Which of the following statements about Indian agriculture after liberalisation are correct?
(A) After decades of state support and protected markets, Indian farmers have been exposed to competition from the global market.
(B) Contract farming caters primarily to the production of items of mass consumption.
(C) Contract farming usually requires high doses of fertilisers and pesticides.
(D) Contract farming makes the indigenous knowledge of farmers more relevant.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A and C only
(A) After decades of state support and protected markets, Indian farmers have been exposed to competition from the global market. — Correct. Under liberalisation and WTO rules, Indian markets were opened to imports. Farmers who had long enjoyed state support now face competition from the global market.
(B) Contract farming caters primarily to the production of items of mass consumption. — Incorrect. Contract farming caters primarily to elite items such as cut flowers, grapes, figs and gherkins. These are specialised products grown for processing or export.
(C) Contract farming usually requires high doses of fertilisers and pesticides. — Correct. Contract farming usually requires high doses of fertilisers and pesticides. For this reason it is often not ecologically sustainable.
(D) Contract farming makes the indigenous knowledge of farmers more relevant. — Incorrect. The feature is reversed. Contract farming disengages many farmers from the production process and makes their indigenous knowledge of agriculture irrelevant.
NCERT (2026-27): “4.6 Globalisation, Liberalisation, and Rural Society “… Contract farming is very common now in the production of specialised items such as cut flowers, fruits such as grapes, figs and pomegranates, cotton and oilseeds. While contract farming appears to provide financial security to farmers, it can also lead to greater insecurity as farmers become dependent on these companies for their livelihoods. Contract farming of export-oriented products such as flowers and gherkins also means that agricultural land is diverted away from food grain production. Contract farming has sociological significance in that it disengages many people from the production process and makes their own indigenous knowledge of agriculture irrelevant. In addition, contract farming caters primarily to the production of elite items, and because it usually requires high doses of fertilisers and pesticides, it is often not ecologically sustainable.” |