Question

Name the two beverage crops produced in India.
 A.Tea and Grapes
 B.Tea and Coffee
 C.Corn and Rice
 D. None of these.

Answer 1

Hint:India’s two-third population is engaged in agricultural activities. India is geographically a vast country so it has many food and non-food crops which are cultivated in three main cropping seasons called Kharif, rabi, and Zaid. Tea and Coffee are Plantation crops.

Complete answer:
Beverage crops are those crops that give a suitable drink other than water. The prominent beverage crops of India are coffee and tea.

Tea Cultivation:
Tea is the most essential beverage crop in India. Tea cultivation and plantation are practiced in Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri hills of south India along the foothills of the Himalayas. India is the second-largest cultivator of tea. Tea is a labor-intensive industry that requires skilled and cheap labor.

Ideal conditions for tea plantation:
Rainfall: Rainfall should be around 150-300 cm
Temperature: Temperature should be between 20-30 degrees
Soil type: Soil should be well-drained.
Top tea producing states: (i) Assam
                                              (ii) West Bengal
                                              (iii) Tamil Nadu

Coffee Cultivation:
India is the seventh-largest producer. Coffee was initially brought from Yemen. Indian variety of coffee ‘Arabica’ is famous all over the World.

Ideal conditions for coffee plantation:
Rainfall: Rainfall should be around 150-250 cm
Temperature: Temperature should be between 15-28 degrees.
Soil type: Well-drained, loamy soil.
Top coffee producing states: (i) Karnataka
                                                   (ii) Kerala
                                                   (iii) Tamil Nadu.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: Tea Development and promotion scheme, Wage compensation Scheme are a few of the government schemes for tea. Various Integrated Coffee Development Projects and Schemes have been launched by the government of India to support coffee production.