Page 142 - DECO502_INDIAN_ECONOMIC_POLICY_ENGLISH

Indian Economic Policy

Notes The new agricultural technology uses such resources like fertilisers, pesticides, agricultural machinery,
etc., which are produced outside the agricultural sector. As a result, industries supplying the modern
farm inputs are growing at a rapid rate. Massive programmes of farm mechanisation and irrigation
have also led to an increase in the consumption of electricity and diesel in rural areas.
Achievements of the New Agricultural Strategy
(i) Boost to the production of cereals : The major achievement of the new strategy is to boost the
production of major cereals, viz., wheat and rice. Table 1 gives the production of the principal
food crops during the last 50 years. A close look at the table reveals the increase in rice production
from 35 million tonnes in 1960-61 to 99 million tonnes in 2008-09, signifying a break-through in
this major crop of India. (Due to bad monsoon rice production declined in 2009-10). The yield
per hectare has also recorded an improvement from a little more than 11 quintals in 1960-61 to
nearly 22 quintals now.
Table 1 : Progress in Foodgrain Production

(million tonnes)
1960-61 1990-91 2008-09 2009-10

Rice 35 75 99 89
Wheat 11 55 81 80.8
Coarse cereals 23 32 40.0 33.6
(a) Total Cereals 69 162 220 203.4
(b) Total Pulses 13 14 15 14.7
(c) Total foodgrains (a + b) 82 176 235 218.1

Source : Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, 2009, Economic survey 2010-11.
The production of wheat, which stood at 11 million tonnes in 1960-61, rose to 81 million tonnes
in 2008-2009. Part of the increase in wheat production can be attributed to an extension of the
area, but the yield per hectare rose from 8.5 quintals to 28.06 quintals per hectare, signifying 3.5
times rise in the last 50 years.
It is interesting to observe that the ratio of wheat to rice (Table 2) has steadily increased from
one-third in 1960-61 to 84 per cent in 1999-2000. This means that, even though rice continues to
be the most important cereal in the country, wheat is catching up fast.
Table 2 : Production of Rice and Wheat
Year Rice Wheat Percentage of
(million tonnes) (million tonnes) wheat to rice

1960-61 35 11 31
1980-81 54 36 67
1999-00 90 76 84
2006-07 93 75 81
2007-08 96 78 81
2008-09 99 81 82
2009-10 89 81 91

Source : Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, 2008. Economic Survey 2010-11.

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