History of agriculture in India

 

Agriculture in India dates back to 9000 BCE i.e. nearly 11,000 years ago. It all started with the cultivation of plants and domestication of animals. India was the largest producer of wheat and grains. Double monsoons helped in reaping two harvests in a year. This helped Indian products reach worldwide through trading networks. Plants and animals contributed a lot for the survival of humans and from then Indians started worshipping few animals.

Between the 5th to the late 15th centuries irrigation channels reached new heights and Indian crops started affecting the economy of other countries. Land and water management systems were developed and the Republic of India started developing agricultural programmes.

The Neolithic Revolution 

The Neolithic Revolution also called the First Agricultural Revolution began around 8000-4000 BCE. During this period farmers started:

• planting crops in a row, 

• storing grains in a storehouse,

• wheat and barley cultivation began and

• rearing cattle, sheep and goats became quite common.

By the 5th millennium, approximately between the years 5000 BC to 4001 BC, agricultural communities started spreading in Kashmir and cotton had already started cultivating. Fruits such as mango and muskmelon were grown. Indians started growing hemp which was widely used in producing fibre and oil. Peas, sesame and dates were widely cultivated in North India.

Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization dates back to 4500 BCE and this is when irrigation had started. Irrigation, water storage systems, reservoirs and canal irrigation systems were all developed during this period. Outside the Indus Valley area there were other regions that contributed a lot towards agriculture i.e, the Deccan Plateau and areas within Orissa and Bihar. Millets and pulses were grown large in these areas and engaged a lot in herding cattle, sheep and goats. In the eastern parts of India people grew rice and pulses in large numbers and also kept cattle, sheep and goats.

The Iron Age

The Iron Age dates back to 1500 BCE to 200 CE. During this age Jute was cultivated at large and was used to make ropes and cords. Animals which were considered vital for human survival were worshipped, trees such as peepal and banyan were also worshipped. Other plants were known for their medicinal values and this is when Ayurveda came into play. There is evidence in vedic texts that agricultural technologies and practices were used in cultivation of vegetables, fruits, cereals and animal husbandry. Farmers ploughed the soil, planted seeds and started cropping in a certain sequence. They also started using cow dung as a fertiliser. During this era people started differentiating soils and made meteorological observations for agriculture.

 

The Early Common Era

This dates back to 200-1200 CE. Tamilians started cultivating crops such as millets, rice,black pepper, sugarcane, cotton, tamarind, palm, sandalwood, jackfruit, coconut, etc. Ploughing, manuring, weeding, crop protection were all practised in common. A dam named Kallanai was built near the Kaveri river.

Spices such as black pepper and cinnamon were traded to the Mediterranean. Crystallised sugar was discovered during this period and the process of candied sugar transmitted from India to China which made Buddhist monks visit India for obtaining the technology of sugar refining. 

During the Chola empire i.e, between 875-1279 there was a reform. Collective holding of land by a particular group of people slowly moved to individual plots, each plot with its own irrigation system. This reduced the areas of dry cultivation as water was distributed by tank and channel networks.

The Late Middle Age

Between the 1200-1526 CE construction of water works were prominent. This resulted in economic growth. Agricultural zones were classified and rice production dominated Gujarat and North and Central India dominated in wheat production. Sugar mills were set up during this era.

The Mughal Era

The population in India accelerated during this era 1526 - 1757 CE. Crops like wheat, rice, barley, cotton, indigo were all grown large. New crops such as maize and tobacco were introduced. Indian crops were spread across North Africa, Spain and the Middle East. A monetary tax system called Zabt was introduced by Akbar during this era. At this time Indian farmers were far more advanced than farmers across Europe. 

The Colonial British Era

Between 1757 to 1947 CE commercial crops such as cotton,wheat,rice paved their way to the global market. Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and the Narmada Valley were recognised as the centres of agrarian reforms. The British regime in India did supply irrigation works but not upto the scale. The price of agricultural commodities grew three times. A report in the form of palm leaf manuscripts at the Thanjavur Tamil University gives us data on how agricultural production was in about 800 villages around Chennai between 1762 and 1766.

The Republic of India.

After 1947 CE a lot of special programmes were introduced to improve the crop supply. Campaigns such as The Grow More Food, Integrated Production Programme focused on the supply of food and cash crops followed by the Five year plans of India very soon. Land development, electrification, use of chemical fertilisers soon came under the government supervision. Green revolution, Yellow revolution, Blue revolution all started off from the 1960's which resulted in a significant growth in the agricultural sector.

White Revolution

This was launched in 1970 and is said to be one of the largest initiatives by the National Dairy Development Board of India. The main objective was to set up dairy cooperatives in 10 states. White Revolution is also considered to be one of the world's biggest dairy development programmes. It literally transferred India from being a milk deficient nation to one of the largest milk producers in the world.

Below Varghese Kurien, the founder & chairman of Amul, about 700 towns and cities became consumers of milk. This reduced the variations in milk price and also helped milk producers get a major share of income as cooperatives were formed.

By the end of 1981 there were about 13,000 dairy cooperatives covering nearly 15,000 farmers. In 1985 the numbers increased to 136 milk sheds, 34,500 village dairy cooperatives and over 36 lakh members. Finally in 1996 there was massive growth with nearly 73,300 dairy cooperatives and over 9.4 million farmer members.

The contribution of agriculture and livestock towards GDP

The agricultural sector of India contributes the highest to its economy when compared to the other countries in the world. Agriculture in India contributes nearly 20.19% whereas other countries contribute only 6.4% approximately.

Livestock play a major role when we talk about the Indian economy. Nearly 20.5 million people depend on livestock for their livelihood which means 8.8% of the population are employed by livestock. It contributes nearly 4.11% to the GDP.

Agricultural imports and exports

Cereals, spices, tea, coffee are some of the major exports and the value of agricultural exports when compared to other exports nealy contributes 15 to 20%. Agri imports are only a small percent. Between 96-97 and 99-2000 agri imports ranged only 4 to 7% of the total imports.

This is when a strong middle class in India became the main consumers of vegetables, fruits, dairy, fish, meat, etc. Agricultural exports started growing by 10.1% every year. Contract farming increased. After independence India became the largest producer of wheat, spice, edible oil, tea, etc and the Ministry of Agriculture started overseeing all agricultural activities. Organisations such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, National Dairy Development Board and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development were set up to help farmers.

The Public Distribution System

PDS was developed to manage the  distribution of foodgrains at an affordable price. It has now become an important part of the Government policy to manage the food economy in India. As agricultural production grew big after the Green Revolution PDS extended to areas of poverty during the 1970's and 80's.

Food protection 

The Constitution thus makes the Right to Food a guaranteed Fundamental Right which is enforceable by virtue of the constitutional remedy provided under Article 32 of the Constitution.

Final Thoughts

In today's era technology has started ruling every industry with agriculture not being an exception. Farmers now have easy access to information and apps like YourFarm help farmers get instant online assistance from experts. Tie-ups with expert veterinarians make it easy for farmers to get herbal veterinary assistance 24*7 for their ailing livestock. Farmers are the most valuable citizens of a country, with due respect to all farmers!