Structural transformation of Punjab Agriculture and its environmental implications

As per Economic Survey of Punjab, (2019-20), Punjab alone contributed more than 1/4th and 1/3th of the central pool of rice and wheat respectively in 2018-19 and accordingly named as bread-basket of India. However, such a huge contribution was due to the structural transformation of agriculture in Punjab under the Green Revolution. Such transformation leads to intensive use of natural resources with mono-culture of wheat-paddy till today, which put a big question mark on the sustainability issue of agriculture in Punjab. The present study was exclusively based on secondary data, covering the period of 1965-66 to 2018-2019, almost 55 years. Hirschman Herfindhal index and Simpson Diversity index were used to determine the extent of concentration and diversification in the cropping pattern of Punjab agriculture. The results highlight the facts that level of diversification was declining and the level of concentration was increasing. Moreover, Compound Growth Rate (CGR) of yield was either stagnating or declining over the years. Not only this, based on the index of agriculture production, the trend values were negative since the 21 ^st century. Accordingly, intensive agricultural practices should be stopped, and diversification should get priority in such a way that food security is not jeopardized.