India is a very diverse country with respect to culture,religion, geography, topography, rainfall and many more. It is a Agrarian country and nearly half of its population still depend on Agriculture as their livelihood. The farming in our country depends wholly on the Monsoons (Arabic word) which may be untimely or irregular, which further determines crop growth, in turn farmer welfare and sustenance.
In India there are three major cropping seasons – Kharif, Rabi and Zaid seasons.
Kharif season
Sowing season – May – June
(advent of the South West Monsoon)
Harvesting season – September – October
Important crops – Rice, Maize, Cotton, Groundnut, Maize, Sugarcane etc.
Rabi season
Sowing season – October – December
(North East/Retreating monsoons play an important part)
Harvesting season – February to April
Important crops – Wheat, Bengal gram, Linseed, Barley, Potato, Pea etc.
Zaid season
sowing season – Zaid Kharif (August-September) and Zaid Rabi(February-March)
Harvesting season – Zaid Kharif (December – January) and Zaid Rabi(April-May)
Important crops in
Zaid kharif –>Rapeseed, Castor and Oilseeds
Zaid rabi –> Leafy vegetables, watermelon, cucumber etc.
Did you know
Kharif and rabi terms originated from Arabic , kahrif stands for “autumn” and Rabi for “spring”