Which one of the following best describes the concept of ‘Small Farmer Large Field’?
[amp_mcq option1=”Resettlement of a large number of people, uprooted from their countries due to war, by giving them a large cultivable land which they cultivate collectively and share the produce” option2=”Many marginal farmers in an area organize themselves into groups and synchronize agricultural operations” option3=”Many marginal farmers in an area together make a contract with a corporate body and surrender their land to the corporate body for a fixed term for which the corporate body makes a payment of agreed amount to the farmers” option4=”A company extends loans, technical knowledge and material inputs to a number of small farmers in an area so that they produce the agricultural commodity required by the company for its manufacturing process and commercial production” correct=”option2″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2023
The concept of ‘Small Farmer Large Field’ (SFLF) refers to a model where small and marginal farmers, despite owning small, fragmented landholdings, come together and collectively manage or synchronize their agricultural operations to achieve the benefits of scale that would otherwise be available only to large farms. This collaboration can involve joint planning, bulk purchasing of inputs, collective use of machinery, synchronized planting and harvesting, and collective marketing of produce. This effectively creates a ‘large field’ effect in terms of operational efficiency, input costs, and market access, benefiting the individual small farmers.
Option A describes collective farming, possibly in a resettlement context, which isn’t the specific focus of the SFLF concept typically discussed in the context of existing marginal farmers.
Option C describes corporate farming or contract farming where farmers might lease out or surrender their land to a company, shifting control away from the farmers; SFLF aims at farmers retaining control and benefiting from collective action.
Option D describes contract farming where a company provides inputs and buys output, but it doesn’t necessarily involve the farmers pooling or synchronizing operations across their fields to create a large-scale operational unit.
Option B, where many marginal farmers organize into groups and synchronize operations, best captures the essence of SFLF, enabling them to overcome the limitations of small land size through collective action and economies of scale in farming practices.
– ‘Small Farmer Large Field’ is a model for small and marginal farmers.
– It involves farmers organizing into groups and synchronizing operations.
– The goal is to achieve economies of scale similar to large farms while retaining ownership/control.