QUESTION 14
GS3
15 marks
Elucidate the importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing agricultural prices in India. What are the challenges associated with the storage of buffer stock? Discuss.
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Explain how buffer stocks keep farm and consumer prices stable, and discuss the problems of storing them.
ElucidateExplain the statement clearly and bring out its meaning with examples.
Demand-wise check
- 1Role: MSP procurement gives a price floor to farmers; Open Market Sale Scheme releases grain to cool prices; supplies NFSA/PMGKAY; emergency reserve; Price Stabilisation Fund buffers for onion and pulses≈65 words
- 2Storage challenges: stocks often far above buffer norms, shortage of covered storage and use of open CAP storage, losses to rain and pests, high carrying cost (economic cost of FCI), regional mismatch (stocks in Punjab, demand elsewhere), onion perishability≈65 words
- 3Measures: steel silos under PPP, decentralised procurement, warehouse receipts (WDRA), irradiation and cold storage for onions, world's largest grain storage plan in cooperatives (2023)≈65 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Price stabilisation roleEvidence (OMSS, PSF)Storage challengesMeasuresConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Explaining only the role and skipping storage challenges
- No example of a buffer being used to control prices
Draw this
- Flow chart: procurement → storage → OMSS / PDS release → price effect
Value addition
- ExampleFCI sold wheat under OMSS in 2023–24 to cool wheat and atta prices.Food Corporation of India / Department of Food and Public Distribution
- SchemeThe 'world's largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector' (2023) aims to build storage at PACS level.Ministry of Cooperation
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aniket Ranjan · AIR 48 · Page 17 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 44 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Mayank Purohit · AIR 33 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aniket Ranjan · AIR 48 · Page 44 ↗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.