Defying Malthusian theory that the country’s population growth would outstrip food production, Indian agriculture has now moved on from scarcity and subsistence in nature to surplus and exports. As per the third Advance Estimates for the production of major crops for the agricultural year 2024-25, total food grain production is estimated at 353.96 million tonnes (mt). It is India’s highest production so far; it is also 40% more than it was one decade ago in 2014-15. The surplus today has been as a result of various pro-farming policies, programmes and various interventions over last seven decades.
The green revolution of 1960s led to phenomenal growth in production of food grains. India’s dairy, poultry, and fisheries sectors have seen remarkable growth. Similarly, the White Revolution, starting in the 1970s, boosted milk production from 20 mt to 239 mt by 2023-24. The country is also witnessing a surge in production of fisheries leading to blue revolution. Due to the Blue Revolution fish production in the country has increased to 19.5 mt by 2024-25, making India the second-largest seafood producer and exporter.
The egg production in the country has now reached 143 billion and poultry meat production from about 1.13 tonnes to five million tonnes over the same period. In the last decade, the agriculture sector has seen an unprecedented growth. Milk production has increased by 10.2 mt annually, broiler meat by 217,000 tonnes and fish by 780,000 (Sh. Shiv Raj Singh Chauhan MoA & FW, GoI).
Before proceeding ahead, let me go to some decades back. After a long and tumultuous struggle that lasted near two decades, the Britishers were forced to declare India as an independent country on Aug. 15, 1947. The day marked the end of foreign dominance and beginning of a new era of self governance and democracy in India. As the country celebrates its 79th Independence Day on August 15, it is also a day to pay rich tributes to the countless freedom fighters, revolutionaries and nationalists who sacrificed their lives for independence of the country.
The journey of last more than seven decades has been unique with country progressing by leaps and bounds to become the fifth largest economy in the world at present and posing to become third largest economy in the next few years. Every sector of the economy has witnessed revolutionary strides and the world has felt and observed the positive impacts of this entire phenomenon.
The agriculture sector after attaining independence suffered from numerous challenges that include feeding the increasing population, low productivity and stagnation, creating adequate employment opportunities for the surplus labour besides ensuring timely availability of inputs to the farming community. Agriculture sector also suffered because of outdated technology, crude practices and huge dependence on timely rainfall. It was referred to as the ‘begging bowl’ with major portion of our food requirements being met from imports from other countries.
Farmers’ of that era were a static entity even reluctant to go for any change in their crude and unscientific cultivation practices. Overhauling the agriculture sector was not possible without ensuring that the relevant technology reached out to farming community well in time as well as motivating the farming community to adopt the new technologies. In all these years of country’s journey post independence, the agriculture sector has been the country’s strength in its contribution in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, in providing employment to the population and as a source of livelihood for the vast majority of rural populace.
India from a ‘begging bowl’ thus changed to a ‘bread basket’ and the fortune changed by what is known as ‘Green revolution’. The period corresponding to 1967-78 witnessed huge upsurge in food grains production especially in states of Punjab Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Green revolution spread to millions of third world countries also. Reports reveal that the absolute number of poors came down from 1.15 billion in 1975 to 825 million in 1995. All this happened despite a 60 per cent growth in population. Since the Green revolution of 1960s, India has never looked back. It is also here pertinent to mention that the country’s undernourished population decreased from 247.8 million in 2004-2006 to 224.3 million in 2019–21, according to a report from the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World in 2022.
The horticulture production in the country has exceeded food grains production. The country has the largest area under cultivation. It is now the largest producer of pulses, spices, milk, tea, cashew, jute, banana, jackfruit and many other commodities (FAO). It stands second in production of fruits and vegetables, wheat, rice, cotton and oilseeds. India has the largest cotton cultivation area all over the world after China and the USA and it is the prime agriculture commodity or fiber crop worldwide. India is the third highest potato producing country and the second largest producer of Pulses in the world. The country also has the largest livestock population.
Despite remarkable achievements in the agriculture sector, there has been another side of this achievement. We have not yet been self sufficient in Pulses and Oilseeds. The negative impact and threat posed to our environment by climate change and large scale indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals to increase the yields are now clearly visible. The ground water has been rendered poisonous and contaminated with harmful chemicals.
Such is the infestation that vast stretches of land extending up to kilometers is now not fit for any drinking water. Soils have been degraded, turned barren and a large number of biodiversity has been lost. Biodiversity is on the decline. Yields of crops are not increasing and large scale nutritional insecurity is manifested through children, pregnant and lactating mothers and adolescent girls.
The sector needs to embrace technologies which do not interfere with the environment, practices which are sustainable, and farming techniques like diversification and Integrated Farming System Models. At the same time it is also necessary that high value crops be promoted. Although we have attained food security for all, by nutritional security is a concern for all of us.
To address nutritional security, a host of initiatives have been started. Biofortification and climate resilient varieties are being developed. From a chemical intensive green revolution, we have now to move towards an evergreen revolution based on the principles of natural farming, sustainability, local resource use efficiency, economic viability, social compatibility and profitability. Natural Farming is being promoted all across the country as environmental friendly approach. In the next two years one crore farmers would be roped in to practice natural farming.
The food processing in the country is at present very low. The food processing sector can be utilized to enhance income opportunities for the rural population, facilitate job creation, minimize food wastage, improve the availability of nutritious foods by enhancing the processing of fruits and vegetables, and augment the proportion of value-added products.
The government of India has also come up with many pro-farmer schemes and programmes which include Primeminister Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN), Primeminister Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Soil Health Card (SHC), Primeminister Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and Primeminister Kisan Mandhan Yojana. To attract and retain Youth in agriculture, Entrepreneurship development schemes like Agri-Startups and skill development are being promoted with handholding and financial support to the youth who are interested in setting up agriculture or allied ventures.
All these programmes have started showing results. Many youths have left their high earning jobs and started their own startups in agriculture and creating job opportunities for others also. Farmers particularly farm women feel more empowered, youths are now more skilled and the once static farming community is now a dynamic and vibrant one with collective approaches like Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
The country has now set the goal of being a Developed Nation i. e Viksit Bharat by 2047. By 2047, India aims to become a developed nation. A recent article of Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, GoI reported that for India to become a developed nation by 2047, its economy must grow at 7.8% annually with a projected population of 1.6 billion and half of that will be in urban areas. This shift will double overall food demand with demand for fruits, vegetables and animal based products expected to triple, while cereal demand remains stable leading to surpluses.
However rising urbanization and industrialisation will shrink agricultural land from 180 million hectares to 176 million hectares and average land holdings from one hectare to 0.6 ha. This will further pressure on water and agro-chemicals risking resource degradation. The climate crisis poses an even greater threat endangering sustainable agriculture. India can expand pulses and oilseeds cultivation on 12 million hectare of rice-fallow land left unused due to various constraints. However, low yields of 18-40% gaps in oilseeds and 31-37% in pulses highlight the need for technological advancement.
Viksit Bharat is a vision for India to become a developed nation focusing on economic growth, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. The goal of Viksit Bharat is impossible to attain without giving due importance to agriculture. Agriculture is critical for India’s development as it still engages about 45.8% of working population. If the dream of Viksit Bharat has to be realized and fulfilled by 2047, agriculture sector has to be developed to its full potential.
(The author writes on agriculture and social issues; can be reached at [email protected])
