Q.

1 Discuss the impact of Green Revolution on productivity and distribution in

India agriculture.
Ans.: The term ‘Green Revolution’ was coined first in 1968 by Dr. William Godd of US
Department of Agriculture to refer to the quantum jump in wheat production in that
year as well as the promise of similar leap in rice opened up by the semi-dwarf rice
varieties.
In 1967 – 68, the government of India stress on institutional changes as well as on
technological changes. Institutional changes cover only land reforms programme.
Technological changes include the use of modern techniques in agriculture such as
use of HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, etc. and introduced a new agricultural
strategy. Under the new agricultural strategy use of hybrid facilities in a new form
(as a package) was stressed to increase agricultural production. This strategy
brought about a spectacular increase in the production of wheat and rice in selected
areas. The new strategy was named as Green revolution because of this
spectacular increase in the production of wheat and rice.

Impact of Green Revolution. The impact of Green Revolution can be studied

under two heads – (i) Economic impact, and (ii) Sociological impact.

I. ECONOMIC IMPACT. The Green Revolution has contributed to (i) agricultural

production, and (ii) agricultural productivity.

1. Increase in Agricultural Production. The direct and major impact of the green
revolution has been a sharp and miraculous increase in agricultural production
mainly in foodgrain production. The returns were very fruitful. Within a span of four
years agricultural production rose by 36 per cent.
Table. Production of different crops (in lakh tonnes)
Years Rice Wheat
1955 – 56 286.5 88.7
1960 – 61 346.9 110.0
1965 – 66 305.9 103.0
1970 – 71 422.3 238.3
1975 – 76 487.4 228.5
1980 – 81 536.3 360.1
1985 – 86 638.2 470.5
1990 – 91 743.0 551.0
1995 – 96 770.0 621.0
1996 - 97 813.0 693.0

Output of all foodgrains has increased after the Green Revolution, but the progress
is the most in wheat production. It was only 103.0 lack tones in 1965 – 66 and rose
to 238.3 i 1970-71, 551 lack tones in 1990-91 and 693 lakh tones in 1996 – 97. It
means, the production of wheat has increased more than 6 times i 1996 – 97 from
 103 lack tones in 1965 – 66 and 2.9 times from 1970 – 71. The production of rice
during the period 1970-71 and 1996 – 97, has increased from 22.3 lakh tones to 813
lakh tones.

2. Increase in Agricultural Productivity. The increase in agricultural production

has resulted from the adoption of intensive agricultural practices.
(a) Productivity measured as yield per hectare has shown a marked
improvement in the case of foodgrain crops.
(b) The productivity increases have showed down since late seventies but rose
during 1980s and 1990s.

II. SOCIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF GREEN REVOLUTION.

1. Personal Inequalities. The green revolution has benefited the big farmers and
widened the gap between rich and poor farmers. The new technology was also
in favour of big farmers. Persons having more land and other resources have
been benefited the most by the green revolution. Small and marginal farmers
have been rather neglected because of the following reasons.
(a) The available evidences suggest that under the impact of new strategy, the
land increased by 50 to 100 per cent and that of labour by 25 to 30 per cent.
A large part of this increase in labour income, of course, increased to
landowners themselves due to their own labour application to the production
process.
(b) The new technology is expensive in nature. It is expensive in the sense that
many inputs (HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, machines, etc.) are to be used
in a package or simultaneously. Whereas, on the other hand, a poor farmer
cannot take advantage of these inputs because of shortage of funds.
(c) The use of new technology requires an expert knowledge of it and of its
proper application. It is not possible to adopt this technology without proper
guidance by the extension staff who have been specially trained for this
purpose.
(d) The risk element in the new technology is very high from the first to the last
operation and requires a careful handling at each stage. If anything gets
wrong, at any stage, the hole crop may get destroyed.

2. Regional Imbalances. Another harmful consequences of green revolution has

been that it has promoted regional inequalities. The main reasons of this
inequality is that the new technology has a package approach and therefore it
could be applied only to those areas where adequate water supply through
irrigational facilities was assured. Thus, the revolution covered only a few north-
western States of Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Western Uttar Pradesh.
The other parts of the country were much too narrowly confined.
3. Unbalanced Cropping Pattern. The Green Revolution in the beginning has
affected only a few crops. Its spread has been uneven in respect of different
crops. Wheat has been benefited the most. Whereas jowar, bajra, maize and
rice are the other crops where some progress has been registered. But the other
crops like jute, cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds have yet to be launched on HYV path
and much research has yet to be accomplished before the new technology
begins to bear fruits in respect of them.

4. Impact of Rural Employment. The labour absorption rate in agriculture differs

from region to region. In region where labour is in abundance, the growth of
output was too slow to generate adequate employment opportunities. In high
growth regions, the labour is in short supply and wage rates are high. The
sudden rise in demand in these areas has induced mechanization and labour
saving practices.