The country had the first Green
Revolution 1964 as a pilot project which was implemented all over the country
in 1966. A lot has been written about the success of the First GR and how our
country became food sufficient. We had bumper crops in wheat and rice, our two
staple food grains and deaths due to starvation went down drastically.
However in recent year’s
agricultural sector as a whole is going through a bad phase. Though the
production is increasing every year but the condition of farmers and farms is
going down. Punjab is one of the worst states
in terms of land condition as the repeated use of fertilizers and insecticides
have made lands barren. “Villages on Sale”
is a common sight in this state. The farmers of Vidharbha, Telangana region are
commiting suicides due to debt burden.
I suppose that now the time is ripe
that we have the second generation reforms in agriculture where finance,
linkages to industry, developing the allied areas like horticulture,
floriculture, storage be given much more importance. The country is self
sufficient in food grains for a long time. The time has come when we think of
upgrading the quality of agriculture. Even today we are an agrarian economy
where about 60 percent of the population is dependent on agriculture directly
or indirectly. The developed nations have moved on with time and made
agriculture an industry.
M S Swaminathan the Father of Green
Revolution is currently working in south where he is implementing community
farming, technological advancement if fisheries and including more women in
agriculture. He has been constantly advocating for Second Green Revolution. I
hope that soon we see positive changes in this sector.
Dr.
Tanima Dutta
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