Mod 14: District-wise Land Use Variations & Cropping Pattern

📖 Chapter 4 of 10 🧩 Module 16 of 33 ⏱️ ~3 min read 💡 2 MCQs

Topic Part 1 of 2

Land Use Pattern for different Districts of Bihar

There is a substantial variation in land use pattern across the districts. The primary reason for this variation is that the districts of Bihar belong to different agro-climatic zones and has different soils. The net sown area which represents the total area sown with crops and orchards was the highest in East Champaran (2.84 lakh hectares), while the lowest in Sheohar (0.23 lakh hectares). The cropping intensity was high among the districts of Sheohar (1.91), Saharsa (1.90), and Jehanabad (1.83). A total of 19 districts recorded cropping intensities higher than that of the state average of 1.43 in 2018-19.
The total uncultivable land was the highest in the districts of Gaya (3.24 lakh hectares), Jamui (2.51 lakh hectares), and West Champaran (2.45 lakh hectares). The districts of Kaimur (1.13 lakh hectares), Jamui (0.93 lakh hectares), West Champaran (0.92 lakh hectares), and Gaya (0.78 lakh hectares) together constituted about 60.4 percent of Bihar's total area under forests. The districts of Rohtas and Araria had more than 25 percent of their land as fallow. As a result of the increased demand for production due to population pressures and urbanization, land resources are under stress and are becoming increasingly susceptible to environmental degradation.

Cropping Pattern

The agricultural economy of Bihar is very much tilted in favour of the subsistence sector since the area under foodgrain is more than 90%.

Box 5.2.2: Top Districts (Area wise) For Crops

Rice: Rohtas, Madhubani, East Champaran

Wheat: Rohtas, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran

Maize: Katihar, Begusarai, Samastipur

Pulses: Patna, Aurangabad, Supaul

Potato: Patna, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur

Onion: Nalanda, Patna, W. Champaran

Mango: Darbhanga, E. Champaran, Samastipur

Litchi: Muzaffarpur, E Champaran, Vaishali

Sugarcane: West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj

Table 5.2.2: Cropping Pattern in Bihar

Crops	Percentage of Area (2018-19)	Percentage of Area (2019-20)
Food grains	94.0	94.1
├─ Cereals	87.1	87.4
└─ Pulses	6.9	6.7
Oilseeds	1.4	1.7
Fibre Crops	1.2	0.9
Sugarcane	3.3	3.3
Total Area	100.00	100.00

*(Source: Department of Agriculture, GOB; Economic Survey: Bihar 2018-19)*

⭐ Key Points

Rice: Rohtas, Madhubani, East Champaran
Wheat: Rohtas, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran
Maize: Katihar, Begusarai, Samastipur
Pulses: Patna, Aurangabad, Supaul
Potato: Patna, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur
Onion: Nalanda, Patna, W. Champaran
Mango: Darbhanga, E. Champaran, Samastipur
Litchi: Muzaffarpur, E Champaran, Vaishali

📌 One-line Q&A

Rice: Rohtas, Madhubani, East Champaran
Wheat: Rohtas, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran
Maize: Katihar, Begusarai, Samastipur
Pulses: Patna, Aurangabad, Supaul
Potato: Patna, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur
Onion: Nalanda, Patna, W. Champaran
Mango: Darbhanga, E. Champaran, Samastipur
Litchi: Muzaffarpur, E Champaran, Vaishali

Questions 2 MCQs

Answer this question, then use Next.

Question 1: Which district of Bihar has the largest area under wheat cultivation?

Correct Option: (B) Rohtas

Question 2: On what percentage of the total area of Bihar are cereals grown in 2019-20?

Correct Option: (D) 87.4%

Question 1 of 2

One-liners

Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.

Rice: ______

Rohtas, Madhubani, East Champaran

Wheat: ______

Rohtas, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran

Maize: ______

Katihar, Begusarai, Samastipur

Pulses: ______

Patna, Aurangabad, Supaul

Potato: ______

Patna, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur

Onion: ______

Nalanda, Patna, W. Champaran

Mango: ______

Darbhanga, E. Champaran, Samastipur

Litchi: ______

Muzaffarpur, E Champaran, Vaishali