UPSC Prelims 2018 Question:

Consider the following:

1. Areca nut
2. Barley
3. Coffee
4. Finger millet
5. Groundnut
6. Sesamum
7. Turmeric
   
   

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has announced the Minimum Support Price for which of the above?

Explanation:

• Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. It is mandated to recommend Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) to incentivize the cultivators to adopt modern technology, and raise productivity. It submits its recommendations to the government in the form of Price Policy Reports every year, separately for five groups of commodities namely Kharif crops, Rabi crops, Sugarcane, Raw Jute and Copra.
  
  
• As of now, CACP recommends MSPs of 23 commodities:
  • 7 cereals: Paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and finger millet (ragi). So, points 2 and 4 are correct.
  • 5 pulses: Gram, tur, moong, urad, lentil
  • 7 oilseeds: Groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, sesamum, sunflower, safflower and nigerseed. So, points 5 and 6 are correct.
  • 4 commercial crops: Copra, sugarcane, cotton and raw jute
    
    
• MSP is not announced for areca nut, coffee and turmeric. So, points 1, 3 and 7 are not correct.
  
  

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.

Subject: Economics | Agriculture and Food Management