Price Incentives for the Production of High-Yielding Mexican Varieties of Wheat

After stagnating in the 1950’s, agricultural production in West Pakistan rose substantially in the early 1960’s because of increased area under cultivation and higher crop yields made possible through greater availability of controlled water and the use of fertilizers. Since the mid-sixties, another important source of agricultural growth has been added, namely, the development and spread of high-yielding varieties of wheat, rice and maize. The discovery and development of high-yielding seeds (HYS) amount to a technological change and this has created a very large potential for raising the production of certain crops, provided the necessary inputs are properly used. Agricultural experts have predicted that with the adoption of the new HYS and the realization of their full-yield potential, the current problem of ‘food shortage’ will change into a problem of ‘food surplus’.