Agriculture & Livestock of World – Old Year Questions

• According to the Food and Agriculture Organizations report for 2020 –
• Wheat –
  • China – 134.25 million tonnes
  • India – 107.59 million tonnes
  • Russia – 85.89 million tonnes
  • USA – 49.69 million tonnes
• Rice –
  • China – 213.61 million tonnes
  • India – 178.30 million tonnes
  • Bangladesh – 54.90 million tonnes
  • Indonesia – 54.64 million tonnes

• India produces a lot of rice and is the second largest producer in the world, with China being the biggest.

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that India is the biggest exporter of milled rice in the world in terms of both amount and value up until the year 2013-20.
• The figures of 2014 are not available yet, so option (b) is the correct answer.

• As per the FAO, 2020 data the given countries are under rice cultivation are as follows –

     (Country)                 Area (in hectares)

• • • China                        30341784
    • India                         45000000
    • Japan                        1462000
    • Philippines              4718896
• India has the most land used for growing rice, according to the data.

• When this question was asked, option (b) was the right order of wheat producing nations.
• However, according to the FAO data from 2020, Russia is in third place and the US is in fourth after India and China.
• So, currently, option (a) is the correct answer.

• China is the top grower of wheat in the world.
• In the 2022/2023 marketing year, China grew 137 million metric tons of wheat.
• The European Union followed with 134 million metric tons.

• When asked, China had the most productive Rice production, according to FAO-2020 data.
• Australia had the highest Rice production per hectare at 100312 hg, followed by Tajikistan with 88805 hg/ha.
• China had 70402 hg/ha, India had 39623 hg/ha and Japan had 68268 hg/ha.

• In China, hybrid rice is grown in the largest amount on more than half of the land dedicated to growing rice.

• The Rice Gene Bank is located at the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos, Philippines.

• The commission thought option (c) was right.
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2020, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan are the top countries that export the best and most valuable rice.

• India is the second biggest maker of sugarcane and the top user of it around the world.
• Brazil produces the most sugarcane.
• According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2020, the main producers of sugarcane are –
  • Brazil   757.12 million tonnes
  • India   370.50 million tonnes
  • China   108.65 million tonnes
  • Pakistan   81.00 million tonnes

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported that India is the second biggest producer of sugarcane in the world, following Brazil.

• When they asked the question, the right answer was (b).
• The FAO 2020 data showed that Russia and the USA are the top sugar beet producers in the world.

• Ukraine makes almost all of its sugar from beets.

• At the time the question was asked, U.S.A. was the second biggest producer of cotton in the world, after China.
• However, according to 2019 data from the FAO, India is now the top producer, followed by China, the USA, Brazil and Pakistan.

• Australia produces more cotton per hectare than any other country, with the highest rate of 2217 kg per hectare.

• When asked, China was the right choice.
• Data from the USDA foreign agriculture service showed that in 2020-21 :
  • China produced 1976 kg/hg of cotton.
  • India produced 462 kg/hg of cotton.
  • US produced 950 kg/hg of cotton.
  • Pakistan produced 445 kg/hg of cotton.

• Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization for 2020 shows that India is the biggest producer and exporter of castor oil seeds.

• According to FAO data 2020, the largest producers of bananas in the world are –
  • India  –  31504.00 thousand tonnes
  • China  –  11862.6 thousand tonnes
  • Indonesia  –  8182.75 thousand tonnes
  • Brazil  –  6637.30 thousand tonnes
  • Ecuador  –  6023.39 thousand tonnes

• According to data of FAO 2020, the four leading producer of Coconut in the world are as follows:

(Country)                    (Coconut Production)

• • • Indonesia                        16824.85 thousand tonnes
    • India                                14695.00 thousand tonnes
    • Philippines                     14490.92 thousand tonnes

• India produces the most fruit, according to FAOSTAT 2020.
• When the question was asked, answer (d) was right.

• According to FAO (2020), the three largest producers of tobacco in the world are –
  • China 2135.26 thousand tonnes
  • India 761.33 thousand tonnes
  • Brazil 702.21 thousand tonnes

• At the time when this question was asked, China was the biggest producer of tobacco and raw silk worldwide.
• India was the top producer of jowar (sorghum).
• The United States was the main producer of soybean.
• According to 2020 FAO data, China is still the leading manufacturer of tobacco and raw silk around the world.

• Mauritius exports the most amount of sugar compared to other places.
• Sugar export and tourism are the main sources of income for Mauritius.

• According to recent data from FAO 2020, the five leading producers of Natural rubber in the world are as follows:
  • Thailand 4703.17 thousand tonnes
  • Indonesia 3366.41 thousand tonnes
  • Vietnam 1226.09 thousand tonnes
  • India 962.81 thousand tonnes
• Therefore, the correct answer is option (d).

• Thailand is the top producer of natural rubber in the world, making around 4.5 million tonnes each year.
• Indonesia and China come second and third, and India is in fourth place.

• Approximately one-third of the world’s natural rubber originates from Southeast Asia, mainly from Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
• These countries make up around 35% of the world’s natural rubber output.

• When the question was asked, the correct answer was India.
• According to the FAO data in 2020, the biggest rubber producers are :
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Vietnam
  • Thailand

• For the ten years between 1870 and 1880, coffee farming was stopped in most of the British colonies because of an epidemic called leaf rust.
• This epidemic started in Sri Lanka in 1867.
• It was caused by Hemileia vastatrix, a type of fungus that causes coffee leaf rust (CLR), a very serious disease for coffee plants.

• Fazenda is a type of farm in Brazil that grows and produces coffee in the south-eastern parts of the country.
• During the colonial period (16th-18th centuries), these farms were mainly found in the north-eastern regions and were used to produce sugar.

• According to FAO, 2020 top coffee producing countries are:
  • Brazil   (3700.23 thousand tonnes)
  • Vietnam   (1763.48 thousand tonnes)
  • Colombia   (833.40 thousand tonnes)
  • Indonesia   (773.41 thousand tonnes)
  • Ethiopia   (584.79 thousand tonnes)
  • Peru   (376.73 thousand tonnes)
  • Honduras   (364.55 thousand tonnes)
  • India   (298.00 thousand tonnes)

• According to data from FAO 2020 leading producers of Coffee (green) in the world are as follows:
  • Brazil
  • Vietnam
  • Colombia
  • Indonesia
  • Ethiopia
  • Peru
  • Honduras
  • India

• According to data from FAO 2020 leading producers of Coffee (green) in the world are as follows:
  • Brazil
  • Vietnam
  • Colombia
  • Indonesia
  • Ethiopia
  • Peru
  • Honduras
  • India

• Brazil is the leading producer of coffee in the world, accounting for the highest percentage of total coffee production.

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that in 2020, Vietnam was the second biggest coffee exporter in the world, just behind Brazil.

• Robusta coffee, also known as Coffea Canephora (Coffea Robusta), is a type of coffee originally from Central and Western sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
• It is also grown in India.

• According to FAO’s 2004 data, Sri Lanka was the top exporter of tea in terms of both quantity and value.
• However, the most recent 2020 data from FAO shows that Kenya is the largest exporter of tea in terms of quantity and China is the largest exporter in terms of value.

• In the Given options, China in the year 2016-17 is the biggest exporter (in value Dollar) –

(Country)              (2016-17)

• • China                         1.6 Billion Dollar
  • Sri Lanka                  1.5 Billion Dollar
  • Kenya                        1.4 Billion Dollar
  • India                          591.2 Billion Dollar

• In 2015, China was the biggest exporter in terms of both quantity and value, according to FAO data.
• As of 2020, Kenya is the biggest exporter in terms of quantity, while China is still the biggest exporter in terms of value.

• The correct combination of crops and concerned production zone are as follows:
  

  (Crop)	(Production Zone)
  Coffee	Sao Paulo Plateau
  Jute	Ganges delta
  Rice	Yangtze plains
  Wheat	Prairies plains

• The Yangzi Jiang Basin is famous for growing Rice.
• The Huang He Basin is well-known for its Winter Wheat.
• Coffee is grown in the Sao Paulo region.
• Sri Lanka’s Candy Basin is well-known for Tea production.

• The correct combination of crops and concerned countries are as follows:
  

  Cocoa	Ghana
  Coffee	Ivory Coast
  Tea	Kenya
  Sugarcane	South Africa

• Coffee is grown in Hawaii, in the USA.
• The most famous type of Hawaiian coffee is called Kona coffee.

• Apple trees are grown and sold in areas with moderate and warm climates.
• Tropical climates are too hot for Apple trees to produce flowers.

• Commercial horticulture is the cultivation of fruits, spices, vegetables, shrubs, flowers, and turf.
• It also includes the cultivation of tea, coffee, sugarcane, rubber, and other crops.
• It requires more labor than other types of agriculture because there needs to be continuous supervision of the commercial crops.

• The correct combination of crops and concerned production countries are as follows:
  

  (Crop)	(Region/country)
  Rubber	Malaysia
  Coffee	Colombia
  Olive	Italy
  Sugarcane	Mauritius

• Iran is the biggest maker of saffron in the whole world.
• Most of the saffron in the world (85%) is grown in Iran.

• The correct combination of commodity and leading producer country is as follows:
  

  (Country)	(Commodity)
  China	Iron-ore
  India	Milk
  Saudi Arabia	Petroleum
  Thailand	Natural Rubber

• In 2018, Denmark had the highest production of milk per cow, according to the International Committee for Animal Recording.
• On average each cow in Denmark produced 10,000 kg of milk per year, which is the highest in the world.

• The tropical plantation is an ancient form of commercial agriculture that has been in existence for a long time.
• Typically, plantation crops are cultivated on large estates, usually exceeding 40 hectares (100 acres).
• However, the success of these crops has often inspired other farmers to grow them on smaller plots of land, resulting in the coexistence of small holdings alongside the larger estates.
• Plantation agriculture is characterized by the cultivation of a single crop over a vast area, such as coffee in Brazil, tea in India, rubber in Malaysia, and so on.
• Some of the primary plantation crops include rubber, palm oil, cotton, copra, coffee, tea, cocoa, pineapples, bananas, sugarcane, hemp, and jute.
• While these crops require ample rainfall for their growth, excessive water can be detrimental to their roots.
• Therefore, they are typically grown on sloping hillsides where water can easily drain away, avoiding waterlogging.
• However, they can also thrive in valleys if the drainage is adequate.
• Consequently, statement (1) is incorrect, but statement (2) is accurate.
• Until the 19th century, the Amazon Basin served as a significant producer of natural rubber.
• The conditions in the Amazon Basin were favorable for rubber plantations, with rubber plants even growing spontaneously.
• However, rubber production is no longer a prominent characteristic of South American countries due to factors such as labor shortages and various other reasons.
• Thus, statement (3) is correct

• The Ministry of Agriculture states that coconut, betel nut, cocoa palm and cashew nut are all considered plantation crops.
• Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry adds that tea, coffee and rubber are also plantation crops.
• Therefore, all of these items: coconut, palm, betelnut, cocoa, cashew nut, tea, coffee and rubber are all plantation crops.

• Alley Cropping is when you plant trees with a lot of space between them.
• A different type of crop is grown in the gaps between the rows.
• Intercropping is a system of growing two or more crops close together, which includes Relay cropping, mixed cropping, and Alley Cropping.

• Commercial grain farming usually only grows one type of crop.

• Jhooming, Fang, and Milpa are all different forms of shifting agriculture, while Fazenda has nothing to do with shifting cultivation.
• Fazenda is related to plantations found in Brazil.

• Taungya is a practice used in Myanmar where people living in villages, and sometimes those working in forest plantations, are allowed to grow crops while the forest is still young.

• Nitrogen is important for plants to grow and develop properly.
• It is a key component in the making of plant cells and tissues.
• When there isn’t enough nitrogen, a plant’s growth stops.
• Its leaves turn a pale yellow color, and if the nitrogen deficiency continues, older leaves can become completely yellow.
• There is also a decrease in flowering, fruiting, protein, and starch, which results in a stunted growth and dormant buds.

• Biofertilizers such as Azotobacter, Rhizobium, Azospirillum, and certain types of blue-green algae from the cyanobacteria genera Nostoc, Anabaena, Tolypothrix, and Aulosira have been employed as agricultural aids for an extended period.
• In particular, blue-green algae possess the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and are utilized as inoculants for paddy crops cultivated in both upland and lowland environments.

• Azolla-Anabaena is a type of biofertilizer that is used to help grow rice.

• Azolla is a type of plant that is added to soil to make it healthier and help plants grow better.
• It is great for rice crops because it helps them take in more nutrients and produce more grains.

• Blue Green Algae is used as a type of fertilizer to help grow rice, and Azotobacter is used for Wheat, Maize, Mustard, Potato, Cotton and other vegetables.
• Aspergillus is used as a fertilizer for Sorghum, Millet, Sugarcane, Maize, etc.

• Alfalfa is a plant that comes from Asia and is one of the oldest herbs known to humans.
• It is rich in important vitamins like A, D, E, K and the B-vitamin family, as well as minerals like biotin, calcium, folic acid, iron, magnesium and potassium.

• In 1850, tea was first grown in Africa at Durban tea garden.
• Before World War II, around 800 hectares of land were used for tea cultivation in Africa.
• During the 20th century, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda became major tea producers.
• Therefore, it’s incorrect to say Africa has no connection to tea farming.
• Tea farming requires well-drained hills, fertile soil, and lots of humus.
• This is why option R is correct.

• Podzol soil can be found in coniferous forests of the Taiga region in North America and Eurasia around 600 North latitude.

• Mocha Coffee is grown in Yemen and is named after the port city of Mocha, where it was once shipped from.

• Tea was first used as a medicine in China.
• It contains various compounds, such as theanine, caffeine, polyphenols, tannin, theobromine, and theophylline, but does not contain morphine.

• The Green Box allows existing programmes, like research, environmental programmes, product-related research, pest and disease control, agricultural training, advice and guidance, inspections, marketing and promotion to continue and improve.

• Ghana is famous for cocoa, Brazil is famous for coffee, Sri Lanka is famous for tea, and Malaysia is famous for rubber in plantations.

• Heroin is made from Opium resin.

• The Golden Crescent is a term used to refer to a region in Central and South Asia where a lot of illegal opium is produced.
• It consists of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, and Iraq is not part of this area.
• The mountains around the nations form the shape of a crescent.

• Corn is a plant that is grown all over the world.
• Its grain contains lots of vitamins, carbs, minerals, protein and fiber.
• It’s an important source of food for 1.2 billion people in Central Africa.

• Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley is located in California.
• It is part of the Central Valley and south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
• It is drained by the San Joaquin River and is known for its production of glass and citrus fruit.

• Viticulture, or grape growing, is only seen in the Mediterranean area of Europe.
• Most of the grapes grown there are used for wine production, which is why it is done on a large scale.

• Citrus fruits grow in abundance in Mediterranean areas.
• This area is known for its warm and dry weather.

• Norman E. Borlaug, an American agronomist, created seeds with high yields for the first time in Mexico.

• Catechu is a substance taken from the wood of the Khair Tree (Acacia Catechu).

• Gambia is the main producer of peanuts among the countries given.
• Currently, Ghana is the top grower of peanuts in the choices.
• China is the world’s biggest producer of peanuts with their shells.

• Ground nuts are originally from Brazil in South America.

• Shahtoosh is a type of shawl made by expert artisans using the fur of the Tibetan antelope (Chiru).
• These shawls are mostly found in China, Tibet, Southern Xinjiang, and Western Qinghai, and a few can be found in Ladakh, India.
• Thus, the correct option is (c).

• Shahtoosh shawls are made from the fur of the Tibetan antelope, also called the Chiru.
• This species is in danger of disappearing and lives in the Tibetan plateau at very high altitudes.
• To survive the extreme cold, the Chiru grows a thick coat of fur.

• Beekeeping is the practice of caring for bees.
• The location where bees are kept is known as an apiary.
• This means that beekeeping is linked to the making of honey.

• Viticulture is the science of growing grapes.
• It looks at the process of looking after a vineyard and the winemaking process.
• This is part of horticulture, which comes from the Latin word for vine.

• Growing vegetables is called Olericulture, not Horticulture.
• The other words are matched correctly.

• In 2020, India came in second place in terms of the most amount of silk produced according to the International Sericulture Commission.
• China was the top producer of silk, with India coming in second.

• In Australia, there are around 25 million cattle.
• About 1.5 million of them are used for dairy production, while the rest are used for meat.
• Australia is a major exporter of beef.
• Additionally, the culture of Australia indicates that they are not typically vegetarians, which means both statements (A) and (R) are true and (R) explains (A).

• Livestock population (in million) for the given options, according to FAO statistics –
  

  (Country)	(2007)	(2020)
  Brazil	272.69	304.15
  China	847.63	829.58
  India	539.79	545.33
  USA	182.53	201.69

• So the answer to this question will be option (b) China.

• In 1980, Mad Cow Disease started in the United Kingdom and quickly killed over 180,000 cows.
• This was very damaging to the beef industry, and similar outbreaks were also seen in North America.

• India is the top milk producer in the world, with 187.7 million tonnes of milk produced in 2018-19.
• The average amount of milk available for each person in India is 394 grams per day (NDDB, 2018-19).
• The top five milk producing countries as of 2020, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), are India, USA, Pakistan, China and Brazil respectively.

• India is the top producer of milk in the world, making up 24% of all the milk produced worldwide.
• In 2022-23, India produced 221.06 million tonnes of milk, which is 61% more than the 137.7 million tonnes it produced in 2013-14.

• In 2011, the countries that produced the most milk were India, the US, China, and Russia.
• In 2020, the top 5 milk producers were India, the US, Pakistan, China, and Brazil.

• According to FAO data 2020, three leading producers of maize corn in the world are :
  

  Country	Production (thousand tonn)
  USA	360251.56
  China	260876.47
  Brazil	103963.62

• Cuba is called the sugar bowl of the world because it produces a lot of sugarcane, which is used to make sugar.

• Cocoa beans come from cocoa trees, which are dried to make chocolate.
• The oil from these trees is used for skin and hair care as well as cooking.
• The three biggest producers of cocoa are Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia, with Cameroon being a major producer too.
• Latvia produces less cocoa compared to the others.

• The correct match is as follows :
  

  (Economic Activity /Agricultural Region)	(Country)
  Commercial dairy farming	Denmark
  Commercial grain farming	Argentina
  Commercial plantation farming	Malaysia
  Commercial fruit production	France