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Indian Economy

Notes serious drought situations in 1965-66, agricultural production was adversely influenced.
(Table 6.1).
(a) None of the agricultural targets- except sugarcane-was attained during the Third Plan
period; and
(b) The real output at the end of the Third Plan in the instance of food grains, oil seeds and raw
cotton was lesser than the output at the end of the Second Plan, pointing out that the Third
Plan was a wash-out as far as agriculture was involved.
As a result of the shortfall in food production and severe famine conditions in many portions of
the country, the Government was compelled to import food grains widely during the last year
of the Third Plan. Besides, or the initial time, the public lost interest in the planning process and
the Government accepted “plan holiday” for three years.
The experience of the Third Plan made the Planning Commission realise the bitter fact that
economic planning would be a failure unless agricultural production was enhanced quickly.
Accordingly, the Planning Commission allotted high priority to agriculture in the successive
plans.

6.2.5 Progress from the Fourth Plan Onwards

You should take into consideration that the approach paper to the Fourth Plan emphasised the
necessity to develop favourable economic situations for the promotion of agriculture and a
systematic attempt to extend the application of science and technology to enhance agricultural
practices. Aspiring targets were fixed for the Fourth Plan.

Table 6.2: Achievements in the Agricultural Sector in the Various Plans

Food Grain Oilseeds Sugarcane Cotton Jute
Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual
First Plan 62 67 5.5 5.6 63 60 4.2 4.0 5.4 4.2
Second Plan 81 80 7.6 6.5 78 104 6.5 5.4 6.5 4.0
Third Plan 100 72 9.8 6.4 100 127 7.0 4.6 6.2 4.5
Fourth Plan 129 104 10.5 8.7 150 140 8.0 5.8 7.4 6.2
Fifth Plan 125 132 12.0 8.9 165 165 8.0 7.1 7.7 7.1
Sixth Plan 154 146 11.1 13.0 215 170 9.2 8.5 9.1 7.8
Seventh Plan 180 171 18.0 17.0 217 210 9.5 10.5 9.5 7.9
Eighth Plan 210 199 23.0 25.0 275 277 14.0 14.3 9.5 11.0
Ninth Plan 234 211 30.0 20.7 336 300 15.7 10.1 11.6
Tenth Plan 234 216 30.0 24.0 336 345 16.0 23.0 11.0
Eleventh Plan 257.4 - 30.0 - 357.7 – 35.0 – 11.6

Source: Indian Economy, Datt and Sundharam, S. Chand
Table 6.2, however, discloses clearly that none of the targets fixed in agriculture in the Fourth
Plan was realised. For instance, the target for food grains was 129 million tonnes for 1973-74 but
the real production in that year was merely 104 million tonnes—the highest level of production
during the Fourth Plan was 108 million in 1970-71. Think further about the targets fixed and real
production of oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton and jute during the Fourth Plan. It would be clear that
the Fourth Plan failed to attain the agricultural targets.

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