In which district of Madhya Pradesh was the production of soyabean initially started?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — D, Dewas. Soyabean cultivation in Madhya Pradesh is credited to have begun in Dewas district (part of the Malwa region) during the state's oilseed-diversification drive from the 1970s onward. It spread rapidly across the neighbouring Malwa plateau districts thereafter, eventually turning MP into India's leading soyabean-producing state.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Indore became one of Malwa's biggest soyabean-producing and processing hubs later, but cultivation did not originate there.  (b) Ujjain is a major present-day soyabean district in the Malwa belt, but it is not credited as the crop's starting point in MP.  (c) Vidisha grows soyabean as part of MP's wider Malwa oilseed belt, but it is not the originating district.

Concept: Soyabean, though not native to India, was introduced and popularised as a major oilseed/cash crop in Madhya Pradesh from the 1970s onward, transforming the state into India's largest soyabean producer. Cultivation is credited with beginning in Dewas district before spreading through the wider Malwa plateau region.

State PCS 2024 Q52 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2024 Q52 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer