Answer: Option D
Answer: (d)
Agriculture and allied sectors are considered to be the mainstay of the Indian economy.
They are the important source of raw material and demand for many industrial products, particularly fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural implements and a variety of consumer goods. They contribute nearly 22 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of India.
About 65-70 per cent of the population is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.
The ‘Agriculture and allied’ industry is further divided into several segments, namely:
horticulture and its allied sectors (including fruits and vegetables, flowers, plantation crops, spices, aromatic and medicinal plants);
fisheries sector;
animal husbandry and livestock;
and sericulture.
India’s varied agro-climatic conditions are highly favourable for the growth of the large number of horticultural crops, which occupy around 10 per cent of the gross cropped area of the country producing 160.75 million tonnes.
However, food processing does not fall under this category.