The new agricultural strategy of the 1960s, popularly called the Green Revolution, introduced High Yielding Variety seeds, assured irrigation, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, farm mechanisation, MSP and public procurement. It helped India move from food scarcity to food self-sufficiency. However, it also changed India’s cropping pattern and created serious environmental concerns.
Changes in Cropping Pattern Since the 1960s
Before the Green Revolution, Indian agriculture was more diversified and region-specific. Farmers cultivated cereals, pulses, oilseeds, millets and mixed crops according to rainfall, soil and local food habits. After the new strategy, the cropping pattern shifted towards high-yielding and market-supported crops.
Major changes include:
- Shift towards rice and wheat: The area and production of rice and wheat increased sharply, especially in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and later parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This happened due to HYV seeds, irrigation, MSP and procurement support.
- Decline of coarse cereals and millets: Traditional crops like jowar, bajra, ragi and small millets lost area because policy support favoured rice and wheat. The recent promotion of Shree Anna/millets after the International Year of Millets 2023 seeks to correct this imbalance.
- Reduced importance of pulses: Pulses suffered due to lower productivity, weak procurement and competition from cereals. This created nutritional concerns and import dependence.
- Expansion of commercial crops: Sugarcane, cotton, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables and plantation crops expanded due to irrigation, market demand, agro-processing and export opportunities.
- Regional specialisation: Punjab-Haryana became rice-wheat zones; Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh expanded sugarcane; Gujarat and Maharashtra focused on cotton; Assam and Kerala continued with tea and plantation crops.
- Increase in cropping intensity: Irrigation and fertiliser use allowed farmers to grow more than one crop in a year, increasing overall agricultural output.
As per official agriculture data, India recorded a high level of foodgrain production in 2023-24, with strong production of rice, wheat and Shree Anna, though adverse weather affected pulses, coarse cereals, soybean and cotton.
Environmental Impact of New Agricultural Strategies
The Green Revolution produced major gains, but its environmental impact has been mixed.
Positive impacts:
- It increased foodgrain production and reduced the need to expand cultivation into forests.
- It improved food security and reduced famine-like conditions.
- It encouraged irrigation, rural infrastructure and scientific farming.
Negative impacts:
- Groundwater depletion: Rice-wheat monoculture in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh increased groundwater extraction. Reports show concern that water-intensive rice cultivation is draining aquifers, with rice requiring about 3,000–4,000 litres of water per kg.
- Soil degradation: Excessive fertiliser use disturbed soil nutrient balance and reduced organic carbon.
- Chemical pollution: Pesticides and fertilisers polluted soil and water and affected biodiversity.
- Loss of agrobiodiversity: The focus on few HYV crops reduced traditional crop diversity and climate resilience.
- Air pollution: Short harvesting windows in the rice-wheat system promoted stubble burning, worsening winter air pollution in North India.
- Salinity and waterlogging: Canal-irrigated areas faced soil salinity and waterlogging due to poor drainage.
Conclusion
Thus, the new agricultural strategies transformed India from a food-deficit country into a major foodgrain producer. However, they also encouraged cereal monoculture, groundwater stress, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. India now needs a second green revolution based on sustainability: crop diversification, millets, pulses, micro-irrigation, organic inputs, climate-resilient seeds, natural farming and region-specific MSP support. This will ensure food security without compromising ecological security.
