Arnav Bishnoi; ECO.

Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Agriculture Sector

(1) Introduction

Agriculture has a significant role in the socio-economic fabric of India.It

plays a vital role in Indias economy. Over 58 per cent of the rural
households depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood.
Agriculture, along with fisheries and forestry, is one of the largest
contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

As per estimates by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the share of

agriculture and allied sectors (including agriculture, livestock, forestry and
fishery) was 15.35 per cent of the Gross Value Added (GVA) during 2015-16
at 2011-12 prices1.

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices and spice
products. India's fruit production has grown faster than vegetables, making
it the second largest fruit producer in the world. India's horticulture output,
comprising fruits, vegetables and spices, is estimated to be 283.4 million
tons (MT) in 2015-16 after the third advanced estimate. It ranks third in
farm and agriculture outputs. Agricultural export constitutes 10 per cent of
the countrys exports and is the fourth-largest exported principal commodity.
The economic contribution of agriculture to India's GDP is steadily declining
with the country's broad-based economic growth. Still, agriculture is
demographically the broadest economic sector and plays a significant role in
the overall socio-economic fabric of India.

Most of its agriculture exports serve developing and least developed

nations. Indian agricultural/horticultural and processed foods are exported to
more than 100 countries, primarily in the Middle East, Southeast Asia,
SAARC countries, the EU and the United States.2

India has shown a steady average nationwide annual increase in the

kilograms produced per hectare for some agricultural items, over the last 60
years. These gains have come mainly from India's green revolution,

1 http://www.ibef.org/industry/agriculture-india/showcase

2http://www.ibef.org/exports/agriculture-and-food-industry-india.aspx
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
improving road and power generation infrastructure, knowledge of gains and
reforms.3 Despite these recent accomplishments, agriculture has the
potential for major productivity and total output gains, because crop yields
in India are still just 30% to 60% of the best sustainable crop yields
achievable in the farms of developed and other developing
countries.4 Additionally, losses after harvest due to poor infrastructure and
unorganized retail cause India to experience some of the highest food losses
in the world.

(2) Green Revolution in India

(Its effect on Economy & Farmers)

Throughout history, there have been many revolutions that have occurred and
changed human lives, such as the American Revolution and the Industrial
Revolution. In the mid- and late-20th century, a revolution occurred that
dramatically changed the field of agriculture, and this revolution was known
as the Green Revolution. The Green Revolution was a period when the
productivity of global agriculture increased drastically as a result of new
advances. During this time period, new chemical fertilizers and synthetic
herbicides and pesticides were created.

The chemical fertilizers made it possible to supply crops with extra nutrients
and, therefore, increase yield. The newly developed synthetic herbicides and
pesticides controlled weeds deterred or kill insects, and prevented diseases,
which also resulted in higher productivity5.

The method used in Green Revolution - Double/Multiple cropping systems,

Seeds with superior genetics, Proper irrigation system, HYV seeds, Use of

3http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/AnnualPublications.aspx?head=Handbook%20of%20Statistics
%20on%20Indian%20Economy

4 http://nue.okstate.edu/crop_information/world_wheat_production.htm

5 https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Technologies_for_Rural_Development/Introduction
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
pesticides and fertilizers, Use of Modern Machinery (Tractor, Harvester, and
Thresher).

High-yield crops are crops that are specifically designed to produce more
overall yield. A method known as multiple cropping 6 was also implemented
during the Green Revolution and lead to higher productivity. These new
farming techniques and advances in agricultural technology were utilized by
farmers all over the world, and when combined, intensified the results of the
Green Revolution.

As a result of the Green Revolution, the agricultural industry was able to

produce much larger quantities of food. This increase in productivity made it
possible to feed the growing human population.

The ability to grow more food on the same amount of land was also beneficial
to the environment because it meant that less forest or natural land needed to
be converted to farmland to produce more food. This is demonstrated by the
fact that from 1961 to 2008, as the human population increased by 100% and
the production of food rose by 150%, a number of forests and natural land
converted to farm only increased by 10%.

DOUBLE CROPPING The idea was for farmers to have two

crop seasons within one year. This meant that the crop production
would double within one year. This was based primarily on the
natural one monsoon per calendar year. For farmers to have to
double the crops per season there would have to be one artificial
monsoon. These were created from a large irrigation facility. Dams
were built in rural areas to collect large volumes of monsoon
rainwater. Before the Green Revolution, this water was wasted.
However, in a year without monsoon, this led to failure.

6 http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/agriculture/the-developments-of-indian-agriculture-after-
independence/11359/
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector

ECONOMY The irrigation and growth of wheat and rice are very
important to the economy and production of livelihood in India.
These are the main products that most families can afford and live
off on a daily basis. About 75% of cropped land is devoted to food
grains such as rice, wheat, maize, and barley. Rice and wheat
contribute to approximately 70%-90% of the food requirements for
the people of India7. Because of the high yielding varieties, the soils
are too dry when the monsoon season fails and there is lack of
adequate amount of water for the rice and wheat to grow properly,
it poses a great threat to the success of the Green Revolution. At the
beginning, there were no problems with the Green Revolution until
the farmers and government started to see them coming. The
sudden change in agricultural techniques caused a rapid change
creating an economic imbalance among farmers, which contributed
to large interregional agricultural disparities. It has been brought to
the attention of many farmers that crop productivity needs to be
increased in order to keep up with the competitive agricultural
market, If they dont they well might not be able to feed their family.
This required bringing new technology in their farms, not all farms
could afford this new technology. There has been an ongoing debate
in India surrounding the survival of farmers: whether to increase
agricultural productivity or improve food quality. Ever since the
Agreement on Agriculture was created in 1999 from the World Trade
Organization this has been a topic surrounding not only farmers but
this problem affects mostly everyone living in India.

FARMER SUICIDE . Farmers are under an immense pressure to

produce certain quantity of agricultural output per year and those
who cannot produce a certain amount of crops; they believe life not
worth living any longer because they cannot even feed their own
family. In 2002, there were over 1000 suicides reported from 12
districts of Maharashtra, India. The rising amount of debt that
farmers collect from having to purchase fertilizers and pesticides

7 http://epubs.icar.org.in/ejournal/index.php/IJAgS/article/view/27643
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
puts a large strain on them. Within the process of producing the
second round of crops within one year, when the second round fails,
farmers gets very distressed that theyll not be able to sell these
crops. The government in India has been in denial about the number
of suicides that have occurred since 1987, which has risen to over
10,000 suicides committed by farmers. This is at the same time that
the Green Revolution began to tumble and not be as successful.

2.1 HYV SEEDS

To feed the growing population and make farming a more sustainable and
profitable business, GOI delivered hybrid seed solutions that increased crop
yields in different weather and soil conditions. India clearly needs a second
green revolution that is broad-based, inclusive and sustainable; we need to
produce more without depleting the natural resources any further.8

These seeds are of a better quality than that of normal quality seeds. The
production from these seeds is better than production from the normal ones.
These seeds are also known as miracle seeds. Some of the major examples
are Paddy, Jowar, Bajra, and Wheat & Maize.

The area under cultivation, as well as area irrigated, has increased. A

significant achievement in adopting high yielding varieties has been the
quantum jump in yield of crops, leading to a corresponding increase in
agricultural output in the country.

8 Prime Ministers Speech at ICAR Foundation Day 2011, ICAR website

Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector

{3) POSITIVE & NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF MODERN

AGRICULTURE TECHNIQUES

3.1 In General9

A. POSITIVE IMPACTS

(i) Significantly increased yield per acre, per person and per dollar relative to
extensive farming and therefore,

(ii) Food becomes more affordable to the consumer as it costs less to

produce.

(iv) The preservation of existing areas of woodland and rainforest habitats

(and the ecosystems and other sustainable economies that these may
harbor), which would need to be felled for extensive farming methods in the
same geographical location. This also leads to a reduction in
anthropomorphic CO2 generation (resulting from removal of the
sequestration afforded by woodlands and rain forests)

(v) In the case of intensive line stock farming, an opportunity to capture

methane emissions which would otherwise contribute to global warming.
Once captured, these emissions can be used to generate heat and electrical
energy, thereby reducing local demand for fossil and fuels.

B. NEGATIVE IMPACTS:
(i) Limits or destroys the natural habitat of most wild creatures, and leads to
soil erosion.

(ii) Use of fertilizers can alter the biology of rivers and lakes.

(iii) Pesticides generally kill useful insects, as well as those, destroy crops.

9 http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/agriculture/positive-and-negative-impacts-of-modern-
agricultural-techniques/42622/
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
(iii) The same area of land is able to supply food and fiber for a larger
population reducing the risk of starvation.

(iv) Requires large amounts of energy input to produce, transport and apply
chemical fertilizers/pesticides,

(v) The chemicals used may leave the field as runoff eventually ending up in
rivers and lakes or may drain into groundwater aquifers.

3.1.2 IN SPECIFIC
(1) CONTINUOUS CROPPING
In addition to modifying spatial arrangements to increase production,
farmers have made adjustments to the timing of growing practices to obtain
more crops per year.10 Historically; farmers have alternated cultivation with
long fallow periods or rotations with other crops to manage soil fertility. In
response to rising demand for food and reduced space for agricultural
expansion, farmers have shortened or abandoned fallow periods and crop
rotations in favor of continuous production. 11 While the ability to produce two
or three crops per year on a single plot has significantly increased global
food supply, continuous cropping can have detrimental impacts on soil
conditions.

Impacts on Soils: Without adequate fertility management practices, soil

fertility declines as consecutive crop cycles mine nutrients from the soils. As
plants grow, they absorb nutrients from the soil such as nitrogen,
phosphorous, potassium, and calcium. Harvesting crops removes these
nutrients from the soil. Unless nutrients are restored through fallow,
leguminous crop rotation, or application of organic or inorganic fertilizers,
soils eventually develop nutrient deficiencies.12

2 INORGANIC FERTILIZERS

10 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005, p. 760 11

11 Wood et al., 2000, p. 45

12 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005, pps. 764-766

Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
Supplementing agricultural systems with synthetically derived nitrogen (N),
phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium & magnesium has allowed humans
to increase per area yields dramatically over the past half-century.13
However, due to inefficiencies in fertilizer application and crop uptake,
increases in fertilizer use have impacted soil fertility, water quality, air
quality, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Impacts on Soils:

High rates of nitrogen fertilization can lead to soil acidification, a process

that results in toxic levels of aluminum and manganese and reduced
amounts of essential nutrients. Acidification occurs when ammonium in
certain nitrogen fertilizers undergoes nitrification to form nitrate, and then
the nitrate leaches into the soil. Ammonium based fertilizers can also
contribute directly to acidification in the absence of nitrate leaching. Soil
acidification is a problem in developed and developing countries, particularly
in East Asia.14

3 PESTICIDES
Since the mid-1900s, farmers have increasingly used chemical pesticides to
limit crop losses from pests, diseases, and weed competition. Developing
countries have used fewer pesticides in the past, but pesticide use is
expected to grow more rapidly in these countries than in the developed
world. Due to leaching into soil and water, pesticides primary environmental
impact relates to biodiversity.

(4) UNEMPLOYMENT
Unemployment is a serious global problem. It has made many cry while
some would have bought the highest heavy-duty explosive to kill it if it were
to be a living thing. Technology in one way or the other has contributed to
high unemployment menace that many all over the world have been
suffering from. The question many people may ask is how does
technological development cause unemployment?

13 Crews & Peoples, 2004, p. 280

14 FAO, 2003, p. 348

Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
Due to industrialization, many jobs that would have been done by man are
being carried out by machines. In India for instance, the commercialization
of agricultural which involves the use of heavy-duty machines have made
those farmers that are not able to purchase theirs go poor. In the same way,
some farmers are no longer hired for agricultural cultivation as machinery
does those works at ease.

(4) IRRIGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

Indian irrigation infrastructure includes a network of major and minor canals

from rivers, groundwater well-based systems, tanks, and other rainwater
harvesting projects for agricultural activities. Of these, the groundwater
system is the largest.15 Of the 160 million hectares of cultivated land in
India, about 39 million hectares can be irrigated by groundwater wells and
an additional 22 million hectares by irrigation canals. 16 In 2010, only about
35% of agricultural land in India was reliably irrigated. About 2/3rd
cultivated land in India is dependent on monsoons.17 The improvements in
irrigation infrastructure in the last 50 years have helped India improve food
security, reduce dependence on monsoons, improve agricultural productivity
and create rural job opportunities. Dams used for irrigation projects have
helped provide drinking water to a growing rural population, control flood
and prevent drought-related damage to agriculture.

15 http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al816e/al816e00.pdf

16 http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/irrigationmap/ind/IND-gmia.pdf

17 http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.IRIG.AG.ZS/countries
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector

As it can be clearly stated from this table that the dependence on ground
water as a source of irrigation has increased immensely over the years. The
dependence on groundwater is not sustainable for the future generations as
the ground water sources are getting depleted very quickly.

IMPACT OF IRRIGATION IN INDIA

Irrigation is pivotal to agricultural, social, economic growth of the
nation. Irrigation has provided stability to food production. It is critical, yet a
vital input of agriculture production process. Along with blessing irrigation
also brought the inherent attachments of several problems like salinity and
water logging. Civilizations have risen and fallen with the growth and decline
of their irrigation systems, while others have maintained sustainable
irrigation for thousands of years. Many of the problems in irrigated
agriculture can be mitigated or avoided by improved technology and
management, and by adequately addressing cultural, social, and
environmental aspects.18

3.1 Irrigation benefits

Contribution to Food Production and Food Security

18 http://indiairrigation.blogspot.in/2009/01/history-of-irrigation-development-in_01.html
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
Various estimates point to a contribution from irrigated agriculture to overall
agricultural production of about two - thirds, and under some estimates an
even higher contribution. 19 It is now increasingly argued that at macro level,
there is no food grains constraint in India. In fact, the Report of the Working
Group on food grains Requirements by 2000 AD expressed optimism that
India has an exportable surplus of food grains to the tune of 20 MT (around
10% of food grains production) and that this is likely to go further.20

Contribution in Poverty Alleviation

There is an inverse relationship in poverty and irrigated area. It is

claimed that while the incidence of poverty is as high as 69% in districts with
less than 10% cropped area under irrigation, it is about 26% in districts
where irrigation covers more than 50% of cropped area and just 10% in
Punjab and Haryana with over 70% of their cropped area under irrigation.

Contribution in Employment Generation

Irrigation development necessarily triggers the employment

generation in agricultural as well as allied fields. Overall regional
development of irrigation further adds to employment by creating favorable
market conditions.

Contribution in Equity

Equitable distribution of water, particularly in canal command is highly

desirable. This gave myriad modifications to design and operation of
canal water distribution system. Various equity concepts introduced
are viz. volumetric equity, area equity, social equity etc. However, the
issue of water drawn from groundwater and its equity implications are
also need to be addressed.

19 World Bank. 1998. India Water Resources Management Sector Review: Irrigation Sector,
New Delhi: The World Bank.

20 shah, M., Banerji, D., Vijayshankar, P.S. and Ambasta, P. (1998). Indias Drylands: Tribal
societies and Development through Environmental Regeneration, New Delhi: Oxford University
Press.
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
Contribution to Growth and Exports

The exports of agriculture products contributed around one fifth total

exports. In the post liberalization period, the share of agricultural exports
has been continuously rising. A number of policy changes have been
introduced to encourage agricultural exports.

Contribution in Increasing Cropping Intensity

Making it possible to grow more than one crop in a year, irrigation has
contributed to increasing in cropping intensity.

Contribution to Drought Proofing

Irrigation has proved to be the most effective drought-proofing mechanism

and single biggest factor in bringing about a large measure of stability in
agricultural production.

3.2 Problems created by irrigation

Schilfgaarde, 21 in his famous review article on "Irrigation a bless or curse"

quotes following observation with special reference to irrigation. "Irrigation
always results in the degradation of water quality. Irrigation, by its nature,
uses pure water consumptively, leaving less water to transport salts and
other contaminants. Irrigation may be viewed as intensification, or
acceleration, of a natural process."

Waterlogging and Salinity

David Hopper, World Bank's vice president for South Asia, said that in
South Asian conditions, the rate -of - return criterion would generally not
allow the Bank to support an irrigation project with adequate drainage
because the drainage added too much to present costs in relation to its
discounted long term benefits. Rather, the Bank had to put in the
irrigation system and wait for salinity and water logging to take land out
of production. Then it could justify a drainage project. This sounded
preposterous: it would obviously take many years for land made unfit for

21 Schilfgaarde, J.V. (1994). Irrigation a bless or a curse. Agricultural Water Management 25, 203-219
Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
cultivation by salinity and water logging to become productive again once
drainage is put in, and it costs five times as much to construct adequate
drainage as it does to irrigate in the first place.

Sustainability Issues and Falling Growth Rates of Production

Intensive and improper use of land and water resources had led to
think on the viability of irrigation projects on sustainability issues.
Despite modern tools for irrigation and crop growing techniques,
decreasing rates of productivity remains a matter of concern.

Minimum Environmental Flows in Rivers

The need to maintain minimum flows in rivers for flushing pollutants,

dilution of waste water and other environmental reasons such as the
requirements of regenerative capacity of the ecology has been
neglected till date in planning, executing and operating major &
medium projects and will have to be recognised in future. The fact that
such demands remain unquantified also goes to show that these
important demands have been neglected.

Contribution in Balanced Regional Development

Contribution of irrigation in balanced regional development is often

criticized. This kind of imbalanced development continues even within
states (e.g. Western Maharashtra and Vidharbha).

Adverse Health Impacts

Canals are known to lead to many health impacts. Spread of Malaria

due to canal irrigation has been known since British times. In the
upper Bari Doab Canal area in 1908, the malaria deaths are reported
to have claimed 12,000 people. 22 Studies have also reported
aggravation of water borne diseases due to irrigation.

Conclusion

22 Sharma, B.R. (2006). Water Resources, Handbook of Agriculture, ICAR Publications.

Arnav Bishnoi; ECO. Majors; ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Agriculture Sector
Information technology is expanding rapidly and touches almost all areas of
human activity. Farms that farmers can participate in the creation of web
portals for direct sale that are so necessary, and system for data
manipulation and store related any activity of farming. Agricultural
universities must prepare students to use new IT, but also different, e.g.,
Meaning of extension services, and creating a new specific websites using
the web should help farmers. Providing a better quality of life in rural
decision making capabilities can be improved by the quality of information
inputs. IT to meet these challenges and to remove the fast growing digital
divide rural India can play a major role in facilitating the process of
transformation. Rapid changes in the field of information technology in rural,
it is necessary to develop and disseminate making electronic services.
Undertaking tasks in the current bottlenecks need to be addressed
immediately. IT penetration in rural to lead a national strategy needs to be
drawn. A national coordinating agency with an advisory role can act as a
catalyst in the process. No one organization can succeed alone, farmers and
rural empowering function. At the same time, scattered and half-hearted
efforts may not be successful in meeting the objective. Villages such as
fertilizer sector, with the main part of the industry, have come together to
promote early.