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

 Page 1


49 OctOber 2023
aGrI InfraSTrucTure
he Covid-19 pandemic during 2020-
2021 brought challenges to food 
security for millions of people world-
wide due to supply-chain disruptions 
and affordability. However, the Government of 
India had taken necessary measures to protect the 
vulnerable section of the people of India from the 
food insecurity concern. 
Attaining self-sufficiency in foodgrain production has been one of the 
greatest achievements of Indian agriculture since Independence. India has 
graduated from a food-deficit, foodgrain-importing country in 1950s & 
1960s to a surplus-generating and leading exporting country, particularly 
in case of rice and wheat. This transformation was possible through ‘Green 
Revolution’, with the adoption of high-yielding varieties and other inputs 
and favourable government policies, such as Minimum Support Prices 
and procurement. Today, India is one of the largest producers of many 
agricultural commodities in the world, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, 
spices, sugarcane and cotton. 
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann 
Yojana (PMGKAY), the Government of India doubled 
the food entitlement from 5 kg per person per 
month to 10 kg per person per month to 80 crore 
people who are covered under the National Food 
Security Act (NFSA) - from April 2020 to December 
2022. Nearly 104.3 million metric tonnes of food 
grains were distributed from the central food stock in 
saikat sarkar
kaViarasan k the author is Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi. email: saikat.dgcis@nic.in
the author is deputy economic Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi.email: kaviarasan13@nic.in
T
Page 2


49 OctOber 2023
aGrI InfraSTrucTure
he Covid-19 pandemic during 2020-
2021 brought challenges to food 
security for millions of people world-
wide due to supply-chain disruptions 
and affordability. However, the Government of 
India had taken necessary measures to protect the 
vulnerable section of the people of India from the 
food insecurity concern. 
Attaining self-sufficiency in foodgrain production has been one of the 
greatest achievements of Indian agriculture since Independence. India has 
graduated from a food-deficit, foodgrain-importing country in 1950s & 
1960s to a surplus-generating and leading exporting country, particularly 
in case of rice and wheat. This transformation was possible through ‘Green 
Revolution’, with the adoption of high-yielding varieties and other inputs 
and favourable government policies, such as Minimum Support Prices 
and procurement. Today, India is one of the largest producers of many 
agricultural commodities in the world, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, 
spices, sugarcane and cotton. 
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann 
Yojana (PMGKAY), the Government of India doubled 
the food entitlement from 5 kg per person per 
month to 10 kg per person per month to 80 crore 
people who are covered under the National Food 
Security Act (NFSA) - from April 2020 to December 
2022. Nearly 104.3 million metric tonnes of food 
grains were distributed from the central food stock in 
saikat sarkar
kaViarasan k the author is Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi. email: saikat.dgcis@nic.in
the author is deputy economic Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi.email: kaviarasan13@nic.in
T
50 OctOber 2023
addition to the regular NFSA during the mentioned 
period. India also exported 19.83 million metric 
tonnes of rice per year on average during the 2020-
21 to 2022-23 period. This shows India’s capacity 
today not only to meet the food requirements of its 
own population but also to contribute substantially 
to world food security. 
This was not the situation in the 1950s and 
1960s. Food shortages and deficits were then a great 
concern, which impacted the food security of India. 
India met its deficit through regular imports, mainly 
of wheat. With a continuous drought for three years, 
from 1964 to 1966, the import of wheat reached 
its highest level of 7.78 million metric tonnes in 
1966. The imported quantity was to the extent of 
75% of the domestic wheat production of 10.32 
million metric tonnes in 1965-66. This also included 
wheat imported under PL480 from the United 
States of America. This was even popularly called a  
‘ship-to-mouth’ situation. At this juncture, India 
started ‘Green Revolution’ , through the introduction 
of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice. With 
favourable government policies and enabling 
agricultural research to release new varieties, the 
farmers responded well in such a short period 
that wheat production more than doubled to  
26.41 million metrictonnes in 1971-72 and rice 
production went up to 43.07 million metric tonnes 
from 30.59 million metrictonnes in 1965-66. With 
this increased production of cereals, India’s import of 
wheat started declining, and it approached its floor 
from the mid-1980s onwards, except for a few years. 
Actually, India started exporting rice, particularly 
from the year 2000 onwards, and became the top 
exporter in recent years, enjoying around a 40% share 
of global rice exports. This surplus food production is 
Independent India’s great achievement. 
t rends in a gricultural production
The overall food grain production (cereals plus 
pulses) rose from 51 MT in 1950-51 to over 330 MT 
in 2022-23. Since 1950-51, the production of food 
grains has increased over by 6.5 times and that of 
fruits and vegetables by 12 times, thus making a 
visible and salutary impact on national food and 
nutritional security. 
Among cereals, the production of rice and 
wheat, in particular, increased manifold between 
1950-51 and 2022-23. Irrigation and power 
infrastructure had substantially improved over the 
period, enabled the timely supply of much-needed 
t able 1. a rea and production of major crops during 1950-51 and 2022-23
a rea (million hectares) production (million tonnes)
1950-51 2022-23* t imes  
increase
1950-51 2022-23* t imes  
increase
Foodgrains 97.32 132.2 1.36 50.82 330.53 6.50
Cereals 77.42 103.07 1.33 42.41 303 7.14
Rice 30.81 47.66 1.55 20.58 135.54 6.59
Wheat 9.75 31.82 3.26 6.46 112.74 17.45
Coarse cereals/Millets 37.67 23.58 0.63 15.38 55.95 3.64
Pulses 19.09 29.13 1.53 8.41 27.5 3.27
oilseeds 10.73 30.09 2.80 5.16 40.99 7.94
Note: * 3
rd
 Advance Estimates 
Page 3


49 OctOber 2023
aGrI InfraSTrucTure
he Covid-19 pandemic during 2020-
2021 brought challenges to food 
security for millions of people world-
wide due to supply-chain disruptions 
and affordability. However, the Government of 
India had taken necessary measures to protect the 
vulnerable section of the people of India from the 
food insecurity concern. 
Attaining self-sufficiency in foodgrain production has been one of the 
greatest achievements of Indian agriculture since Independence. India has 
graduated from a food-deficit, foodgrain-importing country in 1950s & 
1960s to a surplus-generating and leading exporting country, particularly 
in case of rice and wheat. This transformation was possible through ‘Green 
Revolution’, with the adoption of high-yielding varieties and other inputs 
and favourable government policies, such as Minimum Support Prices 
and procurement. Today, India is one of the largest producers of many 
agricultural commodities in the world, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, 
spices, sugarcane and cotton. 
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann 
Yojana (PMGKAY), the Government of India doubled 
the food entitlement from 5 kg per person per 
month to 10 kg per person per month to 80 crore 
people who are covered under the National Food 
Security Act (NFSA) - from April 2020 to December 
2022. Nearly 104.3 million metric tonnes of food 
grains were distributed from the central food stock in 
saikat sarkar
kaViarasan k the author is Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi. email: saikat.dgcis@nic.in
the author is deputy economic Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi.email: kaviarasan13@nic.in
T
50 OctOber 2023
addition to the regular NFSA during the mentioned 
period. India also exported 19.83 million metric 
tonnes of rice per year on average during the 2020-
21 to 2022-23 period. This shows India’s capacity 
today not only to meet the food requirements of its 
own population but also to contribute substantially 
to world food security. 
This was not the situation in the 1950s and 
1960s. Food shortages and deficits were then a great 
concern, which impacted the food security of India. 
India met its deficit through regular imports, mainly 
of wheat. With a continuous drought for three years, 
from 1964 to 1966, the import of wheat reached 
its highest level of 7.78 million metric tonnes in 
1966. The imported quantity was to the extent of 
75% of the domestic wheat production of 10.32 
million metric tonnes in 1965-66. This also included 
wheat imported under PL480 from the United 
States of America. This was even popularly called a  
‘ship-to-mouth’ situation. At this juncture, India 
started ‘Green Revolution’ , through the introduction 
of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice. With 
favourable government policies and enabling 
agricultural research to release new varieties, the 
farmers responded well in such a short period 
that wheat production more than doubled to  
26.41 million metrictonnes in 1971-72 and rice 
production went up to 43.07 million metric tonnes 
from 30.59 million metrictonnes in 1965-66. With 
this increased production of cereals, India’s import of 
wheat started declining, and it approached its floor 
from the mid-1980s onwards, except for a few years. 
Actually, India started exporting rice, particularly 
from the year 2000 onwards, and became the top 
exporter in recent years, enjoying around a 40% share 
of global rice exports. This surplus food production is 
Independent India’s great achievement. 
t rends in a gricultural production
The overall food grain production (cereals plus 
pulses) rose from 51 MT in 1950-51 to over 330 MT 
in 2022-23. Since 1950-51, the production of food 
grains has increased over by 6.5 times and that of 
fruits and vegetables by 12 times, thus making a 
visible and salutary impact on national food and 
nutritional security. 
Among cereals, the production of rice and 
wheat, in particular, increased manifold between 
1950-51 and 2022-23. Irrigation and power 
infrastructure had substantially improved over the 
period, enabled the timely supply of much-needed 
t able 1. a rea and production of major crops during 1950-51 and 2022-23
a rea (million hectares) production (million tonnes)
1950-51 2022-23* t imes  
increase
1950-51 2022-23* t imes  
increase
Foodgrains 97.32 132.2 1.36 50.82 330.53 6.50
Cereals 77.42 103.07 1.33 42.41 303 7.14
Rice 30.81 47.66 1.55 20.58 135.54 6.59
Wheat 9.75 31.82 3.26 6.46 112.74 17.45
Coarse cereals/Millets 37.67 23.58 0.63 15.38 55.95 3.64
Pulses 19.09 29.13 1.53 8.41 27.5 3.27
oilseeds 10.73 30.09 2.80 5.16 40.99 7.94
Note: * 3
rd
 Advance Estimates 
51 OctOber 2023
moisture to crops. This reduced crop failure due to 
the vagaries of the monsoon as compared to the 
1950s and 1960s. Further, it facilitated intensive 
cultivation and the application of modern inputs 
such as high-yielding varieties, fertilisers, and 
pesticides. There was enhanced price stability due 
to Minimum Support Prices and large procurements 
by government agencies. Coarse cereals and millets 
production increased to 55 MT in 2022-23, as 
compared to 15.38 MT in 1950-51. Pearl millet (Bajra) 
and Sorghum (Jowar) were the two major millets 
grown in the 1950s. However, the area of cultivation 
under these crops declined over the same period 
on account of reduced demand due to a shift in 
consumers’preferences towards rice and wheat, low 
yields, and lower profitability. At present, half of the 
coarse cereal production consists of maize, whose 
production has increased, thanks to high demand 
from the poultry industry. Realising environmental 
and health benefits of millets, the Government of 
India has given new impetus to millet cultivation. on 
India’s proposal, the United Nations has declared the 
year 2023 the ‘International Year of Millets’ .
Pulses are an important source of protein for the 
Indian population, particularly vegetarians. India 
is the largest producer and consumer of pulses. 
Among the many types of pulses grown in India, the 
major ones are chickpeas (chana), redgram (arhar), 
green gram (moong), black gram (urad), and lentil 
(masur). The overall pulse production has gone up 
from 8.4 MT in 1950-51 to 27 Mt in 2022-23. Chana 
has been the major source of growth in the recent 
past, and it comprises nearly 50% of the total amount 
of pulses produced. As pulses production has not 
increased in step with the population growth, per 
capita availability has declined from 22.1 kg per 
person in 1951 to 16.4 kg per person in 2022. Though 
there is surplus production of chana, the imperfect 
substitution among pulses and limited international 
availability to bridge the demand gap through 
imports put pressure on the prices of some pulses. 
To attain self-sufficiency, the Government of India 
continues to adopt various measures to incentivise 
pulses production under National Food Security 
Mission, Minimum Support Price programmes, and 
by increasing procurement. 
India is dependent on edible oil imports to meet 
its domestic demand. The import dependency in FY 
2022-23 was around 55% of the total requirement. 
There was near self-sufficiency in the initial years 
of the 1970s and import dependence was just 
3%. However, this figure had gone up to over 30% 
from the mid-1970s to 1987-88 due to a shortfall 
in domestic production. The Government of India 
implemented the Technology Mission on oilseeds 
in 1986 to increase domestic production. As a result, 
the dependence had declined to just 2% in 1993-94. 
However, the WTo agreement in 1995 put the edible 
oils under the open General Licence, which led to a 
jump in cheap imports. Though duty was imposed 
to protect domestic production from cheap imports, 
it was frequently kept at a low level during years 
Page 4


49 OctOber 2023
aGrI InfraSTrucTure
he Covid-19 pandemic during 2020-
2021 brought challenges to food 
security for millions of people world-
wide due to supply-chain disruptions 
and affordability. However, the Government of 
India had taken necessary measures to protect the 
vulnerable section of the people of India from the 
food insecurity concern. 
Attaining self-sufficiency in foodgrain production has been one of the 
greatest achievements of Indian agriculture since Independence. India has 
graduated from a food-deficit, foodgrain-importing country in 1950s & 
1960s to a surplus-generating and leading exporting country, particularly 
in case of rice and wheat. This transformation was possible through ‘Green 
Revolution’, with the adoption of high-yielding varieties and other inputs 
and favourable government policies, such as Minimum Support Prices 
and procurement. Today, India is one of the largest producers of many 
agricultural commodities in the world, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, 
spices, sugarcane and cotton. 
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann 
Yojana (PMGKAY), the Government of India doubled 
the food entitlement from 5 kg per person per 
month to 10 kg per person per month to 80 crore 
people who are covered under the National Food 
Security Act (NFSA) - from April 2020 to December 
2022. Nearly 104.3 million metric tonnes of food 
grains were distributed from the central food stock in 
saikat sarkar
kaViarasan k the author is Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi. email: saikat.dgcis@nic.in
the author is deputy economic Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi.email: kaviarasan13@nic.in
T
50 OctOber 2023
addition to the regular NFSA during the mentioned 
period. India also exported 19.83 million metric 
tonnes of rice per year on average during the 2020-
21 to 2022-23 period. This shows India’s capacity 
today not only to meet the food requirements of its 
own population but also to contribute substantially 
to world food security. 
This was not the situation in the 1950s and 
1960s. Food shortages and deficits were then a great 
concern, which impacted the food security of India. 
India met its deficit through regular imports, mainly 
of wheat. With a continuous drought for three years, 
from 1964 to 1966, the import of wheat reached 
its highest level of 7.78 million metric tonnes in 
1966. The imported quantity was to the extent of 
75% of the domestic wheat production of 10.32 
million metric tonnes in 1965-66. This also included 
wheat imported under PL480 from the United 
States of America. This was even popularly called a  
‘ship-to-mouth’ situation. At this juncture, India 
started ‘Green Revolution’ , through the introduction 
of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice. With 
favourable government policies and enabling 
agricultural research to release new varieties, the 
farmers responded well in such a short period 
that wheat production more than doubled to  
26.41 million metrictonnes in 1971-72 and rice 
production went up to 43.07 million metric tonnes 
from 30.59 million metrictonnes in 1965-66. With 
this increased production of cereals, India’s import of 
wheat started declining, and it approached its floor 
from the mid-1980s onwards, except for a few years. 
Actually, India started exporting rice, particularly 
from the year 2000 onwards, and became the top 
exporter in recent years, enjoying around a 40% share 
of global rice exports. This surplus food production is 
Independent India’s great achievement. 
t rends in a gricultural production
The overall food grain production (cereals plus 
pulses) rose from 51 MT in 1950-51 to over 330 MT 
in 2022-23. Since 1950-51, the production of food 
grains has increased over by 6.5 times and that of 
fruits and vegetables by 12 times, thus making a 
visible and salutary impact on national food and 
nutritional security. 
Among cereals, the production of rice and 
wheat, in particular, increased manifold between 
1950-51 and 2022-23. Irrigation and power 
infrastructure had substantially improved over the 
period, enabled the timely supply of much-needed 
t able 1. a rea and production of major crops during 1950-51 and 2022-23
a rea (million hectares) production (million tonnes)
1950-51 2022-23* t imes  
increase
1950-51 2022-23* t imes  
increase
Foodgrains 97.32 132.2 1.36 50.82 330.53 6.50
Cereals 77.42 103.07 1.33 42.41 303 7.14
Rice 30.81 47.66 1.55 20.58 135.54 6.59
Wheat 9.75 31.82 3.26 6.46 112.74 17.45
Coarse cereals/Millets 37.67 23.58 0.63 15.38 55.95 3.64
Pulses 19.09 29.13 1.53 8.41 27.5 3.27
oilseeds 10.73 30.09 2.80 5.16 40.99 7.94
Note: * 3
rd
 Advance Estimates 
51 OctOber 2023
moisture to crops. This reduced crop failure due to 
the vagaries of the monsoon as compared to the 
1950s and 1960s. Further, it facilitated intensive 
cultivation and the application of modern inputs 
such as high-yielding varieties, fertilisers, and 
pesticides. There was enhanced price stability due 
to Minimum Support Prices and large procurements 
by government agencies. Coarse cereals and millets 
production increased to 55 MT in 2022-23, as 
compared to 15.38 MT in 1950-51. Pearl millet (Bajra) 
and Sorghum (Jowar) were the two major millets 
grown in the 1950s. However, the area of cultivation 
under these crops declined over the same period 
on account of reduced demand due to a shift in 
consumers’preferences towards rice and wheat, low 
yields, and lower profitability. At present, half of the 
coarse cereal production consists of maize, whose 
production has increased, thanks to high demand 
from the poultry industry. Realising environmental 
and health benefits of millets, the Government of 
India has given new impetus to millet cultivation. on 
India’s proposal, the United Nations has declared the 
year 2023 the ‘International Year of Millets’ .
Pulses are an important source of protein for the 
Indian population, particularly vegetarians. India 
is the largest producer and consumer of pulses. 
Among the many types of pulses grown in India, the 
major ones are chickpeas (chana), redgram (arhar), 
green gram (moong), black gram (urad), and lentil 
(masur). The overall pulse production has gone up 
from 8.4 MT in 1950-51 to 27 Mt in 2022-23. Chana 
has been the major source of growth in the recent 
past, and it comprises nearly 50% of the total amount 
of pulses produced. As pulses production has not 
increased in step with the population growth, per 
capita availability has declined from 22.1 kg per 
person in 1951 to 16.4 kg per person in 2022. Though 
there is surplus production of chana, the imperfect 
substitution among pulses and limited international 
availability to bridge the demand gap through 
imports put pressure on the prices of some pulses. 
To attain self-sufficiency, the Government of India 
continues to adopt various measures to incentivise 
pulses production under National Food Security 
Mission, Minimum Support Price programmes, and 
by increasing procurement. 
India is dependent on edible oil imports to meet 
its domestic demand. The import dependency in FY 
2022-23 was around 55% of the total requirement. 
There was near self-sufficiency in the initial years 
of the 1970s and import dependence was just 
3%. However, this figure had gone up to over 30% 
from the mid-1970s to 1987-88 due to a shortfall 
in domestic production. The Government of India 
implemented the Technology Mission on oilseeds 
in 1986 to increase domestic production. As a result, 
the dependence had declined to just 2% in 1993-94. 
However, the WTo agreement in 1995 put the edible 
oils under the open General Licence, which led to a 
jump in cheap imports. Though duty was imposed 
to protect domestic production from cheap imports, 
it was frequently kept at a low level during years 
52 OctOber 2023
witnessing high international prices, particularly 
during 2007-2013 and from 2020 onwards. Though 
it had helped to protect consumers from high 
prices, prolonged cheap imports reduced domestic 
oilseed prices below MSP and lessened incentives 
for farmers to grow oilseeds. Sunflower has gone 
almost out of domestic production, compared to 
cultivation on 21 lakh hectares in 1992-93. Similarly, 
the area under groundnut cultivation declined from 
87 lakh hectares in 1991-92 to 50 lakh hectares in 
2022-23. The area under cultivation of rapeseed and 
mustard has remained high due to strong domestic 
preferences, and soyabean production has increased 
mainly owing to demand for oil meal. To make the 
country Atmanirbhar in edible oils, domestic oilseed 
production is being promoted under the scheme 
National Food Security Mission-oilseeds(NFSM-oS) 
from 2018-19. Further, the National Mission on Edible 
oil— oil Palm (NMEo -oP) has been launched in 2021-
22 to promote oil palm cultivation (with a special 
focus on the North Eastern States and Andaman & 
Nicobar Islands), with a target of increasing the area 
under palm oil cultivation from 3.70 lakh hectares in 
2021-22 to 10.00 lakh hectares in 2025-26. 
Production of fruits and vegetables has 
increased manifold in the recent decades - from 87 
million tonnes in 1991-92 to 320 million tonnes in 
2022-23 (First Advance estimate). The yield is also 
very high - at 17 tonnes/ha, compared to that of 
food grains (at 2.5 tonnes/ha). There is a major shift 
towards consumption of fruits and vegetables due 
to rising per capita income. Therefore, production 
of fruits and vegetables has a high potential to 
grow. However, perishability, seasonality, and price 
volatility pose challenges. Therefore, there is a need 
for enabling infrastructure, such as processing 
centres and cold chains, to reduce wastage and 
maintain regular supply at a reasonable price. The 
National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility of  
Rs 1 lakh crore, announced in the year 2020, is 
a welcome initiative to address the agricultural 
infrastructure issues holistically. 
India is a leading producer of cotton and 
sugarcane. Adoption of Bt cotton in 2000s enabled 
significant increase in cotton production - from 100 
lakh bales in 2001-02 to 343 lakh bales in 2022-23 
(Third Advance estimate). However, development 
of resistance in pests such as Pink Boll Worm, to  
Bt cotton, has posed a challenge to the sustenance of 
cotton production. There is a requirement of evolving 
technologies to tackle the emerging challenges 
in cotton cultivation. India is the second largest 
producer of sugarcane and the largest consumer 
of sugar in the world. The production has steadily 
increased over the decades. Sugarcane production 
fluctuates mainly because of deficit monsoon and 
because mills, not being able to generate sufficient 
revenue owing to depressed prices, defer payment 
to farmers. The Government’s ethanol-blending 
programme and recent initiative of direct conversion 
of sugar juice to ethanol may ensure adequate price 
recovery and timely payment to farmers. As a water-
intensive crop, its cultivation in semi-arid regions, 
particularly in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil 
Nadu, leads to groundwater depletions. Further, 
lack of mechanisation, particularly for harvesting, 
is another challenge. The Government’s promotion 
of custom hiring centres for agricultural machinery 
may benefit adoption of mechanisation. 
a gricultural resources and inputs
The net area sown for crops in 2019-20 was 
139.90 million hectares compared to 118.75 million 
hectares in 1950-51, thus growing by just 1.17 times. 
However, population growth was 3.8 times higher in 
the same period. The challenge of meeting the rising 
demand for food of the rapidly growing population 
with a limited increase in net area sown was possible 
through more intensive cultivation and a higher 
yield. Cultivation of High-Yielding Varieties (HYV) 
Page 5


49 OctOber 2023
aGrI InfraSTrucTure
he Covid-19 pandemic during 2020-
2021 brought challenges to food 
security for millions of people world-
wide due to supply-chain disruptions 
and affordability. However, the Government of 
India had taken necessary measures to protect the 
vulnerable section of the people of India from the 
food insecurity concern. 
Attaining self-sufficiency in foodgrain production has been one of the 
greatest achievements of Indian agriculture since Independence. India has 
graduated from a food-deficit, foodgrain-importing country in 1950s & 
1960s to a surplus-generating and leading exporting country, particularly 
in case of rice and wheat. This transformation was possible through ‘Green 
Revolution’, with the adoption of high-yielding varieties and other inputs 
and favourable government policies, such as Minimum Support Prices 
and procurement. Today, India is one of the largest producers of many 
agricultural commodities in the world, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, 
spices, sugarcane and cotton. 
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann 
Yojana (PMGKAY), the Government of India doubled 
the food entitlement from 5 kg per person per 
month to 10 kg per person per month to 80 crore 
people who are covered under the National Food 
Security Act (NFSA) - from April 2020 to December 
2022. Nearly 104.3 million metric tonnes of food 
grains were distributed from the central food stock in 
saikat sarkar
kaViarasan k the author is Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi. email: saikat.dgcis@nic.in
the author is deputy economic Adviser, department of Agriculture and farmers Welfare, Goi.email: kaviarasan13@nic.in
T
50 OctOber 2023
addition to the regular NFSA during the mentioned 
period. India also exported 19.83 million metric 
tonnes of rice per year on average during the 2020-
21 to 2022-23 period. This shows India’s capacity 
today not only to meet the food requirements of its 
own population but also to contribute substantially 
to world food security. 
This was not the situation in the 1950s and 
1960s. Food shortages and deficits were then a great 
concern, which impacted the food security of India. 
India met its deficit through regular imports, mainly 
of wheat. With a continuous drought for three years, 
from 1964 to 1966, the import of wheat reached 
its highest level of 7.78 million metric tonnes in 
1966. The imported quantity was to the extent of 
75% of the domestic wheat production of 10.32 
million metric tonnes in 1965-66. This also included 
wheat imported under PL480 from the United 
States of America. This was even popularly called a  
‘ship-to-mouth’ situation. At this juncture, India 
started ‘Green Revolution’ , through the introduction 
of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice. With 
favourable government policies and enabling 
agricultural research to release new varieties, the 
farmers responded well in such a short period 
that wheat production more than doubled to  
26.41 million metrictonnes in 1971-72 and rice 
production went up to 43.07 million metric tonnes 
from 30.59 million metrictonnes in 1965-66. With 
this increased production of cereals, India’s import of 
wheat started declining, and it approached its floor 
from the mid-1980s onwards, except for a few years. 
Actually, India started exporting rice, particularly 
from the year 2000 onwards, and became the top 
exporter in recent years, enjoying around a 40% share 
of global rice exports. This surplus food production is 
Independent India’s great achievement. 
t rends in a gricultural production
The overall food grain production (cereals plus 
pulses) rose from 51 MT in 1950-51 to over 330 MT 
in 2022-23. Since 1950-51, the production of food 
grains has increased over by 6.5 times and that of 
fruits and vegetables by 12 times, thus making a 
visible and salutary impact on national food and 
nutritional security. 
Among cereals, the production of rice and 
wheat, in particular, increased manifold between 
1950-51 and 2022-23. Irrigation and power 
infrastructure had substantially improved over the 
period, enabled the timely supply of much-needed 
t able 1. a rea and production of major crops during 1950-51 and 2022-23
a rea (million hectares) production (million tonnes)
1950-51 2022-23* t imes  
increase
1950-51 2022-23* t imes  
increase
Foodgrains 97.32 132.2 1.36 50.82 330.53 6.50
Cereals 77.42 103.07 1.33 42.41 303 7.14
Rice 30.81 47.66 1.55 20.58 135.54 6.59
Wheat 9.75 31.82 3.26 6.46 112.74 17.45
Coarse cereals/Millets 37.67 23.58 0.63 15.38 55.95 3.64
Pulses 19.09 29.13 1.53 8.41 27.5 3.27
oilseeds 10.73 30.09 2.80 5.16 40.99 7.94
Note: * 3
rd
 Advance Estimates 
51 OctOber 2023
moisture to crops. This reduced crop failure due to 
the vagaries of the monsoon as compared to the 
1950s and 1960s. Further, it facilitated intensive 
cultivation and the application of modern inputs 
such as high-yielding varieties, fertilisers, and 
pesticides. There was enhanced price stability due 
to Minimum Support Prices and large procurements 
by government agencies. Coarse cereals and millets 
production increased to 55 MT in 2022-23, as 
compared to 15.38 MT in 1950-51. Pearl millet (Bajra) 
and Sorghum (Jowar) were the two major millets 
grown in the 1950s. However, the area of cultivation 
under these crops declined over the same period 
on account of reduced demand due to a shift in 
consumers’preferences towards rice and wheat, low 
yields, and lower profitability. At present, half of the 
coarse cereal production consists of maize, whose 
production has increased, thanks to high demand 
from the poultry industry. Realising environmental 
and health benefits of millets, the Government of 
India has given new impetus to millet cultivation. on 
India’s proposal, the United Nations has declared the 
year 2023 the ‘International Year of Millets’ .
Pulses are an important source of protein for the 
Indian population, particularly vegetarians. India 
is the largest producer and consumer of pulses. 
Among the many types of pulses grown in India, the 
major ones are chickpeas (chana), redgram (arhar), 
green gram (moong), black gram (urad), and lentil 
(masur). The overall pulse production has gone up 
from 8.4 MT in 1950-51 to 27 Mt in 2022-23. Chana 
has been the major source of growth in the recent 
past, and it comprises nearly 50% of the total amount 
of pulses produced. As pulses production has not 
increased in step with the population growth, per 
capita availability has declined from 22.1 kg per 
person in 1951 to 16.4 kg per person in 2022. Though 
there is surplus production of chana, the imperfect 
substitution among pulses and limited international 
availability to bridge the demand gap through 
imports put pressure on the prices of some pulses. 
To attain self-sufficiency, the Government of India 
continues to adopt various measures to incentivise 
pulses production under National Food Security 
Mission, Minimum Support Price programmes, and 
by increasing procurement. 
India is dependent on edible oil imports to meet 
its domestic demand. The import dependency in FY 
2022-23 was around 55% of the total requirement. 
There was near self-sufficiency in the initial years 
of the 1970s and import dependence was just 
3%. However, this figure had gone up to over 30% 
from the mid-1970s to 1987-88 due to a shortfall 
in domestic production. The Government of India 
implemented the Technology Mission on oilseeds 
in 1986 to increase domestic production. As a result, 
the dependence had declined to just 2% in 1993-94. 
However, the WTo agreement in 1995 put the edible 
oils under the open General Licence, which led to a 
jump in cheap imports. Though duty was imposed 
to protect domestic production from cheap imports, 
it was frequently kept at a low level during years 
52 OctOber 2023
witnessing high international prices, particularly 
during 2007-2013 and from 2020 onwards. Though 
it had helped to protect consumers from high 
prices, prolonged cheap imports reduced domestic 
oilseed prices below MSP and lessened incentives 
for farmers to grow oilseeds. Sunflower has gone 
almost out of domestic production, compared to 
cultivation on 21 lakh hectares in 1992-93. Similarly, 
the area under groundnut cultivation declined from 
87 lakh hectares in 1991-92 to 50 lakh hectares in 
2022-23. The area under cultivation of rapeseed and 
mustard has remained high due to strong domestic 
preferences, and soyabean production has increased 
mainly owing to demand for oil meal. To make the 
country Atmanirbhar in edible oils, domestic oilseed 
production is being promoted under the scheme 
National Food Security Mission-oilseeds(NFSM-oS) 
from 2018-19. Further, the National Mission on Edible 
oil— oil Palm (NMEo -oP) has been launched in 2021-
22 to promote oil palm cultivation (with a special 
focus on the North Eastern States and Andaman & 
Nicobar Islands), with a target of increasing the area 
under palm oil cultivation from 3.70 lakh hectares in 
2021-22 to 10.00 lakh hectares in 2025-26. 
Production of fruits and vegetables has 
increased manifold in the recent decades - from 87 
million tonnes in 1991-92 to 320 million tonnes in 
2022-23 (First Advance estimate). The yield is also 
very high - at 17 tonnes/ha, compared to that of 
food grains (at 2.5 tonnes/ha). There is a major shift 
towards consumption of fruits and vegetables due 
to rising per capita income. Therefore, production 
of fruits and vegetables has a high potential to 
grow. However, perishability, seasonality, and price 
volatility pose challenges. Therefore, there is a need 
for enabling infrastructure, such as processing 
centres and cold chains, to reduce wastage and 
maintain regular supply at a reasonable price. The 
National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility of  
Rs 1 lakh crore, announced in the year 2020, is 
a welcome initiative to address the agricultural 
infrastructure issues holistically. 
India is a leading producer of cotton and 
sugarcane. Adoption of Bt cotton in 2000s enabled 
significant increase in cotton production - from 100 
lakh bales in 2001-02 to 343 lakh bales in 2022-23 
(Third Advance estimate). However, development 
of resistance in pests such as Pink Boll Worm, to  
Bt cotton, has posed a challenge to the sustenance of 
cotton production. There is a requirement of evolving 
technologies to tackle the emerging challenges 
in cotton cultivation. India is the second largest 
producer of sugarcane and the largest consumer 
of sugar in the world. The production has steadily 
increased over the decades. Sugarcane production 
fluctuates mainly because of deficit monsoon and 
because mills, not being able to generate sufficient 
revenue owing to depressed prices, defer payment 
to farmers. The Government’s ethanol-blending 
programme and recent initiative of direct conversion 
of sugar juice to ethanol may ensure adequate price 
recovery and timely payment to farmers. As a water-
intensive crop, its cultivation in semi-arid regions, 
particularly in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil 
Nadu, leads to groundwater depletions. Further, 
lack of mechanisation, particularly for harvesting, 
is another challenge. The Government’s promotion 
of custom hiring centres for agricultural machinery 
may benefit adoption of mechanisation. 
a gricultural resources and inputs
The net area sown for crops in 2019-20 was 
139.90 million hectares compared to 118.75 million 
hectares in 1950-51, thus growing by just 1.17 times. 
However, population growth was 3.8 times higher in 
the same period. The challenge of meeting the rising 
demand for food of the rapidly growing population 
with a limited increase in net area sown was possible 
through more intensive cultivation and a higher 
yield. Cultivation of High-Yielding Varieties (HYV) 
53 OctOber 2023
with more area under irrigation and the application of 
more inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides played 
a great role in enhancing agricultural production. 
Since 1950, the Indian Council of Agricultural 
Research has released more than 6000 varieties 
of crops. Application of fertilisers (Nitrogenous, 
Phosphatic, and Potassic, or NPK) has increased from 
0.5 kg per ha in 1950-51 to 140 kg per ha in 2019-20, 
while net irrigated area, as a percentage of net sown 
area, has gone up from 17.55 to 53.39 in the same 
period (ref table 2).
Fertiliser subsidies by the Government of India 
have incentivised farmers to apply larger amounts 
of fertilisers. The recommended ratio of fertiliser 
application (N:P:K) is 3:2:1. However, farmers apply 
more nitrogenous fertilisers than the ratio warrants. 
one of the reasons may be that nitrogenous 
fertilisers are highly subsidised. To incentivise 
farmers to go for application of fertilisers more in 
keeping with recommended proportions, a nutrient-
based subsidy scheme was introduced in 2010 and 
further revised in May 2023. Neem-coated urea 
was introduced to reduce wastage and diversion of 
the subsidised product to non-agricultural sectors. 
Further, the Soil Health Card will help farmers apply 
the required quantity of fertilisers. The Government 
is also encouraging farmers to use nano urea for 
a more sustainable and judicious application of 
fertilisers. 
A vast irrigation potential has been created since 
Independence. Programmes such as the Command 
Area Development Programme (started in 1974-75) 
and the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme 
(1997) have played a great role in providing water 
to the parched fields of India. As a result, the net 
irrigated area reached 53% in 2019-20 from 17.55% 
in 1950-51. As per the 2010 census, groundwater 
irrigation has a share of 63% in total irrigation in 
terms of area. However, groundwater provided 
water security for agricultural growth where canal 
irrigation was not possible; overexploitation has 
an adverse impact on sustainability, particularly 
in the case of water-intensive crops like paddy 
and sugarcane in Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, 
Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. To promote more 
sustainable and judicious use of water for irrigation, 
the Government of India is implementing a drip and 
sprinkler irrigation programme called ‘More Crop 
Per Drop’ under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee 
Yojana from 2015-16. Further, crop diversification is 
also being promoted.  
price policy and market
The Government of India fixes Minimum Support 
Prices (MSP) for 23 commodities in accordance 
with the recommendations of the Commission 
for Agricultural Costs and Prices (which came 
into existence in January 1965) each year, before 
the sowing season. Assurance of a remunerative 
and stable price environment is considered very 
important for increasing agricultural production and 
productivity since prices often fluctuate in the market. 
The food grain procurement at MSP, particularly 
t able 2. irrigation and Fertiliser trend
1950-51 2019-20 increase by times
Net sown area (Million hectares) 118.75 139.90 1.17
% of net irrigated area 17.55 53.39 3.04
gross area sown (Million hectares) 131.89 211.36 1.6
Fertiliser consumption (Million tonnes) 0.698 29.796 42.68
per ha fertiliser in kg 0.53 140.97 265.98