Two Phases of India's Green Revolution
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Ishita JainTwo Phases of India's Green Revolution
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Ishita JainCommon questions
Powered by AIGovernment initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, aimed at providing irrigation to every field, and the Soil Health Card Scheme, which involves issuing soil health cards to farmers, play crucial roles in enhancing agricultural productivity. These initiatives ensure better resource management, enhance soil quality, and improve water use efficiency, thereby addressing fundamental issues in agricultural productivity .
Agri-tech initiatives, part of the ICT Revolution, are crucial for modernizing Indian agriculture by shifting the focus from input-centric strategies to market intelligence and decision-making tools. By providing farmers with real-time data on market prices, weather forecasts, and GIS mapping, these initiatives empower farmers to make informed decisions to optimize production and resources, thus enhancing competitiveness and sustainability .
Land use classification, which includes categories like forest area, non-agricultural uses, and net area sown, plays a vital role in agricultural statistics and planning. Understanding the distribution of land across different categories assists policymakers in assessing resource availability, formulating land management strategies, and developing comprehensive agricultural policies. Accurate land and crop area statistics enable more precise forecasting and resource allocation, thereby optimizing agricultural outputs .
The productivity of pulses in India is significantly hindered by technological limitations, with yields around 600–800 kg/ha, which are mostly rainfed by small and marginal farmers. Poor procurement mechanisms, despite the provision of a high Minimum Support Price (MSP), further exacerbate these issues. India's heavy reliance on pulse imports is partly due to these challenges, and a lack of major technological breakthroughs has limited improvements in productivity .
Although agriculture's share in India's GDP has declined from the past, it remains a critical component, currently contributing nearly 14% of GDP. It continues to employ about 50% of the population and plays a significant role in exports, with the share of agri-exports increasing from 13.08% in 2012-13 to 14.17% in 2013-14. These statistics underscore agriculture's ongoing importance for rural income, employment, and India's broader economic infrastructure .
The shift towards high-value agriculture in India, with a focus on livestock products, fruits, and vegetables, has significantly affected the economy by increasing agri-exports by 18% annually in the 2000s. This shift involves moving from subsistence to market-oriented farming and targeting non-food crops like horticulture and floriculture. This change has improved farmers' livelihoods by catering to the demands for healthier products and opening new markets .
India's agricultural growth can be divided into five distinct phases: 1) Pre-Green Revolution (1950-51 to 1967-68), characterized by a decline in growth rates; 2) Early Green Revolution (1968-69 to 1985-86), a period of growth reversal due to technological and institutional reforms; 3) Wider Dissemination (1986-87 to 1996-97), sustaining peak growth; 4) Post-Reform Period (1997-98 to 2005-06), a slump due to resource diversion to other sectors; and 5) Recovery (2006-07 to 2010-11), with growth exceeding 3% during the 11th Five Year Plan. Each phase has stimulated various productivity levels, with the Green Revolution being crucial in achieving significant increases in agricultural production .
Declining land availability, with average landholdings reducing from 2.82 hectares in 1970-71 to 1.15 hectares in 2010-11, poses challenges for sustainable agricultural development. This is exacerbated by industrialization and urbanization, leading to a decrease in net sown areas from 143 million hectares in 1990-91 to 139.9 million hectares in 2012-13. Such trends limit the scope for expansive farming and increase pressure on existing agricultural resources .
The Green Revolution significantly increased India's food grain production from approximately 55 million tons at independence to about 260 million tons. The introduction of high-yielding varieties, along with technological and institutional reforms, greatly contributed to this leap. As a result, India achieved self-sufficiency in food grains, marking a transformative period in its agricultural history that affected both national food security and economic planning .
Agricultural credit challenges are highlighted by targets like the Rs. 8 lakh crore credit objective for 2014-15, with only Rs. 5.45 lakh crore achieved by December 2014. Such circumstances suggest difficulties in financial accessibility and management for farmers. Despite considerable budget allocations, efficient distribution and utilization of funds remain problematic, impacting farmers' ability to invest in crucial agronomic technologies and practices .