Punjab and Haryana used to be regarded as the granary of India. But they have slipped down the ladder because of rising consumption and flattening yields from the land in the two states. A green revolution is underway in newer states, especially the Northeast which has fertile soil and abundant rainfall. It is poised to be the country’s next agricultural powerhouse. Nagaland and Manipur have achieved farm output of nearly 1 million tonnes this fiscal. Privatization is often considered desirable for the key sectors of the Indian economy. But the second generation of green revolution in several states shows that government initiatives still turn things around in the agricultural sector. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar have had over 10 million tonnes of food output for the first time with Madhya Pradesh at the top. This Centre has raised the annual funding for a green revolution in eastern India from Rs. 400 crore to Rs. 1000 crore in 2012-13.
These statistics do not confirm the prediction that the Northeast is headed to be the foodbowl of India in the foreseeable future. The Northeastern states which have been marked as star performers are Manipur and Nagaland. Manipur grows a huge amount of foodgrains but a shadow falls across its being a major supplier of food to the rest of India. Economic blockades have repeatedly cut it off from the rest of India. The people of Manipur have been deprived of essential commodities from time to time. How can it feed other states? Tribal clashes and continuing Naga insurgency have insulated Nagaland also. Food production is not enough. Its distribution and dispatch to other states are also important. Besides, it is not clear how much money is invested by the Centre and how much is utilized in the Northeastern green revolution. However, if the capacity of the Northeast to be the granary of the country can be fully utilized, it will eradicate the sense of alienation in the region.
