Indian agriculture is still a key sector of the country’s economy. India’s agricultural sector provides a living for more than 58 per cent of its residents. An indication of the importance of the agricultural sector in India is the fact that 57 per cent of the land is designated for crop cultivation, compared with a global share of approximately 12 percent. 

There are surprisingly few agricultural lands in India, which is evident by the land-to-human ratio of only 0.31ha, which is less than half of the world average (0.59 ha). While facing numerous constraints, Indian agriculture has come a long way since Independence. Continue reading for more details about the Class 12 Geography chapter: Agriculture Development in India.

Strategy of Development

Before Independence, the Indian agricultural economy was largely subsistence-based. This led to a decline in performance in the first half of the 20th century. In the intervening years, famines and severe droughts occurred. Undivided India lost about one-third of its irrigated land during the partition. Individually, the proportion of irrigated land has also declined. 

It was the immediate goal of the new government to increase food grain production after independence.

(i) Converting cash crops into food crops.

(ii) Growing crops over the already-cultivated ground.

(iii)Bringing cultivable land under cultivation and ploughing fallow land into cultivation. 

Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area Programme (IAAP),

Initial results of this strategy included increased production of food grains. As agricultural production declined in 1950, the strategy was abandoned. The Intensive Agricultural District Program (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area Program (IAAP) were created to combat this problem. The country faced a food crisis during two consecutive droughts in the mid-1960s.

In this case, the food grains came from another country. Wheat (Mexico) and rice (Philippines) were produced in high yielding varieties in the mid-1960s. Indian manufacturers developed a packaging technology that combined many of these varieties into one product.

Irrigated areas in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat use HYVs, along with chemical fertilisers. This ensures a constant supply of moisture to the soil.

This new agricultural technology needs to possess a number of essential characteristics to be successful. 

Green Revolution

The development strategy for agriculture was widely successful, and the production of food grains skyrocketed immediately. It was dubbed the Green Revolution because of this growth spurt in agriculture. The development of the agricultural sector also led to the growth of agro-processing industries and small-scale businesses. 

In the process of agricultural development, the country became self-sufficient in food grain production. However, the green revolution was initially restricted to irrigated areas. During the 1970s, there were regional disparities in agricultural development in Pakistan, but after the decade, the technology spread throughout the east and central parts of the country.

A Planning Commission was set up in India in the 1980s to deal with the problems of rainfed agriculture. For regionally balanced agricultural development in the country, the country initiated agro-climatic planning in 1988. This planning also targeted environmental protection.

Diversifying agriculture and harnessing resources for dairy, poultry, horticulture, livestock and aquaculture development is crucial. 

It is likely that the introduction of liberalisation and free-market economies in the 1990s will influence the course of the development of Indian agriculture. 

There is a risk of inter-regional and inter-personal disparities in rural areas due to the lack of infrastructure development, the removal of subsidies and price support, and the difficulty in obtaining rural credits.

Output and technology growth in agriculture

During the last fifty years, agricultural output has increased significantly, and technology has improved dramatically.

• In recent years, many crops like rice and wheat have been produced and harvested in impressive amounts. In addition to sugarcane, oilseeds, and cotton, the production of these crops has increased significantly. Pulses and jute produced in 2008-2009 were India’s top exports. As the second-largest producer of rice, wheat, groundnuts, sugarcane, and vegetables, it ranks high in this list

• A major contributing factor to increased agricultural output in the country has been irrigation expansion. These conditions paved the way for the introduction of modern technologies such as high yield seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and farm machinery. During the period 1950-51 to 2000-01, the country’s net irrigated area increased from 20.85 to 54.66 million ha. There has been an increase in agricultural area irrigated more than once in year 50 from 1.71 million ha to 20.46 million ha

• Various areas of the country have been gaining access to modern agricultural technology very quickly. The consumption of chemical fertilisers has increased 15-fold since the mid-60s. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Division, in 2001-02, India consumed 91 kg of chemical fertilisers per hectare, the same as its average consumption worldwide (90 kg). In Punjab and Haryana, however, the per hectare consumption was significantly lower (39 kg)

Chemical fertiliser consumption per unit area is three to four times higher than the national average. The use of pesticides has increased significantly since the 1960s due to the high susceptibility of high yielding varieties to pests and diseases.

Conclusion

The Indian government aims to double farm income by 2024. Increased investments in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, warehousing, and cold storage will generate better growth in the agriculture sector in India in the coming years. A growing percentage of genetically modified crops is also likely to improve Indian farmers’ yields. Scientists are working diligently to develop early maturing varieties of pulses in India, and the price of minimum support will increase, which should result in a few years’ self-sufficiency in pulses. It is anticipated that the adoption by food processing manufacturers of good manufacturing practises (GMPs), good hygiene practises (GHPs), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Total Quality Management (TQM) will offer several benefits in the future