Indian Economy
Agriculture and Food Security
GS Paper III
Agriculture and Food Security — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of MSP crops and cost concepts, CACP, FCI, PDS milestones, NFSA 2013 entitlements, WTO boxes and land-reform facts.
SyllabusGS III · Major crops, cropping patterns, irrigation, farm subsidies, MSP, PDS, buffer stocks and food security, food processing, land reforms
A last-week revision sheet for agriculture and food security. Most Prelims questions here test a number, a unit or a body’s status.
Price Support
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| CACP | Set up 1965 (Agricultural Prices Commission), renamed 1985; attached office of the agriculture ministry |
| Decision | Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs |
| MSP crops | 22: 14 kharif, 6 rabi, 2 commercial (jute, copra) |
| Sugarcane | FRP under the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966; States may add SAP |
| Cost policy | Union Budget 2018-19: MSP at least 1.5 × cost of production (A2 + FL) |
| Swaminathan Commission | National Commission on Farmers, 2004–06; MSP 50% above cost (read as C2) |
| PM-AASHA (2018) | Price Support Scheme + Price Deficiency Payment Scheme |
Cost Concepts
| Concept | Includes |
|---|---|
| A2 | Paid-out costs, including rent on leased-in land |
| A2 + FL | A2 + imputed family labour |
| C2 | A2 + FL + imputed rent on owned land + interest on owned capital |
Procurement and Distribution Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1965 | FCI set up (Food Corporations Act, 1964); CACP set up |
| 1992 | Revamped PDS |
| 1997 | Targeted PDS (June); Decentralised Procurement (1997-98) |
| 2000 | Antyodaya Anna Yojana (December) |
| 2013 | National Food Security Act; WTO peace clause at Bali (December) |
| 2015 | Shanta Kumar Committee report on restructuring FCI |
| 2019 | One Nation One Ration Card launched |
| 2023 | Free foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries from January |
NFSA 2013 in One Table
| Feature | Provision |
|---|---|
| Coverage | Up to 75% rural, 50% urban |
| Priority household | 5 kg per person per month |
| AAY household | 35 kg per household per month |
| Issue price (as enacted) | ₹3 rice, ₹2 wheat, ₹1 coarse grains per kg |
| Maternity benefit | Not less than ₹6,000 |
| Head of household | Eldest woman, 18 years or above |
| Grievances | District Grievance Redressal Officer, State Food Commission |
WTO Boxes
| Box | Nature | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Amber | Trade-distorting | De minimis 10% (developing), 5% (developed) |
| Blue | Production-limiting | No limit |
| Green | Minimal distortion | No limit |
Land Reforms
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Subject | State List, Entry 18 |
| Ninth Schedule | First Amendment, 1951 |
| Operation Barga | West Bengal, 1978 |
| Bhoodan | Vinoba Bhave, April 1951, Pochampalli |
| Acquisition law | 2013 Act replaced the 1894 Act; 80% / 70% consent |
High-yield facts
- CACP recommends; CCEA decides; MSP has no statutory backing.
- C2 is the only cost concept that includes owned land rent and owned capital interest.
- NFSA: 5 kg per person, 35 kg per AAY household.
- Shanta Kumar Committee (2015): about 6% of farm households sell to procurement agencies; suggested NFSA coverage of about 40%.
- Peace clause: Bali Ministerial, December 2013.
Traps
- Sugarcane has an FRP, not an MSP.
- Decentralised procurement means States procure and distribute — not that FCI is abolished.
- Consolidation of holdings is not redistribution.
Related Topics
- MSP, PDS and Food Security
- Land Reforms in India
- Agriculture and Food Security — practice questions
- All quick revision sheets
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