In the middle of 1960s, India was on the edge of famine.10 million tons of wheat were imported annually by the U.S. PL-480 getting in spite of consecutive droughts, per capita foodgrains reaching 1950s levels.
The Green Revolution (1965-1980s) under the leadership of M.S. Swaminathan, a plant geneticist, C. Subramaniam, a Minister of Agriculture, and Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, provided high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation systems, which resulted in tripled wheat production and food self-sufficiency by 1978, and radically transformed Indian agrarian space.
How did the Green Revolution Start?
The crisis was at its highest point in 1965-67 droughts when the traditional varieties of wheat produced in Punjab only gave 850kg/ha compared to Mexico 4500kg/ha dwarf strains.
According to the Golden Jubilee Green Revolution Report (TNAU, 2015): "Political decision by the government to import 200 tonnes and 18,000 tonnes of seeds of Lerma Rojo and Sonora 64 in 1965 and 1966, respectively." quote confirms Shastri-era quantities.
This was a replica of the Mexican miracle (1940s-60s) by Borlaug but this time it was wheat over rice because the initial intent was to create maximum caloric security because of the lack of foreign exchange.
Key Components of the Green Revolution
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HYV Seeds: Semi-dwarf hybrids were resistant to lodging with heavy fertilizer, doubled yields; by 1970 wheat had been grown over 100% of the irrigated Punjab.
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Chemical Inputs: The consumption of fertilizers went up by enormous amounts 1kg/ha (1960) to 50kg/ha (1980) and urea was subsidised as a means of growth.
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Irrigation Surge: Tube wells increased to 12 lakh (1985) as compared to 1 lakh (1965) and the use of electrified pumps to allow 24/7 farming.
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Price Support: Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of Food Corporation of India assured wheat at ₹76/quintal (1966), which encouraged surplus.
Regulation of credit through cooperatives increased mechanization by the government.
Phases of Green Revolution
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Phase I (1965-1970): The wheat bowl of Punjab-Haryana-Western UP.
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HYV area: 1.9M ha (1967) -14.3M ha (1972); Punjab prices shot up from 1.3 tons/ha up to 2.8 tons/ha.
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Phase II (1970-1985): The HYV Rice HYV reached (IR-8, Jaya, Ratna) eastwards; coarse grains (jowar, bajra) partially covered. Tamil Nadu accepted short-duration rice.
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Phase III (1985+): Oilseeds/pulses rainfed push (Technology Mission) failed because of water shortage; Haryana-Punjab mired in wheat-rice rotation.
What was the Result of the Green Revolution?
The production of food grains increased sharply, reaching 72M tons (1965) to 152M tons (1990) and wheat 11M to 55M, rice 34M to 74M.
The per capita income of Punjab increased five times (1965-85), rural electrification was 90% and Five-Year plans were financed by the forex savings. Since then no famines; buffer stocks of 30M tons (1970s). Swaminathan was known as the Father of Green Revolution in India.
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