India is one of the major food grain producers in the world. Although India has achieved higher production of cereals like wheat and rice, its production of pulses and edible oils is not adequate to meet its domestic demand. The production of millers including maize, Jowar and Banjara has also increased, but these crops still have higher potential of production.
Although, India became self sufficient in Food grain production in 1985 with Food grain production touching 150 million tonnes, its cropping pattern remains highly skewed in favour of cereals like rice and wheat as measured by area under cropping. It also needs to be noted that India has become self sufficient in Food grain from supply side while on demand side it is still not self sufficient because of lack of purchasing power among many households.
India is also one of the major producers of some commercial crops like sugar cane, cotton, Jute etc.
Here are the latest estimates of Food grain production in India.
Second Advance stimates for 2021-22, total Food-grains production
- As per second Advance Estimates for 2021-22, total Food-grains production in the country is estimated at record 316.06 million tonnes which is higher by 5.32 million tonnes than the production of Food grain during 2020-21. Further, the production during 2021-22 is higher by 25.35 million tonnes than the previous five years’ (2016-17 to 2020-21) average production of food-grains.
- Total production of Rice during 2021-22is estimated at record 127.93 million tonnes. It is higher by 11.49 million tonnes than the last five years’ average production of 116.44 million tonnes.
- Production of Wheat during 2021-22is estimated at record 111.32 million tonnes. It is higher by 7.44 million tonnes than the average wheat production of 103.88 million tonnes.
- Production of Nutri / Coarse Cereals estimated at 49.86 million tonnes, which is higher by 3.28 million tonnes than the average production.
- Total Pulses production during 2021-22is estimated at 26.96 million tonnes which is higher by 3.14 million tonnes than the last five years’ average production of 23.82 million tonnes.
- Total Oilseeds production in the country during 2021-22is estimated at record37.15 million tonnes which is higherby 1.20 million tonnes than the production of 35.95 million tonnes during 2020-21. Further, the production of oilseeds during 2021-22 is higher by 4.46 million tonnes than the average oilseeds production.
- Total production of Sugarcane in the country during 2021-22is estimated at 414.04 million tonnes which is higher by 40.59million tonnes than the average sugarcane production of 373.46 million tonnes.
- Production of Cotton-is estimated at 34.06 million bales (each of 170 kg) is higherby 1.12 million bales than the average cotton production of 32.95 million bales. Production of Jute &Mesta is estimated at 9.57 million bales (each of 180 kg).
The real breakthrough in India in agricultural production and productivity came after the Green Revolution. The Green Revolution is a package programme of High Yeilding variety of seeds, chemical fertilisers and assured irrigation. Green revolution marks the beginning of technological revolution in the agricultural sector and it began from the Kharif Crop of 1966. Green revolution also marks the beginning of commercialisation of agriculture in India which led to increase in marketable surplus, farm income and farm wages.
However, the Green Revolution was not an unmixed blessing. Its main thrust was on wheat production initially and so some people described it as “wheat revolution” but in its later phases it also included rice. However, it could not make marked difference in the production of millers, pulses and oilseeds. To give special push to pulses and oilseeds government of India started technology missions during 1980s. The green revolution also led to fall in the groundwater levels in the areas where it was pursued more like the state of Punjab and western UP. It led to increased salinity of soil and loss of fertility. The excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides led to pollution of water bodies and health implications.
Although government intends to pursue second green revolution based on biotechnology, genetic engineering and bio-fertilisers, the main thrust of new agriculture techniques and subsequent phase of Green Revolution is on sustainable agriculture.