.02
All 1828 58.4 105616 58.2
Household Industry Workers(000)    
Male 43 60.0 8744 51.57
Female 28 39.4 8212 48.43
All 71 2.2 16956 4.21
Other Workers (000)    
Male 1077 87.4 123524 81.7
Female 154 12.6 27664 18.3
All 1231 39.4 151188 37.57
Source: Uttarakhand profile, Office of the Registrar General & Census
Commissioner,
While agriculture is a major activity in Uttarakhand, the share of agriculture
along with its allied sectors in the Gross State Value Added (GSVA) is very
low. The share of agriculture, forestry and fishing in GSVA has only 8.6 per
cent during 201718 in the state as against 15.3 per cent in case of India
during 2016-17. It also needs to be noted that over the years the percentage
share of agriculture in GSVA has shown consistent decline as in case of
India.Given that agriculture remains the main source of livelihoods for a large
proportion of the people of Uttarakhand, it is obvious that per worker
productivity remain very low. As such, it is of policy importance to accelerate
agricultural growth in the state along with diversifying agriculture in terms of
cash crops, animal husbandry, horticulture etc., such that the livelihoods and
incomes of those primarily dependent on agriculture and its allied activities
get a boost.
Table 15.2: GSVA from Agriculture for India and Uttarakhand
Page 4


Agriculture and Allied Sector
The Importance of Agriculture in Uttarakhand
Like many parts of India, agriculture plays a significant role in the
Uttarakhand economy with 70 percent of the rural population engaging in this
sector for their livelihoods. Poor infrastructure and lack of alternative means
of livelihood have led a majority of people to be dependent on agriculture for
their incomes and subsistence. Uttarakhand is an important producer of non-
seasonal vegetables like peas, potatoes, cabbage etc. A large number of
orchards in Uttarakhand produce various fruits like apples, pears, litchi etc.
The local production of fruits has stimulated the growth of a large processing
industry in the state.
Out of the total, about 89% of agricultural holding fall under small and sub
marginal category. As large number and area is under small and marginal
holdings, scale of economies cannot be availed of, and so the input cost per
unit of output is higher. The soil of tarai region is very fertile and support to
number of crops. Indiscriminate use of chemicals and overexploitation of
groundwater makes the soil of this region less fertile, causing the reduction in
the sustainability in productivity. On the other hand the hill region is prone to
constant soil erosion due to steep slopes making it less and less fertile, which
could be achieved through adoption of better management practices.
In the state, farmers adopt generally two types of agricultural practices ie
the rainfed and the irrigated. Most of the agriculture in the state is rainfed.
The net irrigated area of the state stands at 3.38 lakh hectares (2009-2010).
The net irrigated area to net sown area for the state is 47 percent. Being large
area under hills, irrigation is available mostly in the plains and valleys. So
there is a need to generate alternate sources of irrigation to increase the net
irrigated area, which in turn shall also increase the cropping intensity of the
state. These alternative sources can be rainwater harvesting, check dams,
hydram for lift irrigation etc. Technologies like drip irrigation, sprinklers etc.
can also be used for better water management.
The growth of foodgrain production is quite variable in different areas. As a
result, agriculture scenario presents a mixed picture. Productivity of district
Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Nainital (plain) and Dehradun (plain) is very
high, on the other side; productivity of the hilly area is very low, although the
valleys are fertile. Plains and hill agriculture stand in stark contrast to each
other. While productivity in plains can be compared with agriculturally
developed regions of the country, productivity in hill lags far behind. The
Green Revolution had highly benefitted the farming system of the plain area
of the State while it has neglected the hilly region.
Besides the threats there are ample opportunities of increasing production
and productivity, especially in the field of pulses and oilseeds, by utilising
cultivable waste land, by better managing land and water resources
throughpractices like rain water harvesting activities. There is also a good
opportunity of organic farming, diversification of agriculture, post-harvest
technologies, strengthening of market interventions, and use of farm
machinery to make the agriculture more profitable occupation.
The percentage of agricultural workers in the total workforce of
Uttarakhand was 58.4 percent in 2011. This was similar to the All India
proportion of 58.2 percent for agricultural workers. While at the country
level, male agricultural workers as a proportion of total workers were around
61 percent, this was much lower at 39 percent for females, but in the case of
Uttarakhand state, female workers in agriculture (52.2 percent) were a larger
proportion than their male counterparts (47.8 percent) establishing the fact
that agriculture employs a larger proportion of female workers in the state
Table 15.1: Occupational Classification of Main Workers in
Uttarakhand and India, 2011
Category Uttarakhand India
i- Agricultural Workers(000) No. % No. %
Male 874 47.8 142745 60.98
Female 954 52.2 91342 39.02
All 1828 58.4 105616 58.2
Household Industry Workers(000)    
Male 43 60.0 8744 51.57
Female 28 39.4 8212 48.43
All 71 2.2 16956 4.21
Other Workers (000)    
Male 1077 87.4 123524 81.7
Female 154 12.6 27664 18.3
All 1231 39.4 151188 37.57
Source: Uttarakhand profile, Office of the Registrar General & Census
Commissioner,
While agriculture is a major activity in Uttarakhand, the share of agriculture
along with its allied sectors in the Gross State Value Added (GSVA) is very
low. The share of agriculture, forestry and fishing in GSVA has only 8.6 per
cent during 201718 in the state as against 15.3 per cent in case of India
during 2016-17. It also needs to be noted that over the years the percentage
share of agriculture in GSVA has shown consistent decline as in case of
India.Given that agriculture remains the main source of livelihoods for a large
proportion of the people of Uttarakhand, it is obvious that per worker
productivity remain very low. As such, it is of policy importance to accelerate
agricultural growth in the state along with diversifying agriculture in terms of
cash crops, animal husbandry, horticulture etc., such that the livelihoods and
incomes of those primarily dependent on agriculture and its allied activities
get a boost.
Table 15.2: GSVA from Agriculture for India and Uttarakhand
About 16.5% of the total area lies under snow and around 71% under forests.
Only 10.3% of Garhwal Himalaya and 16% of Kumaun Himalaya is under
cultivation. The cropping pattern in the State reflect the varying conditions of
altitude, climate and soil on the one hand and various agronomic and cultural
practices and traditions evolved over the centuries such as elaborate terracing,
crop rotations and gul irrigation system which also provides for small water
mills on the other. The physical environment has infused a high degree of
adaptive skill and uncommon physical vigour among the people to cope with
the inhospitality of the environment.
Land use classification
A typical valley section of the region exhibits three distict categories of land
use.
i. Banj Dhaya or Dhar or Danda- these are common grazing lands,
denuded, untilled slope lands. The term is used for rounded water
divides, ridges, and ranges. Overgrazing, lose soils, sparce vegetation,
steep slope all contribute to severe erosion and frequent landslide in the
Banj Dhaya area. In some areas these lands are being used for
developing orchards.
ii. Katil or Khil - this land is located on upper parts of spurs, is steeper and
rocky in nature. The soil is very coarse, sandy and contains fragments of
rocks. The field are narrow and height of terrace wall is 2 to 3m. New
fields are easy to construct because they folloe hillside contour. Hoe
cultivation is practiced with a rather standard intermittant rotation of
three crops in five years. After a few years of intermittant cultivation
such land is finally terraced and regularly cultivated. Madua, or Kodo, is
the most important crop favoured in this form of cultivation. Other crops
are Jhangora, Marsa or chu, Chinna, ogal, Gahat and Bhatt.Bushes and
shrubs represent the dominant vegetation.
iii. Upraon or Ukhar land- It is also part of spur on mid slopes of
valley.Permanently terraced but unirrigated cultivation is found in the
upraon or ukhar land. Most households attempt to cultivate such lands
because it provides essential staple crops. The land is less productive
than the Talaon. These lands have less deep loam, silt loam, and dry
loam soils and are capable of producing two crops a year. Madua,
Jhangora and dry rice in Kharif and wheat and barley in Rabi are
Page 5


Agriculture and Allied Sector
The Importance of Agriculture in Uttarakhand
Like many parts of India, agriculture plays a significant role in the
Uttarakhand economy with 70 percent of the rural population engaging in this
sector for their livelihoods. Poor infrastructure and lack of alternative means
of livelihood have led a majority of people to be dependent on agriculture for
their incomes and subsistence. Uttarakhand is an important producer of non-
seasonal vegetables like peas, potatoes, cabbage etc. A large number of
orchards in Uttarakhand produce various fruits like apples, pears, litchi etc.
The local production of fruits has stimulated the growth of a large processing
industry in the state.
Out of the total, about 89% of agricultural holding fall under small and sub
marginal category. As large number and area is under small and marginal
holdings, scale of economies cannot be availed of, and so the input cost per
unit of output is higher. The soil of tarai region is very fertile and support to
number of crops. Indiscriminate use of chemicals and overexploitation of
groundwater makes the soil of this region less fertile, causing the reduction in
the sustainability in productivity. On the other hand the hill region is prone to
constant soil erosion due to steep slopes making it less and less fertile, which
could be achieved through adoption of better management practices.
In the state, farmers adopt generally two types of agricultural practices ie
the rainfed and the irrigated. Most of the agriculture in the state is rainfed.
The net irrigated area of the state stands at 3.38 lakh hectares (2009-2010).
The net irrigated area to net sown area for the state is 47 percent. Being large
area under hills, irrigation is available mostly in the plains and valleys. So
there is a need to generate alternate sources of irrigation to increase the net
irrigated area, which in turn shall also increase the cropping intensity of the
state. These alternative sources can be rainwater harvesting, check dams,
hydram for lift irrigation etc. Technologies like drip irrigation, sprinklers etc.
can also be used for better water management.
The growth of foodgrain production is quite variable in different areas. As a
result, agriculture scenario presents a mixed picture. Productivity of district
Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Nainital (plain) and Dehradun (plain) is very
high, on the other side; productivity of the hilly area is very low, although the
valleys are fertile. Plains and hill agriculture stand in stark contrast to each
other. While productivity in plains can be compared with agriculturally
developed regions of the country, productivity in hill lags far behind. The
Green Revolution had highly benefitted the farming system of the plain area
of the State while it has neglected the hilly region.
Besides the threats there are ample opportunities of increasing production
and productivity, especially in the field of pulses and oilseeds, by utilising
cultivable waste land, by better managing land and water resources
throughpractices like rain water harvesting activities. There is also a good
opportunity of organic farming, diversification of agriculture, post-harvest
technologies, strengthening of market interventions, and use of farm
machinery to make the agriculture more profitable occupation.
The percentage of agricultural workers in the total workforce of
Uttarakhand was 58.4 percent in 2011. This was similar to the All India
proportion of 58.2 percent for agricultural workers. While at the country
level, male agricultural workers as a proportion of total workers were around
61 percent, this was much lower at 39 percent for females, but in the case of
Uttarakhand state, female workers in agriculture (52.2 percent) were a larger
proportion than their male counterparts (47.8 percent) establishing the fact
that agriculture employs a larger proportion of female workers in the state
Table 15.1: Occupational Classification of Main Workers in
Uttarakhand and India, 2011
Category Uttarakhand India
i- Agricultural Workers(000) No. % No. %
Male 874 47.8 142745 60.98
Female 954 52.2 91342 39.02
All 1828 58.4 105616 58.2
Household Industry Workers(000)    
Male 43 60.0 8744 51.57
Female 28 39.4 8212 48.43
All 71 2.2 16956 4.21
Other Workers (000)    
Male 1077 87.4 123524 81.7
Female 154 12.6 27664 18.3
All 1231 39.4 151188 37.57
Source: Uttarakhand profile, Office of the Registrar General & Census
Commissioner,
While agriculture is a major activity in Uttarakhand, the share of agriculture
along with its allied sectors in the Gross State Value Added (GSVA) is very
low. The share of agriculture, forestry and fishing in GSVA has only 8.6 per
cent during 201718 in the state as against 15.3 per cent in case of India
during 2016-17. It also needs to be noted that over the years the percentage
share of agriculture in GSVA has shown consistent decline as in case of
India.Given that agriculture remains the main source of livelihoods for a large
proportion of the people of Uttarakhand, it is obvious that per worker
productivity remain very low. As such, it is of policy importance to accelerate
agricultural growth in the state along with diversifying agriculture in terms of
cash crops, animal husbandry, horticulture etc., such that the livelihoods and
incomes of those primarily dependent on agriculture and its allied activities
get a boost.
Table 15.2: GSVA from Agriculture for India and Uttarakhand
About 16.5% of the total area lies under snow and around 71% under forests.
Only 10.3% of Garhwal Himalaya and 16% of Kumaun Himalaya is under
cultivation. The cropping pattern in the State reflect the varying conditions of
altitude, climate and soil on the one hand and various agronomic and cultural
practices and traditions evolved over the centuries such as elaborate terracing,
crop rotations and gul irrigation system which also provides for small water
mills on the other. The physical environment has infused a high degree of
adaptive skill and uncommon physical vigour among the people to cope with
the inhospitality of the environment.
Land use classification
A typical valley section of the region exhibits three distict categories of land
use.
i. Banj Dhaya or Dhar or Danda- these are common grazing lands,
denuded, untilled slope lands. The term is used for rounded water
divides, ridges, and ranges. Overgrazing, lose soils, sparce vegetation,
steep slope all contribute to severe erosion and frequent landslide in the
Banj Dhaya area. In some areas these lands are being used for
developing orchards.
ii. Katil or Khil - this land is located on upper parts of spurs, is steeper and
rocky in nature. The soil is very coarse, sandy and contains fragments of
rocks. The field are narrow and height of terrace wall is 2 to 3m. New
fields are easy to construct because they folloe hillside contour. Hoe
cultivation is practiced with a rather standard intermittant rotation of
three crops in five years. After a few years of intermittant cultivation
such land is finally terraced and regularly cultivated. Madua, or Kodo, is
the most important crop favoured in this form of cultivation. Other crops
are Jhangora, Marsa or chu, Chinna, ogal, Gahat and Bhatt.Bushes and
shrubs represent the dominant vegetation.
iii. Upraon or Ukhar land- It is also part of spur on mid slopes of
valley.Permanently terraced but unirrigated cultivation is found in the
upraon or ukhar land. Most households attempt to cultivate such lands
because it provides essential staple crops. The land is less productive
than the Talaon. These lands have less deep loam, silt loam, and dry
loam soils and are capable of producing two crops a year. Madua,
Jhangora and dry rice in Kharif and wheat and barley in Rabi are
important crops. chua is also cultivated. On the basis of soil fertility,
crop productivity, distance from residential areas they are further
classified into-Abbal land which is mostly unirrigated paddy fields, near
seasonal springs in uplying areas. Soils are deep to shallow, sandy loam
or clay loam. The broadcast paddy fields are locally known as Dhanera
while the Jhangora and Madua fields are known as Jhangora and
Munera respectively. Doem are poor quality uplands which is mainly
occupied by Jhangora and Madua crops in summer. The soils are gravel
and sandy loam. Productivity is less. Owing to steep slopes, soils are less
deep, heavy runoff makes land prone to erosion, gullying and sliding.
iv. Talaon land is levelled, bunded and irrigated found mostly near
perennial gadheras in lowlying areas of small valley. Soils are deep loam
and clay loam levelled and well terraced and fertile in nature. Two to
three crops are grown in a year. At places the emergence of springs has
resulted in swampy land locally called Simar or Gazar. Talaon land
requires more tilling, irrigation control and manuring. Rice and wheat are
the main crops.
v. Sera or Taya- it is levelled, irrigated land on the river terraces found at
the lowest elevation in the river valley. In Kumaun-Garhwal region it is
called Taya. This land is intensely cultivated and mostly devoted to
paddy in lowlying irrigated areas,which are invariably double cropped,
while the other is of Taur type used for broadcast paddy, sometimes
irrigated by gul system. The fields are large in size and soil is fertile.
Cultivation is labour intensive requiring levelling, tilling fertilizing and
irrigation.
vi. Bagar- the lowlying flat patches along rivers are called bagar. They are
youndest terraces, with an elevation of 4m from river. During rainy
seasons they are flooded and for rest of the period used for grazing.
River soals are prominent feature here and they can be used for
cultivation. Narayan Bagar is an example.
Major Crops of Uttarakhand
Wheat- It is the main crop of the state grown in 42% of the gross cropped
area. It is grown as rabi crop almost in all the districts of Uttarakhand.
Rice- A Khaif crop, grown in 36.9% of the gross cropped area. In Tarai
region 2 to 3 crops of paddy are grown in a year, while in hills it occupies