Prelims 2019 · Agriculture · Question 24
Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?
Answer
Vegetable oils
- (a) Spices: India is a major net exporter of spices; imports exist for specific items, but their value is far below the top imported farm commodities. Verdict: Incorrect.
- (b) Fresh fruits: India imports some fresh fruits like apples and kiwis, but the total import bill is much smaller than bulk edible commodity imports. Verdict: Incorrect.
- (c) Pulses: India does import pulses to bridge domestic shortages, but in recent years their import value has generally remained below vegetable oils. Verdict: Incorrect.
- (d) Vegetable oils: India is heavily dependent on imports of edible oils, especially palm, soybean, and sunflower oil; this has consistently formed the largest agricultural import bill by value in recent years. Verdict: Correct.