Economics · Ch 8 — Agriculture Sector
Green Revolution
Green Revolution
The Green Revolution refers to the sharp, technology-driven increase in foodgrain productivity -- mainly of wheat and later rice -- that India experienced from the mid-to-late 1960s onward. It combined high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds developed through agricultural research (associated internationally with Norman Borlaug's wheat varieties and, in India, with the leadership of Dr M. S. Swaminathan) with assured irrigation, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and improved farm practices.
Key features of the Green Revolution package
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds | Genetically improved seeds bred for higher yield response to fertiliser and water |
| Assured irrigation | HYV seeds require controlled, timely water supply, so canal and tube-well irrigation expanded alongside |
| Chemical fertilisers and pesticides | Higher and more balanced use of fertiliser (N-P-K) and plant-protection chemicals |
| Mechanisation | Greater use of tractors, threshers, and pump-sets, especially in irrigated tracts |
| Price support and procurement | Minimum Support Price (MSP) and government procurement of wheat and rice gave farmers an assured market and encouraged adoption |
Positive effects: India moved from chronic food shortages and import dependence (notably on US PL-480 wheat imports in the 1960s) to near self-sufficiency in foodgrains, built up buffer stocks to guard against bad harvests, and raised farm incomes substantially in the regions that adopted the new technology.
Limitations and criticisms
- Regional disparity: The benefits were concentrated mainly in already well-irrigated states such as Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, while rain-fed regions gained much less.
- Crop disparity: The technology package worked best for wheat and rice; pulses and oilseeds were relatively neglected, contributing to their slower productivity growth.
- Farmer-level inequality: Large farmers with access to irrigation and credit could adopt the package more easily than small and marginal farmers, widening income gaps within the farming community. …
Seeds of improved crop varieties, developed through plant breeding, that give substantially higher yields than traditional varieties when grown with adequate water …
A pre-announced price at which the government agrees to purchase specified crops from farmers, intended to protect them against a shar …