Agriculture & Food Processing — UPSC CSE Questions

10 UPSC CSE practice questions on Agriculture & Food Processing, part of Indian Economy. Below are 10 of them in full, each with the answer and a written explanation.

Questions & explanations

1. Which body promotes the export of agricultural and processed food products from India?

  1. (a) FSSAI
  2. (b) APEDA
  3. (c) NABARD
  4. (d) SEBI

Answer: (b) APEDA

APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) promotes and regulates the export of agricultural and processed food products.

2. Operation Greens was originally launched to stabilise the supply and price of which crops?

  1. (a) Wheat, Rice, Maize
  2. (b) Tomato, Onion, Potato (TOP)
  3. (c) Sugarcane, Cotton, Jute
  4. (d) Tea, Coffee, Spices

Answer: (b) Tomato, Onion, Potato (TOP)

Operation Greens initially targeted Tomato, Onion and Potato (the 'TOP' crops) to curb their price volatility, and was later extended to other perishables.

3. The Mega Food Parks scheme primarily aims to:

  1. (a) Provide shared processing and cold-chain infrastructure near farm areas
  2. (b) Distribute free meals in schools
  3. (c) Build highways for food transport only
  4. (d) Set up retail supermarkets in cities

Answer: (a) Provide shared processing and cold-chain infrastructure near farm areas

Mega Food Parks provide common processing, storage and cold-chain infrastructure near farm clusters to reduce wastage and add value close to the source.

4. The PM-FME scheme supports micro food processing enterprises mainly through which approach?

  1. (a) One District One Product (ODOP)
  2. (b) Minimum Support Price
  3. (c) Free distribution of foodgrains
  4. (d) Crop insurance

Answer: (a) One District One Product (ODOP)

The PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME) scheme uses the 'One District One Product' (ODOP) approach to support small units.

5. e-NAM, relevant to the food supply chain, refers to:

  1. (a) A national electronic agricultural market
  2. (b) A food-safety certification
  3. (c) A cold-storage scheme
  4. (d) A crop-insurance portal

Answer: (a) A national electronic agricultural market

e-NAM (electronic National Agriculture Market) is an online trading platform creating a unified national market for agricultural commodities.

6. Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) primarily help farmers by:

  1. (a) Replacing the Minimum Support Price
  2. (b) Aggregating produce to get better prices and direct links to processors
  3. (c) Providing free electricity
  4. (d) Issuing ration cards

Answer: (b) Aggregating produce to get better prices and direct links to processors

FPOs are farmer collectives that pool produce, secure better prices, access credit and link directly to processors, reducing intermediaries.

7. The umbrella scheme for food processing infrastructure, including Mega Food Parks and cold chains, is:

  1. (a) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)
  2. (b) PM-KISAN
  3. (c) PM Fasal Bima Yojana
  4. (d) PM Awas Yojana

Answer: (a) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) is the umbrella scheme funding Mega Food Parks, cold chains and agro-processing clusters.

8. The most important factor in deciding the location of a food processing unit handling perishables is generally:

  1. (a) Availability of cheap land
  2. (b) Nearness to the raw material source
  3. (c) Proximity to an airport
  4. (d) Low electricity tariff

Answer: (b) Nearness to the raw material source

Because farm produce is perishable, bulky and weight-losing, nearness to the raw material source is the dominant location factor.

9. FSSAI, the apex food-safety regulator, was established under which Act?

  1. (a) Essential Commodities Act 1955
  2. (b) Food Safety and Standards Act 2006
  3. (c) Consumer Protection Act 1986
  4. (d) Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954

Answer: (b) Food Safety and Standards Act 2006

FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 to set science-based food standards and regulate food safety.

10. The nodal central ministry for the food processing sector in India is the:

  1. (a) Ministry of Agriculture
  2. (b) Ministry of Food Processing Industries
  3. (c) Ministry of Commerce
  4. (d) Ministry of Consumer Affairs

Answer: (b) Ministry of Food Processing Industries

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), established in 1988, is the nodal ministry for the food processing sector.

More Indian Economy topics

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