Consider the following statements:The Government of India provides Minimum Support Price for niger (

Question

Consider the following statements:The Government of India provides Minimum Support Price for niger (Guizotia abyssinicia) seeds.Niger is cultivated as a Kharif crop.Some tribal people in India use niger seed oil for cooking.How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

One of the 14 kharif crops for which the Centre releases a minimum support price (MSP) every year is an unlikely plant called niger or ramtil (Guizotia abyssinica). This lesser known oilseed commands one of the highest MSPs, fixed on the basis of the cost of production and market demand. Yet, the area under its cultivation has been steadily shrinking over the past three decades.In 1985-86, niger was cultivated on around 0.6 million hectares (ha). In 2020-21, the cultivated area shrunk by 80 per cent to a little over 0.1 million ha, the lowest among the 14 kharif crops with MSP.The primary reason such a sparsely grown crop is part of the exclusive MSP list is because niger seed has traditionally been the lifeline of tribal agriculture and economy in several states across India. The tribal population uses niger seed oil for cooking, the press cake post oil-extraction as livestock feed, and also consume the seeds as a condiment.Niger seed oil has medicinal properties, which is the reason for its commercial demand by the cosmetics, perfumeries and other allied industries.