|
THE
GREEN REVOLUTION
The agricultural situation
in the state changed dramatically as a consequence of
consolidation of holdings, availability of canal water,
tubewell irrigation and establishment (in 1962) of Punjab
Agricultural University with strong research and extension
education components that developed close interactive
relationship with the state agriculturists. Introduction
of dwarf wheat germ plasm and cultivators from CIMMYT
Mexico in 1964-65, which could easily stand to higher
use of fertilizers without lodging and required assured
irrigation, set the stage for wheat-based green revolution
in the state.
With
this conducive production environment, assured remunerative
prices provided by the government through price support
and procurement system as well as spread of rural and
approach roads network in the state, production and
productivity as well as gross domestic product from
agriculture sector started improving quite fast. Tractors
and tubewells started dotting the landscape everywhere,
uses of fertilisers and pesticides expanded and irrigated
area as well as intensity of cropping started increasing.
Even
net sown area also increased. Cropping pattern started
witnessing significant changes. The foundations of the
green revolution were thus laid and enabling infrastructural,
technological and economic environment was rendered
conducive for the interaction of elements of growth
and productivity in the state.
|
The
70s: Green Revolution matures: Dwarf varieties
for Paddy crop was introduced and production increased
manifold. By 1970-71 GDP of thestate at constant prices
increased to Rs1509crore.The ratio of GDPoriginating
from agriculture increased by 3.4 percentage. Thusagricultural
GDP of the state increased by 86.5 percent from Rs 473.7
crore to Rs 866 crore in one decade.
Net
sown area increased from 3.76 million hectare in 1960-61
to 4.05 million hectares in 1970-71. Gross sown area
increased from 4.73 to 5.68 million hectare and intensity
cropping improved from 121 to 140 per cent over the
same period. Cropping pattern underwent significant
changes with area under wheat increasing from 29.6 per
cent to 40.5 per cent of the total cropped area. Per
cent area under pulses declined drastically from over
19 per cent to 7.3 per cent.
By this time, new dwarf varieties of rice from IRRI
were introduced and the area under rice production started
expanding. As a result production of food grains in
1970-71, more than doubled to 7.3 million tonnes from
3.16 million tonnes in 1960-6, with wheat production
increasing to 5.15 million tonnes. Rice had not as yet
caught the imagination of the farmers although area
under this crop and production had started increasing
and the future looked bright.
|
 Quantum
jump:
From here on agricultural sector growth made a quantum jump.
Yet with the industrial and tertiary sector too growing fast,
share of agricultural sector in the GDP started declining
which was in tune with classic model of growth and development
of any economy. This growth in agriculture initiated by green
revolution in wheat crop production in late sixties and further
fuelled by rice revolution in mid-70s, continued un-abated
under conducive commercial environment both on production
as well as market fronts.
By 1993-94 GDP of the state had increased to Rs. 4565 crore
at 1970-71 prices. Even with primary sector share declining
to 46.76 per cent, Agriculture Sector GDP touched an all time
high of Rs 2135 crore which is an increase of 147 per cent
over the Sector GDP of 1970-71. Net sown area increased almost
to its limit of over 4.2 million hectares. With cropping intensity
of 181 per cent, the gross cropped area increased to over
62 million hectare. In the cropping pattern, wheat occupied
43.7 per cent of the gross cropped area.
With rice occupying 28.6 per cent area, the foodgrain crops
accounted for 76.9 per cent of the gross cropped area. The
production of Pulses and coarse grains got marginalised. Relative
area under oilseeds and sugarcane decreased to over 62 million
hectare. In the cropping pattern, wheat occupied 43.7 per
cent of the gross cropped area. With rice occupying 28.6 per
cent area, the foodgrain crops accounted for 76.9 per cent
of the gross cropped area. Cotton area however held on with
marginal, yet fluctuating, incrases overtime.
More water, more tractors, more fertiliser:
During this period productivity improved dramatically with
wheat yield increasing from 2.238 tonne to 4.01 1tonnes per
hectare and rice from 1.765 to 3.507 tonne per hectare. Productivity
of other crops such as American cotton, sugarcane and potato
also improved but not that significantly. This conducive economic
environment gave impetus to expansion of tubewell irrigation,
tractor cultivation and intensive use of fertilisers
As a consequence fertiliser use increased from 54 kg per hectare
of net area sown in 1970-71 to 265.5 kg per hectare in 1993-94.
Pesticides use increased manifolds. The number of tractors
increased from 10 to 80.3 per thousand hectare of net sown
area and tubewells number increased from 192 thousand to 850
thousands in the state. Area irrigated increased from 71 to
9 per cent of the net sown area.
The
intensity of cropping increased to 181 per cent. Production
of foodgrain increased to 21.58 million tonne, with wheat
production at 13.34 million tonne and rice 7.65 million tonne.
Present Scenario:
At present over 84 per cent of the total geographical area
of the state stands cultivated. Only about 28 thousand hectare
land is classified as cultivable waste. This meager area represents
terrain, which are very difficult to cultivate. The state
looks like a vast farmstead with only 16 per cent of its geographical
area under cities, towns, villages, rivers, canals, roads,
buildings, wastes, forests etc.
There is, thus, little scope for expansion of crop cultivation
horizontally. Vertically, the intensity of cropping is over
181 per cent. There is, thus, hardly any scope for increasing
the intensity of cropping further with the present set of
main economic crops grown in the state.
|
Bread-basket
of India
Revolution
