Q1. [4] deep exam-ready
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
A farmer in Haryana grows paddy during the kharif season using HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers and canal irrigation. He sells almost the entire produce in the market. His neighbour in a district of Odisha, however, grows the same crop on a small plot using family labour, depends entirely on monsoon rainfall, and consumes most of what he harvests.
(i) Identify the type of farming each farmer is practising and give one reason for your answer. (2 marks)
(ii) What does the contrast between the two farmers reveal about the commercialisation of agriculture in India? (1 mark)
(iii) Suggest one specific government scheme that could help the Odisha farmer reduce his dependence on monsoon and improve his income. (1 mark)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:32 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i)
- Haryana farmer → Commercial Farming. Reason: He uses HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers, canal irrigation, and sells almost the entire produce in the market.
- Odisha farmer → Intensive Subsistence Farming. Reason: He uses family labour on a small plot, depends on monsoon, and consumes most of the harvest himself.
(ii) The contrast reveals that commercialisation of agriculture in India is uneven. Rice is a commercial crop in Haryana but remains a subsistence crop in Odisha, showing regional disparity in agricultural development.
(iii) The government introduced Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme and provision for crop insurance against drought/flood, and established Grameen Banks to provide loans at lower interest rates — any one of these would help the Odisha farmer invest in irrigation and improve income.
Source: Agriculture (Chapter 4), Types of Farming and Technological and Institutional Reforms
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Explanation
- (i) The textbook directly states: "rice is a commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but in Odisha, it is a subsistence crop." Link each farmer's features (HYV seeds + market sale = commercial; monsoon + family labour + self-consumption = subsistence/intensive subsistence).
- (ii) Examiners expect the keyword "uneven/regional disparity" and the textbook example.
- (iii) Name a specific scheme from the passage — KCC, crop insurance, or Grameen Banks. Vague answers like "government should help" score zero.