Insta PT 2021 Exclusive Part-2: Agriculture
Insta PT 2021 Exclusive Part-2: Agriculture
Insta PT 2021 Exclusive Part-2: Agriculture
EXCLUSIVE PART-2
AGRICULTURE
APRIL 2021 – JUNE 2021
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
Table of Contents
Government Schemes/ Programmes ........................................................... 2
1. BEED MODEL OF CROP INSURANCE ............................................................................... 2
2. MISSION FOR INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF HORTICULTURE (MIDH) ...................... 3
3. LARGE AREA CERTIFICATION SCHEME ........................................................................... 3
4. PRODUCTION LINKED INCENTIVE SCHEME FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY
(PLISFPI). ................................................................................................................................ 4
5. AGRICULTURAL MARKETS AND FARMER FRIENDLY REFORMS INDEX ........................... 4
Miscellaneous ........................................................................................... 11
1. KADAKHNATH ............................................................................................................... 11
2. LUMPY SKIN DISEASE .................................................................................................... 11
3. WORLD BEE DAY ........................................................................................................... 11
4. MILITARY FARMS .......................................................................................................... 12
5. PRACTICES CAN REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM AGRICULTURE ........................................ 12
www.insightsonindia.com 1 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
Government Schemes/ Programmes
1. Beed model of crop insurance
Maharashtra government has asked for state-wide implementation of the ‘Beed model’ of the
crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yogna (PMFBY).
The solution:
To attract the insurance companies, the state Agriculture Department decided to tweak the
PMFBY guidelines for the district.
Under the new guidelines, the insurance company provided a cover of 110% of the premium
collected, with caveats.
1. If the compensation exceeded the cover provided, the state government would pay the
bridge amount.
2. If the compensation was less than the premium collected, the insurance company would
keep 20% of the amount as handling charges and reimburse the rest to the state
government.
About PMFBY:
● Launched in 2016, the flagship PMFBY insures farm losses against inclement weather events.
● Farmers pay 1.5-2% of the premium with the rest borne by the state and central
governments.
● It is a central scheme implemented by state agriculture departments as per central
guidelines.
www.insightsonindia.com 2 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
Penalising the Pendency: In the revamped PMFBY, a provision has been incorporated wherein if
states don’t release their share before March 31 for the Kharif season and September 30 for rabi,
they would not be allowed to participate in the scheme in subsequent seasons.
Investing in ICE Activities: Insurance companies have to now spend 0.5% of the total premium
collected on information, education and communication (IEC) activities.
Sub Schemes:
1. National Horticulture Mission (NHM).
2. Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH).
3. National Bamboo Mission (NBM).
4. National Horticulture Board (NHB).
5. Coconut Development Board (CDB).
6. Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH).
Benefits of LAC:
1. As per the established norm of organic production systems, the areas having chemical input
usage history are required to undergo a transition period of minimum 2-3 years to qualify as
organic.
2. During this period, farmers need to adopt standard organic agriculture practices and keep
their farms under the certification process.
www.insightsonindia.com 3 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
3. On successful completion, such farms can be certified as organic after 2-3 years. The
certification process also requires elaborate documentation and time to time verification by
the certification authorities.
4. Whereas under LAC requirements are simple and the area can be certified almost
immediately.
Scheme Objectives:
• Support creation of global food manufacturing champions;
• Strengthen select Indian brand of food products for global visibility and wider acceptance in
the international markets;
• Increase employment opportunities of off-farm jobs,
• Ensuring remunerative prices of farm produce and higher income to farmers.
Salient features:
• The first component relates to incentivising manufacturing of four major food product
segments viz. Ready to Cook/ Ready to Eat (RTC/ RTE) foods including Millets based products,
Processed Fruits & Vegetables, Marine Products, Mozzarella Cheese.
• Innovative/ Organic products of SMEs including Free Range - Eggs, Poultry Meat, Egg Products
in these segments are also covered under first component.
• The second component relates to support for branding and marketing abroad to incentivise
emergence of strong Indian brands.
• Scheme will be implemented over a six year period from 2021-22 to 2026-27.
www.insightsonindia.com 4 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
www.insightsonindia.com 5 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
Major crops, cropping patterns in various parts of the country
1. GI certified mangoes
Sixteen varieties of mangoes including
three GI certified varieties were exported
to Bahrain from West Bengal & Bihar.
● These include GI certified Khirsapati &
Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal),
Zardalu (Bihar).
4. Shahi litchi
Shahi Litchi from Bihar was recently exported to United Kingdom by air
route.
● Shahi litchi was the fourth agricultural products to get GI certification
from Bihar in 2018, after Jardalu mango, Katarni rice and Magahi paan.
● GI registration for Shahi Litchi is held with the Muzaffarpur-based Litchi
Growers Association of Bihar.
● India is the second largest producer of litchi (Litchi chin) in the world, after China.
● The translucent, flavoured aril or edible flesh of the litchi is popular as a table fruit in India,
while in China and Japan it is preferred in dried or canned form.
● Bihar tops in terms of production of litchi in the country.
www.insightsonindia.com 6 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
● With additional copies of the gene MnSOD (manganese-containing superoxide dismutase)
inserted in it, the GM rubber is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter,
which is a major factor affecting the growth of rubber saplings.
● MnSOD gene used in the GM rubber was taken from the rubber plant itself.
6. Opium Cultivation
The Union government has decided to rope in the private sector to commence production of
concentrated poppy straw from India’s opium crop to boost the yield of alkaloids.
● Alkaloids are used for medical purposes and exported to several countries.
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferous) plant is the source of opium gum which contains several
indispensable alkaloids such as morphine, codeine and thebaine. Morphine is the best analgesic
in the world. In case of extreme and excruciating pain such as that of terminally ill cancer patients,
nothing alleviates the suffering except morphine. Codeine is commonly used in manufacture of
cough syrups.
Cultivation of opium:
Only a few countries are permitted to cultivate the opium poppy crop for export and extraction of
alkaloids.
India currently only extracts alkaloids from opium gum at facilities controlled by the Revenue
Department in the Finance Ministry. This entails farmers extracting gum by manually lancing the
opium pods and selling the gum to government factories.
Background:
India’s opium crop acreage has been steadily declining over the years and using the CPS extraction
method is expected to help cut the occasional dependence on imports of products like codeine
(extracted from opium) for medicinal uses.
7. MACS 1407
● It is a high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean developed by
Indian Scientists.
● It is suitable for cultivation in the states of Assam, West Bengal,
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and North-Eastern states.
● The new variety has been developed by scientists from MACS – Agharkar
Research Institute (ARI), Pune.
● The variety was developed using the conventional cross breeding
technique.
● Its thick stem, higher pod insertion (7 cm) from ground, and resistance to pod shattering
make it suitable even for mechanical harvesting.
● It is suitable for rain-fed conditions of north-east India.
www.insightsonindia.com 7 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP):
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced this new national initiative on palm oil production
to help increase farm incomes.
• The scheme involves investment of over Rs 11,000 crore.
Palm oil:
• Palm oil is currently the world’s most consumed vegetable oil.
• It is used extensively in the production of detergents, plastics, cosmetics, and biofuels.
• Top consumers of the commodity are India, China, and the European Union (EU).
9. Basmati rice
• India, the world’s largest exporter of
basmati rice, has applied to the European
Union for protected geographical
indication (PGI) status of basmati rice.
Pakistan has opposed this move.
• In India, historically, the long-grained,
aromatic rice has been cultivated in Indo-
Gangetic plains at the foothills of the
Himalayas.
• In modern India, this region is spread over
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and
Jammu and Kashmir.
• Basmati has also been grown for centuries in the Kalar tract, which lies between the Ravi and
Chenab rivers in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
www.insightsonindia.com 8 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
• Though basmati rice is grown in many parts of India, China is the largest rice producer in
APEDA got the GI tag for seven states located in the the world followed by India.
Indo-Gangetic plains, including Himachal Pradesh,
Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, outskirts of Delhi, India is the largest exporter of rice
western Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Jammu and in the world.
Kashmir.
www.insightsonindia.com 9 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
Recent Developments / Technologies
1. Nano urea liquid
• Nano urea liquid is a patented technology of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO)
developed at its Nano Biotechnology Research Center, Gujarat.
• IFFCO has priced nano urea liquid at ₹240 per bottle, which is 10 per cent cheaper than the
cost of a bag of conventional urea.
• Nano urea liquid is environmental friendly, smart fertilizer with high nutrient use efficiency
and a sustainable solution for curtailing pollution and reduction in global warming in the long
run as it reduces the emissions of nitrous oxide into soil, air and water bodies.
• The size of one nano urea particle is 30 nanometre and when compare to the conventional
urea it has about 10,000 times more surface area to volume size when compare to granular
urea.
• Due to the ultra-small size and surface properties of nano urea, it gets absorbed by the plants
when sprayed on their leaves. Upon penetration, these
nanoparticles reach plant parts where nitrogen is It may be noted that urea forms 82
required and release nutrients in a controlled manner. per cent of the total nitrogenous
fertilisers consumed in India and it
• IFFCO said nano urea requirement will be lower than
has recorded exponential increase
conventional urea fertiliser to fulfil plant's nitrogen
in consumption over the years.
requirement.
• The efficacy trials demonstrated that nano urea
Around 30-50 per cent of nitrogen
increases crop productivity and can reduce the
from urea is utilised by plants and
requirement of conventional Urea by 50 per cent.
the rest gets wasted due to quick
• Further, application of nano urea (liquid) improves
chemical transformation as a result
yield, biomass, soil health and nutritional quality of
of leaching, volatilization and run
the produce.
off, thereby low use efficiency.
• Nano Urea liquid is completely safe for human,
animals, birds, rhizosphere organisms and
environment at the recommended levels of application.
Departments / Organisations
1. National Dairy Development Board
• The National Dairy Development Board is an institution of national importance set up by an
Act of Parliament of India.
• The Board was created to finance, support and support producer-owned and controlled
organisations.
• Its programmes and activities seek to strengthen farmer cooperatives and support national
policies that are favourable to the growth of such institutions.
• Cooperative principles and cooperative strategies are fundamental to the board's efforts.
• The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) now organises farmer’s orientation
programmes across the country, under which women farmers are trained in scientific best
practices on animal health, fodder quality, clean milk production, and accounts
management.
www.insightsonindia.com 10 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
Miscellaneous
1. Kadakhnath
● Kadaknath or Kali Masi is a breed of chicken originating from the Jhabua
and Dhar districts of western Madhya Pradesh.
● It received GI tag in 2017.
● It is popular for its black meat which is famous for its meat quality, texture,
taste, and excellent medicinal values.
● It is also famous for its low cholesterol and high protein content.
● Lumpy Skin Disease is a viral illness that causes prolonged morbidity in cattle and buffaloes.
● Caused by the poxvirus Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV).
Symptoms:
● It appears as nodules of two to five centimetre diameter all over the body, particularly around
the head, neck, limbs, udder (mammary gland of female cattle) and genitals. The lumps
gradually open up like large and deep wounds.
Spread:
● It spreads through mosquitoes, flies and ticks and also through saliva and contaminated water
and food.
Affected Countries:
● LSD is endemic to Africa and parts of West Asia, where it was first discovered in 1929.
● In Southeast Asia the first case of LSD was reported in Bangladesh in July 2019.
● In India it was first reported from Mayurbhanj, Odisha in August 2019.
Treatment:
There is no treatment for the virus, so prevention by vaccination is the most effective means of
control.
Concerns:
● In India, which has the world’s highest 303 million heads of cattle, the disease has spread to
15 states within just 16 months.
● This might have a devastating impact on the country, where most dairy farmers are either
landless or marginal landholders and milk is among the cheapest protein sources.
www.insightsonindia.com 11 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
● The National Bee Board has created four modules to impart training as part of the National
Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) and 30 lakh farmers have been trained in
beekeeping. They are also being financially supported by the Government.
● The Government has launched ‘Honey Mission’ as part of ‘Sweet Revolution’.
● India is among the world’s top five honey producers.
● Compared to 2005-06 honey production has risen by 242% and exports shot by 265%.
Significance of Beekeeping:
● As per Food and Agricultural Organization database, in 2017-18, India ranked eighth in the
world in terms of honey production (64.9 thousand tonnes) while China stood first with a
production level of 551 thousand tonnes.
● Further, beekeeping can be an important contributor in achieving the 2022 target of doubling
farmer incomes.
4. Military farms
Military farms have been closed after 132 years of service. The formal closing ceremony was held
recently.
What are military farms?
● The farms were set up with the sole requirement of supplying hygienic cow milk to troops
in garrisons across British India. The first military farm was raised on February 1, 1889, at
Allahabad.
● Post-Independence, they flourished with 30,000 heads of cattle in 130 farms all over
India. They were even established in Leh and Kargil in the late 1990s.
● For more than a century, the farms supplied 3.5 crore litres of milk and 25,000 tonnes of
hay yearly.
Suggestions for closure:
● In 2012, the Quarter Master General branch had recommended their closure.
● In December 2016, the Lt. Gen. D.B. Shekatkar (retd.) committee, which was appointed to
recommend measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure
of the armed forces.
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is a water-saving technology that farmers can apply
to reduce their irrigation water consumption in rice fields without decreasing its yield.
In AWD, irrigation water is applied a few days after the disappearance of the ponded water.
www.insightsonindia.com 12 InsightsIAS
INSTA PT 2021 EXCLUSIVE PART-2 (AGRICULTURE)
NOTES
Hence, the field gets alternately flooded and non-flooded. The number of days of non-flooded
soil between irrigations can vary from 1 to more than 10 days depending on the number of
factors such as soil type, weather, and crop growth stage.
www.insightsonindia.com 13 InsightsIAS