Green Revolution made India self-reliant in foodgrain as yields jumped threefold
Aug 30, 2022
New Delhi [India], August 30 : India's per hectare yield for foodgrains rose threefold since 1960s, thanks to Green Revolution.
To put it into context, per hectare output of foodgrains rose from 757 kilogram in mid 1960s to 2.39 tonne in 2021, the centre said on Tuesday through a data chart.
The centre argued that 'Green Revolution' made India self-reliant in food grain production and enhanced agricultural productivity.
Meanwhile, the production of foodgrains in India during the 2021-22 season is estimated to be at record 315.72 million tonnes, a rise of by 4.98 million tonnes than harvested during 2020-21, as per the fourth advance estimates of production of major agricultural crops released by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on August 17.
In 2021-22, the production is estimated to be higher by 25 million tonnes than the previous five years' (2016-17 to 2020-21) average production.
Among crops, record harvest is expected for rice, maize, gram, pulses, rapeseed and mustard, oilseeds and sugarcane.
Minister Narendra Singh Tomar believes this record production of so many crops is the result of the farmer-friendly policies of the central government coupled with hard work of the farmers and the diligence of the scientists.
As per the latest estimates, rice totaling 130.29 million tonnes is expected, wheat 106.84 million tonnes, nutri / coarse cereals 50.90 million tonnes, maize 33.62 million tonnes, pulses 27.69 million tonnes, tur 4.34 million tonnes, gram 13.75 million tonnes, oilseeds 37.70 million tonnes, groundnut 10.11 million tonnes, soyabean 12.99 million tonnes, rapeseed and mustard 11.75 million tonnes, sugarcane 431.81 million tonnes, cotton 31.20 million bales (each of 170 kg), jute and mesta 10.32 million bales (each of 180 kg).
The total production of rice during 2021-22 is estimated at a record 130.29 million tonnes. It is higher by 13.85 million tonnes than the last five years' average production of 116.44 million tonnes.
Production of wheat during 2021-22 is estimated at 106.84 million tonnes. It is higher by 2.96 million tonnes than the last five years' average wheat production of 103.88 million tonnes.
Total pulses production during 2021-22 is estimated at record 27.69 million tonnes which is higher by 3.87 million tonnes than the last five years' average production of 23.82 million tonnes.
Earlier, many worried that less area under paddy under cultivation so far this kharif may lead to low production of the foodgrain.
Going by the latest acreage data available, the area under paddy cultivation is over 8 per cent lower than the previous season at 343.7 lakh hectares.
Farmers in India have sown less paddy this Kharif season. Kharif crops are mostly sown during monsoon -June and July, and the produce is harvested during October and November.
The primary reason for the decline in the sown area is the slow advancement of the monsoon in the month of June and of its uneven spread in July in most parts of the country.
Overall Kharif sowing, however, has been relatively better.
It is just little over 2 per cent lower than 2021 at 1013 lakh hectares. In 2021, total sowing was across 1038 lakh hectares, latest Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare data showed.
