RAS question
Cumin (Jeera) production in India is dominated by which state?
Correct answer: (A) Gujarat.
Gujarat dominates cumin (jeera) production in India, ahead of Rajasthan.
Explanation
Gujarat is the largest producer of cumin in India, contributing about 57-58% of national production. Rajasthan is the second largest producer, so the question is asking for the state with clear dominance, not merely a major producing state. Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Limited supports Gujarat's lead in this crop cluster: it identifies Gujarat as the largest producer in the cumin and fennel context and describes Unjha in Gujarat as being in the heart of India's largest cumin-and-fennel-producing region. Since Gujarat and Rajasthan together account for over 90% of India's cumin production, the decisive distinction is that Gujarat ranks first while Rajasthan ranks second.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Madhya Pradesh is not a major cumin producer and ranks behind the Gujarat-Rajasthan production belt.
- (C) Maharashtra is not a major cumin-producing state, so it cannot be the state that dominates India's cumin output.
- (D) Rajasthan is important, but it ranks second after Gujarat, so it does not dominate cumin production nationally.
Concept
This tests agricultural geography of Rajasthan and neighbouring western India, especially the spatial concentration of spice crops. RAS repeats such questions because crop leadership, production belts and rank-order comparisons are common in Rajasthan economy and geography items.