Performance of Agriculture in Punjab

Punjab had been a star performer in agriculture during the heydays of the green revolution. Its agricultural GDP grew at 5.7% per annum during the period from 1971–72 to 1985–86, which was more than double the growth rate of 2.31% achieved at all-India level in the same period. It was Punjab’s spectacular performance, first observed in large wheat surpluses and then in rice, that helped India free itself from food aid under the PL 480 and its associated political strings. Punjab became a symbol of India’s grain surpluses, giving India much needed food security. But after 1985–86, the green revolution showed signs of waning and Punjab’s agricultural growth slowed to 3% per annum over the period 1985–86 to 2004–05, almost the same as achieved at the all-India level. But the real challenges to Punjab’s agriculture emerged when its growth crashed to just 1.6% per annum during 2005–06 to 2016–17, which was less than half the all-India agricultural GDP growth of 3.6% over the same period. Owing to the earlier years of high agricultural growth, Punjab had one of the lowest poverty ratios (7.7% in rural Punjab) as per Tendulkar poverty line in the country in 2011–12, which was almost one-third the level of poverty at the all-India level. Providing food security to the country and reducing its own poverty to the lowest levels within India has been Punjab’s most laudable achievements.