he Rice-wheat cropping system is India’s most widely adopted cropping system practiced on an estimated area of around 11 million hectares. It involves the cultivation of rice during the summer monsoon season, followed by the cultivation of wheat during the winter season. This system is prevalent in Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) and is predominant in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh etc.

Major factors responsible for making rice-wheat system a success in India are:

• Green Revolution: It provided the package of technology, HYV seeds and policies that produced increased food grain production (mainly wheat & rice). Increased availability of machines, irrigation technology led to increased cropping area and more productivity.
• MSP policies: Procurement of marketed surplus of paddy (rice) and wheat at Minimum Support Price (MSP) completely insulated farmers against any price or market risks. Thus, most of the farmers shifted to cultivation of rice and wheat.
• Food preferences: Rice and wheat are core food preferences in India. So, farmers with low land holding/ subsistence farming produce rice and wheat for their own consumption.
• Favourable agro-climatic conditions: The rice-wheat system is typically grown in areas with a warm, humid climate along with fertile, well-drained soils, which are capable of supporting high crop yields. It is largely present in the regions where the system flourishes.
• Allied activities: Green fodder from this system helps to support a large population of livestock.

Problems with success of rice-wheat system:

• Ecological Effects:
  • Depletion of groundwater: Policy of free power for pumping out groundwater for irrigation led to the depletion of groundwater resources. Punjab and Haryana are already notified as over exploited zones of groundwater.
  • Air pollution due to crop residue burning in states like UP, Punjab and Haryana.
  • Loss of biodiversity due to excessive use of hybrid seeds and fertilizers.
  • The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to maintain high crop yields has led to soil degradation and water pollution.
• Pest and disease outbreaks: The monoculture nature of the rice-wheat system makes it susceptible to pest and disease outbreaks, which can lead to crop failures and reduced yields.
• Income and productivity:
  • Rise in labour charges and exposure to global markets led to fall in incomes of farmers cultivating rice and wheat.
  • The productivity is also very less compared to international standards. For instance, China’s productivity is almost double in both wheat and rice.
• Entrepreneurial Skills of Farmers: Procurement of almost the entire market arrivals of rice and wheat at MSP for more than 50 years has affected the entrepreneurial skills of farmers to sell their produce in a competitive market based on quality of produce.
• Lack of innovation: There is lack of innovation and the present agricultural practices are neither economically nor ecologically sustainable.
• Seasonality of labour: While this system is labour intensive, it employs large amounts of labour seasonally i.e., during harvest season or during cropping season. Rest of the time the labour is unproductive. This has led to disguised unemployment and increased focus on migration.

Way forward:

• Provide warehouse, storage and transport facilities for farmers to avoid distress selling.
• Strengthen e-NAM system and reform APMCs.
• Improve institutional arrangements on price assurance such as contract farming after consulting farmers.
• Diversify cropping pattern based on regional crops: For a change in cropping, a push towards millets and pulses is to be looked into. These crops are not input-intensive and are more sustainable in the local climatic condition.
• Procurement must be supplemented for pulses and other crops by the creation of strong private markets and institutions such as cooperative FPOs in the long term, which reduce intermediation costs.
• Strong Forward & Backward Linkages:
  • Promotion of food processing in formal and informal sectors;
  • A network of agro- and agri-input industries; high-tech agriculture.
  • Direct link of production and producers to consumers without involving intermediaries.

The traditional Green Revolution States would need to shed “business as usual” approach and embrace an innovative development strategy in agriculture to secure and improve the future of farming and rural youth. An Ever-Green revolution is needed for sustainable development and growth of India.