Agriculture Quiz or MCQs for UPSC Civil Services

Kiwi or Chinese gooseberry (Actinidia deliciosa) is grown widely in New Zealand, Italy, USA, China, Japan, Australia, France, Chile and Spain.
In India, it is mostly grown in the mid hills of Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, J & K, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. India currently imports 4,000 tonnes of Kiwis.
Kiwi can be grown in areas experiencing 700-800 chilling hours (no. of hours during which temperature remains at or below 70 C during the winter season). The plant can be grown at 800-1500 m. above m.s.l. A rainfall of about 150 cm. /year is sufficient.
The plant does not withstand strong winds and frost during the growing period because of its vigorous vegetative growth, large leaves and viny habit. In summer, high temperature (> 350 C) and low humidity may cause scorching of leaves. Sun scald and heat stress are the main problems in its cultivation in lower areas.

Statement 1 is correct. Sulphur is essential in the structural and enzymatic components in plants. Sulphur is a key component of some essential amino acids and is needed for protein synthesis. Chlorophyll synthesis also requires S.
Sulphur is not readily translocated within plants, so all plants need a continuous supply of Sulphur from emergence to crop maturity.
Sulphur is part of an enzyme required for nitrogen uptake and lack of it can severely hamper nitrogen metabolism. Together with nitrogen, Sulphur enables the formations of amino acids needed for protein synthesis.
Statement 2 is correct. Soil organic matter is the primary source of plant-available SO4-S in surface soil.
High Sulphur deposition in soils contributes to their acidification. Soil bacteria change the sulfur to sulfuric acid, lowering the soil pH. Adverse effects of Sulphur contamination of soils are shown by the fall in pH, an increase of phytotoxic aluminium concentration.

‘Ishad’ is a native mango variety grown in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. The mango has two variants — Kari Ishad, which has thin skin, more pulp and is sweeter, and Bili Ishad, which has thick skin and has less pulp and sweetness.
Karnataka Biodiversity Board has recommended that the Union government grant Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Kari Ishad, a variety of mango grown in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada, the Gajani Kagga paddy cultivated in Kumta taluk in the same district, and the Rajamudi variety of paddy grown in Hassan district.

Ministry of Textiles has launched the 1st ever Brand & Logo for Indian Cotton on 2nd World Cotton Day on 7th October, 2020. Now India’s premium Cotton would be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ in the world cotton Trade.
Cotton is one of the principal commercial crops of India:It provides livelihood to about 6.00 million cotton farmers. India is the 2nd largest cotton producer and the largest consumer of cotton in the world. India produces about 6.00 Million tons of cotton every year which is about 23% of the world cotton. India produces about 51% of the total organic cotton production of the world.

Statement 1 is correct. Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e. vitamins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food.
Biofortification is the process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is improved through agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology. Biofortification differs from conventional fortification in that biofortification aims to increase nutrient levels in crops during plant growth rather than through manual means during processing of the crops.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Bt cotton is a genetically modified pest resistant plant cotton variety, which produces an insecticide to combat bollworm.
Examples of biofortification projects include:
–iron-biofortification of rice, beans, sweet potato, cassava and legumes;
–zinc-biofortification of wheat, rice, beans, sweet potato and maize;
–provitamin A carotenoid-biofortification of sweet potato, maize and cassava; and
–amino acid and protein-biofortification of sourghum and cassava.

Aquaponics is cooperation between plants and fish and the term originates from the two words aquaculture (the growing of fish in a closed environment) and hydroponics (the growing of plants usually in a soil-less environment).
It is the cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a recirculating environment. In this system, fishes eat the food and excrete waste, which is converted by beneficial bacteria to nutrients that the plants can use. In consuming these nutrients plants help to purify the water.

Both statements are incorrect.
Heeng (asafoetida) is one of the widely used spices in Indian cuisine since time immemorial. But there is no production of heeng in India and currently about 1,200 tons of raw heeng worth Rs 600 crore is being imported annually from Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan.
CSIR Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) has introduced six accessions of heeng from Iran through the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), and standardized its production protocols under Indian conditions.
# Bt cotton is the only GM crop that is allowed in India.
Heeng is a perennial plant and it produces oleo-gum resin from the roots after five years of plantation. It can be grown in unutilized sloppy land of cold desert regions.

Statement 1 is correct. Pusa Decomposer developed by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) is essentially a fungi-based liquid solution that can soften hard stubble to the extent that it can be easily mixed with soil in the field to act as compost.
This would then rule out the need to burn the stubble, and also help in retaining the essential microbes and nutrients in soil that are otherwise damaged when the residue is burned.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The window of time required for the solution to work, which is currently the main concern of farmers, is around 20 to 25 days, as per the IARI.
Farmers argue that this window is too long for them, as they ideally wait about a week or 10 days after harvesting the non-basmati variety of rice — which leaves hard stubble — to sow the wheat crop.

Statement 1 is correct. Bt cotton is an insect-resistant transgenic crop designed to combat the bollworm. Bt cotton was created by genetically altering the cotton genome to express a microbial protein from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis.
Statement 2 is correct. Genetically modified (GM) crops are those crops whose DNA has been modified by introducing alien genes in the seeds to get desired effects.
Bt cotton is the only Genetically modified (GM) crop approved in India by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee of Ministry of Environment.

In 2010, APEDA, a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce, got GI tag certification for the Basmati rice grown in region located in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) below the foothills of the Himalayas, spread across seven states — Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Western UP (26 districts) and Delhi.
Madhya Pradesh has been demanding inclusion of its 13 districts in the GI tag.

Statement 1 is correct. Pokkali is a unique saline tolerant rice variety that is cultivated in an organic way in the water-logged coastal regions, spread in about 5000 hectares area in Alappuzha, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts of Kerala.
Since the tidal flows make the fields highly fertile, no manure or fertilizer need to be applied; the seedlings just grow the natural way. In order to survive in the water-logged field, the rice plants grow up to two metres.
Statement 2 is incorrect. ‘Pokkali’ rice is cultivated in the pokkali field during May/June to October and the remaining period (November – April) is utilized for prawn culture or ‘Chemeenkettu’.

The four main byproducts of the sugarcane industry are cane tops/leaves, bagasse, filter muds and molasses.
Bagasse is the fibrous matter that remains after sugarcane or sorgum stalks are crushed to extract their juice. For each 10 tonnes of sugarcane crushed, a sugar factory produces nearly 3 tonnes of wet bagasse. Bagasse is used as bio fuel and in the manufacture of pulp and paper products.
Molasses is sugar byproduct. It is used as a raw material to produce alcohol. The main products of molasses fermentation are rum, ethyl alcohol, acetic acid, butanol/acetone, citric acid, yeast and monosodium glutamate.
Press mud or Filter mud is a residue left over from sugarcane after extraction of juice. Sugar mills use spent wash which is an affluent with press mud to produce bio-compost as manure.

Statement 1 is correct. Minimum Support Price for raw jute is fixed every year to protect the interest of farmers. Jute Corporation of India (JCI) is the Price Support Agency of the Govt. of India for jute.
While fixing prices of different grades, the issue of discouraging production of lower grade jute and encouraging production of higher grades jute are taken into consideration so as to motivate farmers to produce higher grade jute.
Statement 2 is correct. Raw jute crop is an important cash crop to the farmers. Cultivation of raw jute crop provides not only fibre which has industrial use, but jute stick which is used as fuel and building material by the farming community.
Raw jute is produced mainly in the state of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya.
Recently a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU to provide certified good quality seeds to jute farmers in the year 2021-22 was signed between Jute Corporation of India and National Seeds Corporation.

Statement 1 is incorrect. India ranks first in number of organic farmers and ninth in terms of area under organic farming. Sikkim became the first State in the world to become fully organic and other States including Tripura and Uttarakhand have set similar targets.

Statement 2 is correct. PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System of India) is a process of certifying organic products, a quality assurance initiative that is locally relevant, emphasize the participation of stakeholders, including producers and consumers and operate outside the frame of third-party certification.

Both statements are correct.
Monocropping is the technique where the farmer grows the same crop on the same land every year; this is usually practiced in wheat, rice fields, sugarcane grape vineyards and corn fields.
The long-term effects of monocropping are quite dangerous making Monoculture farming untenable:
-growing only one crop on the field throughout the farm repetitively leads to depletion of soil nutrients as soil has is not replenished with nutrients. Further the intensive farming methods pf monocropping leaves soil scarce of nutrients.
-the depletion of those soil nutrients, especially nitrogen, leads to weakness in soil and an inability to support healthy growth of plants.
-higher demand of nutrients is fulfilled by using higher amount of fertilizers. These fertilizers have their own toll on the environment.
-Monocultures are quite vulnerable to weeds and pests, which needs more pesticides to get rid of them. Weeds and insect pests can spread faster in monocultures because of the lack of biological and genetic diversity.

Micro-irrigation Development in India.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Area covered under micro-irrigation from 2010-11 to 2014-15 was declining and gradually increased from 2015-16 to 2018-19.

Statement 2 is incorrect: A dedicated Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) created with NABARD has been approved with an initial corpus of Rs. 5000 crore facilitating the States in mobilizing the resources for expanding coverage of Micro Irrigation envisaged under PMKSY-PDMC and also in bringing additional coverage through special and innovative initiatives by State Governments.

Owing to the large rice production area of the country, preferential soil, and
climate conditions, India is the largest rice producing country in the world after China. Rice
contributes more than 40 per cent of the country’s total food grain production.
•West Bengal is the largest rice producing state in India. Almost half of its arable
land is under rice cultivation. In the fiscal year 2016, the state produced about
15.75 million tonnes of rice over 5.46 million hectare cultivable area.
•Uttar Pradesh is the second largest rice producing state with almost 5.86 million
hectare land under rice cultivation producing about 12.5 million tonnes of rice.
•The third largest rice producing state in the country is Punjab which produced
about 11.82 million tonnes of rice during 2015-2016. The area on which rice was
cultivated in the state amounted to 2.97 million hectares.
•Tamil Nadu produces 7.98 million tones.
•Andhra Pradesh produces 7.49 million tones

Both statements are incorrect.
Heeng (asafoetida) is one of the widely used spices in Indian cuisine since time immemorial. But there is no production of heeng in India and currently about 1,200 tons of raw heeng worth Rs 600 crore is being imported annually from Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan.

CSIR Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) has introduced six accessions of heeng from Iran through the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), and standardized its production protocols under Indian conditions.

# Bt cotton is the only GM crop that is allowed in India.

Heeng is a perennial plant and it produces oleo-gum resin from the roots after five years of plantation. It can be grown in unutilized sloppy land of cold desert regions.

Statement 1 is correct. The Kiwi fruit has high nutritive and medicinal value. It is a rich source of vitamin B & C and minerals like phosphorus, potassium & calcium.
Statement 2 is incorrect. In India, Kiwi is mostly grown in the mid hills of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, J & K, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala.
Kiwi can be grown in areas experiencing 700-800 chilling hours (no. of hours during which temperature remains at or below 70 C during the winter season).
The plant can be grown at 800-1500 m. above m.s.l. A rainfall of about 150 cm. /year is sufficient. In summer, high temperature (> 350 C) and low humidity may cause scorching of leaves. Sun scald and heat stress are the main problems in its cultivation in lower areas.
Deep, rich, well-drained sandy loam soils are ideal for cultivation of kiwi. A soil pH slightly less than 6.9 results in maximum yield but higher pH upto 7.3 adversely affects the yield due to Mn deficiency.
# Arunachal has recently become first state to obtain Organic Certification for Kiwi under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD-NER).

Kulthi or Kulth (horse gram) is a legume grown as a kharif crop in Himachal Pradesh. Kulth grown in the Karsog area of Mandi district is believed to be particularly rich in amino acids.
The Himachal Pradesh government is trying to obtain Geographical Indication certification for five products from the state – Karsog Kulth, Thangi of Pangi, Chamba Metal Crafts, Chamba Chukh, and Rajmah of Bharmour.
The GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin”.
GIs are covered as an element of intellectual property rights under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. They are also covered under the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.

Chilli is one of the most important commercial crops of India. It is grown

almost throughout the country. There are more than 400 different varieties of chillies found

all over the world. It is also called as hot pepper, cayenne pepper, sweet pepper, bell pepper,

etc. Its botanical name is “Capsicum annuum”.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Chillies are known from pre-historic times in Peru. They are

believed to have originated in the tropical America.

• It is also said that chillies have originated in the Latin American regions of the New

Mexico and Guatemala as a wild crop around 7500BC, as per the remains of the

pre-historic Peru.

• The people native to these places domesticated this crop in and around 5000 BC.

Chilli is said to be the first ever domesticated crop in America.

• The Portuguese brought capsicum from Brazil to India during the year 1584.

Chillies became popular in the whole of Asia rapidly and native Asians started

cultivating this crop as well.

• The south Asian climate suited this crop, and since its introduction in the 16

century has been increasingly cultivated in south Asia.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The world’s hottest chilli “Naga Jolokia” is cultivated in

hilly terrain of Assam in a small town Tezpur, India.

Sirsi Arecanut: For the first time in the arecanut sector, ‘Sirsi Supari’ grown

in Uttara Kannada has received the Geographic Indication (GI) tag.

Nearly one-third of the area in the country with sandalwood distribution is

in Tamil Nadu with the state covering an area of 3,040sqkm spread across several

districts. India has a total area of 9,000sqkm of sandalwood distribution spread across

eight states with Karnataka having the maximum area of 5,245sqkm. Apart from

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, states like Kerala (15 sqkm), Andhra Pradesh (200 sqkm),

Odisha (25 sqkm), Madhya Pradesh (33 sqkm), Maharashtra (33 sqkm) and Rajasthan

(sparse) have sandalwood trees distributed across a few districts.

Collective farming.

• The basic principle behind collective farming is based on social ownership of the

means of production and collective labour.

• Collective farming or the model of Kolkhoz was introduced in erstwhile Soviet

Union to improve upon the inefficiency of the previous methods of agriculture and to

boost agricultural production for self-sufficiency.

• The farmers used to pool in all their resources like land, livestock and labour.

Sugarcane is a tropical plant and grown as cash crop in the world.

Sugarcane is the main source of sugar (80%) globally and holds a prominent position as a

cash crop.

• It is one of the main crops of earning foreign exchange. The sugar juice is used for

making white sugar, brown sugar (khandsari) and jaggery (gur).

• There are two distinct agro-climatic regions of sugarcane cultivation in India, viz.,

tropical and subtropical.

• Tropical region has about 45% area and contributes 55% of the total sugarcane

production in the country. Thus, sub-tropical region accounts for 55% area and

shares 45% of total production of sugarcane. The average sugarcane yield in the

country is about 69.4 t/ha.

• In world, sugarcane is grown, between the latitude 36.7° N and 31.0° S of the

equator extending from tropical to subtropical zones. There is no country where

sugar is not being used and produced by sugarcane or sugar beet crops only.

• About 80% of sugar is obtained from sugarcane and the remaining 20% is produced

through sugar beet. An average person consumes about 24 kg of sugar every year.

Peanut or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), is a species in the legume or “bean” family. The peanut was probably first domesticated and cultivated in the valleys of Paraguay.
• It is an annual herbaceous plant growing 30 to 50 cm (1.0 to 1.6 ft) tall. The leaves are opposite, pinnate with four leaflets (two opposite pairs; no terminal leaflet), each leaflet 1 to 7 cm long and 1 to 3 cm broad.
• Peanuts are known by many other local names such as earthnuts, ground nuts, goober peas, monkey nuts, pygmy nuts and pig nuts. Despite its name and appearance, the peanut is not a nut, but rather a legume.
• India is the second largest producer of groundnuts in the world. Indian groundnuts are available in different varieties: Bold or Runner, Java or Spanish and Red Natal.
• They have a rich nutty flavour, sweet taste, crunchy texture and over and above a relatively longer shelf life. Soil conditions in some producing regions are ideally suited for dry, clean and spotless Groundnuts in Shell.
• Groundnut is the major oil seed crop in India and it plays a major role in bridging the vegetable oil deficit in the country. Groundnuts in India are available throughout the year due to a two-crop cycle harvested in March and October. Ground Nuts are important protein crops in India grown mostly under rain-fed conditions.
• Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh major growing states in India.

The regions where farmers specialise in vegetables only, the farming is known as truck farming. The distance of truck farms from the market is governed by the distance that a truck can cover overnight, hence the name truck farming.

Ratoon cropping is an old system that has been practiced for many years, especially in the Tropics.
• Although the origin of ratooning is probably not known for any particular crop, it may have begun when man first noticed the regrowth of new shoots following the cutting of certain crops at harvest, thus, producing a new crop without replanting.
• Because ratooning is practiced widely and is important in many crops, a review of the practice may be valuable, especially because increased food and fiber production is imperative in tropical areas.
• This practice is widely used in the cultivation of crops such as rice, sugarcane, banana and pineapple.

The Global Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) was started by Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) for the purpose of creating public awareness and safeguarding the World agricultural heritage sites. There are three regions of India, which has been recognised as the Global Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) cities in India: Koraput, Odisha State; Kashmir Valley, Pampore region; and Kuttanad.

Fall Armyworm (FAW), an insect indigenous to the Americas, has been spreading across the globe harming crops.
• It migrated to Africa in 2016 and India in June 2018.
• It has also spread to neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Southern parts of China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh.
• The impact of the FAW is so intense that in one year — 2017-18 — it has damaged 20-25% crop yield worth $3.5 billion to 5 billion in about 40 African countries.
• For the first time, India has imported 5 million tonnes maize and it is suspected that the impact of FAW might be one of the reasons for that.
• This lepidopteran pest feeds in large numbers on leaves and stems of more than 80 plant species causing major damage to economically important cultivated crops and grasses such as maize, rice, sorghum and sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton.
• America addressed the problem by introducing BT Maize.

Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) has released its latest variety, Arka Suprabath, much to the delight of fruit connoisseurs.
• Mango is a highly cross-pollinated and heterozygous crop, which means it is difficult to get all the desired characters/traits in a single variety.
• So, it was developed by, to combine the best of Amrapali (for pulp, colour, taste and bearing) and Arka Anmol (for size and colour).
• It is a double-cross hybrid developed by using parents Amrapali (which is a cross of Dashehari and Neelam) and Arka Anmol (which is a cross of Alphonso and Janardhan Pasand).
• Arka Suprabath is a rare variety as it has got Alphonso shape with the pulp colour of Amrapali.
• Tastewise, it is sweet with less acidic properties (0.12%). Its deep orange firm pulp is less fibrous than other varieties.
• Alphonso tends to show irregular bearing after 15 to 20 years of cultivation, but Arka Suprabath grows consistently in bunches.

Chaparral is sclerophyllous vegetation that is tolerant of seasonal drought.
• It consists of small trees, woody grasses and oleose, xerophytic shrubs that form a nearly continuous cover of intertwined branches.
• Usually less than 10 per cent of the ground is bare, though the proportion may be higher at inhospitable sites

•Where annual precipitation is in the range 250–500 mm, plants may be only 1–2 m high, while crowns may reach 3.5–4 m where precipitation is 500–750 mm.
• In California chaparral is common at elevations of 300–1500 m. It occupies 3.4 million ha (8.5 per cent) of the state, particularly in its southern part and at moderate elevations.
• The European synonym for chaparral, maquis (in Italian, macchia, plural macchie), is derived from the Corsican word for a species of sun rose (Cistus), which is often a striking component of the maquis community.

In vertical farming, crops are grown indoors, under artificial conditions of light and temperature.
• Crops are grown indoors, under artificial conditions of light and temperature. It aims at higher productivity in smaller spaces.
• It uses soil-less methods such as hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics.
• Vertical farming uses significantly less water and pesticides than traditional agricultural methods.
• Being indoors, the crops aren’t subject to seasons and hence give high productivity year-round.
• Lettuces, tomatoes and green crops can be produced through this practice.
• Japan has been one of the early pioneers in vertical farming.
• It holds the largest share in the global vertical farming market.
• In Japan, vertical farming is born out of necessity where traditional farming is losing its face due to ageing population and rural migration.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhupalpally, Telangana.
Its farthest upstream influence is at the confluence of the Pranhita and Godavari rivers. The Pranahita River is itself a confluence of various smaller tributaries including the Wardha, Painganga, and Wainganga rivers.
# The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has held that environmental clearance (EC) to Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) was granted ex post facto, after completion of substantial work, by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) “in violation of law”.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Urea is highly soluble in water as result
nitrification and de-nitrification reduces its efficiency. If urea is coated with neem the loss
can be minimized as coating of urea makes it a slow release fertilizer, making available to
plants for a longer duration.
A reduced solubility of urea also keeps contamination of ground water under control and
the coating reduces ammonia volatilization and controls atmospheric pollution.
Statement 2 is correct. A study conducted by the Department of Agriculture; Cooperation
& Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) had found the effects of Neem Coating of Urea as:
–Improvement in soil health.
–Reduction in costs with respect to plant protection chemicals.
–Reduction in pest and disease attack.
–An increase in yield of paddy, sugarcane, maize, soyabean and Tur/Red Gram.

Statement 1 is incorrect. It is a scheme of the Gujarat government.
Prime Minister inaugurated three projects, including Kisan Suryodaya Yojana for the farmers in Gujarat recently.
Statement 2 is correct. Under the scheme, farmers will be able to avail power supply from 5am to 9pm for irrigation purposes. The state government has allocated a budget of Rs 3,500 crores for installing transmission infrastructure under this scheme by 2023.
Dahod, Patan, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur, Kheda, Tapi, Valsad, Anand and Gir-Somnath districts have been covered under the scheme for 2020-21. The rest will be included in a phased manner by 2022-23.

Mechanization of Agriculture in India.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Effective use of agricultural machinery helps to increase
productivity and production of farm output along with timely farm operations for quick
rotation of crops on the same land.
•By raising a second crop or multi-crops from the same land, there is improvement in
the cropping intensity and making agricultural land commercially more viable
(NABARD, 2018).
•However, overall farm mechanization in India has rather been lower (40-45 per
cent) compared to other countries such as USA (95 per cent), Brazil (75 per
cent) and China (57 per cent).
Statement 2 is correct: Indian tractor industry is the largest in the world, accounting
for one-third of the total global production. During the past four decades, the tractor
industry grew at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10 per cent.

Both statements are correct.
The PM KUSUM scheme aims to add solar and other renewable capacity of 25,750 MW by
2022.

The Scheme consists of three components:
Component A: 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable
Power Plants of individual plant size up to 2 MW.
-Renewable power plants of capacity 500 KW to 2 MW will be setup by individual farmers/
cooperatives/panchayats /farmer producer organisations (FPO) on their barren or
cultivable lands. The power generated will be purchased by the DISCOMs at Feed in tariffs
determined by respective SERC.
Component B: Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps of
individual pump.
-Individual farmers will be supported to install standalone solar Agriculture pumps of
capacity up to 7.5 HP.
Component C: Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid-connected Agriculture Pumps of individual
pump capacity up to 7.5 HP.
-Individual farmers will be supported to solarise pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP.
For both Component-B and Component-C, central financial assistance (CFA) of 30% of the
benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, will be provided. The State
Government will give a subsidy of 30%; and the remaining 40% will be provided by the
farmer.
# A rare inscription dating back to the Renati Chola era has been unearthed in a remote
village of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.

Both statements are correct.
Pusa Compost/Decomposer Technology is a microbial-based strategy (liquid formulation
& capsules) which degrades the waste (pit or windrows) and converts into nutrient-enriched
compost. This is an eco-friendly and environmentally useful technology.
It involves making a liquid formulation using fermented farm inputs, and then spraying it
over the fields to ensure speedy bio-decomposition of crop stubble. At an estimated cost of
Rs 20 per acre, the technology can effectively deal with 4-5 tonnes of raw straw.
Research over the last four years in the farm fields in Punjab and Haryana have shown
positive results on the benefit of using this approach for reducing the need for crop stubble
burning and at the same time reducing fertilizer consumption and increasing farm
productivity.

Farmcil, an eco-friendly plantable seed pencils.
• Farmcil pencils come with a seed capsule containing seeds of ten different varieties of plants, including vegetables such as tomato, ladies finger and brinjal and flowering plants such as sunflower, zinnia and balsam.

•The capsule part can be buried into the soil after the pencil has shortened with use.

Zero tillage is the process where the crop seed will be sown through drillers without prior land preparation and disturbing the soil where previous crop stubbles are present.
• Zero tillage not only reduce the cost of cultivation it also reduces the soil erosion, crop duration and irrigation requirement and weed effect which is better than tillage.
• Zero Tillage (ZT) also called No Tillage or Nil Tillage.

Advantages of Zero Tillage: Reduction in the crop duration and thereby early cropping can be obtained to get higher yields.
• Reduction in the cost of inputs for land preparation and therefore a saving of around 80%.
• Residual moisture can be effectively utilized and number of irrigations can be reduced.
• Dry matter and organic matter get added to the soil.
• Environmentally safe – Greenhouse effect will get reduced due to carbon sequestration.
• No tillage reduces the compaction of the soil and reduces the water loss by runoff and prevents soil erosion.

•As the soil is intact and no disturbance is done, No Till lands have more useful flora and fauna.

Under Corporate Social Responsibility, Marico Company takes up water conservation projects, through the Parachute Kalpavriksha Foundation, largely in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
It identifies farm lands, talks to farmers, and promotes different types of water conservation systems – farm ponds, bunds on small farm lands, desilting of dams, Bhungroo, Urdhvam and a combination of Urdhvam and Bhungroo (recharging borewells).

e-Gopala App is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for use of farmers.
The e-Gopala App will provide solutions for farmers:
-Managing livestock including buying and selling of disease-free germplasm in all forms (semen, embryos, etc.);
-Availability of quality breeding services (Artificial Insemination, veterinary first aid, vaccination, treatment etc.)
-Guiding farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate ayurvedic medicine, veterinary medicine.
-Mechanism to send alerts (on due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving etc.) and inform farmers about various government schemes and campaigns in the area.

“Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana – A scheme to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector in India”
-Scheme intends to address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernization and strengthening of value chain, traceability, establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishers’ welfare.
-It would also address issues like low productivity in inland Aquaculture, disease, sustainability of marine fisheries, sanitary and phyto-sanitary matters that impact the competitiveness of India’s exports along with global bench marking.
Statement 1 is incorrect. The PMMSY will be implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate Components namely Central Sector Scheme (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
The funding pattern for CSS: 60% Central share and 40% State share, 90% Central share in North Eastern & Himalayan States.
Statement 2 is correct. For optimal outcomes, ‘Cluster or area-based approach’ would be followed with requisite forward and backward linkages and end to end solutions. Suitable linkages and convergence will be fostered with other centre and state government schemes wherever feasible.

Statement 1 is correct. Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) aims for development and conservation of indigenous breeds through selective breeding in the breeding tract and genetic upgradation of nondescript bovine population.
The scheme comprises of two components namely National Programme for Bovine Breeding (NPBB) and National Mission on Bovine Productivity (NMBP).
Statement 2 is correct. Rashtriya Gokul Mission components:
-Integrated cattle development centres ‘Gokul Grams’ to develop indigenous breeds including upto 40% nondescript breeds.
-Establishment of Field Performance Recording (FPR) in the breeding tract.
-Implementation of Pedigree Selection Programme for the Indigenous Breeds with large population.
-Establishment of Breeder’s Societies: Gopalan Sangh.
-Distribution of disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service.
-Incentive to farmers maintaining elite animals of indigenous breeds.
-Award to Farmers (Gopal Ratna) and Breeders Societies (Kamadhenu)
Statement 3 is correct. Rashtriya Gokul Mission is implemented through the State Implementing Agency (SIA viz. Livestock Development Boards).

Milk production in India.
•India continues to be the largest producer of milk in the world.
•Milk production in the country was 187.7 million tonnes in 2018-19 and registered
a growth rate of 6.5 per cent over the previous year.
•The per capita availability of milk has reached a level of 394 grams per day during
2018-19.

The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to enhance fish production to 220 lakh metric tons by 2024-25 from 137.58 lakh metric tons in 2018-19 at an average annual growth rate of about 9%.•The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Giriraj
Singh, said the ambitious scheme will result in doubling export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore and generate about 55 lakhs direct and indirect employment opportunities in fisheries sector over a period of next five years.
•Dedicating the PMMSY to fishers, fish farmers, fish workers, fish vendors and other stakeholders associated with the fisheries sector, Shri Giriraj Singh said that insurance coverage for fishing vessels is being introduced for the first time.
•The PMMSY will be implemented over a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories.
•The Fisheries Minister said that about 42% of the total estimated investment of the PMMSY is earmarked for creation and upgradation of fisheries infrastructure facilities.
•Focus areas include Fishing Harbours and Landing Centers, Post-harvest and Cold
Chain Infrastructure, Fish Markets and Marketing Infrastructure, Integrated
Modern Coastal Fishing Villages and Development of Deep-sea Fishing.
•Besides creating critical fisheries infrastructure by attracting private investments in fisheries sector, the scheme plans to reduce post-harvest losses from the present high of 25% to about 10% by modernizing and strengthening value chain.
•Under the Swath Sagar plan, activities envisaged with a view to modernize the fisheries sector include promotion of Bio-toilets, Insurance coverage for fishing vessels, Fisheries Management Plans, E-Trading/Marketing, Fishers and resources survey and creation of National IT-based databases.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has flagged off “Apiary on Wheels”.
• Apiary on Wheels is a unique concept designed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for the easy upkeep and migration of Bee Boxes having live Bee colonies.
• It is a holistic approach to address the challenges faced by the beekeepers.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Government has constituted Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog by a resolution in February, 2019 under Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Statement 2 is correct. The Aayog is a high-powered permanent apex advisory body with mandate to help the Central Government to develop appropriate programmes for conservation, sustainable development and genetic upgradation of Indigenous breeds of cows.

The Aayog is to review existing laws, policies as well as suggest measures for optimum economic utilization of cow wealth for enhanced production and productivity, leading to higher farm income and better quality of life for the dairy farmers.

It also aims at transmission and application of improved technology and management practices at the farmers’ doorstep through coordination with dairy cooperatives, farmer producer companies and dairy industry as well as research institutions.
# Recently, Gausatva Kavach, a chip made of cow dung manufactured by Rajkot-based
Shrijee Gaushala, was unveiled by Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA) chairman and claimed that it reduces radiation from mobile handsets and it will be a safeguard against diseases.

The KVIC’s Honey Mission aims to create an end-to-end implementation framework for beekeeping skill development, which provides employment opportunities and income generation to agriculturists, beekeepers rural & urban unemployed youth.

–Enforce nationally acceptable standards of Good Beekeeping Practices (GPB) in the country.

–Develop a network of quality master trainers in the field of beekeeping for imparting Good Beekeeping / Apicultural Practices.

–Offer a passage for overseas market for hive products.

–Enable pathways from novice beekeepers to viable commercial beekeeping by handholding to credit linkages.

–Promote convergence and co-ordination between all the stakeholders of beekeeping in India.

Farm forestry is a term applied to the process under which farmers grow trees for commercial and non-commercial purposes on their farm lands.
• Forest departments of various states distribute seedlings of trees free of cost to small and medium farmers.
• Several lands such as the margins of agricultural fields, grasslands and pastures, land around homes and cow sheds may be used for raising trees under non-commercial farm forestry.

In an effort to help aquaculture farmers, the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University has developed a new feed that will aid in the growth of the vannamei shrimp and the tilapia fish.

•Using biofloc, a new technology that obviates the need for the use of plankton in aquaculture, the feed, called Nutrifloc, and has been developed.
• “We balance the carbon-nitrogen ratio in the water due to which certain microbes develop. These microbes help maintain the quality of the water and reduce formation of sludge”.
• The technology reduces the use of water, which earlier had to be changed on a regular basis, brings down power consumption and cuts the cost of feed.
• With the adoption of the technology, aquaculture can be done indoors as well since sunlight would be required only for those using plankton.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Urea is highly soluble in water as result nitrification and de-nitrification reduces its efficiency. If urea is coated with neem the loss can be minimized as coating of urea makes it a slow release fertilizer, making available to plants for a longer duration.
A reduced solubility of urea also keeps contamination of ground water under control and the coating reduces ammonia volatilization and controls atmospheric pollution.
Statement 2 is correct. A study conducted by the Department of Agriculture; Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) had found the effects of Neem Coating of Urea as:
–Improvement in soil health.
–Reduction in costs with respect to plant protection chemicals.
–Reduction in pest and disease attack.
–An increase in yield of paddy, sugarcane, maize, soyabean and Tur/Red Gram.

All of the above are determinants of MSP. It is based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
The idea behind MSP is to give guaranteed prices and assured market to the farmers and save them from the price fluctuations. It insulates farmers from the unwarranted fluctuation in prices caused by the variation in supply (largely influenced by the monsoon), lack of market integration, information asymmetry and other elements of market imperfection plaguing the agricultural markets.
In formulating the recommendations in respect of the level of minimum support prices and other non-price measures, the Commission takes into account Cost of production, Changes in input prices, Input-output price parity, Trends in market prices, Demand and supply, Inter-crop price parity etc.

The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is mandated to recommend minimum support prices (MSPs) to incentivize the cultivators to adopt modern technology, and raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand patterns in the country.
CACP submits its recommendations to the government in the form of Price Policy Reports every year, separately for five groups of commodities namely Kharif crops, Rabi crops, Sugarcane, Raw Jute and Copra.
As of now, CACP recommends MSPs of 23 commodities, which comprise 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and ragi), 5 pulses (gram, tur, moong, urad, lentil), 7 oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, seasmum, sunflower, safflower, nigerseed), and 4 commercial crops (copra, sugarcane, cotton and raw jute).
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union government takes a final decision on the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by CACP.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, banks and financial institutions will provide one lakh crore in loans to cooperative societies, farmer producer companies, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, startups and infrastructure providers. The objective is to provide medium to long-term debt financing for setting up of post-harvest infrastructure and community assets for marketing of farm produce.
Statement 2 is correct. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is a medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and credit guarantee.
The duration of the scheme shall be from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years). Under the scheme, Rs. 1 Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans with interest subvention of 3% per annum and credit guarantee coverage under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for loans up to Rs. 2 Crore.

Both statements are correct.
India accounts for 2.4% of the world’s geographical area and 4% of its water resources, but has to support 17% of the world’s human population and 15% of the livestock. To increase productivity, timely and precise field work is necessary. To make it possible, agricultural machines take an important role.
Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is being implemented in all the states, to promote the usage of farm mechanization and increase the ratio of farm power to cultivable unit area up to 2kW/ha.
The Mission objectives are as follows:
-Increasing the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low;
-Promoting ‘Custom Hiring Centres’ to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership;
-Creating hubs for hi-tech & high value farm equipments;
-Creating awareness among stakeholders through demonstration and capacity building activities;
-Ensuring performance testing and certification at designated testing centers located all over the Country.
About 80% of the land holdings in India are operated by small and marginal farmers. These farmers cannot invest in costly farm machinery and depend on hiring of implements to carryout agricultural operations in their fields.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) aims at supporting sustainable production in agriculture sector by way of –
-providing financial support to farmers suffering crop loss/damage arising out of unforeseen events
-stabilizing the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming
-encouraging farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices
-ensuring flow of credit to the agriculture sector.
Statement 1 is correct. Risks leading to crop loss are to be covered under the scheme:
-Yield Losses (standing crops, on notified area basis)
-Prevented Sowing (on notified area basis) due to adverse weather conditions
-Post Harvest Losses (individual farm basis): available upto a maximum period of 14 days from harvesting for those crops which are kept in “cut & spread” condition to dry in the field after harvesting, against specific perils of cyclone / cyclonic rains, unseasonal rains throughout the country.
-Localized calamities (individual farm basis)
Statement 2 is incorrect. Scheme provides for a uniform premium of 2% to be paid by farmers for all Kharif crops and 1.5% for all Rabi crops. In case of annual commercial and horticultural crops, the premium to be paid by farmers is 5%.

Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) was operationalized in the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) during 2016-17 for fast tracking the completion of the identified Medium and Major Irrigation projects, spread across different states.
Under LTIF, NABARD provides loan towards Central Share as well as State Share with a tenor of 15 years. The Central Share is provided to National Water Development Agency (NWDA), an agency working under the aegis of Ministry of Jal Shakti, whereas the loan towards State Share is availed by the State Governments.

The Government’s price policy for agricultural commodities seeks to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce with a view to encourage higher investment and production and to safeguard the interest of consumers by making available supplies at reasonable prices with low cost of intermediation.
• The price policy also seeks to evolve a balanced and integrated price structure in the perspective of the overall needs of the economy.
• Towards this end, the Government announces, Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 25 major agricultural commodities each year in both the Crop seasons after taking into account the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• CACP recommends MSP for twenty two (22) crops and Fair & Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane.
• Apart from Sugarcane for which FRP is declared by the Department of Food &Public Distribution, twenty two crops covered under MSP are Paddy, Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Ragi, Arhar, Moong, Urad, Groundnut-in-shell, Soyabean, Sunflower, Seasamum, Nigerseed, Cotton, Wheat, Barley, Gram, Masur (lentil), Rapeseed/Mustardseed, Safflower, Jute and Copra.
• In addition, MSP for Toria and De-Husked coconut is fixed by the Department on the basis of MSP’s of Rapeseed/Mustardseed and Copra respectively.

Besides, announcement of MSP, the Government also organizes procurement operations of these agricultural commodities through various public and cooperative agencies such as Food Corporation of India (FCI), Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), Jute Corporation of India (JCI), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), National Consumer Cooperative Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF), and Small Farmers Agro Consortium (SFAC).
Besides, State Governments also appoint state agencies to undertake PSS operations. While deciding the MSP for various agricultural commodities, the recommendations of CACP, the views of Central Ministries and State Governments and such other relevant factors which are important in the opinion of the Government are considered.
The CACP, while recommending the Minimum Support Price keeps in view
• the need to provide incentives to the producers for adopting improved technology and for developing a production pattern broadly in the light of national requirements
• the need to ensure rational utilization of land, water and other production resources and
• the likely effect of the price policy on the rest of the economy, particularly, on the cost of living, level of wages, industrial cost structure etc.
NAFED, Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), National Consumer Cooperative Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF), Small Farmers Agro Consortium (SFAC) are the central agencies for procurement of oilseeds & pulses.
However, NAFED is also an additional central agency for procurement of cotton, in addition to Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) under the DAC.

The agricultural credit flow target for 2019-20 has been fixed at 13,50,000 crore and till 30th November, 2019, a sum of 9,07,843.37crore has been disbursed.
• The regional distribution of agricultural credit in India is highly skewed.
• It is observed that credit is low in North Eastern, Hilly and Eastern States.
• The share of North Eastern States has been less than one percent in total agricultural credit disbursement.

Farm subsidies form an integral part of the government’s budget.
• In the case of developed countries, the agricultural or farm subsidies compose nearly 40 per cent of the total budgetary outlay, while in India’s case it is much lower (around 7.8 per cent of GDP) and of different nature.
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) has put some ceilings on the amount of direct and indirect subsidies being provided by the various developing and developed nations due to the fact that these subsidies distort the free market forces which have their own implications.

Delivering its poll promise, the Central Government on Saturday notified a decision to extend the benefit of ₹6,000 per year under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers in the country, irrespective of the size of their landholding.
• Notifying the decision, the Union Agriculture Ministry has written to all State Governments, asking them to identify beneficiaries subject to the existing exclusion factors.

•“All the state/UT governments are, therefore, requested to expedite 100 per cent enlistment of eligible beneficiaries as per the revised scheme so that farmers are able to avail the benefit of the scheme,” the Ministry said.
• Those excluded from the PM-KISAN include institutional land holders, farmer families holding constitutional posts, serving or retired officers and employees of State or Central government as well as Public Sector Undetakings and Government Autonomous bodies.
• Professionals like doctors, engineers and lawyers as well as retired pensioners with a monthly pension of over ₹10,000 and those who paid income tax in the last assessment year are also not eligible for the benefits.

All of the above are determinants of MSP. It is based on the recommendations
of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
The idea behind MSP is to give guaranteed prices and assured market to the farmers and
save them from the price fluctuations. It insulates farmers from the unwarranted
fluctuation in prices caused by the variation in supply (largely influenced by the monsoon),
lack of market integration, information asymmetry and other elements of market
imperfection plaguing the agricultural markets.
In formulating the recommendations in respect of the level of minimum support prices and
other non-price measures, the Commission takes into account Cost of production,
Changes in input prices, Input-output price parity, Trends in market prices, Demand and
supply, Inter-crop price parity etc.

The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) is an attached
office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is mandated to recommend
minimum support prices (MSPs) to incentivize the cultivators to adopt modern technology,
and raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand
patterns in the country.
CACP submits its recommendations to the government in the form of Price Policy Reports
every year, separately for five groups of commodities namely Kharif crops, Rabi crops,
Sugarcane, Raw Jute and Copra.
As of now, CACP recommends MSPs of 23 commodities, which comprise 7 cereals (paddy,
wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and ragi), 5 pulses (gram, tur, moong, urad,
lentil), 7 oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, seasmum, sunflower, safflower,
nigerseed), and 4 commercial crops (copra, sugarcane, cotton and raw jute).
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union government takes a
final decision on the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by CACP.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Government fixes minimum support prices (MSPs) of 22 mandated crops including paddy, wheat, for every agricultural year and fair & remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane on the basis of recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments concerned & other relevant factors.
In addition, MSP for Toria and De-Husked coconut is also fixed on the basis of MSPs of Rapeseed & Mustard and Copra respectively.
Statement 2 is correct. While recommending MSPs, CACP considers important factors like cost of production, overall demand-supply conditions, domestic and international prices, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, the likely effect on the rest of the economy, besides ensuring rational utilization of land, water and other production resources and a minimum of 50 percent as the margin over cost of production in case of MSPs and reasonable margins over cost of production in case of FRP.

Statement 1 is correct. ‘Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP)’ of sugarcane announced by the Central Government is decided on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) in consultation with the State Governments and after taking feedback from associations of sugar industry.
Statement 2 is correct. Price of sugar is market driven & depends on demand & supply of sugar. However, with a view to protect the interests of farmers, concept of Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar has been introduced since 2018 so that industry may get atleast the minimum cost of production of sugar, so as to enable them to clear cane price dues of farmers.
Government fixes the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of white/refined sugar for sale by sugar mills at the factory gate for domestic consumption. MSP of sugar has been fixed taking into account the components of Fair & Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane and minimum conversion cost of the most efficient mills.

constraint/constraints for development of integrated value chain system of Agriculture sector.
1. Public and private investments in agriculture have remained low since the early 90s.
Bottlenecks in implementation and a high degree of uncertainty have further reduced investor appetite for agricultural investments.
2. Inability to acquire land for setting up of market yards, resulting from the restrictions on land leasing and land acquisition, is another major constraint.
3. Even the existing marketing infrastructure suffers because of a lack of finances, manpower and proper facilities. Sub-market yards largely function as a location for government procurement and do not provide opportunities for open auction. Further, they are irregular in their operations and handle less than five per cent of the volume handled in principal yards.
4. Poor maintenance of rural roads is a major constraint as well. Linkages with local and feeder roads remain sub-optimal.
5. In the electricity sector, separate feeders for supply of power to agriculture and domestic electrification have not been carried out in many states.

Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee Scheme was formulated in 2008, for
construction of storage godowns in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode through private
entrepreneurs, Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and State Warehousing
Corporations (SWCs) to overcome storage constraints and ensure safe stocking of foodgrains
across the country.
•Assessment of additional storage capacities required under the scheme is based on
the overall procurement/ consumption pattern and storage space already available.
•To augment the existing storage capacity, construction of godowns has been
undertaken in PPP mode in 22 States under Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG)
Scheme through private sector as well as CWC and SWCs

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority Act 1985.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), a
Statutory Body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India, is the apex organization engaged in the work related to the development of export of agricultural and processed food products from India.
APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the following scheduled products:
•Fruits, Vegetables and their Products.
•Meat and Meat Products.
•Poultry and Poultry Products.
•Dairy Products.
•Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products.
•Honey, Jaggery and Sugar Products.
•Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds.
•Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages.
•Cereal and Cereal Products.
•Groundnuts, Peanuts and Walnuts.
•Pickles, Papads and Chutneys.
•Guar Gum.
•Floriculture and Floriculture Products.
•Herbal and Medicinal Plants.

An FPO, formed by a group of farm producers, is a registered body with producers as shareholders in the organization.
• It deals with business activities related to the farm produce and it works for the benefit of the member producers.
• Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is providing support for promotion of FPOs.
• NABARD has dedicated Funds like Producer Organisation Development Fund (PODF) and PRODUCE for promotion of FPOs.
• Financing FPOs through NABARD’s subsidiary NABKISAN Finance Ltd., digitisation of FPO data, development of performance measurement tool, etc. have also contributed to the ongoing efforts.
• Besides, NABARD is running an awareness campaign on the role of FPOs in building resilience against climate change, increase in productivity and optimal efficiency in the agri value chain.

Sustainable Development Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and
production patterns. SDG Target 12.3 seeks to halve global food waste at retail and
consumer levels, as well as to reduce food loss during production and supply. In order to
measure food waste and losses, two indices have been proposed: Food Waste Index (FWI)
and Food Loss Index (FLI).
Statement 1 is correct. The Food Loss Index examines the food loss along supply activities
such as production, handling & storage, and processing. It focuses on food losses that
occur from production up to (and not including) the retail level. It measures the changes in
percentage losses for a basket of 10 main commodities by country in comparison with a
base period.
Statement 2 is incorrect. To monitor SDG Target 12.3, Food and Agriculture Organization
has created the Food Loss Index (FLI). The focus of the indicator is on percentages of food
removed from the supply chain.
Further, the Food Waste Index is currently in development at UN Environment. The FWI
will measure tons of wasted food per capita, considering a mixed stream of products from
processing through to consumption.

Both statements are correct.
Hygiene rating is a voluntary scheme of FSSAI applicable to food businesses supplying food directly to consumers either on or off the premises and food businesses are rated on the basis of food hygiene and safety conditions found at the time of inspection.
Hygiene + “Right Place to Eat”: Hygiene rating of 4/5 and the compliance of voluntary conditions to be adopted by FBO will rate the FBO as Right Place to Eat. This will also enhance the commercial viability of an FBO and responsibility towards providing safe and nutritious food to consumers and promote sustainability.
Quality Council of India (QCI) at the behest of the FSSAI has come out with a Scheme for approval of Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies to scale up Hygiene Rating by increasing the number of recognised Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies in the country.

Statement 1 is correct. Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), in partnership with the States, has launched an all India centrally sponsored “PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PM FME Scheme)”. The objectives of the scheme are:
–Formalization of micro units by means of GST, Udyog Aadhar and FSSAI registrations
–Financial assistance to individual units for upgradation of food processing facilities
–Quality improvement and skill development through trainings and technical knowledge
–Financial assistance to Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), producer’s cooperatives for setting up common infrastructure facilities
Statement 2 is correct. The PM FME scheme derives inspiration from the One District One Product (ODOP) Programme of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government which aims to create product-specific traditional industrial hubs across 75 districts of UP.
Under the PM FME scheme, the states will be required to identify one product per district based on the availability of raw material and existing clusters.

Section 83 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 provides for the establishment of an Appellate Board to be known as the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB). The Intellectual Property Appellate Board has been constituted by a Gazette notification of the Central Government in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 2003.
It hears appeals against the decisions of the Registrar under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
In pursuance of the Finance Act, 2017, all the cases pending before the Copy Right Board under Copy Right Act, 1957 were transferred to Intellectual Property Appellate Board.
The Intellectual Property Appellate Board also exercises the jurisdiction, powers and authority conferred with Plant Varieties Protection Appellate Tribunal to hear the appeals under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Act.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) a statutory bodyunder the Ministry of Commerce and Industry established by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act 1985.
Statement 2 is correct. The functions of APEDA include:
-Development of industries relating to the scheduled products for export
-Fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for the purpose of exports;
-Improving of packaging of the Scheduled products;
-Improving of marketing of the Scheduled products outside India;
-Promotion of export-oriented production and development of the Scheduled products;
-Training in various aspects of the industries connected with the scheduled products.
# “Scheduled products” means any of the agricultural or processed food products included in the Schedule of the Act, which includes Fruits, Vegetables and their Products, Meat and Meat Products, Poultry and Poultry Products, Dairy Products etc.

Statement 1 is correct. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 passed by the Parliament recently provides for a farming agreement between a farmer and a buyer prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce.
Statement 2 is correct. The minimum period of an agreement will be one crop season, or one production cycle of livestock. The maximum period is five years, unless the production cycle is more than five years.
The price of farming produce should be mentioned in the agreement. For prices subjected to variation, a guaranteed price for the produce and a clear reference for any additional amount above the guaranteed price must be specified in the agreement. Further, the process of price determination must be mentioned in the agreement.
A farming agreement must provide for a conciliation board as well as a conciliation process for settlement of disputes.

Statement 1 is correct. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 allows intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers’ produce outside: (i) the physical premises of market yards run by market committees formed under the state APMC Acts and (ii) other markets notified under the state APMC Acts.
Such trade can be conducted in an ‘outside trade area’, i.e., any place of production, collection, and aggregation of farmers’ produce including: (i) farm gates, (ii) factory premises, (iii) warehouses, (iv) silos, and (v) cold storages.
It also permits the electronic trading of scheduled farmers’ produce (agricultural produce regulated under any state APMC Act) in the specified trade area.
Statement 2 is correct. The bill prohibits state governments from levying any market fee, cess or levy on farmers, traders, and electronic trading platforms for trade of farmers’ produce conducted in an ‘outside trade area’.

Essential Commodities listed under the Schedule of the Essential Commodities Act are:
Drugs (meaning assigned to it in clause (b) of section 3 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940);
-fertilizer, whether inorganic, organic or mixed;
-foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils;
-hank yarn made wholly from cotton;
-petroleum and petroleum products;
-raw jute HI jute textiles;
-seeds of food-crops and seeds of fruits and vegetables; seeds of cattle fodder; jute seeds and cotton seed.
# On March 13, the Union consumer affairs ministry had declared face masks and hand sanitisers as essential commodities till June 30 to boost supply and prevent hoarding of these items in its fight to check the spread of coronavirus.

Statement 1 is correct. The objective of the National Agricultural Higher Education Project is to support participating agricultural universities and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in providing more relevant and higher quality education to Agricultural University students. There are three components to the project:
Component 1: Support to Agricultural Universities.
Component 2: Investments in ICAR for leadership in Agricultural Higher Education.
Component 3: Project Implementation Unit: The objective of this component is to administer, supervise, monitor and evaluate overall project implementation. Whole activities of the project would be managed by a central Project Implementation Unit (PIU) which is established at the Education Division of ICAR.
Statement 2 is incorrect. NAHEP has been formulated by ICAR for five years starting from 2017-18. The project is proposed on 50:50 cost sharing basis between the World Bank and the Government of India, implemented at the Education Division, ICAR.

Statement 1 is correct. The Water Resources Information System (WRIS) portal contains information related to Water Resources through dashboards for rainfall, water levels & discharge of rivers, water bodies, ground water levels, reservoir storages, evapotranspiration and soil moisture, as well as modules on water resources projects, water bodies, hydro-met data availability and tools for GIS layer editing.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), under the National Hydrology Project, launched the first version of India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS) in July, 2019 and has been updated recently with a new version.
India WRIS is, at present, receiving data from many central and state agencies on regular basis. The MoJS has established a dedicated organization, National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) to maintain and update India WRIS.

Agriculture Minister recently launched Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)’s data recovery center called ‘Krishi Megh’.
It aims to protect the data of the government’s premier research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It has been set up at National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in Hyderabad. It has been built to mitigate the risk, enhance the quality, availability and accessibility of e-governance, research, extension and education in the field of agriculture in India.
NAARM, Hyderabad has been chosen as it lies in a different seismic zone with regard to the Data Centre at ICAR-IASRI in New Delhi.

With a view to integrate farmers with bulk purchasers including exporters,
agro- industries etc. for better price realization through mitigation of market and price risks
to the farmers and ensuring smooth agro raw material supply to the agro industries, Union
Finance Minister in the budget for 2017-18 announced preparation of a “Model Contract
Farming Act” and circulation of the same to the States for its adoption.

Salient features of the Model Contract Farming Act, 2018.
•“Registering and Agreement Recording Committee” or an “Officer” for the purpose at district/block/taluk level for online registration of sponsor and recording of agreement provided.
•Contracted produce is to be covered under crop/livestock insurance in operation.
•Contract framing to be outside the ambit of APMC Act.
•No permanent structure can be developed on farmers’ land/premises
•No right, title of interest of the land shall vest in the sponsor. Promotion of
Farmer Producer Organization (FPOs) / Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) to
mobilize small and marginal farmers has been provided
•FPO/FPC can be a contracting party if so authorized by the farmers.
•No rights, title ownership or possession to be transferred or alienated or vested in
the contract farming sponsor etc.
•Ensuring buying of entire pre-agreed quantity of one or more of agricultural
produce, livestock or its product of contract farming producer as per contract.
•Contract Farming Facilitation Group (CFFG) for promoting contract farming and
services at village / panchayat at level provided.
•Accessible and simple dispute settlement mechanism at the lowest level possible
provided for quick disposal of disputes.
•It is a promotional and facilitative Act and not regulatory in its structure.

New Digital Apps have been developed for making Indian agriculture in line with Digital India theme. The DARE (Department of Agricultural Research & Education) launched the Agricultural Education Portal EKTA (Ekikrit Krishi Shiksha Takniki Ayaam) for integrated online management information system

Agriculture Credit.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Government fixes agriculture credit disbursement targets
for the banking sector every year.
Statement 2 is correct: As per RBI directions, Domestic Scheduled Commercial Banks
are required to lend 18% of the Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) or Credit Equivalent
to Off-Balance Sheet Exposure (CEOBE), whichever is higher, towards agriculture.
A sub-target of 8% is also prescribed for lending to small and marginal farmers including
landless agricultural labourers, tenant farmers, oral lessees and share croppers.
Statement 3 is correct: Similarly, in the case of Regional Rural Banks 18% of their total
outstanding advances is required to be towards agriculture and a sub-target of 8% has
been set for lending to small and marginal farmers.

The Economic Cost of food-grains consists of three components, namely, pooled cost of grains, procurement incidentals and the cost of distribution. The pooled cost of food grains is the weighted MSP of the stock of food-grains available with FCI at the time of calculating the economic cost

The objectives of the NAFED shall be to organize, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural, horticultural and forest produce, distribution of agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs, undertake interstate, import and export trade, wholesale or retail as the case may be and to act and assist for technical advice in agricultural, production for the promotion and the working of its members, partners, associates and cooperative marketing, processing and supply societies in India. In furtherance of these objectives, the NAFED may undertake one or more of the following activities.
•to facilitate, coordinate and promote the marketing and trading activities of the cooperative institutions, partners and associates in agricultural, other commodities, articles and goods;
•to undertake or promote on its own or on behalf of its member Institutions or the Government or Government Organizations, Inter-State and international trade and commerce and undertake, wherever necessary, sale, purchase, import, export and distribution of agricultural commodities, horticultural and forest produce.
•to undertake purchase, sale and supply of agricultural, marketing and processing requisites, such as manure, seeds, fertilizer, agricultural implements and machinery, packing machinery, construction requisites, processing machinery for agricultural commodities, forest produce, dairy, wool and other animal products;
•to act as warehouseman under the Warehousing Act and own and construct its own godowns and cold storages;
•to act as agent of any Government agency or cooperative institution, for the purchase, sale, storage and distribution of agricultural, horticultural, forest and animal husbandry produce, wool, agricultural requisites and other consumer goods;
•to act as insurance agent and to undertake all such work which is incidental to the same;
•to organize consultancy work in various fields for the benefit of the cooperative institutions in general and for its members in particular;

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (Pm-Kisan) is a Central Sector
Scheme. It provides income support to all small and marginal landholding farmer families
having cultivable land.
PM Fasal Bima Yojana is a centrally sponsored scheme and it replaced all other existing
insurance schemes except the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme.
Formation and Promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) is a Central Sector
Scheme under Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW).
NOTE: The central welfare schemes at the state level fall into two broad categories. The first
category is centrally sponsored schemes, and the second is the central sector schemes.
While the Union government fully funds the central sector schemes, centrally sponsored
schemes are jointly funded by the Centre and states.

International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS) is a series of
conferences, sponsored by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), World Bank (WB), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other
international development agencies.
•ICAS started in 1998 in response to overarching need for better agricultural data
worldwide and is held every three years to address issues of agricultural statistics
(information/data) development.
•United States, Italy, Mexico, China, Uganda and Brazil have been the host countries
for ICAS in the past.
•The 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS-VIII) was held
from 18th to 21st November 2019 in New Delhi.
•The theme of the conference is Statistics for Transformation of Agriculture to achieve
the Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the National Commission of Farmers 2007, the term “FARMER” will refer to a person actively engaged in the economic and/or livelihood activity of growing crops and producing other primary agricultural commodities and will include all agricultural operational holders, cultivators, agricultural labourers, sharecroppers, tenants, poultry and livestock rearers, fishers, beekeepers, gardeners, pastoralists, non-corporate planters and planting labourers, as well as persons engaged in various farming related occupations such as sericulture, vermin-culture, and agro-forestry. The term will also include tribal families / persons engaged in shifting cultivation and in the collection, use and sale of minor and non-timber forest produce

The Tamil Nadu Government has introduced a Bill in the Legislative Assembly seeking to declare the Cauvery delta region a Protected Special Agriculture Zone (PSAZ).
• The Bill said, since certain non-farming activities were adversely affecting agriculture in the region, threatening the State’s food security, “to protect the agriculture in this region, it is proposed to prohibit certain activities in the region.”
• The Bill also sought to establish a 30-member Tamil Nadu Protected Agricultural Zone Authority headed by the Chief Minister to advise the government on various measures to protect and improve farming activities to increase farm production and farm productivity to serve the interest of farmers.
• The proposed PSAZ would comprise of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts and five blocks each in Cuddalore and Pudukkottai districts.
• These areas have been listed under the First Schedule of the Act, to which the government may add or omit any area in the future.
• The government has identified zinc smelter; iron ore process plants, copper smelter, aluminum smelter, tannery, and ship breaking industries among others as industries that adversely affect agriculture developments in the PSAZ. This list in the Second Schedule of the Act too, is subject to omission and addition subsequently.

The MIEWS Dashboard and Portal is a ‘first-of-its-kind’ platform for ‘real time monitoring’ of prices of tomato, onion and potato (TOP) and for simultaneously generating alerts for intervention under the terms of the Operation Greens (OG) scheme.
• This portal is a novel initiative of MoFPI leveraging IT tools and furthering the goals of Digital India.
• The portal would disseminate all relevant information related to TOP crops such as Prices and Arrivals, Area, Yield and Production, Imports and Exports, Crop Calendars, Crop Agronomy, etc in an easy to use visual format

Popularly known as Package Programme, the Intensive Agricultural Development Programme (IADP) was taken up in 1961 and it paved the way to an Adoption Breakthrough for Green Revolution in India.
• It aimed at diffusing technical know-how, credit and agricultural technology to step up agricultural production in selected districts so that it may have demonstration effect.
• The relevance of IADP experiment (1961-64) arises from the fact that it provided a crucial and much needed ‘adoption breakthrough”-adoption of modem techniques of agricultural growth which, when coupled with the epochmaking ‘biological breakthrough, gave birth to the Green Revolution in India”.
• The pilot project was launched first in 7 districts of 7 different states. Out of these, four were rice producing, two wheat producing and one millets producing.
• The programme was a grand success and it created new dynamism in the stagnant countryside. It was extended to a total of 114 districts in 1964-65.

Statement 1 is correct. Gov Tech-Thon 2020 aims to incubate new ideas,
boost innovation and use technology in agriculture and allied sectors. The virtual
hackathon is open to students, working professionals, startups, freelance technologists,
faculty, and other IT service firms in India.
Statement 2 is incorrect. National Informatics Centre, IEEE and Oracle are organising
this hackathon. During the hackathon, participants will receive mentorship and advice
from technical experts from NIC, IEEE and Oracle, as well as senior domain experts from
the Ministries of Agriculture, Education and Transport Departments, Government of India.
Participating teams will have access to the latest tools from Oracle, Oracle Autonomous
Database, built-in and easy-to-use cloud security, and compute – to help them develop
prototypes that are practical and scalable.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA) a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry established by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority Act 1985.
Statement 2 is correct. The functions of APEDA include:
-Development of industries relating to the scheduled products for export
-Fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for the purpose of
exports;
-Improving of packaging of the Scheduled products;
-Improving of marketing of the Scheduled products outside India;
-Promotion of export-oriented production and development of the Scheduled products;
-Training in various aspects of the industries connected with the scheduled products.
# “Scheduled products” means any of the agricultural or processed food products included in
the Schedule of the Act, which includes Fruits, Vegetables and their Products, Meat and Meat
Products, Poultry and Poultry Products, Dairy Products etc.

Statement 1 is correct. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection)
Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 passed by the Parliament
recently provides for a farming agreement between a farmer and a buyer prior to the
production or rearing of any farm produce.
Statement 2 is correct. The minimum period of an agreement will be one crop season, or
one production cycle of livestock. The maximum period is five years, unless the production
cycle is more than five years.
The price of farming produce should be mentioned in the agreement. For prices subjected
to variation, a guaranteed price for the produce and a clear reference for any additional
amount above the guaranteed price must be specified in the agreement. Further, the
process of price determination must be mentioned in the agreement.
A farming agreement must provide for a conciliation board as well as a conciliation
process for settlement of disputes.

Statement 1 is correct. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce
(Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 allows intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers’
produce outside: (i) the physical premises of market yards run by market committees
formed under the state APMC Acts and (ii) other markets notified under the state APMC
Acts.
Such trade can be conducted in an ‘outside trade area’, i.e., any place of production,
collection, and aggregation of farmers’ produce including: (i) farm gates, (ii) factory
premises, (iii) warehouses, (iv) silos, and (v) cold storages.
It also permits the electronic trading of scheduled farmers’ produce (agricultural produce
regulated under any state APMC Act) in the specified trade area.
Statement 2 is correct. The bill prohibits state governments from levying any market fee,
cess or levy on farmers, traders, and electronic trading platforms for trade of farmers’
produce conducted in an ‘outside trade area’.

Statement 1 is incorrect. “KRITAGYA” has been planned by the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under National Agricultural Higher Education
Project (NAHEP).
Students, faculties and innovators/entrepreneurs from any university / technical
institution across the country can apply and participate in the event in the form of a group.
Statement 2 is correct. The hackathon is aimed at promoting potential technology solutions
for enhancing farm mechanization with special emphasis on women friendly equipments.

Statement 1 is correct. The objective of the National Agricultural Higher
Education Project is to support participating agricultural universities and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in providing more relevant and higher quality education to
Agricultural University students. There are three components to the project:
Component 1: Support to Agricultural Universities.
Component 2: Investments in ICAR for leadership in Agricultural Higher Education.
Component 3: Project Implementation Unit: The objective of this component is to
administer, supervise, monitor and evaluate overall project implementation. Whole activities
of the project would be managed by a central Project Implementation Unit (PIU) which is
established at the Education Division of ICAR.
Statement 2 is incorrect. NAHEP has been formulated by ICAR for five years starting from
2017-18. The project is proposed on 50:50 cost sharing basis between the World Bank
and the Government of India, implemented at the Education Division, ICAR.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices
(CACP) is not any statutory body set up through an Act of Parliament. It is an attached
office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. It came
into existence in January 1965.
Statement 2 is correct. It is mandated to recommend minimum support prices (MSPs) for
government procurement to incentivize the cultivators to adopt modern technology, and
raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand patterns
in the country.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union government takes a
final decision on the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by CACP.

The Food Corporation of India was setup under the Food Corporation’s
Act 1964, in order to fulfill following objectives of the Food Policy:
-Effective price support operations for safeguarding the interests of the farmers (by
procurement of food grains at MSP)
-Distribution of food grains throughout the country for public distribution system (PDS).
-Maintaining satisfactory level of operational and buffer stocks of food grains to ensure
National Food Security

The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) calculates cost of
production at three levels: (i) A2, which includes cost of inputs such as seeds, fertilizer,
labour; (ii) A2+FL, which includes the implied cost of family labour (FL); and (iii) C2, which
includes the implied rent on land and interest on capital assets over and above A2+FL.
CACP reckons only A2+FL cost for return. However, C2 costs are used by CACP primarily
as benchmark reference costs (opportunity costs) to see if the MSPs recommended by
them at least cover these costs in some of the major producing States.

Both statements are correct.
Agricultural markets in India are mainly regulated by state Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) laws. APMCs were set up with the objective of ensuring fair trade between buyers and sellers for effective price discovery of farmers’ produce.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020
–Allows intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers’ produce outside: (i) the physical premises of market yards run by market committees formed under the state APMC Acts and (ii) other markets notified under the state APMC Acts.
–Such trade can be conducted in an ‘outside trade area’, i.e., any place of production, collection, and aggregation of farmers’ produce including: (i) farm gates, (ii) factory premises, (iii) warehouses, (iv) silos, and (v) cold storages.
–It permits the electronic trading of scheduled farmers’ produce (agricultural produce regulated under any state APMC Act) in the specified trade area.
–It prohibits state governments from levying any market fee, cess or levy on farmers, traders, and electronic trading platforms for trade of farmers’ produce conducted in an ‘outside trade area’.

CACP considers A2+FL and C2 costs while recommending MSP. CACP reckons only A2+FL cost for return. However, C2 costs are used by CACP primarily as benchmark reference costs (opportunity costs) to see if the MSPs recommended by them at least cover these costs in some of the major producing States.
‘A2’ covers all paid-out costs directly incurred by the farmer — in cash and kind — on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, hired labour, leased-in land, fuel, irrigation, etc. ‘A2+FL’ includes A2 plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour. ‘C2’ is a more comprehensive cost that factors in rentals and interest forgone on owned land and fixed capital assets, on top of A2+FL.

Statement 1 is correct. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 provides for a farming agreement between a farmer and a buyer prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce.
The minimum period of an agreement will be one crop season, or one production cycle of livestock. The maximum period is five years, unless the production cycle is more than five years.
Statement 2 is correct. A farming agreement must provide for a conciliation board as well as a conciliation process for settlement of disputes. The Board should have a fair and balanced representation of parties to the agreement.
At first, all disputes must be referred to the board for resolution. If the dispute remains unresolved by the Board after thirty days, parties may approach the Sub-divisional Magistrate for resolution.

Both statements are correct.
Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) are retail agricultural markets in close proximity of the farm gate that promote and service a more efficient transaction of the farmers’ produce across the agricultural sub-sectors, by enabling both direct sales, between the producer and consumer, and aggregation of small produce-lots for subsequent transaction, both of which can occur either physically or online.
Government of India had announced to develop and upgrade existing 22,000 rural haats into Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs). In these GrAMs, physical infrastructure will be strengthened using MGNREGS and other Government Schemes.
Further, the Government announced to set up of an Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of Rs. 2000 crore for developing and upgrading agricultural marketing infrastructure in the 22000 Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) and 585 Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs).

The State of Food and Agriculture, one of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’’s major annual flagship publications, aims at bringing to a wider audience balanced science-based assessments of important issues in the field of food and agriculture. Each edition of the report contains a comprehensive, yet easily accessible, overview of a selected topic of major relevance for rural and agriculture development and for global food security.
The State of Food and Agriculture 2020 presents new estimates on the pervasiveness of water scarcity in irrigated agriculture and of water shortages in rainfed agriculture, as well as on the number of people affected.
–Some 520 million of the 1.2 billion people lived in rural areas while 660 million lived in small urban centres surrounded by agricultural areas.
–Nearly half of the 1.2 billion people lived in south Asia, while 460 million lived in east and Southeast Asia.
–In central Asia, west Asia and North Africa, about one-fifth of the population lived in agricultural areas with very high-water shortages or scarcity.

A Working Group constituted by the Reserve Bank of India to review agricultural credit released its report on September 13, 2019.
• It was asked to examine: (i) reach of institutional credit, (ii) ease of credit and inclusiveness, and (iii) impact of loan waivers on state finances and credit discipline. Key observations and recommendations of the Working Group include:
• The Working Group noted that the central and state governments need to increase their capital expenditure which will stimulate the demand for investment credit in agriculture.
• It also recommended that banks should provide crop loans under the scheme only through Kisan Credit Cards in order to curb the misuse of interest subsidy.
• The Working Group recommended that: (i) loan waivers should be avoided, and (ii) the central and state governments should undertake a holistic review of agricultural policies and input subsidies in order to improve the overall viability and sustainability of agriculture.
• The Working Group recommended that separate lending targets should be set for allied activities and banks should not insist on land records for up to two lakh rupees of such credit.
• It recommended the central government to push states to timely complete the process of digitization and updation of land records.
• States having highly restrictive land leasing frameworks should be encouraged to adopt reforms based on the Model Land Leasing Act and the Andhra Pradesh Land Licensed Cultivators’ Act, 2011.

The Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) programme strengthens FAO’s longstanding work to address climate change in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors and supports countries participating in the climate change negotiation processes within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.