Smart Dialogue:
Soil Health & Agricultural Productivity in Punjab: Economic implications of Chemical Intensive Agriculture
Date: 30 April 2009
Venue: Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab

Background and rationale:

Punjab occupies an important place in the agricultural economy of India. With just 3 per of the total agricultural area, this state is only second to the UP in food grain production. It accounts for 20 per cent of wheat and 10 per cent of rice production in the country (Agr Stat at a glance, 2007). This state is also a major contributor towards the public distribution system supplying 50 to 60 per cent food grains to the federal pool.

Punjab agriculture has undergone a significant structural change since the advent of the green revolution in the late sixties. Traditional agriculture has given way to commercial agriculture. Technology and inputs were the main underpinnings of this transformation. The agricultural policy that ensured subsidized inputs and an assured market through minimum support and procurement prices helped in increasing agricultural production in the State. However the growth phase was short lived. Monoculture and indiscriminate use of inputs have degraded the base of agriculture in the State.

The heavy dependence on agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides has lasting impacts on the environment. Indiscriminate use of heavily subsidized fertilizers degraded the soil and as a result the production is stagnant and even showing a declining trend.

Now the state is in the midst of an agrarian crisis which can have very serious socio-economic implications on the overall economy of the state. It can also affect the food security of the country which is now heavily dependent on the State for its food grain needs.

This dialogue is an attempt to bring together scientific wisdom and practical knowledge to analyze the state of agriculture in Punjab with special reference to soil heath and find solutions for a food secure future.

Agenda:

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