Agricultural Diversification and Allied Productive Activities

Diversification includes two aspects -one relates to change in cropping pattern and the other relates to a shift of the workforce from agriculture to other allied activities (livestock, poultry, fisheries etc.) and non-agriculture sector.

As agriculture is already overcrowded, a major proportion of the increasing labour force needs to find alternate employment opportunities in other non-farm sectors. The non-farm economy has several segments in it providing ample opportunities.

Verghese Kurien, the chairman and founder of Amul, was named the chairman of NDDB which launched 'Operation Flood' by the then Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri. 

He gave the professional management skills and necessary thrust to the cooperative and is considered the architect of India's White Revolution (Operation Flood).

The dynamic sub-sectors to the agricultural sector include agro-processing industries, food processing industries, leather industry, tourism, etc.

As agriculture is already overcrowded, a major proportion of the increasing labour force needs to find alternate employment opportunities in other non-farm sectors. Non-farm economy has several segments in it - some possess dynamic linkages that permit healthy growth while others are in subsistence, low productivity propositions.

Those sectors which have the potential but seriously lack infrastructure and other support include traditional home-based industries like pottery, crafts, handlooms etc.

The IT has revolutionised many sectors in the Indian economy. There is broad consensus that IT can play a critical role in achieving sustainable development and food security in the twenty-first century. 

Governments can predict areas of food insecurity and vulnerability using appropriate information and software tools so that action can be taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of an emergency.It also has a positive impact on the agriculture sector as it can disseminateinformation regarding emerging technologies and its applications, prices, weather and soil conditions for growing different crops etc. 

Though IT is, by itself, no catalyst for change it can act as a tool for releasing the creative potential and knowledge embedded in the society. It also has the potential of employment generation in rural areas.

C is the correct option.

The need for diversification arises from the fact that there is greater risk in depending exclusively on farming for a livelihood. Diversification towards new areas is necessary not only to reduce the risk from the agriculture sector but also to provide productive sustainable livelihood options to rural people. 

Much of the agricultural employment activities are concentrated in the Kharif season. But during the Rabi season, in areas where there are inadequate irrigation facilities, it becomes difficult to find gainful employment. Therefore expansion into other sectors is essential to provide supplementary gainful employment and in realising higher levels of income for rural people to overcome poverty and other tribulations.

Also, agriculture is already overcrowded, a major proportion of the increasing labour force needs to find alternate employment opportunities in other non-farm sectors.

The sectors which are allied to the rural farm economy and have the potential but seriously lack infrastructure and other support include traditional home-based industries like pottery, crafts, handlooms etc.

As agriculture is already overcrowded, a major proportion of the increasing labour force needs to find alternate employment opportunities in other non-farm sectors. However, there is an immediate necessity to develop the same to improve them to provide supplementary gainful employment and in realising higher levels of income for rural people to overcome poverty and other tribulations.

Operation Flood, launched in 1970, was a project of India's National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which was the world's biggest dairy development program. 

It transformed India from a milk-deficient nation into the world's largest milk producer, surpassing the USA in 1998, with about 17 per cent of global output in 201011. In 30 years it doubled milk available per person and made dairy farming Indias largest self-sustainable rural employment generator.

It was launched to help farmers direct their own development, placing control of the resources they create in their own hands. All this was achieved not merely by mass production, but by production by the masses; the process has been called the white revolution.

Operation Flood's objectives included:

• Increase milk production ("a flood of milk")
• Augment rural incomes and 
• Fair prices for consumers

"Operation Flood" started the White Revolution in India and made our country self-sufficient in milk and this was achieved entirely through the cooperative structure. 

Though in terms of numbers, our livestock population is quite impressive but its productivity is quite low ascompared to other countries. It requiresimproved technology andpromotion of good breeds of animals to enhance productivity. Improved veterinary care and credit facilities to small and marginal farmers and landless labourers would enhancesustainable livelihood options through livestock production.

Operation Flood was a rural development programme started by India's National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 1970. One of the largest of its kind, the programme objective was to create a nationwide milk grid.

It resulted in making India one of the largest producers of milk and milk products and hence is also called the White Revolution of India. It also helped reduce malpractices by milk traders and merchants.

The percentage of India's population dependent on agriculture has historically been much higher than 40 percent, typically cited around 50 to 60 percent.

Mixed farming is combining two or more independent agricultural activities on the same farm. A typical case of mixed farming is the combination of crop cultivation with dairy farming or in more general terms, crop cultivation with livestock farming.

Mixing has both advantages and disadvantages. For example, farmers in mixed systems have to divide their attention and resources over several activities, thus leading to reduced economies of scale.  Resource-poor farmers going into mixed farming have to apply labour- intensive techniques. Advantages include the possibility of reducing risk, spreading labour and re-utilizing resources.

Advantages of Mixed farming:

• Farmers can keep their fields under continuous production.
• It enhances the productivity of the farmland
• It increases the per capita profitability
• Both farmings compliment each other.
• It enhances the productivity of the farmer also.
• Reduce dependency on external inputs and costs

In India, the period between 1991 to 2003 is termed as Golden Revolution.

Golden revolution is about Honey and Horticulture production. During this period there is a huge production of fruits, vegetables, honey and other horticulture products.

Cooperative farming in India generally failed to achieve its intended objectives due to social resistance, lack of motivation, and poor implementation. It did not gain significant traction among the farming community.

The programme envisages accelerating production of fodder through promotion of integrated technologies and processes for enhancing the availability of fodder throughout the year-a multi-pronged strategy to achieve the stated objectives. 

The phrase describes the transition of India from a food-importing nation dependent on foreign aid (the 'begging bowl') to a self-sufficient nation capable of feeding its population (the 'bread basket') due to the Green Revolution.

Horticulture has emerged as a successful sustainable livelihood option and needs to be encouraged significantly. Enhancing its role requires investment in infrastructures like electricity, coldstorage systems, marketing linkages,small-scale processing units and technology improvement and dissemination.

ANS B - MILK PRODUCTION

Assam is historically and currently the largest tea-producing state in India, benefiting from its favorable climate and topography.

ICAR stands for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which is an autonomous body responsible for coordinating agricultural education and research in India.

The primary sector involves the extraction and harvesting of natural resources. Poultry farming is an agricultural activity, thus falling under the primary sector.

The tertiary sector consists of service-oriented industries. Agriculture belongs to the primary sector, not the tertiary sector.

At the time of independence in 1947, the Indian economy was overwhelmingly agrarian, with approximately 72% of the workforce engaged in the agricultural sector.