EFFECT OF GREEN REVOLUTION

Ø  INDIAN ECONOMY
GREEN REVOLUTION 2
EFFECTS
EVALUATION
SUGGESTION
SHASHI AGGARWAL ECONOMICS AND LAW CLASSES

Ø  EFFECT OF GREEN REVOLUTION

ØINCREASE IN PRODUCTION:_FOOD GRAINS OUT PUT FROM 81 MILLION TONNES IN THIRD PLAN TO 203 MILLION TONNES IN THE NINTH PLAN AND  FURTHER 212 MILLION TONNES IN 2003-2004. IT WAS RESTRICTED TO WHEAT,RICE,JOWAR,BAJRA AND MAIZE.

◦     WHEAT'S PRODUCTION INCREASING FROM 11.1 MILLION TONNES TO 72.1 MILLION TONNES IN 2003-2004. THE OVERALL CONTRIBUTION OF WHEAT TO TOTAL FEED GRAINS HAS INCREASED FROM 13 % IN 1950-51 TO 34 % IN 2003-2004.

◦     RICE ‘S PRODUCTION ROSE FROM 35.1 MILLION TONNES TO 87.3 MILLION TONNES IN THE NINTH PLAN

ØSCIENTFIC CULTIVATION:-TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE INPUTS AND PRACTICES WERE REPLACED BY NEW AND SCIENTIFIC METHODS. INSTEAD OF FARM SEEDS,HYV SEEDS WERE USED. TRADITIONAL FERTILIZERS WAS REPLACED BY CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS.

Ø  CAPITALISTIC FARMING:-GREEN REVOLUTION HAS ENCOURAGED CAPITALISTIC FARMING.

Ø  EFFECT ON RURAL EMPLOYMENT:-DEMAND FOR LABOUR HAS GONE DOWN WITH THE INCREASING USE OF TRACTORS AND OTHER MACHINES. BUT DUE TO MULTIPLE CROPPING AND INCREASING USE OF FERTILIZERS DEMAND FOR LABORERS INCREASED.

Ø  PROSPERITY OF FARMERS:-HAS IMPROVED THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF THE FARMERS. STANDARD OF LIVING IMPROVED AND DEMAND FOR CONSUMER GOODS HAS ALSO INCREASED.

Ø  CHANGE IN CROPPING PATTERN:-TWO CHANGES ARE SIGNIFICANT.

1. PROPORTION OF CEREALS IN THE FOOD GRAINS OUTPUT INCREASED AND PROPORTION OF PULSES DECREASED
2. PROPORTION OF WHEAT HAS INCREASED BUT COARSE GRAINS DECLINED

Ø  REDUCTION IN IMPORTS OF FOOD GRAINS

Ø  DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIES:-INDUSTRIES MANUFACTURING AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS HAVE DEVELOPED. LARGE SCALE UNITS SET UP FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TRACTORS,HARVESTERS,THRESHERS ETC

Ø  BASE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH:-IN COUNTRY LIKE INDIA WHERE CONTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURE WAS 17.2 PER CENT AND10.3 PER SENT OF THE TOTAL EXPORTS WERE 10.3 ARE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT. AGRICULTURE PLAYS VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN ECONOMIC GROWTH.

Ø  EFFECT ON CONSUMERS:-ACCORDING TO NATIONAL SAMPLE SURVEY 55% OF INCOME WAS SPENT IN FOOD PRODUCT IN RURAL AREA AND 43% IN URBAN AREA IN 2006 -2007. FALL IN PRICES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT HAS HELPED THE PEOPLE TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET AND RAISING OF STANDARD OF LIVING.

Ø  CHANGE IN THINKING:-IN AN UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRY LIKE INDIA WHERE MOST OF THE FARMERS ARE ILLITERATE AND BELIEVE IN FATE. GREEN REVOLUTION HAS CHANGED THEIR MIND SET.

Ø  EFFECT ON PLANNING:-GREEN REVOLUTION HAS MADE A DEEP IMPACT ON INDIAN PLANNING BECAUSE OF SHARP DECLINE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION DURING THIRD PLAN.LAUNCHING OF THE FOURTH PLAN WHICH WAS DUE IN 1966-67 HAD TO BE POSTPONED FOR THREE YEARS. GREEN REVOLUTION HAD A GREAT IMPACT ON THE FORMULATION OF FOURTH PLAN.

Ø  IT HAS HELPED IN CHECKING THE TENDENCY OF RISE IN PRICES

Ø  IT ALSO LED TO INCREASE IN TRADE

Ø  EVALUATION OF GREEN REVOLUTION

Ø  ARGUMENT AGAINST GREEN REVOLUTION:-

1.     LIMITED AREA:- EFFECT OF GREEN REVOLUTION HAS NOT BEEN UNIFORM ON ALL STATES. IN SOME STATES LIKE PUNJAB,HARYANA,MAHARASHTRA HAS FAVORABLE IMPACT.IT LED TO REGIONAL IMBALANCES.

2.     LIMITED CROPS:-HAS AFFECT MAINLY PRODUCTION OF WHEAT,RICE JOWAR ,MAIZE ETC. NO INCREASE IN THE PRODUCTION OF PULSES. 60% OF CULTIVABLE LAND IN COUNTRY REMAINS UNAFFECTED.

3.     BENEFITS TO BIG FARMERS ONLY

4.     POSITION OF LANDLESS AGRICULTURAL LABORER IS LIKELY TO BECOME MISERABLE. DUE TO MECHANIZATION UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASED.

5.     INCREASE IN ECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN VILLAGES

6.     BLACK MARKETING OF FARM INPUTS

7.     NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN IRRIGATION FACILITY: ONLY 42,6% OF LAND IS COVERED UNDER IRRIGATION

8.     LESS GROWTH OF AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION: 1970-71 IT WAS 2.8%,DECREASED TO 2.5 IN 1980-81 AND IN TENTH PLAN IT WAS 2.5%

Ø  ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF GREEN REVOLUTION

1.     NOT ONLY THE RICH FARMERS  ARE BENEFITED: INITIALLY IT BENEFITED TO RICH FARMERS BUT LATER ON OTHER FARMERS ALSO TOOK BENEFIT OF IT. 60% OF BENEFICIARIES OF THE GREEN REVOLUTION WAS THE POOR FARMERS

2.     THE ARGUMENT THAT GREEN REVOLUTION WILL LEAD TO VARIOUS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES WERE WRONG.AS A MATTER OF FACT THESE INEQUALITIES DO EXIST IN RURAL SOCIETIES.

3.     THE ARGUMENT THAT GREEN REVOLUTION WILL SPREAD UNEMPLOYMENT IS ALSO NOT VALID. UNEMPLOYMENT IN RURAL AREA IS CHRONIC AND IS IRRESPECTIVE OF GREEN REVOLUTION. RAPID RATE OF POPULATION GROWTH IS THE MAIN REASON

4.     FALSE FEAR OF OVER PRODUCTION AND FEAR OF FALL IN PRICE.

◦     CONCLUSION:-OBJECTIVE OF GREEN REVOLUTION IS TO FEED PROPERLY FEED MILLIONS OF UNDER FED PEOPLE IN INDIA AND INCREASE THE PACE THE RATE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH.

◦     SUGGESTION

◦     WIDER AREA:- PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO OTHER CROPS LIKE CASH CROPS ALSO

◦     FACILITIES OF IRRIGATION SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO LARGE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY

◦     THE BENEFITS CAN BE GIVEN TO FARMERS

◦      BY ENFORCING OF LAND REFORM AT THE EARLIEST AND PROVIDING CHEAP FACILITIES AND ALSO PROVIDING AGRICULTURAL MACHINES ON LEASE

◦     MULTIPLE CROPPING

◦     BY ADOPTING INTEGRATED FARMING

◦     PROMOTING AGRICULTURAL AND EDUCATION

◦     BY USING LABOUR INTENSIVE TECHNIQUE