What are the merits and demerits of green revolution?
- The spread of green revolution technology enabled our economy to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains. Enormous increase in the production of food grains through the use of high yielding variety seeds for wheat and rice.
- A proportion of food grains were sold in the market which leads to decline in the price level of food grains compared to other consumption. Low income groups were benefited from the given price level. It enabled the government to procure required amount of food grains to build a stock which will be used at times of shortage.
- The government provided loan to small farmers to purchase the necessary inputs for the new technology. The risk of the small farmers being solved, when pest attack their crops was protected by the services of the research institute. Green revolution benefited the small as well as rich farmers.
Demerit
- The farmers require reliable irrigation facilities and financial support to consume fertiliser and pesticides.
- The rapidly increasing problems of land degradation, deforestation, environmental pollution, depletion of biodiversity, increased incidence of mosquito borne diseases, pest resurgence, lowering of ground water table are the results of Green revolution in India.
- Soil erosion which is the removal of the top soil cover is the result of Green revolution.