UP Agriculture

 Agriculture plays a vital role in our country's livelihood, and even today, the majority of our population remains connected to farming. Our nation has truly become an agrarian economy. The food grains produced in our country are exported in large quantities worldwide, and their demand remains very high.

However, we are slowly forgetting the immense struggles of our farmers. There was time around 1950-60 when we struggled to get enough food to fill our stomachs. Low quality food grains were shipped from America to our country just so our people could survive. Following the 1962 war with China, our condition deteriorated even further.

It was during that critical period in the 1960s that Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, with assistance from Mexico, launched the green revolution. Initially, the Green revolution was confined only to Punjab and some part of  Uttar Pradesh. However, it played a monumental role in boosting crop productivity. Gradually, its popularity spread across the entire country, transforming India in to a major agrarian power house.

Our farmers did not just increase crop yields; they elevated India to the number one position in Rice production and the number two position in wheat production globally. Back, then Green Revolution was the need of the hour, and our farmers utilized it effectively. However, to maximize productivity and protect crops from pests farmers began heavily using various pesticides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers. while these chemicals saved the crops from destruction, they also led to the rise of various severe health issues, such as cancer and chronic weakness.

Today, a crucial question arises or rather, it must cross everyone's mind: Now that our country has successfully become a self- sufficient, agrarian nation, do we still need the Green Revolution today?

 

In this image, you can easily see the rice grain machine and the rice crop, but only a farmer can understand the struggle behind it. Lets try to understand the struggle behind it. Lets try to understand the struggles of a farmer behind growing rice.

First, the farmer buys paddy (Dhan) from the market, then soaks it and keeps it for 2-3 days. After that, they prepare the field. When the field is ready, the paddy is sown in it, and it is properly watered for 2-3 days until the paddy turns into saplings . Then those saplings are uprooted and transplanted in to the main field. After that pesticides are applied so that weeds do not grow. Then fertilizers are added along with proper irrigation, because paddy cultivation relies entirely on water; if there is a shortage of water, the crop will be ruined.

When the paddy matures, if weeds have still grown, some farmers weed them out manually, while most use pesticides. Then they spread fertilizers again. When the paddy is about to blossom, they spray insecticides or chemicals so that pest do not infect it. when the crop is finally ready and survives naturally calamities, they harvest it and then thresh it, either manually or using a machines. After that, the paddy comes home, and the straw is collected and tied to feed the animals.

There is so much process involved. I asked the farmers if they make any profit from this, and they said there is no profit in farming for small farmers. Big farmers make some profit because they have all the facilities, and their paddy goes to big mills or is sold MSP ( minimum support price ). I met many such farmers who take someone else's land on a contract of 10,000 - 12,000 rupees and earn their livelihood by farming on it. With such a long process, the farmer hard labor is also heavily invested.

Now we have become capable of understanding that to increase productivity, farmers use pesticides, insecticides and chemicals in every crop, which is proving to be very harmful to our bodies. We know that around 1950, life expectancy was 32-35 years, which has now increased to 60 - 70 years. The reason behind this is that our country became independent in 1947, which led to better medical facilities and improved food security due to the green revolution. I have spoken to many elders who used to say that they would spend their days eating just pearl millets ( bajra ), sugarcane juice, and roasted chickpeas ( chana ). The things we used to eat and drink back then, today's generation won't even be able to digest. In our times, such fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides were not used, which is why our bodies are strong.

By the way, India's Sikkim states practices 100% organic farming, and its crop productivity is also good. Seeing this, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh have also started practicing organic farming. Why shouldn't we also walk on the same path for the new generation of farmers? We need to become aware. just as a child raised in a bad environment has higher chances of going down the wrong path, in the same way, if we grow rice, wheat and others crops in an environment full of pesticides, insecticides and chemicals, it will only cause us harm. We must understand this point- much greed is not good. If our government takes a strict decision on this, we can save a huge amount on the natural gas we import, get out the fertilizer subsidies, and also escape the heavy medical expenses that most families spend on disease. A positive fold impact can be seen through this.

There is a debate among many people that if all states start organic farming, it will lead to a food crises in the country. They are right to some extent, but if our government applies proper rules and guidance, this can become possible gradually, just like the government started the green revolution. Here farmers do not start following everything all of a sudden; they learn and adapt by watching each other. 

Another point is that even today, no one from the agriculture department visits the farmers to make them aware of soil quality, how much fertilizer to use, and what new schemes the government has launched for them. Even today, most farmers buy fertilizers, insecticides and chemicals from the black market, which is highly harmful. If proper guidance and rules are implemented, things can become much easier.