How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity and economy of farmers? What is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price and food processing for small and marginal farmers?
Questions repeat on direct and indirect farm subsidies and WTO's Agreement on Agriculture, distortions, subsidies' effect on cropping, MSP and the low-income trap, and crop insurance (PMFBY).
What to cover
Types of subsidies: input, price, credit
AoA boxes: amber, blue, green; de minimis
MSP: CACP, procurement concentration
PMFBY features and issues
Writing the answer
Link domestic policy with WTO obligations
These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 6 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.