In March 2018, the Government of India extended urea subsidy to farmers till 2020. What was the aim of this initiative?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (b) Ensuring adequate supply of urea at statutory controlled prices

Explanation:

In March 2018, the Government of India extended the urea subsidy to farmers till 2020 with the primary aim of ensuring an adequate supply of urea at statutory controlled prices. This subsidy helped in keeping the prices of urea affordable for farmers, thus encouraging the use of urea as an essential input in agricultural practices.

Information Booster:

1. The urea subsidy ensures that farmers have access to affordable fertilizers without being burdened by high costs.

2. By controlling urea prices, the government aims to maintain agricultural productivity and reduce the financial pressure on farmers.

3. Urea is a key input for crop nutrition, especially for rice, wheat, and other cereals, which are widely grown in India.

4. The subsidy is part of the government's broader effort to support the agricultural sector and improve food security.

5. The policy also aims to prevent black market sales and ensure that quality urea reaches farmers directly.

6. The extended subsidy was aimed at stabilizing the fertilizer market and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Additional Information:

• Ensuring supply of urea in all villages  was a goal of previous schemes, but this initiative specifically focused on controlling prices.

• Ensuring availability of urea to all farmers irrespective of their land size  is important, but the primary goal here was to control pricing and supply.

• Ensuring better agricultural production using uninterrupted supply of urea  is a broader aim, but the key focus in this subsidy extension was price control and market stability.