Multiple choice

The passage refers to a paradigm shift. It refers to

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Agriculture occupies a pivotal position for ensuring livelihood, food and nutritional security, sustainable development and eradication of poverty in India. It is the prime sector for generating employment opportunities for majority of the population of any country. 
The contribution of agriculture sector to the national gross domestic product (GDP) has been continuously declining over the years, while other sectors, especially the service sector, are showing an increasing trend. In 1970-71 agriculture sector contributed about 44 per cent of GDP, which declined substantially to 13.5 per cent in 2010-11 (at 2004-05).
During the last decade, there was a paradigm shift in the patterns of production, consumption, and trade in Indian agriculture through the use of new technologies. The shift in production and consumption from food-grains to high-value agricultural commodities such as fruits and vegetables, milk and milk products, meat, eggs, fish etc. took place in a big way. Now there is a declining share of traditional crops/commodities in production, consumption and trade in India. Agriculture, horticulture and other non-traditional high-value, agricultural crops occupy an important place in income growth in rural areas.
Despite being one of the largest producers of many agricultural commodities such as fruits, vegetables, milk and livestock etc. in the world, the extent of value addition to raw food material in India is only 8% while it is 23%, 45% and 188% in China, Philippines and UK respectively. Furthermore, only 2.2% of total fruits and vegetables is processed in India as compared to 30% in Thailand, 80% in Malaysia and 70% in UK.
It is pertinent to mention here that total annual loss during the post harvest operations under agriculture produce is approximately Rs. 88000 crore. This trend can be reversed by properly financing to secondary agriculture, which can lead to 2-3 times value addition to primary agriculture products. Most of the primary agriculture produce requires processing before being finally consumed and the value addition/processing of the farm production to transform it into consumable item which is called secondary agriculture. It includes processing and value addition in all food and non-food products for human, animal and industrial use.

  1. the declining interest in production of traditional crops

  2. horticulture and non-traditional high-value crops

  3. the use of new technologies in production, consumption and trade

  4. the value addition to agriculture products for better economic returns

  5. the new awareness about limitations of the traditional methods of farming

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

It is the use of new technologies in production, consumption and trade, which is referred to as paradigm shift. Hence, this option is correct.