UPSC Prelims 2019 Question:

With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in the last five years

consider the following statements:

1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
2. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.
   
   

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Explanation:

• According to the annual report (2018-2019) of the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, the area of cultivation of major crops from 2015-2016 to 2017-2018 is given below.
  
  

• The area under cultivation of Rice (~45 million hectares) is the highest. So, statement 1 is correct.
  
  
• The area under the cultivation of Jowar (~18 million hectares) is less than that of Oilseeds (~28 million hectares). So, statement 2 is not correct.
  
  
• The area of Cotton cultivation (~12 million hectares) is more than that of Sugarcane (~5 million hectares). So, statement 3 is correct.
  
• The area under Sugarcane cultivation decreased in 2017-2018 (44.36 lakh hectares) but increased in 2018-2019 (47.32 lakh hectares). So, statement 4 is not correct.
            

Therefore, option (1) is the correct answer.

Subject: Economics | Agriculture and Food Management