Yojana Magazine August 2023 - 3 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


53 August 2023
ver the last 75 years, indian 
agriculture has scripted a remarkable 
and momentous success story of 
transformation. Beginning with an 
acute shortage of food commodities at the time of 
independence, we are now a proud food surplus 
nation with a rising trend of agri-exports. Looking 
back, india gained freedom under the shadow 
of the devastating Bengal famine (1943-44) 
Struggling with hunger and poverty, the nation drafted its first Five-Year 
plan (1951-56) for development, with the highest priority being to increase 
agricultural production and eliminate hunger. Consequently, agricultural 
production increased, prompting the Government to shift its focus from 
agriculture to industrial growth in the second Five-Year plan. Today, 
India stands tall in the global arena of agriculture with many meritorious 
positions. It is noteworthy that India’s foodgrain production has outpaced 
its population growth. Rising from self-reliance, Indian agriculture is now 
moving forward to become a global powerhouse of agriculture.
in which nearly three million people perished 
due to malnutrition or disease. india’s population 
was subject to an acute food shortage, frequent 
droughts, and famines, and suffered from pervasive 
malnutrition. even though nearly 85 per cent 
of the population lived in villages and derived 
their livelihood from agriculture, the country 
was abysmally short of food grains, mainly due 
to the aversive policies of the British towards 
dr JagdEEp saxEna The author is Former Chief Editor, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. Email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
O
agrICuL ture
a  Journey  from  shortage  to  surpLus
Page 2


53 August 2023
ver the last 75 years, indian 
agriculture has scripted a remarkable 
and momentous success story of 
transformation. Beginning with an 
acute shortage of food commodities at the time of 
independence, we are now a proud food surplus 
nation with a rising trend of agri-exports. Looking 
back, india gained freedom under the shadow 
of the devastating Bengal famine (1943-44) 
Struggling with hunger and poverty, the nation drafted its first Five-Year 
plan (1951-56) for development, with the highest priority being to increase 
agricultural production and eliminate hunger. Consequently, agricultural 
production increased, prompting the Government to shift its focus from 
agriculture to industrial growth in the second Five-Year plan. Today, 
India stands tall in the global arena of agriculture with many meritorious 
positions. It is noteworthy that India’s foodgrain production has outpaced 
its population growth. Rising from self-reliance, Indian agriculture is now 
moving forward to become a global powerhouse of agriculture.
in which nearly three million people perished 
due to malnutrition or disease. india’s population 
was subject to an acute food shortage, frequent 
droughts, and famines, and suffered from pervasive 
malnutrition. even though nearly 85 per cent 
of the population lived in villages and derived 
their livelihood from agriculture, the country 
was abysmally short of food grains, mainly due 
to the aversive policies of the British towards 
dr JagdEEp saxEna The author is Former Chief Editor, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. Email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
O
agrICuL ture
a  Journey  from  shortage  to  surpLus 54 August 2023
farming. During 1950-51, india produced only  
50.82 million metric tonnes of food grains, which 
was not enough to adequately feed the growing 
population and compelled india to beg for 
food grains from the usA and other developed 
economies. successive wars in 1948, 1962, and 
1965, together with recurrent droughts, further 
deteriorated the situation. this grim scenario 
pushed the country into an unprecedented ‘ship-
to-mouth’ existence and also defamed india as 
a ‘begging bowl’ nation. the usA donated large 
quantities of wheat under the PL-480 scheme to 
save millions of indians from hunger. But soon, 
it diminished to a very low level due to strained 
international relations. During this period, a famous 
book, Famine 1975, by William and Paul Paddock 
predicted that millions of indians would starve to 
death in the years to come.
Tales of Transformation 
struggling with hunger and poverty, the 
nation drafted its First Five-Year Plan (1951-56) 
for development, with the highest priority being 
to increase agricultural production and eliminate 
hunger. nearly one-third of total plan funds were 
allocated to agriculture, which drove growth in 
irrigation facilities and fertiliser production in the 
country. consequently, agricultural production 
increased, prompting the government to shift 
its focus from agriculture to industrial growth in 
the second Five-Year Plan (1956-61). Allocation 
to agriculture were also curtailed by 20 per cent. 
During the third Five-Year Plan (1961-66), self-
sufficiency in food grains was one of the priorities, 
but it failed miserably due to chinese aggression 
(1962), the indo-Pak War (1965), and a severe and 
prolonged drought during 1965-66. this led to a 
colossal food crisis in the country. that led to an 
appeal to people to observe a fast once a week. 
People were also advised to widen their food basket 
by including tubers and millets. 
Meanwhile, in Mexico, a scientist, Dr norman 
Borlaug, made a breakthrough by developing 
unique wheat varieties that were semi-dwarf, 
high-yielding, disease-resistant, fast-growing, and 
highly responsive to fertilisers. the government 
of india allowed the import of 18,000 metric 
tonnes of new wheat varieties in 1966. t hese seeds 
were distributed to farmers in Delhi, Haryana, 
and Punjab in 5-kg packs; and simultaneously, 
more than 1000 national demonstrations were 
conducted in farmers’ fields under the leadership 
of Dr Ms s waminathan. Farmers could successfully 
harvest 4-5 tonnes per hectare, in contrast to the 
earlier one tonne per hectare. Farmers adopted the 
new varieties wholeheartedly. in 1968, the nation 
reaped a bumper harvest of 17 million metric 
tonnes of wheat, up from 11 million tonnes in 
1966. t his was the largest leap in wheat production 
ever recorded in the world. t his was termed as the 
‘green r evolution’. this was followed in rice, and 
subsequently, production jumped in other crops 
like sugarcane, cotton, and fruits and vegetables. 
t his laid the foundation for self-sufficiency and now 
we have moved further as a surplus foodgrain nation 
and a net agricultural exporter. to attain this unique 
distinction, scientific skill, political will, and farmers’ 
toil all acted synergistically on a single platform.
india embarked upon a new era of farming 
driven by the application of science and technology 
in the fields. simultaneously, the g overnment 
provided policy support, fund allocations, and 
subsidies to the agriculture sector through various 
specific schemes. As a result, today i ndia stands 
tall in the global arena of agriculture with many 
meritorious positions. india is the world’s largest 
sugar-producing country and holds the second 
position in the production of rice only after china. 
As the second-largest producer of wheat, india 
had a share of around 14.14 per cent in global 
wheat production in 2020. india is also the largest 
producer and consumer of pulses, with a rapid pace 
Page 3


53 August 2023
ver the last 75 years, indian 
agriculture has scripted a remarkable 
and momentous success story of 
transformation. Beginning with an 
acute shortage of food commodities at the time of 
independence, we are now a proud food surplus 
nation with a rising trend of agri-exports. Looking 
back, india gained freedom under the shadow 
of the devastating Bengal famine (1943-44) 
Struggling with hunger and poverty, the nation drafted its first Five-Year 
plan (1951-56) for development, with the highest priority being to increase 
agricultural production and eliminate hunger. Consequently, agricultural 
production increased, prompting the Government to shift its focus from 
agriculture to industrial growth in the second Five-Year plan. Today, 
India stands tall in the global arena of agriculture with many meritorious 
positions. It is noteworthy that India’s foodgrain production has outpaced 
its population growth. Rising from self-reliance, Indian agriculture is now 
moving forward to become a global powerhouse of agriculture.
in which nearly three million people perished 
due to malnutrition or disease. india’s population 
was subject to an acute food shortage, frequent 
droughts, and famines, and suffered from pervasive 
malnutrition. even though nearly 85 per cent 
of the population lived in villages and derived 
their livelihood from agriculture, the country 
was abysmally short of food grains, mainly due 
to the aversive policies of the British towards 
dr JagdEEp saxEna The author is Former Chief Editor, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. Email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
O
agrICuL ture
a  Journey  from  shortage  to  surpLus 54 August 2023
farming. During 1950-51, india produced only  
50.82 million metric tonnes of food grains, which 
was not enough to adequately feed the growing 
population and compelled india to beg for 
food grains from the usA and other developed 
economies. successive wars in 1948, 1962, and 
1965, together with recurrent droughts, further 
deteriorated the situation. this grim scenario 
pushed the country into an unprecedented ‘ship-
to-mouth’ existence and also defamed india as 
a ‘begging bowl’ nation. the usA donated large 
quantities of wheat under the PL-480 scheme to 
save millions of indians from hunger. But soon, 
it diminished to a very low level due to strained 
international relations. During this period, a famous 
book, Famine 1975, by William and Paul Paddock 
predicted that millions of indians would starve to 
death in the years to come.
Tales of Transformation 
struggling with hunger and poverty, the 
nation drafted its First Five-Year Plan (1951-56) 
for development, with the highest priority being 
to increase agricultural production and eliminate 
hunger. nearly one-third of total plan funds were 
allocated to agriculture, which drove growth in 
irrigation facilities and fertiliser production in the 
country. consequently, agricultural production 
increased, prompting the government to shift 
its focus from agriculture to industrial growth in 
the second Five-Year Plan (1956-61). Allocation 
to agriculture were also curtailed by 20 per cent. 
During the third Five-Year Plan (1961-66), self-
sufficiency in food grains was one of the priorities, 
but it failed miserably due to chinese aggression 
(1962), the indo-Pak War (1965), and a severe and 
prolonged drought during 1965-66. this led to a 
colossal food crisis in the country. that led to an 
appeal to people to observe a fast once a week. 
People were also advised to widen their food basket 
by including tubers and millets. 
Meanwhile, in Mexico, a scientist, Dr norman 
Borlaug, made a breakthrough by developing 
unique wheat varieties that were semi-dwarf, 
high-yielding, disease-resistant, fast-growing, and 
highly responsive to fertilisers. the government 
of india allowed the import of 18,000 metric 
tonnes of new wheat varieties in 1966. t hese seeds 
were distributed to farmers in Delhi, Haryana, 
and Punjab in 5-kg packs; and simultaneously, 
more than 1000 national demonstrations were 
conducted in farmers’ fields under the leadership 
of Dr Ms s waminathan. Farmers could successfully 
harvest 4-5 tonnes per hectare, in contrast to the 
earlier one tonne per hectare. Farmers adopted the 
new varieties wholeheartedly. in 1968, the nation 
reaped a bumper harvest of 17 million metric 
tonnes of wheat, up from 11 million tonnes in 
1966. t his was the largest leap in wheat production 
ever recorded in the world. t his was termed as the 
‘green r evolution’. this was followed in rice, and 
subsequently, production jumped in other crops 
like sugarcane, cotton, and fruits and vegetables. 
t his laid the foundation for self-sufficiency and now 
we have moved further as a surplus foodgrain nation 
and a net agricultural exporter. to attain this unique 
distinction, scientific skill, political will, and farmers’ 
toil all acted synergistically on a single platform.
india embarked upon a new era of farming 
driven by the application of science and technology 
in the fields. simultaneously, the g overnment 
provided policy support, fund allocations, and 
subsidies to the agriculture sector through various 
specific schemes. As a result, today i ndia stands 
tall in the global arena of agriculture with many 
meritorious positions. india is the world’s largest 
sugar-producing country and holds the second 
position in the production of rice only after china. 
As the second-largest producer of wheat, india 
had a share of around 14.14 per cent in global 
wheat production in 2020. india is also the largest 
producer and consumer of pulses, with a rapid pace 
55 August 2023
towards self-reliance. As per 
second advance estimates 
(2022-2023), production of 
foodgrains in the country is 
estimated at 323.5 million 
metric tonnes, which is 7.9 
million metric tonnes higher 
than 2021-22. As per the third 
advance estimate, a record 
342.33 million metric tonnes 
of horticultural production are 
estimated in 2021-22, which 
is 7.73 million metric tonnes 
higher than the production of 
2020-21. t he total production 
of sugarcane during 2022-23 
is estimated at a record 468.8 
million metric tonnes, which is 155.3 million 
metric tonnes higher than the average sugarcane 
production. Being deficit crops, oilseeds were given 
a special thrust by launching the national Mission 
on oilseeds and oil Palm during the 12
th
 Five-
Year Plan period. A breakthrough was realised in 
oilseed production by introducing the latest crop 
production technologies and expanding its fields 
in new areas. consequently, oilseed production 
grew to 400 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23 from 
108.30 lakh metric tonnes in 1985-86. From the 
years 2015-16 to 2020-21, the compound annual 
growth rate of production 
was 7.7 per cent. the special 
mustard programme, initiated 
during rabi 2020-21, brought 
the most spectacular result: 
mustard production registered 
an increase of 40 per cent from 
91.24 to 128.18 lakh metric 
tonnes and productivity saw an 
11 per cent increase from 1331 
to 1447 kg per hectare. t he area 
under rapeseed and mustard 
increased by 29 per cent, 
from 68.56 lakh hectares in  
2019-20 to 88.58 lakh hectares 
in 2020-23. t he quantum jump 
in oilseed production is often 
referred to as the ‘Yellow r evolution’ in the annals 
of agriculture in india.
it is noteworthy that india’s foodgrain 
production has outpaced its population growth. 
From 1951 to 2022, foodgrain production 
recorded a compound growth rate of 2.61 per cent 
per annum, whereas the population growth rate 
remained at 1.95 per cent. While the production 
of cereals has surged by almost sevenfold, the 
production of pulses has increased by 3.25 times 
during the same period. the per capita per day 
availability of food grains has increased from 395 
grams in 1951 to 514.5 grams in 2022. t he 
production of horticultural crops (60% 
vegetables, 31% fresh fruits) has recently 
outpaced the production of food grains, 
thus making a strong contribution to the 
nutritional security of the country. Being 
a food surplus nation, the government is 
promoting agri-exports in the interest of 
farmers and ‘agripreneurs’ . As a result, agri 
and allied exports have increased from 
41.86 billion usD in 2020-21 to 50.24 
billion usD in 2021-22, that is, an increase 
of nearly 20 per cent. While celebrating 
the international Year of Millets (2023), 
india is set to become an international 
hub for millets, which have been recently 
named ‘Shree Ann’ . its various promotional 
strategies have increased its production 
to 159 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23, 
while the government has set its target 
to produce 170 lakh metric tonnes in 
To make Indian 
agriculture future-
ready, the Government 
has taken initiatives 
like National Mission on 
Sustainable Agriculture, 
Agri-Tech Infrastructure 
Fund, Paramparagat 
Krishi Vikas Yojana, 
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas 
Yojana on a national 
platform.
Page 4


53 August 2023
ver the last 75 years, indian 
agriculture has scripted a remarkable 
and momentous success story of 
transformation. Beginning with an 
acute shortage of food commodities at the time of 
independence, we are now a proud food surplus 
nation with a rising trend of agri-exports. Looking 
back, india gained freedom under the shadow 
of the devastating Bengal famine (1943-44) 
Struggling with hunger and poverty, the nation drafted its first Five-Year 
plan (1951-56) for development, with the highest priority being to increase 
agricultural production and eliminate hunger. Consequently, agricultural 
production increased, prompting the Government to shift its focus from 
agriculture to industrial growth in the second Five-Year plan. Today, 
India stands tall in the global arena of agriculture with many meritorious 
positions. It is noteworthy that India’s foodgrain production has outpaced 
its population growth. Rising from self-reliance, Indian agriculture is now 
moving forward to become a global powerhouse of agriculture.
in which nearly three million people perished 
due to malnutrition or disease. india’s population 
was subject to an acute food shortage, frequent 
droughts, and famines, and suffered from pervasive 
malnutrition. even though nearly 85 per cent 
of the population lived in villages and derived 
their livelihood from agriculture, the country 
was abysmally short of food grains, mainly due 
to the aversive policies of the British towards 
dr JagdEEp saxEna The author is Former Chief Editor, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. Email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
O
agrICuL ture
a  Journey  from  shortage  to  surpLus 54 August 2023
farming. During 1950-51, india produced only  
50.82 million metric tonnes of food grains, which 
was not enough to adequately feed the growing 
population and compelled india to beg for 
food grains from the usA and other developed 
economies. successive wars in 1948, 1962, and 
1965, together with recurrent droughts, further 
deteriorated the situation. this grim scenario 
pushed the country into an unprecedented ‘ship-
to-mouth’ existence and also defamed india as 
a ‘begging bowl’ nation. the usA donated large 
quantities of wheat under the PL-480 scheme to 
save millions of indians from hunger. But soon, 
it diminished to a very low level due to strained 
international relations. During this period, a famous 
book, Famine 1975, by William and Paul Paddock 
predicted that millions of indians would starve to 
death in the years to come.
Tales of Transformation 
struggling with hunger and poverty, the 
nation drafted its First Five-Year Plan (1951-56) 
for development, with the highest priority being 
to increase agricultural production and eliminate 
hunger. nearly one-third of total plan funds were 
allocated to agriculture, which drove growth in 
irrigation facilities and fertiliser production in the 
country. consequently, agricultural production 
increased, prompting the government to shift 
its focus from agriculture to industrial growth in 
the second Five-Year Plan (1956-61). Allocation 
to agriculture were also curtailed by 20 per cent. 
During the third Five-Year Plan (1961-66), self-
sufficiency in food grains was one of the priorities, 
but it failed miserably due to chinese aggression 
(1962), the indo-Pak War (1965), and a severe and 
prolonged drought during 1965-66. this led to a 
colossal food crisis in the country. that led to an 
appeal to people to observe a fast once a week. 
People were also advised to widen their food basket 
by including tubers and millets. 
Meanwhile, in Mexico, a scientist, Dr norman 
Borlaug, made a breakthrough by developing 
unique wheat varieties that were semi-dwarf, 
high-yielding, disease-resistant, fast-growing, and 
highly responsive to fertilisers. the government 
of india allowed the import of 18,000 metric 
tonnes of new wheat varieties in 1966. t hese seeds 
were distributed to farmers in Delhi, Haryana, 
and Punjab in 5-kg packs; and simultaneously, 
more than 1000 national demonstrations were 
conducted in farmers’ fields under the leadership 
of Dr Ms s waminathan. Farmers could successfully 
harvest 4-5 tonnes per hectare, in contrast to the 
earlier one tonne per hectare. Farmers adopted the 
new varieties wholeheartedly. in 1968, the nation 
reaped a bumper harvest of 17 million metric 
tonnes of wheat, up from 11 million tonnes in 
1966. t his was the largest leap in wheat production 
ever recorded in the world. t his was termed as the 
‘green r evolution’. this was followed in rice, and 
subsequently, production jumped in other crops 
like sugarcane, cotton, and fruits and vegetables. 
t his laid the foundation for self-sufficiency and now 
we have moved further as a surplus foodgrain nation 
and a net agricultural exporter. to attain this unique 
distinction, scientific skill, political will, and farmers’ 
toil all acted synergistically on a single platform.
india embarked upon a new era of farming 
driven by the application of science and technology 
in the fields. simultaneously, the g overnment 
provided policy support, fund allocations, and 
subsidies to the agriculture sector through various 
specific schemes. As a result, today i ndia stands 
tall in the global arena of agriculture with many 
meritorious positions. india is the world’s largest 
sugar-producing country and holds the second 
position in the production of rice only after china. 
As the second-largest producer of wheat, india 
had a share of around 14.14 per cent in global 
wheat production in 2020. india is also the largest 
producer and consumer of pulses, with a rapid pace 
55 August 2023
towards self-reliance. As per 
second advance estimates 
(2022-2023), production of 
foodgrains in the country is 
estimated at 323.5 million 
metric tonnes, which is 7.9 
million metric tonnes higher 
than 2021-22. As per the third 
advance estimate, a record 
342.33 million metric tonnes 
of horticultural production are 
estimated in 2021-22, which 
is 7.73 million metric tonnes 
higher than the production of 
2020-21. t he total production 
of sugarcane during 2022-23 
is estimated at a record 468.8 
million metric tonnes, which is 155.3 million 
metric tonnes higher than the average sugarcane 
production. Being deficit crops, oilseeds were given 
a special thrust by launching the national Mission 
on oilseeds and oil Palm during the 12
th
 Five-
Year Plan period. A breakthrough was realised in 
oilseed production by introducing the latest crop 
production technologies and expanding its fields 
in new areas. consequently, oilseed production 
grew to 400 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23 from 
108.30 lakh metric tonnes in 1985-86. From the 
years 2015-16 to 2020-21, the compound annual 
growth rate of production 
was 7.7 per cent. the special 
mustard programme, initiated 
during rabi 2020-21, brought 
the most spectacular result: 
mustard production registered 
an increase of 40 per cent from 
91.24 to 128.18 lakh metric 
tonnes and productivity saw an 
11 per cent increase from 1331 
to 1447 kg per hectare. t he area 
under rapeseed and mustard 
increased by 29 per cent, 
from 68.56 lakh hectares in  
2019-20 to 88.58 lakh hectares 
in 2020-23. t he quantum jump 
in oilseed production is often 
referred to as the ‘Yellow r evolution’ in the annals 
of agriculture in india.
it is noteworthy that india’s foodgrain 
production has outpaced its population growth. 
From 1951 to 2022, foodgrain production 
recorded a compound growth rate of 2.61 per cent 
per annum, whereas the population growth rate 
remained at 1.95 per cent. While the production 
of cereals has surged by almost sevenfold, the 
production of pulses has increased by 3.25 times 
during the same period. the per capita per day 
availability of food grains has increased from 395 
grams in 1951 to 514.5 grams in 2022. t he 
production of horticultural crops (60% 
vegetables, 31% fresh fruits) has recently 
outpaced the production of food grains, 
thus making a strong contribution to the 
nutritional security of the country. Being 
a food surplus nation, the government is 
promoting agri-exports in the interest of 
farmers and ‘agripreneurs’ . As a result, agri 
and allied exports have increased from 
41.86 billion usD in 2020-21 to 50.24 
billion usD in 2021-22, that is, an increase 
of nearly 20 per cent. While celebrating 
the international Year of Millets (2023), 
india is set to become an international 
hub for millets, which have been recently 
named ‘Shree Ann’ . its various promotional 
strategies have increased its production 
to 159 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23, 
while the government has set its target 
to produce 170 lakh metric tonnes in 
To make Indian 
agriculture future-
ready, the Government 
has taken initiatives 
like National Mission on 
Sustainable Agriculture, 
Agri-Tech Infrastructure 
Fund, Paramparagat 
Krishi Vikas Yojana, 
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas 
Yojana on a national 
platform.
56 August 2023
2023-24. During the covid-19 pandemic, indian 
agriculture exhibited its best by producing record 
foodgrains, which enabled the country to supply 
food to pandemic-hit poor nations.
Spectrum of revolutions
there are many parallels between the green 
revolution and the White revolution, both of 
which have played seminal roles in bringing self-
reliance to food grains and milk, respectively. Just 
like food grains, india was struggling with the 
availability of milk at the time of independence, 
with a mere production of 17 million metric tonnes. 
As our population grew, per capita milk availability 
declined, further pushing the nation into a milk 
crisis. the government had set up dairy schemes 
in metro cities, but a large part of their supply 
was met with commercial imports of milk powder. 
However, a successful milk cooperative was 
functioning in Anand, gujarat, set up on the advice 
of sardar vallabhbhai Patel. in 1964, the national 
Dairy Development Board (nDDB) was set up with 
Dr verghese Kurien as its chief. nDDB launched 
an ambitious programme, operation Flood (oF), 
during the 1970s to make india self-reliant in 
milk production. the oF programme started a 
movement to create a network of village-level milk 
cooperative societies with a robust infrastructure 
for collection, processing, and marketing of milk. 
it introduced modern liquid milk processing plants 
and created a national milk grid for moving milk 
from surplus to deficit areas. t he movement soon 
gathered momentum, and very quickly, milk 
production jumped to satisfactory levels. By 1976, 
regular commercial imports of milk had ceased. 
since then, india has never looked back on milk 
production.
Besides self-reliance, india is the global leader 
in milk production for over a decade, with a total 
production of around 222 million tonnes in  
2021-22. it makes up about 24 per cent of the total 
milk produced worldwide (931 million tonnes), while 
it was only six per cent of world milk production 
way back in 1973. c urrently, india’s milk production 
is growing at the rate of six per cent, whereas the 
global growth rate is around two per cent. the 
average per capita availability of milk worldwide 
is 308 grams, whereas in india it was 444 grams 
in 2022. this success, often referred to as ‘White 
r evolution’ , has transformed the dairy sector into a 
most economically relevant enterprise, especially in 
rural areas. Around 80 million families are getting 
employment directly from the dairy sector, the 
majority of whom are small and marginal farmers, 
and landless households. Milk production in india 
is expected to reach 628 million tonnes in 2047, 
while demand for milk and dairy products is also 
expected to reach 517 million tonnes, which leaves 
111 million tonnes of milk as surplus for export.
Moving to another colour of the spectrum, 
the ‘Blue r evolution’ signifies a surge in fisheries 
production attained after independence. Due 
to consistent efforts and promotional policies, 
india now stands as the second largest fish-
producing country in the world, accounting for 
7.58% of global production. in 1950-51, the total 
fish production was 0.752 million tonnes, which 
has now reached 16.3 million tonnes (2021-22) 
with an annual compound growth rate of 4.42 
per cent. currently, india is also a leading seafood 
exporter in the world. t he fisheries sector provides 
livelihood to about 16 million fishermen and fish 
farmers at the primary level. the government 
of india implemented a notable scheme called 
– ‘Blue revolution’ —integrated Development 
and Management of Fisheries for a period of five 
years (2016-16 to 2019-20). it focused mainly on 
increasing fisheries production and productivity 
in the inland and marine sectors of the country. 
the country has witnessed another revolution in 
the poultry sector by becoming the third-largest 
producer of eggs in the world. often referred to 
Page 5


53 August 2023
ver the last 75 years, indian 
agriculture has scripted a remarkable 
and momentous success story of 
transformation. Beginning with an 
acute shortage of food commodities at the time of 
independence, we are now a proud food surplus 
nation with a rising trend of agri-exports. Looking 
back, india gained freedom under the shadow 
of the devastating Bengal famine (1943-44) 
Struggling with hunger and poverty, the nation drafted its first Five-Year 
plan (1951-56) for development, with the highest priority being to increase 
agricultural production and eliminate hunger. Consequently, agricultural 
production increased, prompting the Government to shift its focus from 
agriculture to industrial growth in the second Five-Year plan. Today, 
India stands tall in the global arena of agriculture with many meritorious 
positions. It is noteworthy that India’s foodgrain production has outpaced 
its population growth. Rising from self-reliance, Indian agriculture is now 
moving forward to become a global powerhouse of agriculture.
in which nearly three million people perished 
due to malnutrition or disease. india’s population 
was subject to an acute food shortage, frequent 
droughts, and famines, and suffered from pervasive 
malnutrition. even though nearly 85 per cent 
of the population lived in villages and derived 
their livelihood from agriculture, the country 
was abysmally short of food grains, mainly due 
to the aversive policies of the British towards 
dr JagdEEp saxEna The author is Former Chief Editor, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. Email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
O
agrICuL ture
a  Journey  from  shortage  to  surpLus 54 August 2023
farming. During 1950-51, india produced only  
50.82 million metric tonnes of food grains, which 
was not enough to adequately feed the growing 
population and compelled india to beg for 
food grains from the usA and other developed 
economies. successive wars in 1948, 1962, and 
1965, together with recurrent droughts, further 
deteriorated the situation. this grim scenario 
pushed the country into an unprecedented ‘ship-
to-mouth’ existence and also defamed india as 
a ‘begging bowl’ nation. the usA donated large 
quantities of wheat under the PL-480 scheme to 
save millions of indians from hunger. But soon, 
it diminished to a very low level due to strained 
international relations. During this period, a famous 
book, Famine 1975, by William and Paul Paddock 
predicted that millions of indians would starve to 
death in the years to come.
Tales of Transformation 
struggling with hunger and poverty, the 
nation drafted its First Five-Year Plan (1951-56) 
for development, with the highest priority being 
to increase agricultural production and eliminate 
hunger. nearly one-third of total plan funds were 
allocated to agriculture, which drove growth in 
irrigation facilities and fertiliser production in the 
country. consequently, agricultural production 
increased, prompting the government to shift 
its focus from agriculture to industrial growth in 
the second Five-Year Plan (1956-61). Allocation 
to agriculture were also curtailed by 20 per cent. 
During the third Five-Year Plan (1961-66), self-
sufficiency in food grains was one of the priorities, 
but it failed miserably due to chinese aggression 
(1962), the indo-Pak War (1965), and a severe and 
prolonged drought during 1965-66. this led to a 
colossal food crisis in the country. that led to an 
appeal to people to observe a fast once a week. 
People were also advised to widen their food basket 
by including tubers and millets. 
Meanwhile, in Mexico, a scientist, Dr norman 
Borlaug, made a breakthrough by developing 
unique wheat varieties that were semi-dwarf, 
high-yielding, disease-resistant, fast-growing, and 
highly responsive to fertilisers. the government 
of india allowed the import of 18,000 metric 
tonnes of new wheat varieties in 1966. t hese seeds 
were distributed to farmers in Delhi, Haryana, 
and Punjab in 5-kg packs; and simultaneously, 
more than 1000 national demonstrations were 
conducted in farmers’ fields under the leadership 
of Dr Ms s waminathan. Farmers could successfully 
harvest 4-5 tonnes per hectare, in contrast to the 
earlier one tonne per hectare. Farmers adopted the 
new varieties wholeheartedly. in 1968, the nation 
reaped a bumper harvest of 17 million metric 
tonnes of wheat, up from 11 million tonnes in 
1966. t his was the largest leap in wheat production 
ever recorded in the world. t his was termed as the 
‘green r evolution’. this was followed in rice, and 
subsequently, production jumped in other crops 
like sugarcane, cotton, and fruits and vegetables. 
t his laid the foundation for self-sufficiency and now 
we have moved further as a surplus foodgrain nation 
and a net agricultural exporter. to attain this unique 
distinction, scientific skill, political will, and farmers’ 
toil all acted synergistically on a single platform.
india embarked upon a new era of farming 
driven by the application of science and technology 
in the fields. simultaneously, the g overnment 
provided policy support, fund allocations, and 
subsidies to the agriculture sector through various 
specific schemes. As a result, today i ndia stands 
tall in the global arena of agriculture with many 
meritorious positions. india is the world’s largest 
sugar-producing country and holds the second 
position in the production of rice only after china. 
As the second-largest producer of wheat, india 
had a share of around 14.14 per cent in global 
wheat production in 2020. india is also the largest 
producer and consumer of pulses, with a rapid pace 
55 August 2023
towards self-reliance. As per 
second advance estimates 
(2022-2023), production of 
foodgrains in the country is 
estimated at 323.5 million 
metric tonnes, which is 7.9 
million metric tonnes higher 
than 2021-22. As per the third 
advance estimate, a record 
342.33 million metric tonnes 
of horticultural production are 
estimated in 2021-22, which 
is 7.73 million metric tonnes 
higher than the production of 
2020-21. t he total production 
of sugarcane during 2022-23 
is estimated at a record 468.8 
million metric tonnes, which is 155.3 million 
metric tonnes higher than the average sugarcane 
production. Being deficit crops, oilseeds were given 
a special thrust by launching the national Mission 
on oilseeds and oil Palm during the 12
th
 Five-
Year Plan period. A breakthrough was realised in 
oilseed production by introducing the latest crop 
production technologies and expanding its fields 
in new areas. consequently, oilseed production 
grew to 400 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23 from 
108.30 lakh metric tonnes in 1985-86. From the 
years 2015-16 to 2020-21, the compound annual 
growth rate of production 
was 7.7 per cent. the special 
mustard programme, initiated 
during rabi 2020-21, brought 
the most spectacular result: 
mustard production registered 
an increase of 40 per cent from 
91.24 to 128.18 lakh metric 
tonnes and productivity saw an 
11 per cent increase from 1331 
to 1447 kg per hectare. t he area 
under rapeseed and mustard 
increased by 29 per cent, 
from 68.56 lakh hectares in  
2019-20 to 88.58 lakh hectares 
in 2020-23. t he quantum jump 
in oilseed production is often 
referred to as the ‘Yellow r evolution’ in the annals 
of agriculture in india.
it is noteworthy that india’s foodgrain 
production has outpaced its population growth. 
From 1951 to 2022, foodgrain production 
recorded a compound growth rate of 2.61 per cent 
per annum, whereas the population growth rate 
remained at 1.95 per cent. While the production 
of cereals has surged by almost sevenfold, the 
production of pulses has increased by 3.25 times 
during the same period. the per capita per day 
availability of food grains has increased from 395 
grams in 1951 to 514.5 grams in 2022. t he 
production of horticultural crops (60% 
vegetables, 31% fresh fruits) has recently 
outpaced the production of food grains, 
thus making a strong contribution to the 
nutritional security of the country. Being 
a food surplus nation, the government is 
promoting agri-exports in the interest of 
farmers and ‘agripreneurs’ . As a result, agri 
and allied exports have increased from 
41.86 billion usD in 2020-21 to 50.24 
billion usD in 2021-22, that is, an increase 
of nearly 20 per cent. While celebrating 
the international Year of Millets (2023), 
india is set to become an international 
hub for millets, which have been recently 
named ‘Shree Ann’ . its various promotional 
strategies have increased its production 
to 159 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23, 
while the government has set its target 
to produce 170 lakh metric tonnes in 
To make Indian 
agriculture future-
ready, the Government 
has taken initiatives 
like National Mission on 
Sustainable Agriculture, 
Agri-Tech Infrastructure 
Fund, Paramparagat 
Krishi Vikas Yojana, 
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas 
Yojana on a national 
platform.
56 August 2023
2023-24. During the covid-19 pandemic, indian 
agriculture exhibited its best by producing record 
foodgrains, which enabled the country to supply 
food to pandemic-hit poor nations.
Spectrum of revolutions
there are many parallels between the green 
revolution and the White revolution, both of 
which have played seminal roles in bringing self-
reliance to food grains and milk, respectively. Just 
like food grains, india was struggling with the 
availability of milk at the time of independence, 
with a mere production of 17 million metric tonnes. 
As our population grew, per capita milk availability 
declined, further pushing the nation into a milk 
crisis. the government had set up dairy schemes 
in metro cities, but a large part of their supply 
was met with commercial imports of milk powder. 
However, a successful milk cooperative was 
functioning in Anand, gujarat, set up on the advice 
of sardar vallabhbhai Patel. in 1964, the national 
Dairy Development Board (nDDB) was set up with 
Dr verghese Kurien as its chief. nDDB launched 
an ambitious programme, operation Flood (oF), 
during the 1970s to make india self-reliant in 
milk production. the oF programme started a 
movement to create a network of village-level milk 
cooperative societies with a robust infrastructure 
for collection, processing, and marketing of milk. 
it introduced modern liquid milk processing plants 
and created a national milk grid for moving milk 
from surplus to deficit areas. t he movement soon 
gathered momentum, and very quickly, milk 
production jumped to satisfactory levels. By 1976, 
regular commercial imports of milk had ceased. 
since then, india has never looked back on milk 
production.
Besides self-reliance, india is the global leader 
in milk production for over a decade, with a total 
production of around 222 million tonnes in  
2021-22. it makes up about 24 per cent of the total 
milk produced worldwide (931 million tonnes), while 
it was only six per cent of world milk production 
way back in 1973. c urrently, india’s milk production 
is growing at the rate of six per cent, whereas the 
global growth rate is around two per cent. the 
average per capita availability of milk worldwide 
is 308 grams, whereas in india it was 444 grams 
in 2022. this success, often referred to as ‘White 
r evolution’ , has transformed the dairy sector into a 
most economically relevant enterprise, especially in 
rural areas. Around 80 million families are getting 
employment directly from the dairy sector, the 
majority of whom are small and marginal farmers, 
and landless households. Milk production in india 
is expected to reach 628 million tonnes in 2047, 
while demand for milk and dairy products is also 
expected to reach 517 million tonnes, which leaves 
111 million tonnes of milk as surplus for export.
Moving to another colour of the spectrum, 
the ‘Blue r evolution’ signifies a surge in fisheries 
production attained after independence. Due 
to consistent efforts and promotional policies, 
india now stands as the second largest fish-
producing country in the world, accounting for 
7.58% of global production. in 1950-51, the total 
fish production was 0.752 million tonnes, which 
has now reached 16.3 million tonnes (2021-22) 
with an annual compound growth rate of 4.42 
per cent. currently, india is also a leading seafood 
exporter in the world. t he fisheries sector provides 
livelihood to about 16 million fishermen and fish 
farmers at the primary level. the government 
of india implemented a notable scheme called 
– ‘Blue revolution’ —integrated Development 
and Management of Fisheries for a period of five 
years (2016-16 to 2019-20). it focused mainly on 
increasing fisheries production and productivity 
in the inland and marine sectors of the country. 
the country has witnessed another revolution in 
the poultry sector by becoming the third-largest 
producer of eggs in the world. often referred to 
57 August 2023
as the ‘silver r evolution’, the country is currently 
producing 1,29,600 million eggs (2021-22), while  
it was 1,832 million during 1950-51. 
Way Forward
the agriculture sector is experiencing 
several challenges in the form of climate change, 
deteriorating natural resources, low fertility 
and low productivity, and increasing demand 
for quality produce. to address such challenges 
and make indian agriculture future-ready, the 
government has taken initiatives like national 
Mission on sustainable Agriculture, Agri-tech 
infrastructure Fund, Paramparagat Krishi vikas 
Yojana, r ashtriya Krishi vikas Yojana on a national 
platform. such initiatives are promoting the 
application of science and technology in fields 
and farms with infrastructure support and 
market linkages to increase productivity and 
profitability. While natural farming is the new 
mantra, emerging technologies such as drones, 
remote sensing, precision agriculture, and it 
applications are also finding their way into 
modern agriculture. As a recent phenomenon, 
agri-startups are providing farm solutions to 
farmers, mostly on a real-time basis, by employing 
digital tools and innovations. various digital 
initiatives are also supporting farmers in the 
fields to increase efficiency and lower the cost of 
cultivation. t o enhance the income of farmers, the 
government has taken several initiatives across 
the agriculture and allied sectors spectrum. From 
direct financial support to crop insurance and 
institutional credit, farmers are at the core of 
income-enhancing schemes. under the national 
Agriculture Market national Agriculture Market 
(enAM)  initiative, markets across the nation are 
now enabling farmers to get the best prices for 
their produce. r ising from self-reliance, indian 
agriculture is now moving forward to become a 
global powerhouse of agriculture.                          ?