Q. In some places in the world, the productivity of staples such as rice and wheat has reached a plateau.
Neither new strains nor fancy agrochemicals are raising the yields. Nor is there much unfarmed land left that is suitable to be brought under the plough. If global temperature continues to rise, some places will become unsuitable for farming. Application of technology can help overcome these problems. Agricultural technology is changing fast. Much of this change is brought about by affluent farmers in the West/Americas. Techniques developed in the West are being adapted in some places to make tropical crops more productive. Technology is of little use if it is not adapted. In the developing world, that applies as much to existing farming techniques as it does to the latest advances in genetic modification. Extending to the smallholders and subsistence farmers of Africa and Asia the best of today’s agricultural practices, in such simple matters as how much fertilizers to apply and when, would lead to a greatly increased availability of food for humanity. So would things like better roads and storage facilities, to allow for the carriage of surpluses to markets and reduce wastage.
Q. 1. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Development of agricultural technology is confined to developed countries.
2. Agricultural technology is not adapted in developing countries.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Q. 2. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Poor countries need to bring about change in their existing fanning techniques.
2. Developed countries have better infrastructure and they waste less food.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Q. 3. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Growing enough food for future generations will be a challenge.
2. Corporate farming is a viable option for food security in poor countries.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Question from UPSC Prelims 2022 CSAT Paper
Explanation :
Q1: Correct Answer – d. Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation – Based on the passage, the correct answer would be d. Neither 1 nor 2. The passage states that much of the change in agricultural technology is brought about by affluent farmers in the West/Americas and that techniques developed in the West are being adapted to make tropical crops more productive. This means that development of agricultural technology is not confined to developed countries (invalidating assumption 1). The passage also mentions that extending the best of today’s agricultural practices to smallholders and subsistence farmers in Africa and Asia would lead to a greatly increased availability of food for humanity. This implies that agricultural technology is being adapted in developing countries (invalidating assumption 2).
Q2: Correct Answer – a. 1 only
Explanation – Based on the passage, the correct answer would be a. 1 only. The passage states that extending the best of today’s agricultural practices to smallholders and subsistence farmers in Africa and Asia would lead to a greatly increased availability of food for humanity. This implies that there is a need for change in existing farming techniques in developing countries (validating assumption 1). However, the passage does not provide any information about whether developed countries have better infrastructure and waste less food (invalidating assumption 2).
Q3: Correct Answer – a. 1 only
Explanation – Based on the passage, the first assumption that “Growing enough food for future generations will be a challenge” is valid. The passage mentions that productivity of staples such as rice and wheat has reached a plateau and that there is little unfarmed land left suitable for farming. It also mentions the potential negative impact of rising global temperatures on farming.
However, the second assumption that “Corporate farming is a viable option for food security in poor countries” is not explicitly mentioned or supported in the passage. The passage does mention that technology developed in the West is being adapted to make tropical crops more productive and that extending best agricultural practices to smallholders and subsistence farmers would lead to increased availability of food. But it does not specifically mention corporate farming as a solution.
So based on this information, only assumption 1 is valid. The correct answer would be (a) 1 only.
