QA Series 2025 - S No 46 - Agriculture Part 2

 

The Banking Tutor

Question Answer Series 2025

S No 46                                                                  25-08-2025

Agriculture Credit – Part 2 

31. What is the Agriculture Year in India ? 

The agricultural crop year in India is from July to June. 

32. What are Kharif Crops ? 

Kharif Crops are grown in the monsoon season as they require a lot of water and hot weather for proper growth. The seeds are sown at the beginning of the monsoon season and harvested later at the end of the season.  Examples include maize, cotton, millets, etc. Time Period - Sown: June-July   and   Harvested: September-October. 

33. What are Rabi Crops ? 

Rabi crops are grown in the winter season.  The word rabi means spring (season). Examples include mustard, gram, and wheat. Time Period - Sown: October-December  and Harvested: April-June. 

34. What are Zaid Crops ? 

Some crops' ideal conditions are different from different crops and require a warm climate for the germination and maturation of seeds but require a cold climate for growth. Sown and harvested: March-July (between Rabi and Kharif). These crops are grown between Kharif and Rabi seasons and are called Zaid Crops. Examples - Watermelon, bitter gourd, pumpkin, and cucumber. 

35. What are Cash Crops ? 

The crops which are cultivated to be sold in the market to earn money are called cash crops. These crops are sold in national and international markets. Examples of cash crops are coffee, cotton, sugarcane, cocoa, etc. 

36, What are Food Crops ? 

The crops that are grown for consumption by the human population are called food crops. There are a variety of food crops grown in our country. 

37. What is a Staple Food ? 

A Staple Food is a food that makes up the dominant part of a population's diet. 

38. What is Drip Irrigation ?     

In drip irrigation, water is applied near the plant root through emitters or drippers, on or below the soil surface, at a low rate .  The soil moisture is kept at an optimum level with frequent irrigations. 

39. What is  Sprinkler Irrigation ? 

In this method, water is sprayed into the air and allowed to fall on the ground surface somewhat resembling rainfall. The spray is developed by the flow of water under pressure through small orifices or nozzles. The sprinkler irrigation system is a very suitable method for irrigation on uneven lands and on shallow soils.

40. What is Precision Agriculture ? 

Precision agriculture (PA) is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter- and intra-field variability in crops. PA is also sometimes referred to as precision farming, satellite agriculture, as-needed farming and site-specific crop management (SSCM). 

41. What is Conservation Agriculture (CA) ? 

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a set of soil management practices that minimize the disruption of the soil's structure, composition and natural biodiversity. 

42. What is Agroecology? 

Agroecology is a holistic and integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agriculture and food systems. 

43. What is Integrated Farming System? 

The Integrated Farming System (IFS) is a combined approach aimed at efficient sustainable resource management for increased productivity in the cropping system. The IFS approach has multiple objectives of sustainability, food security, farmer’s security and poverty reduction by involving livestock, vermicomposting, organic farming etc. 

44. What is Agricultural Produce Market Committee ? 

Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is a mechanism that operates under the State Government.

45. What is National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) ? 

National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing e-NAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.

46. What is the difference between Co-operative farming vs. Collective farming ? 

Co-operative farming is initiated by a group of farmers whereas Collective farming is initiated by the government. 

In co-operative farming farmers pool in their resources, except land, voluntarily whereas in collective farming farmers poll in all resources including land. 

47. What is Organic Farming ? 

Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming, is an agricultural system that uses fertilizers of organic origin such as compost manure, green manure, and bone meal and places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting. 

48. What is Inorganic Farming ? 

Inorganic farming is an agriculture production method which involves the use of manmade products such as pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, hormones and other chemical which are used to increase the rate of growth of crops. 

49. What is Chemical farming ? 

Chemical farming, also known as Intensive farming is the process of growing plants and produce using low crop rotation ratio, high use of labour and extensive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. 

50. What is Conventional farming ? 

Conventional farming is the use of seeds that have been genetically altered using a variety of traditional breeding methods, excluding biotechnology, and are not certified as organic. 

51. What is Non-conventional farming? 

Non- conventional farming refers to methodologies which use different approaches, from hydroponics to vertical agriculture and urban farming, agroecology, permaculture, and organic production, among others. 

52. What is Sustainable farming ? 

Sustainable farming is a broad, umbrella term for growing food using methods that will also nurture society, the environment, and the economy. 

53. What is Carbon-neutral farming ? 

Carbon-neutral farming is practicing a scientifically proven methodology that arrests carbon emissions without affecting agricultural output. 

54. What is Contract farming ? 

Contract farming involves production by farmers under agreement with buyers for their outputs.

55. What is Minimum Supporting Price (MSP) ? 

Minimum Supporting Price (MSP) is the rate at which the government purchases crops from farmers, and is based on a calculation of at least one-and-a-half times the cost of production incurred by the farmers. 

56. What is Green Box Subsidy? 

Green Box Subsidy refers to the subsidies that contain fixed payments to producers for environmental programs, so long as the payments are “decoupled” from current production levels.  Green Box is domestic support measures that doesn't cause trade distortion or at most causes minimal distortion.  The Green box subsidies are government funded without any price support to crops. 

57. What is Blue Box Subsidy? 

Blue Box Subsidy refers to a category of domestic support or subsidies under the WTO's Agreement on Agriculture. Blue box supports are subsidies that are tied to programmes that limit production by imposing production quotas or encouraging farmers to set aside land for other purposes. 

58. What is Amber Box Subsidy ? 

Amber Box Subsidy refers to those subsidies that can distort international trade by making products of a particular country cheaper in comparison to other countries products. Examples of amber subsidies include, electricity, seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, minimum support prices etc.

59. What are Red-Light Subsidies ? 

Subsidies that are prohibited outright are called  “Red-Light Subsidies”

60. What are Yello-light Subsidies ? 

Subsidies that are not prohibited but which may be subject to countervailing measures are called “Yellow-Light Subsidies” 

61. What are Green-Light Subsidies ? 

Subsidies that are neither prohibited nor subject to countervailing measures are called “Green-Light Subsidies”.

                                                                                                          Sekhar Pariti

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