Geography · Ch 11 — Land Resources and Agriculture
Growth of Agricultural Output and Technology
Growth of Agricultural Output and Technology
The last 50 years have seen a remarkable transformation in Indian agriculture, driven by a sharp increase in both output and the technology used to achieve it. This growth is not just about producing more food; it is about how that food is produced.
Rise in Production and Yield
The most visible change has been in the production and yield of staple crops. Rice and wheat, the backbone of India's food security, have recorded impressive rates of growth. Other major crops have also followed suit — the production of sugarcane, oilseeds, and cotton has increased appreciably over this period.
The Central Role of Irrigation
The single most important factor behind this surge in output has been the expansion of irrigation. Irrigation did more than just provide water; it created the foundation for the entire package of modern agricultural technology. Without assured water supply, the other components of the Green Revolution — high yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and farm machinery — could not have been adopted on a large scale. The net irrigated area of the country has grown steadily, making this technological shift possible.
Diffusion of Modern Technology
Modern agricultural technology spread rapidly across different regions of the country. The most telling indicator is the consumption of chemical fertilisers, which has increased by 15 times since the mid-1960s. However, the high yielding varieties of seeds that drove the Green Revolution are highly susceptible to pests and diseases. As a direct consequence, the use of pesticides has also increased significantly since the 1960s.
Government Initiatives for Sustainable Growth
Recognising the environmental and long-term costs of intensive chemical farming, the government has launched several missions and schemes to steer agriculture towards sustainability.
The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) aims to make agriculture more productive, sustainable, remunerative, and climate resilient. It promotes location-specific integrated or composite farming systems and focuses on conserving natural resources through appropriate soil and moisture conservation measures.
To reduce dependence on chemical inputs, the government actively promotes organic farming through dedicated schemes. Two key programmes in this effort are the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
The Farmer’s Portal: A Digital Resource
To bridge the information gap, the government has created the Farmer’s Portal of India. This is a single online platform where farmers can access any information related to agriculture. The portal provides detailed information on a wide range of topics: …