ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF Sector-specific Agribusiness Electives: practice questions

1 · Agro-chemicals and the Insecticides Act (ABM 513) · medium

Which international convention requires exporters to obtain prior informed consent before shipping listed hazardous pesticides and industrial chemicals?

1. The Montreal Protocol
2. The Stockholm Convention
3. The Basel Convention
4. The Rotterdam Convention

2 · Agro-chemicals and the Insecticides Act (ABM 513) · hard

Patent and data protection on a leading proprietary insecticide expire in a major market. What is the most likely industry outcome over the next few years?

1. Generic registrations enter, prices fall, and the originator shifts to mixtures and new products
2. Volumes fall sharply, because generic makers are not allowed to sell to the same distributors
3. The originator's price rises, because farmers then trust the original brand more than before
4. Sales of the molecule stop, because regulators withdraw a registration once its patent ends

3 · Seed programmes and certification (ABM 514) · medium

Under India's Seeds Act, 1966, what is the legal position of seed certification and labelling for notified kinds and varieties offered for sale?

1. Certification is compulsory; labelling is voluntary
2. Labelling is compulsory; certification is voluntary
3. Both certification and labelling are compulsory
4. Both are voluntary unless seed is exported abroad

4 · Poultry and hatchery business (ABM 522) · hard

A broiler flock has 96% livability, 2.0 kg average live weight at 32 days and FCR 1.5. Using EPEF = (livability % x live weight kg) / (age days x FCR) x 100, what is the flock's EPEF?

1. 400
2. 417
3. 4.0
4. 16.7

5 · Dairy plant management and dairy marketing (ABM 527) · medium

During the flush season, milk procurement exceeds liquid-milk sales. What do dairy plants usually do with the surplus?

1. Cut the procurement price to zero so members stop supplying milk
2. Convert it into storable products such as skim milk powder and butter
3. Sell it as raw milk to consumers at a higher price than packed milk
4. Hold it as chilled liquid milk in silos until the lean season comes

6 · Floriculture business · hard

A rose grower is choosing between a new protected variety with high royalties and an older variety with low royalties. What is the main commercial trade-off?

1. The older variety is barred from export once a newer variety is registered
2. Higher prices and demand for the new variety against royalty cost per plant
3. Royalties are refunded by the breeder whenever market prices fall sharply
4. Protected varieties pay no royalty when the grower sells only to auctions

7 · Renewable energy institutions (ABM 529) · medium

What is the capital recovery factor at 8% interest over 25 years, using CRF = i(1+i)^n / ((1+i)^n - 1)?

1. 0.5479
2. 0.0800
3. 0.0937
4. 0.0400

8 · Renewable energy institutions (ABM 529) · hard

A 1 MW solar plant costs 30 million, has a 25-year life, a 10% discount rate (capital recovery factor 0.1102), O&M of 0.3 million a year and a 20% capacity utilisation factor. What is its levelised cost of electricity?

1. 0.41 per kWh
2. 2.06 per kWh
3. 1.89 per kWh
4. 0.86 per kWh

9 · Renewable energy institutions (ABM 529) · hard

Solar pumps make the marginal cost of pumping almost zero. Which policy design most directly counters the risk of groundwater over-extraction?

1. Raising the capital subsidy so more farmers in dry areas can install larger pumps
2. Supplying free grid electricity alongside the solar pump for night-time pumping
3. Removing all metering, so farmers face no record of pumping hours or energy use
4. Paying farmers for surplus solar power fed to the grid, so saved water earns income

10 · Renewable energy institutions (ABM 529) · medium

Which risk does a long-term feed-in tariff mainly remove for a renewable power developer?

1. Risk that equipment is stolen or damaged on site
2. Risk that the utility delays paying its bills
3. Uncertainty about how much the sun will shine
4. Uncertainty about the price received per kWh