UPSC Prelims 2023 Q26: Indian Economy – Agriculture & Rural Development
- (a) Resettlement of a large number of people, uprooted from their countries due to war, by giving them a large cultivable land which they cultivate collectively and share the produce
- (b) Many marginal farmers in an area organize themselves into groups and synchronize and harmonize selected agricultural operations
- (c) Many marginal farmers in an area together make a contract with a corporate body and surrender their land to the corporate body for a fixed term for which the corporate body makes a payment of agreed amount to the farmers
- (d) A company extends loans, technical knowledge and material inputs to a number of small farmers in an area so that they produce the agricultural commodity required by the company for its manufacturing process and commercial production
Answer: (b) Many marginal farmers in an area organize themselves into groups and synchronize and harmonize selected agricultural operations
Explanation
'Small Farmer Large Field' (SFLF)
SFLF is a collective action model in which many small and marginal farmers in one area synchronise their farm operations, as if their scattered plots were one large field.
| What farmers do together | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Same crop variety and sowing time | Uniform produce that is easier to sell |
| Joint buying of seeds and fertiliser | Lower input costs |
| Shared machinery | Economies of scale |
| Collective selling | Better bargaining power |
Key point: each farmer keeps ownership of their own land.
Origin: popularised in Vietnam (Mekong Delta rice farming); also promoted in India through FPOs.
Other options compared:
| Option | What it actually describes |
|---|---|
| (a) | Collective farming for resettled refugees |
| (c) | Land leasing to a company |
| (d) | Contract farming |
Answer: (b) Many marginal farmers in an area organize themselves into groups and synchronize and harmonize selected agricultural operations.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. SFLF is not about resettling refugees on collective land.
- (b) CORRECT. SFLF means small farmers grouping together and synchronising operations while keeping their own land.
- (c) Incorrect. Handing land to a company for a fixed payment is land leasing, not SFLF.
- (d) Incorrect. A company supplying inputs and buying produce describes contract farming.
Key point
Small Farmer Large Field = small farmers synchronise operations (variety, sowing, inputs, marketing) to gain scale, keeping their own land.
Remember
In Small Farmer Large Field, small farmers coordinate operations to farm like one large field.
Common mistakes
- Confusing SFLF with contract farming, where a company drives production.
- Thinking farmers pool ownership; they keep their land and only coordinate work.
- Mixing up SFLF with cooperative farming, where land and labour are pooled.
Exam tip
'Small farmer, large field' = many small plots acting like one big one. Look for 'synchronise' in the option.
Sources
- FAO — Small Farmer Large Field model (Vietnam)
- Ministry of Agriculture — Formation and promotion of 10,000 FPOs