Agriculture – Case-based Questions with Answers
CBSE Class 10 – Social Science (Geography)
Contemporary India – II | Chapter 4: Agriculture
Topics: Types of Farming – Primitive Subsistence, Intensive Subsistence, Commercial | Cropping Pattern – Major Crops, Food Crops other than Grains, Non-Food Crops | Technological & Institutional Reforms | Food Security
CBSE Board Examinations – Chapter Wise Study Materials Based on NCERT
Instructions: The following 20 Case-Based Questions are designed from NCERT Class 10 Geography,
Chapter 4: Agriculture. Each case study is followed by short sub-questions with clear, easy-to-understand answers,
arranged topic-wise. These are useful for competency-based questions and CBSE Class 10 Board Exam preparation.
A. Case-Based Questions on Types of Farming
Case Study 1 – Primitive Subsistence Farming
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
In a remote hilly village of the North-Eastern region, a tribal family clears a small patch of forest by cutting
and burning trees and bushes. After the first monsoon showers, they sow mixed crops of maize, beans and vegetables
on the ash-enriched soil. For two or three years, the land gives modest yields, but slowly the soil fertility
declines. The family then abandons this patch and moves to another forested area to repeat the same process.
They use simple tools like dao and axe and depend entirely on family labour.
Q1. Which type of farming is being practised in this village? Mention its local name in the North-Eastern states.
Answer:
The type of farming is primitive subsistence farming, more specifically shifting cultivation.
In the North-Eastern states, it is locally known as “Jhumming”.
Q2. State any two features of this type of farming as seen in the passage.
Answer:
Two features are:
- It is done on small patches of forest land cleared by cutting and burning.
- It uses simple tools and family labour, and the land is abandoned after a few years when fertility declines.
Q3. Give one environmental concern related to this farming practice if the fallow period becomes too short.
Answer:
If the fallow period becomes too short, this practice can lead to deforestation, soil erosion and loss of biodiversity,
because the soil does not get enough time to recover its fertility.
Case Study 2 – Intensive Subsistence Farming
Read the case and answer the questions:
In a densely populated village of the Ganga plain, a farmer owns a very small piece of land. His field is divided
into tiny fragments scattered around the village. To get maximum output, his family members work on the field from
early morning till late evening. With the help of irrigation, he grows rice during the monsoon and wheat in winter.
He also uses high-yielding variety seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides to increase production, though most
of the grain is used for his family’s consumption.
Q4. Which type of farming is described here? Name any one region where this type is common.
Answer:
This is intensive subsistence farming. It is common in the Indo-Gangetic plains and
other densely populated regions like the coastal plains of south India.
Q5. How does the farmer try to increase the productivity of his small holding? Mention any two ways.
Answer:
He increases productivity by:
- Using HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
- Practising multiple cropping (rice in kharif and wheat in rabi) with the help of irrigation.
Q6. Why is most of the production in this farming system used for self-consumption?
Answer:
Because the landholding is very small and the family is large, so most of the output is needed
to meet the family’s food requirements, leaving only a small surplus for sale.
Case Study 3 – Commercial Farming in Punjab
Read the case and answer the questions:
A farmer in Punjab owns a large piece of land. His fields are level and well connected to roads and mandis.
He uses tractors, combined harvesters, tube-well irrigation and HYV seeds for wheat and rice. Most of the produce
is sold in the market and he gets the benefit of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced by the government.
He employs hired labourers during the busy seasons of sowing and harvesting.
Q7. Identify the type of farming and give one reason to support your answer.
Answer:
This is commercial farming, because the farmer grows crops mainly for the market
using modern inputs and sells most of the output.
Q8. Name any two modern inputs or techniques used by this farmer.
Answer:
He uses:
- Tractors and combined harvesters for mechanised farming.
- HYV seeds and tube-well irrigation to increase production.
Q9. How does MSP help this farmer according to the case?
Answer:
MSP assures him a fixed minimum price for his wheat and rice, protecting him from a fall in
market prices and giving him a stable income.
Case Study 4 – Plantation Farming (Tea)
Read the passage and answer the questions:
In the hilly slopes of Assam, large estates are covered with neatly pruned tea bushes arranged in rows.
A factory located within the estate processes the leaves soon after plucking. Hundreds of workers, mostly women,
are employed for plucking, sorting and processing. Modern irrigation and fertilisers are also used to maintain the
health of the tea bushes. The processed tea is packed and sent to different parts of India and abroad.
Q10. Which type of farming is shown in this case? Name the crop and the state.
Answer:
This is plantation farming. The crop is tea and the state is Assam.
Q11. Give any two characteristics of plantation farming visible in the passage.
Answer:
Two characteristics are:
- It is carried out on large estates growing a single crop (monoculture).
- It uses hired labour and a factory for processing the produce on or near the plantation.
Case Study 5 – Mixed Farming & Multiple Cropping
Read the scenario and answer the questions:
In a village of Maharashtra, a farmer grows jowar and tur on his field during the kharif season and wheat in the rabi season.
He also keeps a few cows and goats. The dung is used as manure in his fields. Milk from the animals is sold to a nearby dairy.
The farmer feels that by combining crops with livestock, his risk has reduced and his income has become more stable throughout the year.
Q12. Which type of farming is the farmer practising? How do you know?
Answer:
He is practising mixed farming, because he is growing crops and rearing animals on the same farm.
Q13. Mention any two advantages of this farming system as shown in the case.
Answer:
Advantages:
- It provides multiple sources of income from crops and milk.
- Animal dung can be used as organic manure, improving soil fertility and reducing fertiliser cost.
B. Case-Based Questions on Cropping Pattern & Major Crops
Case Study 6 – Rice & Wheat Cropping Pattern
Read the passage:
In a village of eastern Uttar Pradesh, farmers follow a rice–wheat cropping pattern. With the onset of the monsoon,
paddy fields are flooded and transplanted with rice seedlings. After harvesting rice in October, the fields are
prepared for sowing wheat. Tube-well irrigation is used in winter to grow wheat successfully, even when rainfall is low.
This pattern has helped the region to achieve high food grain output.
Q14. Identify the kharif and rabi crops mentioned in the case.
Answer:
The kharif crop is rice and the rabi crop is wheat.
Q15. Why is tube-well irrigation important for the second crop in this pattern?
Answer:
Tube-well irrigation is important for wheat because winter rainfall is low, and assured irrigation
is needed to grow a good crop after the rice harvest.
Case Study 7 – Millets in a Dry Region
Read the case:
A farmer in Rajasthan lives in a semi-arid region with low and erratic rainfall. The soil in his field is sandy and
does not retain much moisture. Instead of rice, he grows bajra and occasionally jowar. These crops can survive in
less fertile soils and require less water. The farmer says that although millets are called “coarse grains”, they
are very nutritious and suit the climate of his region.
Q16. Why has the farmer chosen to grow bajra and jowar instead of rice?
Answer:
Because bajra and jowar are millets that tolerate low rainfall and poor, sandy soils, making them
suitable for semi-arid regions, unlike rice which needs high rainfall and waterlogged conditions.
Q17. Give one nutritional advantage of millets mentioned in the case.
Answer:
Millets are highly nutritious, being rich in iron, calcium and fibre, despite being called “coarse grains”.
Case Study 8 – Pulses in Crop Rotation
Study the case and answer:
In Madhya Pradesh, a farmer follows a rotation of wheat followed by gram (chana) on the same field. He explains that
pulses help to naturally enrich the soil with nitrogen, reducing his need for chemical fertilisers. The pulses also
fetch a good price in the market and provide protein-rich food for his family.
Q18. Why is the wheat–gram rotation beneficial for soil fertility?
Answer:
The rotation is beneficial because gram is a leguminous pulse crop that fixes atmospheric nitrogen
in the soil, thereby improving soil fertility for the next wheat crop.
Q19. Name one dietary benefit of pulses as mentioned in the case.
Answer:
Pulses are rich in protein, providing an important nutrient for the family’s diet.
Case Study 9 – Sugarcane as a Cash Crop
Read the case:
In western Uttar Pradesh, a farmer dedicates a large part of his land to sugarcane. The crop remains in the field
for nearly a year, requiring regular irrigation and care. The nearby sugar mill buys his cane and pays him according
to the quantity supplied. The farmer is happy because sugarcane gives him more profit per hectare than cereals,
though it requires more investment and labour.
Q20. Why is sugarcane considered a cash crop in this case?
Answer:
Sugarcane is considered a cash crop because it is grown mainly for sale to the sugar mill and gives
higher profit per hectare compared to food grains.
Q21. Mention any one requirement of sugarcane cultivation highlighted in the passage.
Answer:
It requires regular irrigation and care because it remains in the field for a long growing period (around a year).
Case Study 10 – Cotton in Black Soil
Read the passage and answer:
A farmer in Maharashtra grows cotton on his field which has deep black soil. The region receives moderate rainfall
and has a long growing season with bright sunshine. The cotton picked by labourers is sent to a nearby textile mill.
The farmer knows that cotton is the main raw material for the textile industry and therefore has good demand.
Q22. Why is this region suitable for cotton cultivation according to the passage?
Answer:
Because it has deep black soil, moderate rainfall and a long period of bright sunshine,
all of which are ideal conditions for cotton cultivation.
Q23. How does cotton support industry as mentioned in the case?
Answer:
Cotton is the main raw material for the textile industry, so it is sent to textile mills where it is
processed into cloth, supporting industrial growth.
C. Case-Based Questions on Technological & Institutional Reforms
Case Study 11 – Green Revolution Experience
Read the case and answer:
In the late 1960s, a farmer in Haryana shifted from traditional wheat seeds to HYV seeds supplied by an agricultural
research centre. He also installed a tube-well for assured irrigation and began using chemical fertilisers.
Over a few years, his wheat production doubled. However, he noticed that the soil demanded more fertilisers every
season and the groundwater level of the village began to fall gradually.
Q24. Which agricultural movement is reflected in this case? Name any two main inputs used.
Answer:
This reflects the Green Revolution. Two main inputs are:
- HYV (High Yielding Variety) seeds of wheat.
- Chemical fertilisers and assured irrigation through tube-wells.
Q25. Mention one positive and one negative impact of this change shown in the case.
Answer:
- Positive: Wheat production doubled, increasing the farmer’s income and food supply.
- Negative: Increased use of fertilisers and irrigation led to soil degradation and falling groundwater levels.
Case Study 12 – Land Reforms & Small Farmers
Read and answer:
After Independence, a state government passed laws to abolish the zamindari system. Many tenants received ownership
rights over the land they had been cultivating for years. Later, efforts were also made to consolidate fragmented
holdings into bigger, compact plots so that modern methods could be adopted more easily.
Q26. Which institutional reforms are being discussed in this passage? Name any two of them.
Answer:
The passage discusses land reforms as institutional reforms. Two of them are:
- Abolition of the zamindari system.
- Consolidation of land holdings to form compact plots.
Q27. How did these reforms help small farmers?
Answer:
They gave small farmers ownership rights and larger consolidated plots, which encouraged them to
invest in land improvement and adopt modern methods, reducing exploitation by landlords.
Case Study 13 – Cooperative Society Support
Read the case:
In a village of Karnataka, farmers formed a cooperative society. The society arranges bulk purchase of fertilisers
and seeds at lower prices and makes them available to members on credit. It also helps farmers to sell their produce
collectively, getting better prices in the market than they would individually.
Q28. What role is the cooperative society playing in the lives of these farmers?
Answer:
The cooperative society is helping farmers by providing cheaper inputs on credit and supporting
them in collective marketing, which increases their bargaining power and income.
Q29. How does collective marketing benefit small farmers according to the passage?
Answer:
Collective marketing helps small farmers to get better prices for their produce because they sell
in bulk and can negotiate more effectively with traders.
Case Study 14 – Need for Sustainable Practices
Read and answer:
A region in Punjab that once enjoyed high yields due to Green Revolution techniques is now facing problems such as
declining soil fertility, increased salinity and falling groundwater levels. Some farmers have started using organic
manure, adopting crop rotation with pulses and using drip irrigation to save water and restore soil health.
Q30. Name any two environmental problems faced by this region due to overuse of modern inputs.
Answer:
Two problems are:
- Declining soil fertility and increased salinity.
- Falling groundwater levels due to over-extraction for irrigation.
Q31. Mention any two sustainable practices being adopted by farmers in this case.
Answer:
They are adopting:
- Use of organic manure and crop rotation with pulses.
- Drip irrigation to save water and reduce wastage.
Case Study 15 – Role of Agricultural Extension
Read the passage:
An agricultural officer visits a cluster of villages to conduct training sessions on improved seed varieties,
balanced use of fertilisers and pest management. Farmers also learn about weather forecasts, soil testing and
crop insurance schemes. As a result, many farmers adopt better practices and face fewer crop losses.
Q32. What is the main function of agricultural extension services as shown in this case?
Answer:
The main function is to educate and guide farmers about improved seeds, fertiliser use, pest
management and government schemes so that they can adopt better farming practices.
Q33. How do such services help in reducing crop losses?
Answer:
They help farmers make informed decisions using weather information, soil testing and scientific
pest control methods, which reduces the risk of crop damage and loss.
D. Case-Based Questions on Food Security & PDS
Case Study 16 – Buffer Stock and FCI
Read and answer:
Each year after the harvest, the government, through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), purchases wheat and rice
from farmers at MSP. These grains are stored in large godowns as buffer stock. During times of drought or floods,
the government releases food grains from this stock to stabilise prices and ensure availability in the market.
Q34. Which organisation is responsible for maintaining the buffer stock of food grains?
Answer:
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is responsible for maintaining the buffer stock of food grains.
Q35. How does the buffer stock help during natural disasters according to the passage?
Answer:
During droughts or floods, the government releases food grains from the buffer stock to stabilise prices
and ensure that enough food is available in the market for people.
Case Study 17 – Ration Shop Experience
Read the case:
A family in an urban slum has a ration card which allows them to buy wheat, rice and sugar every month from a fair
price shop at rates lower than those in the open market. The mother says that without this facility it would be
difficult for her to feed her children properly with her small income.
Q36. What system is helping this family to buy food at lower prices?
Answer:
The Public Distribution System (PDS), through fair price shops and ration cards, is helping the
family buy food grains at subsidised prices.
Q37. How does this system contribute to food security for poor families?
Answer:
It contributes by making essential food grains affordable and regularly available to poor families,
reducing hunger and malnutrition.
Case Study 18 – Seasonal Hunger of Farm Labourers
Read and answer:
In a village, many landless labourers find work only during the sowing and harvesting seasons. During the months
in between, they have no regular work and often have to reduce their food intake. Some families even skip meals
on certain days because they cannot afford enough food.
Q38. Which type of hunger is described in this case? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
This case describes seasonal hunger, because the labourers face food shortage specifically during
months when there is no agricultural work available.
Q39. Suggest one measure that can help reduce such hunger in rural areas.
Answer:
Providing alternative employment opportunities through rural employment schemes or promoting
allied activities (like dairy or poultry) can help reduce seasonal hunger by giving income throughout the year.
Case Study 19 – Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Schools
Read the passage:
A government school provides cooked lunch to all students under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. The teachers observe that
attendance has improved and students are more active in class. For many children from poor households, this is the
most nutritious meal of the day.
Q40. How does the Mid-Day Meal Scheme help in improving food security for children?
Answer:
It provides at least one nutritious meal every school day to children, improving their nutritional
status and ensuring they get regular food.
Q41. Mention one educational benefit of this scheme as shown in the case.
Answer:
The scheme has led to improved attendance and attentiveness among students, as they are more
motivated to come to school and can concentrate better after eating.
Case Study 20 – Linking Farmers to Food Security
Read and answer:
A small farmer in Odisha grows rice with the help of irrigation and improved seeds. The government procures part of
his harvest at MSP and stores it. Later, these stocks are used to supply ration shops in food-deficit districts.
In this way, the farmer gets a fair price and distant consumers get food grains at reasonable rates.
Q42. How is this farmer linked to the food security system of the country?
Answer:
By selling rice at MSP to the government, his produce becomes part of the buffer stock, which is
later distributed through PDS, thus linking his farm directly to the national food security system.
Q43. How does this arrangement benefit both the farmer and the consumers?
Answer:
- The farmer gets a guaranteed fair price through MSP.
- Consumers in food-deficit areas receive food grains at reasonable, subsidised prices through ration shops, improving their food security.