PEST RISK ANALYSIS (PRA) TRAINING Group Exercises Manual

APPENDIX 6
PEST RISK ANALYSIS TRAINING - GROUP EXERCISES MANUAL
Summary of Information on India’s Environment, Economy and
Agricultural Products
Environment and economy
India is a country in southern Asia, bordered by the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, Pakistan, China,
Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. It is a large, diverse and populous country that covers an area of
3,166,414 km 2 , slightly more than 1/3 the size of the United States, making it the seventh largest
country in the world. It is also the second most populous country in the world, with an estimated
population of 1.1 billion people in 2005. Approximately 70% of Indians reside in rural areas. India is a
liberal democracy, and consists of the union of 28 states and seven federally-governed union
territories. The capital is New Delhi, and its largest city is Mumbai (formerly called Bombay). Official
languages of India are Hindi and 21 other languages, and English widely spoken and understood.
India’s economy is the fourth largest in the world, and is considered to be the second fastest growing
large economy. It has the world’s third largest gross domestic product (GDP) of US $4.042 trillion, as
measured by purchasing power parity. Per capita income is $3,700, ranked at 117 th in the world. The
country’s diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a
wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of
economic growth, accounting for more than half of India’s output with less than one quarter of its
labour force. Recent progress has focused on the area of information technology. Major industries
include automobiles, cement, chemicals, electronics, food processing, machinery, mining, petroleum,
pharmaceuticals, steel, transportation equipment and textiles. In terms of natural resources, India’s
coal resource is the fourth largest in the world. Sixty percent of the population is employed in
agriculture and related industries, which acccounts for 28% of the GDP. Major agricultural crops
include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane and potatoes.
The climate in India ranges from tropical in the south to more temperate in the north, where elevated
regions receive sustained winter snowfall. The climate is strongly influenced by the Himalaya
mountains and the Thar desert. Its forest cover ranges from the extremes of tropical rainforest to
coniferous forest, with moist and dry deciduous forest in between. India also hosts a significant
biodiversity, and is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of avian, 6.2% of reptilian and 6.0% of
flowering plant species. Major environmental issues include deforestation, soil erosion, overgrazing,
desertification and air and water pollution.
Agricultural Products
2004 Crop production statistics
Crop
Production
(x1000 T)
Export Value
(million USD)
Lemons and limes 1420.0 2.03
Oranges 3100.0 9.46
Grapefruits and pomelos 142.0 0.33
Groundnuts 7000.0 186.46
Asparagus 0.0 0.00
Tea 850.5 396.48
Guavas, mangoes and mangosteens 10,800.0 101.04
Bananas 16,820.0 18.95
Plantains 0.0 0.00
Grapes 1200.0 25.13
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