GS3 · 10 marks · 150 words

What are the major challenges faced by India's agriculture sector to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses and vegetable oils? Suggest measures to address these challenges.

Answered by 10 toppers · CSE 2022–2025

Crops and Cropping PatternsSubsidies and MSPAgricultural MarketingFood Security and PDS

Syllabus: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

How toppers approached it

From 9 of the 10 answers · about 170 words · 44% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • A figure78%
  • No separate opening22%

Body

  • Points56%
  • Points and prose44%

Close

  • A summary67%
  • No separate close11%
  • A source11%
  • A way forward11%

The toppers’ answers

Raghav JhunjhunwalaAIR 4 · CSE 2025 · 170 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

India is significantly import dependant upon pulses & cooking oil, which is disturbing our 'Atmanirbharta in Agri'.

Profile Pulses (Import from Canada, Australia, etc) Oil (>60% is imported) (Palm -> S.E. Asia, Sunflower -> Russia-Ukr. etc.)

Body · points

Challenges faced in self-suffic

  1. Wheat-Rice monoculture due to MSP regime (open procurement policy for W-R)

  2. Poor penetration of farm insu. to enable farmers to take risk.

  3. Poor Agri Storage (NITI Aayog: >₹90,000 p.a. food wastage @ storage)

  4. Transportion & Infra challenges

  5. APMC issues which gets reflected in poor price discovery.

  6. Pest Infections & Climate change → Root & shoot borers (pulses)

Measures Required : (Dalwai Committee)

  1. Increase Cap Exp (specially Public sector Invst) in Agri to create more cold storage, etc.

  2. APMC Reforms → uniformity across states, → Break monopoly of Agents, etc.

  3. shift MSP → DBT (NITI Aayog Ramesh Chand)

Close · a way forward

need to create crop blind incentive structure.

Improving Insu. penetration, Agri-Extension services, etc. would go a long way in self sufficiency.

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