Ferguson tractors and playing cards in Delhi, 1960s

 

A solitary card from a 1960s playing deck, branded with the title “Ferguson System” and sold by Escorts (A & M) in Delhi. This card offers a unique glimpse into a moment of agricultural transformation in Delhi and India.

Playing cards would have served as an effective advertising tool, used to promote a new generation of Ferguson tractors and heavy machinery in the country (see back of card below). In the 1960s, the Indian government was actively incentivising agricultural mechanisation, seeing it as a critical solution to recurring food shortages—particularly during droughts in regions like Bihar.

The investment in, and arrival of, Ferguson tractors, coincided with the early stages of the 'Green Revolution', a state-led initiative aimed at boosting food production through the use of high-yield seeds, irrigation, and mechanised farming.

This single playing card stands as a poignant reminder of the broader shifts in agriculture taking place across India during the mid-20th century—shifts that would go on to reshape the rural economy and food systems in the country.