Agricultural Policies & Supply Chains

The terms "amber box," "blue box," and "green box" are often associated with the agriculture sector and are commonly used in discussions related to international trade negotiations, particularly within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture. * Amber Box: This refers to domestic support measures considered to distort agricultural production and trade. These measures typically include price supports, production subsidies, and other forms of support that are considered trade-distorting. * Blue Box: This category includes domestic support measures that are considered less trade-distorting compared to those in the amber box. However, they still involve certain constraints or conditions aimed at limiting their trade-distorting effects. * Green Box: These are domestic support measures that are considered minimally or non-trade-distorting. They typically include subsidies that are tied to environmental or rural development objectives, as well as certain types of direct income support that do not distort trade significantly.

Every package of food shall carry the following information on the label, namely,
- The name of the food shall include trade name or description of food contained in the package. - List of Ingredients except for single-ingredient foods, a list of ingredients shall be declared on the label. - Nutritional Information or nutritional facts per 100 gm or 100ml or per serving of the product shall be given on the label. - Vegetarian/non-vegetarian shall be mentioned. - There is no provision for recommendations of any medical professional regarding allergies. Therefore, 1,2, and 4 are correct statements.

The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) initiative was launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2002 to identify, safeguard, and promote traditional agricultural systems that have historical, cultural, environmental, and social significance. These systems demonstrate sustainable agricultural practices, rich biodiversity, and resilient rural livelihoods while maintaining a harmonious relationship with nature. Statement 1 is incorrect: The GIAHS program is not primarily aimed at increasing agricultural productivity through modern methods. Instead, it focuses on preserving traditional farming practices, indigenous knowledge, and sustainable land-use systems that have evolved over centuries. While some modern improvements might be integrated to support local livelihoods, the core emphasis is conservation, not productivity enhancement. Statement 2 is correct: The primary goal of GIAHS is to identify and protect unique agricultural systems that are vital for global biodiversity, cultural heritage, and food security. This includes preserving traditional landscapes, indigenous crops, and local community knowledge, ensuring their sustainability for future generations. Statement 3 is incorrect: While some GIAHS products might qualify for Geographical Indication status, it's not an automatic benefit. GI status is granted based on specific criteria related to a product's origin, traditional production techniques, and unique qualities, which require a separate legal recognition process.
Hence, the correct answer is option B. 2 only.

Araghatta, also known as the 'Persian wheel' or 'Norias', was a device used in medieval India for lifting water from wells or rivers for irrigation purposes. It typically consisted of a large wheel fitted with pots or buckets along its circumference. As the wheel rotated, the pots would fill with water from a water source and then empty into a trough, channel, or aqueduct for distribution to fields or other areas requiring irrigation.

Neem-coated Urea dissolves more slowly compared to normal Urea, which helps prevent leaching and ensures a gradual release of nitrogen into the soil. Neem has inhibitory properties that reduce nitrogen loss at multiple stages, including volatilization and denitrification. By slowing down the conversion of Urea into nitrate, it minimizes excess nitrate accumulation, reducing denitrification losses and improving nitrogen use efficiency in crops. To curb misuse and diversion of highly subsidized Urea to the chemical industry, the Government of India made it mandatory for all Urea manufacturers to Neem-coat 100% of their production. This move not only ensures that Urea is used exclusively for agriculture but also enhances soil fertility and crop productivity by improving nitrogen retention.

Statement 1 is correct. The Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion aims to demonstrate improved production and post-harvest technologies in an integrated manner with a cluster approach. Statement 2 is also correct. Millets are mainly grown in regions of low annual rainfall and poor arid soil. It is inadequate, small, marginal and tribal farmers, who cannot afford costly irrigation practices, depend on the cultivation of millets. Hence these farmers benefit from the scheme and have a larger stake in this scheme. Statement 3 is not correct. There is no such provision to encourage commercial crop farmers to shift to millet cultivation.

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a government-sponsored crop insurance scheme. Statement 1 is Incorrect: Under this scheme, farmers have to pay a uniform premium of 2% for all Kharif crops, 1.5% for all Rabi crops, and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops. The premium rate is not uniform for all crops in all seasons. Statement 2 is Correct: The scheme does cover post-harvest losses arising out of cyclones and unseasonal rains. Hence, option B is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) was indeed launched during 1996-97, but its objective was to provide central assistance to states to accelerate the pace of irrigation development, not specifically to provide loan assistance to poor farmers. Statement 2 is correct: The Command Area Development Programme (CADP) was launched in 1974-75, its primary focus was on improving the water-use efficiency and agricultural productivity in the command areas of major and medium irrigation projects.

The Fair and Remunerative Price of Sugarcane (FRP) for sugarcane in India is approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister. The proposal for FRP is determined based on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) in its report on the price policy for sugarcane for a particular sugar season.

Capital-augmenting technological progress: This refers to technological advancements that increase the productivity of existing capital goods. In this case, replacing wooden ploughs (a less efficient capital good) with steel ploughs (a more efficient capital good) increases the productivity of the plough itself. Steel ploughs can till more land, last longer, and require less maintenance compared to wooden ploughs.