Previous Year Question
Which one of the following best describes the concept of “Small Farmer Large Field”?
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.
Many marginal farmers in an area organise themselves into groups and synchronise and harmonise selected agricultural operations.
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 an agreed amount to the farmers.
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 Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Small Farmer Large Field—SFLF—is a group-based farming model. Under this approach, neighbouring small and marginal farmers retain ownership of their individual landholdings while coordinating selected agricultural operations collectively.
Their small plots remain legally separate, but for selected operations they are managed like a larger production unit.
Activities that may be coordinated by the group include:
Selection of a common or compatible crop and variety.
Synchronisation of sowing and harvesting.
Bulk purchase of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.
Shared use of tractors, harvesters and other machinery.
Coordinated pest and disease management.
Aggregation, grading, storage and collective marketing of produce.
Collective bargaining with buyers for better prices.
The model offers several potential benefits:
Economies of scale: Bulk purchase of inputs and collective sale of produce can reduce per-unit costs.
Mechanisation: Machinery that may be uneconomical on individual small plots can be used across the combined operational area.
Uniform farm management: Coordinated sowing, irrigation and pest control may improve the quality of production.
Market power: Aggregation of produce increases the bargaining power of farmers.
Retention of land ownership: Farmers do not permanently surrender their land to a company or collective.
Examination of the options:
Option (a): It describes collective rehabilitation and cultivation by displaced persons, not SFLF.
Option (b): Organisation of marginal farmers into groups to synchronise selected agricultural operations is the essence of SFLF.
Option (c): It involves surrendering land to a corporate body for a fixed term. Under SFLF, ownership and control remain with individual farmers.
Option (d): It resembles contract farming, in which a company supplies inputs and technical support for production according to its requirements.