Coffee

It is the second most important beverage after tea in India. India is among the top coffee-producing countries and nearly 70% of the coffee produced is exported, largely to European and Asian markets. Arabica which was initially brought from Yemen and Robusta are the two main varieties of coffee produced in India.

1. Climatic conditions: The hot and humid climate with temperatures ranging from 15°C and 28 °C. Rainfall from 150 to 250 cm. Frost, snowfall, high temperature above 30°C and strong sunshine is not good for coffee crops thus it is grown under shady trees. Coffee crop is grown on hill slopes at elevations from 600 to 1,600 metres above sea level because stagnant water is harmful to it.
2. Soil: They can be cultivated on a variety of soil types. The shallow soils (sandy loam) on steep mountain slopes or almost level ground, with good organic matter (humus) content, are ideal for its production. Soil’s water balance is quite important to the growth of coffee along with the presence of minerals like iron and calcium.
3. Major coffee-producing area: The cultivation is confined to the Nilgiris in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka is the largest producer as 70 per cent of the total coffee produced in India is grown here. Coffee cultivation is also expanding rapidly in areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as well as in the North East states.

India has one of the largest agricultural lands in the world which makes agriculture the backbone of the country. More than half of the country’s population is engaged in agriculture which contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The diverse climatic conditions, soil and topography of India facilitate the cultivation of a wide variety of food and non-food crops grown throughout the country. In this article, we will discuss the major food crops of India other than grains.