Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
India has more arable area than China.
The proportion of irrigated area is more in India as compared to China.
The average productivity per hectare in Indian agriculture is higher than that in China.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Only one
Only two
All three
None
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct—India has more arable area than China.
The comparison concerns the total area of arable land, not its percentage share in the country’s total geographical area. According to the World Bank’s arable-land data and India’s Economic Survey, India is among the countries possessing the largest arable land area in the world, and its arable area exceeds that of China.
China’s total geographical area is much larger than India’s, but large parts of it consist of mountains, plateaus and arid deserts. Therefore, a larger total geographical area does not automatically mean a larger arable area.
Statement 2 is incorrect—the proportion of irrigated area is higher in China.
India and China both possess some of the world’s largest irrigated areas. However, the question asks about the proportion of land under irrigation, not the absolute irrigated area.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about 52% of China’s cropland is irrigated, compared with approximately 30% of India’s cropland. Absolute irrigated area and the proportion of irrigated land should therefore not be treated as the same measure.
Statement 3 is incorrect—China has higher productivity per hectare.
According to comparative data presented by NITI Aayog for 2012—
China’s rice yield was approximately 6,775 kg per hectare, compared with approximately 3,721 kg per hectare in India.
China’s wheat yield was approximately 4,987 kg per hectare, compared with approximately 3,177 kg per hectare in India.
Better seeds, greater research and development expenditure, agricultural inputs, a higher proportional irrigation coverage and relatively wider use of technology give China higher per-hectare productivity in several major crops.