Employment Implications of the Green Revolution and Mechanisation: A Case Study of the Punjab

No one seriously doubts that the green revolution in the form of use of high-yielding varieties (H.Y.V.) is resulting in a substantial increase in output and employment in agriculture in the developing countries. What is not equally clear is the impact of farm mechanisation — particularly tractorisation — on output and employment. Since tractor power is employed for ploughing, threshing and transportation — jobs hitherto performed by human and bullock labour — there may be a displacement of human labour along with bullock labour. The use of farm tractors may, however, facilitate multiple cropping (cropping intensity) as well as raising yield per acre of area planted owing to the better quality of tractor ploughing. Further, there may be some complementarity between the use of tractors and H.Y.V., in the sense that the area planted to the H.Y.V. cannot be expanded beyond a point, especially on large farms, unless tractors are used, because farm operations for H.Y.V. are highly time-bound. Thus, whereas the immediate impact of tractor use is the technological displacement of labour, additional employment may be generated for interculturing, harvesting and similar activities through its secondary or dynamic effects. The latter effects may be significant in developing countries where there is a growing demand for agricultural commodities and hence an incentive for the farmers to expand agricultural output.