Agriculture Geography (Geography).
Syllabus: UPSC Pre GS1: Indian & World Geography; Mains GS1
Soils of India for UPSC: how soil forms, ICAR's eight groups, features and crops, erosion, salinity, land degradation data and Soil Health…
The ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur, reported on 13 September 2026 that its four new moth bean varieties, CAZRI Moth-4, 5, 6 and 7, withstood a dry spell of about 35 days in the El Niño kharif season of 2026. They stayed green and set pods. Moth bean covers nearly 10 lakh hectares in western Rajasthan.
UPSC angle: Prelims: crops of arid zones; El Niño–monsoon link.
13 Sep 2026
A PIB note of 7 September 2026 says India made 76 lakh bales of raw jute and 12.80 lakh MT of jute goods in FY 2025-26, the largest raw jute output in the world. The MSP for raw jute in 2026-27 is ₹5,925 a quintal, and all food grains must be packed in jute.
UPSC angle: Prelims: jute-growing conditions.
7 Sep 2026
A PIB Backgrounder of 18 August 2026 says India ranks first in global coconut production, with 31.24 per cent of the world total. Coconut product exports rose 62 per cent to ₹7,038.35 crore in 2025-26. Copra MSP for 2026 is ₹12,027 per quintal for milling copra, and Budget 2026-27 announced a Coconut Promotion Scheme.
UPSC angle: Prelims: crop geography.
18 Aug 2026
A PIB backgrounder on 20 July 2026 notes India is the only country growing all four cultivated cotton species, first in acreage and second in production and consumption. Provisional 2025-26 output is 290.91 lakh bales; consumption 328 lakh bales. The Mission for Cotton Productivity aims at 498 lakh bales by 2031.
UPSC angle: Prelims: cotton facts.
20 Jul 2026
Shade-grown coffee supports biodiversity, which is a selling point for premium exports.
UPSC angle: Prelims: coffee regions.
29 Nov 2025