Transformation of Punjab Agriculture (An Old & Rare Book)

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The effects of the Green Revolution have been the maximum in the Punjab. With rapid technological advancement, the State has recorded spectacular rates of growth in agricultural output and productivity. As a result, the Punjab has earned the sobriquet 'The Granary of India'. However, the growth phenomenon has not been uniform throughout the State inevitably because of the differential distribution of natural resources like quality of land and suitability of underground water. In addition, the variegated adoption of new farm technology in different regions of the State and in different size categories of farms has also been instrumental in effecting the non-uniformity of productivity in the State. This book examines the role of different factors in determining, the pattern and rate of agricultural growth in the Punjab. Specifically, it focuses on the contribution of modern technology to agriculture, shifts in the resource structure of agriculture in the Punjab and spells out policy implications for the future. Dr Inder Sain has written on the subject with authority. and has substantiated his arguments and convictions with tabulated data. The result is a non- pareil book which will enlighten agricultural economists and the policy-makers.

Inder Sain (b.1944) obtained his Ph.D. degree in Economics from Punjabi University, Patiala, in 1985. He worked as Research Assistant in Agricultural Economics from 1973 to 1976. Presently he is associated with the Department of Economics and Sociology of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, in the capacity of Assistant Farm Economist.

This study deals with productivity and technical change in the Punjab agriculture. It is focused on a theme of major importance from the point of view of both the researchers and the policy makers because of its pertinent bearing on all sections of the community-producers, consumers and the distributors. It delineates the role of different factors in determining the pattern and pace of agricultural growth. The inter-temporal changes in the growth performance in the Punjab agriculture both over time and over space have also been examined. The role of different factors and their contribution have been captu red through the use of Factor Analysis. The study also examines the shifts in resource structure and in productivity over different agro- climatic regions and size categories of farms in the state. The total change in output and productivity has been decomposed into the change due to technological change and in inputs. The study also examines the shifts in production for different regions and different size categories of farms and on an overall basis over time. Apart from this, the changes in the resource use efficiency and returns to scale in different regions and size groups of farms and on an overall basis have been analysed. A notable feature of the study is that a number of policy implications in regard to reorientation of cropping pattern, resource use efficiency and resource substitution specific to different regions and size groups of farms flow from this analysis. The study notes with concern the imbalances in the cropping pattern and pleads for a policy reorientation in favour of pulses and oilseeds to redress the imbalance. The inefficiencies in resource use have been pinpointed and the need to stem the tide of over-capitalization in agriculture particularly in respect of farm machinery like tractors and tubewells has been emphasized. On the whole, I feel that the author has made a useful effort to analyse the different ramifications of a highly complex and rather intractable factor viz. technological change and its impact on growth in agricultural productivity and input use. I com mend this book to the planners, policy makers, teachers and researchers working in this important area of agricultural economics.

Punjab State has recorded spectacular rates of growth in agricultural output and productivity under the impact of technological advance particularly since the mid- sixties. However, the pattern of growth has not been uniform across different size groups and regions. Differentials in resource endowments and degree of adoption of various ingredients of available technology and more importantly socio-cultural factors have been primarily responsible for this disparate performance. It was, therefore, considered useful to examine indepth the nature and pattern of growth of agriculture in Punjab. Specifically, the study aimed: (i) to examine the inter- temporal changes in the growth performance of Punjab Agriculture; (ii) to study the shifts in resource structure in the State; (iii) to identify the nature of technical change and its contribution to output; and (iv) to study shifts in productivity and resource use. The analysis has been carried out for two points of time i.e. 1971-72 and 1980-81 respectively. The initial period represented the breakthrough in wheat technology, while the latter in paddy. Thus, the analysis under the two different techno logical situations highlighted far-reaching implications for formulation of appropriate policy in regard to reorientation of cropping pattern, resource use efficiency and resource substitution for different regions/size groups of farms in the agricultural sector of the Punjab economy. The present study based on my thesis approved by the Punjabi University, Patiala for the award of Doctor of Philosophy is divided into nine chapters. Chapter one provides the introduction and objectives while chapters second and third deal with methodology and review of literature, respectively. Chapter fourth concerns the changing characteristics of sample holdings while chapters fifth to eighth deal with growth per formance, shift in resource structure, nature and contribution of technical change and productivity and resource use respectively. The concluding chapter presents the summary and conclusions. The pattern of growth performance of agriculture has indica ted a pronounced shift in favour of paddy-wheat rotation, thereby, exposing the economy to the hazards of over-specialization. Thus, imbalance in the cropping pattern can be checked through greater emphasis on research to evolve high-yielding varieties of pulses and oilseeds which have been the main casualty in the process of increasing trend towards over-specialization in agri culture. The government should also reorient its price policy in favour of these crops particularly oilseeds and pulses. Such a policy, it is hoped would encourage diversification in agriculture so necessary to safeguard against risk and uncertainties peculiar to specialised agriculture. The decomposition of changes in agricultural productivity showed that the contribution of technical change was as high as 36.62 per cent and of inputs was 24.61 per cent. The capital inputs accounted for about 20 per cent and labour for about 7 per cent. The study indicated capital using bias of technology. The examination of the resource use efficiency for different regions and size groups of farms has shown that there were, by and large, significant inefficiencies in resource use both in the early seventies as well as in early eighties. There has been an increasing trend towards over-capitalization in agriculture. This is true, particularly for tractors. The use of bullock labour has become somewhat redundant and irrational under the impact of technological advance as most of the farmers, even the small ones have begun to custom hire the services of tractors to ensure timely performance of tillage operations. Over-capitalization has also been taking place in regard to minor irrigation due to the fact that an overwhelming majority of farmers even operate very tiny holdings. The analysis of marginal rate of substitution of farm machinery for human labour indicated a declining tendency which could be ascribed to the drastic shift in cropping pattern favour ing wheat-paddy rotation in the State. As paddy is highly labour intensive in the absence of any efficient technology com ing up for transplantation of paddy, the rate of substitution of farm machinery for human labour had naturally declined. Even harvesting and the threshing of paddy and wheat are highly labour intensive. In spite of the appearance of harvest com bines, the proportion of mechanically harvested crop is very small. However, as soon as new mechanical innovations for transplanting of paddy and reapers for harvesting paddy and wheat become available and are adopted, the marginal rate of substitution of farm machinery for human labour is likely to increase and we will have to create necessary opportunities for productive employment of the displaced labour. I owe my greatest debt of gratitude to my supervisors Dr A.J. Singh and Dr Baldev Singh for their constant advice and guidance. Dr H.K. Manmohan Singh always remained a source of inspiration and encouragement. Dr D.S. Sidhu and Dr S.S. Grewal extended the maximum help and facilities.

I shall always remember the willing assistance of my friends Dr B.S. Bawa, Dr A.S. Joshi and Dr J.N. Singh. I am indeed thankful to the Indian Council of Social Science Research for providing me the financial assistance for pursuit of this research. My special thanks are due to Sh. M.L. Chaudhary Senior Programmer, Computer Centre, I.A.S.R.I., New Delhi for his help in analysing the data on the Computer.

**Contents and Sample Pages**