Consider the following statements : 1. The Government of India provides Minimum Support Price for niger (Guizotia abyssinica) seeds. 2. Niger is cultivated as a Kharif crop. 3. Some tribal people in India use niger seed oil for cooking. How many of the above statements are correct?

Answer: C. All three statements about niger seed are correct. (1) MSP for niger: CORRECT. The Government of India announces a Minimum Support Price for niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica) every Kharif season. Niger is among the 7 oilseeds covered under MSP, alongside groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesame, safflower and rapeseed-mustard. (2) Niger is a Kharif crop: CORRECT. Niger is sown June-August in central India (mainly Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra) and harvested October-December. It is rainfed and well-suited to marginal lands. (3) Tribal use of niger oil for cooking: CORRECT. Niger seed oil is traditionally used for cooking by tribal communities in central and eastern India. It has a high polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Tribals also use the seed cake as cattle feed. All three statements accurate. Source: Ministry of Agriculture MSP announcements / NCERT Class 11 India Physical Environment Ch 5.