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?
- (a) Spices
- (b) Fresh fruits
- (c) Pulses
- (d) Vegetable oils ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• Vegetable oils (palm, soybean, sunflower) are India's largest agricultural import, costing about US$ 10–20 billion a year, since domestic output meets barely 40% of demand — option (d).
• Pulses (c) are the second-largest, at US$ 1–4 billion; fresh fruits (b) and spices (a) are much smaller.
• The National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm (2021) aims to cut this dependence.
• Hence option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) Spices
- Spice imports are small; India is a net exporter of spices.
- (b) Fresh fruits
- Fresh fruit imports are far smaller than edible oil.
- (c) Pulses
- Pulses are second to vegetable oils.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2019, held on 2 June 2019. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.