West Bengal, a predominantly food grain producing state, witnessed an upsurge in the food grain production mainly because of the introduction of the seed-fertilizer-irrigation technology in the post-green revolution period. However, food grain production in West Bengal gained rapid momentum only in the 1980s, which was reversed by an equally alarming fall in production in the 1990s. Against this backdrop, the paper reviews the performance of West Bengal's food grain production over time. It takes into account the findings of the earlier studies and then compares them with the present study to identify the possible reasons for the slower growth performance in the 1990s, and the implications for sustainable growth and national food security.

Sustained growth in agricultural production and productivity is essential for overall stability of the Indian economy. Agricultural development in India, as in other developing countries, can serve as a catalyst for the rapid growth of its economy. Intensification of agriculture is a necessity in India, to feed the huge population which is expected to touch 1340 million by 2020 (www.geography.ndo.co.uk). It requires increasing both, production and productivity, in the agricultural sector in a way which is economically viable as well as environmentally sustainable.

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