Ans: A

Exp:

• Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons.
• A fallow field is land that a farmer ploughs but does not cultivate for one or more seasons to allow the field to become more fertile again
• Terracing is an agricultural practice that suggests rearranging farmlands or turning hills into farmlands by constructing specific ridged platforms.
• The process of covering the open surface of the ground by a layer of some external material is called Mulching & the material used for covering is called as ‘Mulch.

Ans: A

Exp:

India is one of the major oilseeds growers and importers of edible oils.  India’s vegetable oil economy is the world’s fourth largest after the USA, China & Brazil. National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP)  envisages an increase in the production of vegetable oils sourced from oilseeds, oil palm and TBOs(Tree Born Oilseeds). The strategies to implement the scheme can be : 

Option 1 is correct: The seed replacement ratio (SRR) is a crucial agricultural metric that measures the proportion of old or traditional seed varieties replaced by new or improved varieties in a given planting season. Increasing the seed replacement ratio, particularly with a focus on varietal replacement, is essential for several reasons:

• Improved crop performance
• Enhanced Resilience
• Adaptation to changing climates
• Increased Agricultural Productivity
• Quality Improvement
• Technology Adoption
• Capacity Building
• Economic Benefits etc.

Option 2 is incorrect: Diversifying areas by shifting from low-yielding cereal crops to oilseed crops and encouraging intercropping of oilseeds with cereals, pulses and sugarcane. This shift can have the following benefits and implications for agricultural systems –

• Economic benefits
• Diversification of income sources
• Nutritional values and Industrial uses
• Crop rotation and soil health – Introducing oilseed crops into a crop rotation system can enhance soil health. Different crops have varying nutrient requirements, and rotating between oilseeds and other crops can help prevent nutrient depletion and improve overall soil fertility.
• Environmental Sustainability
• Reduced Reliance on Fertilisers
• Global demand for Vegetable oils
• Crop insurance and Risk management -Diversifying crops can be an effective risk management strategy. Oilseed crops may have different susceptibility to pests and diseases compared to cereal crops, providing a form of insurance against specific agricultural risks.
• Adaptation to climate change

In summary, diversifying agricultural areas by shifting from low-yielding cereal crops to oilseed crops can offer economic, environmental, and nutritional benefits. It aligns with the broader goals of sustainable agriculture and resilience in the face of evolving market dynamics and climate conditions.

Ans: D

Exp:

Government has announced “PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth” (PM-PRANAM) scheme in Budget 2023-24 with the objective to incentivise the States and UTs to promote usage of alternative fertilizers and balanced use of chemical fertilizers.

The proposed scheme intends to reduce the subsidy burden on chemical fertilisers, which is expected to increase to Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2022-2023, which is 39% higher than the previous year’s figure of Rs 1.62 lakh crore.

Ans: A

Exp:

Food processing industries have various stages: Upstream production and Downstream production.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The upstream stage of the production process involves searching for and extracting raw materials.

Upstream requirements :

• Accessibility to raw materials.
• Modern extraction techniques.
• Good linkages with farmers.
• Storage facilities for raw materials like Grains, Meat, Fish etc.
• Quality testing facilities.
• Transport facilities.
• Workforce.

The downstream stage in the production process involves processing the materials collected during the upstream stage into a finished product. The downstream stage further includes the actual sale of that product to other businesses, governments or private individuals. The downstream process has direct contact with customers through the finished product.

Downstream requirements :

• Latest processing techniques.
• Latest processing machinery.
• Quality testing facilities.
• Organised retail stores for faster distribution.
• Workforce.

Statement 2 is incorrect: 100% FDI is permitted under the automatic route in food processing industries in India. The sector has attracted substantial Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), with USD 4.18 billion pouring in from 2014 to 2020, indicating confidence in its future prospects

Statement 3 is correct: The food processing sector is seen as a sunrise sector in India. India’s food ecosystem offers enormous investment opportunities by stimulating growth in the food retail sector encouraging economic policies, and attractive fiscal incentives

Ans: C

Exp:

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity especially in rainfed areas focusing on integrated farming, water use efficiency, soil health management and synergizing resource conservation.

NMSA has the following four major programme components or activities:

• Rainfed Area Development (RAD): RAD adopts an area-based approach for the development and conservation of natural resources along with farming systems. This component has been formulated in a ‘watershed plus framework’, i.e., to explore potential utilization of natural resources base/assets available/created through watershed development and soil conservation activities /interventions under MGNREGS, NWDPRA, RVP&FPR, RKVY, IWMP etc.

• On Farm Water Management (OFWM): OFWM focuses primarily on enhancing water use efficiency by promoting efficient on – farm water management technologies and equipment. This not only focuses on application efficiency but, in conjunction with the RAD component, also emphasises the effective harvesting & management of rainwater.

• Soil Health Management (SHM): SHM aims at promoting location as well as crop-specific sustainable soil health management, including residue management, organic farming practices etc.

• Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture Monitoring, Modeling and Networking (CCSAMMN): It provides creation and bidirectional (land/farmers to research/scientific establishments and vice versa) dissemination of climate change-related information and knowledge by way of piloting climate change adaptation/mitigation research/model projects in the domain of climate-smart sustainable management practices and integrated farming system suitable to local agro – climatic conditions.