QUESTION 13
GS3
15 marks
Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Assess NHM's impact on horticulture output, productivity and farm income.
AssessWeigh the evidence and say how far the claim holds.
Demand-wise check
- 1NHM: launched 2005-06, area-based cluster approach; now under MIDH (2014-15)≈50 words
- 2Production and productivity: planting material, nurseries, protected cultivation, micro-irrigation; horticulture output overtook foodgrains≈50 words
- 3Income: higher value crops, post-harvest infrastructure, cold storage, FPOs≈50 words
- 4Shortfalls: post-harvest losses, price volatility (tomato, onion, potato), weak market links, uneven spread across states≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
NHM featuresGains in production and productivityIncome impactLimitsMeasuresConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Equating higher production with higher income
- No data on output or losses
Draw this
- Bar chart: horticulture vs foodgrain production since 2012-13
Value addition
- DataHorticulture production has exceeded foodgrain production every year since 2012-13.Ministry of Agriculture
- DataICAR-CIPHET (2015) estimated post-harvest losses of about 6.7–15.9% in fruits and 4.6–12.4% in vegetables.ICAR-CIPHET, 2015
- SchemeOperation Greens (Budget 2018-19) targeted price stability for tomato, onion and potato.Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aniket Ranjan · AIR 48 · Page 29 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 9 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 11 minutes, then get it checked.