Question

Which districts are known for black gram production in Tamil Nadu ?

A. Chennai, krishnagiri and Vellore 

B. Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur and Cuddalore 

C. Dharmapuri, Dindigul and Kanyakumari 

D. Villupuram, Madurai and Theni 

Answer 1

Hint: Vigna mungo, referred to as black gramme, black lentil, white lentil, black matpe bean, is a bean grown in the Indian subcontinent. Generally, the whole urad bean or urad dal is the product sold as "black lentil" The commodity marketed as a "white lentil" with the black skin removed is the same lentil. Black gram originated in India, where it has been in ancient cultivation and is one of India's most highly valued pulses. 

Complete answer:

One of the significant pulses grown in Tamil nadu in both the Kharif and Rabi seasons is black gramme. This crop has been cultivated extensively in the districts of Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Villupuram.

A. Chennai, krishnagiri and Vellore: Chennai is regarded as ``The Detroit of India" with the city being home to more than one-third of India's automotive industry. It is also home to the  Tamil film industry.

India's national fruit is mango. Krishnagiri is known as the Mango capital of India where over 40,000 hectares is used for mango cultivation. Krishnagiri's mango produce is the most sought after in countries like Russia, Singapore, Australia, France, said sources.  Totapuri, Alphonsa, Neelam and Sendura - are a wide variety of mangoes -cultivated and exported.

The district of Vellore is the country's largest exporter of finished leather goods. More than 37% of the country's exports of leather and leather products are accounted for by Vellore leather.

B. Nagapattinam,Thiruvarur and Cuddalore: Nagapattinam's primary occupation is fishing in the waters of the Bay of Bengal. The fish are sold at the town's daily and weekly fish markets. There is limited agricultural activity, but there is a lot of agricultural trade in the town. More than 70% of the workforce is engaged in agriculture; 14% are farmers and the rest are agricultural workers, the main crop cultivated is black gramme. 

Thiruvarur lies in the basin of the Kaveri River and agriculture is the main occupation of the inhabitants of the city and surrounding regions. Agriculture continues to be the most predominant sector of the District economy,; 14% are farmers and rest are agricultural workers, the main crop cultivated is black gramme.

Historically, being a coastal town, Cuddalore's primary industry was fishing. Even though Cuddalore used to be a port city. The district contributes significantly to cashew nut, black gramme and jackfruit production in the Tamil Nadu province.

C. Dharmapuri, Dindigul and Kanyakumari: Dharmapuri is a town in Tamil Nadu, India, in the western part of the country. The environment is typically natural and humid. Generally, the tropical forests here have short shrubs and thorny-plants. 

The climate of the Dindigul area is conducive to horticulture and farming. 

The Kanyakumari forests, in particular, have heavily cultivated sandal trees, teak trees, rosewood trees, and Wild Jack trees. There are many tall trees and large plants in the Kanyakumari District. The Kanyakumari forests, in particular, have heavily cultivated sandal trees, teak trees, rosewood trees, and Wild Jack trees.

D. Villupuram, Madurai and Theni: Viluppuram is one of the predominant agricultural districts in which for their livelihood, Most of the population is engaged in agriculture and associated activities. With an annual rainfall of 874.5 mm, the Madurai District is mainly agrarian . The main crops grown in the Madurai District are paddy, millet, pulses and cotton. Agriculture continues to be the most predominant sector of the District economy, as 30 percent of the population is engaged in Agriculture and allied activities for their livelihood.  Major horticulture crops cultivated in this district are fruits crops like mango, banana, grapes, guava and aonla, tropical vegetables like bhendi, tomato, brinjal, onion.

Hence the correct answer is option (B).

Note: The district of Guntur ranks first in Andhra Pradesh for black gramme production. Black gramme was also bought mostly by Indian immigrants to other tropical areas.

India currently represents the largest producer of black gram accounting for more than 70% of the global production. India is followed by Myanmar and Pakistan. India is the world's largest producer as well as consumer of blackgram. It produces about 24.5 lakh tonnes of Urad annually from about 4.6 million hectares of area, with an average productivity of 533 Kg per hectare in 2020-21.