Green Revolution refers to sudden and spectacular and exponential increase in agricultural productivity and produce due to use of high yielding variety of seeds. It include use of high yielding variety, use of chemical fertilizers, use of pesticides, crop rotation, modernized means of cultivation.
Achievements
- increase in production
- increase in national income
- higher standard of living of farmers
- can afford many things now
- increase in marketable surplus
- exports increased
- benefits to low-income groups
- buffer stock of food grains
- established India as one of the biggest agri producers
Failures
- was restricted to limited crops only
- uneven benefits
- soil degradation, and even spread
- water table decreased
- growth of capitalist farming
- undesirable social effect
- we had to import crops. Deficit in balance of payments
- new agricultural strategy was adopted
Components of green revolution
- high yielding variety of seeds
- irrigation (canal, tubewell, groundwater)
- chemical fertilizers
- insecticides and pesticides
- consolidation of holding
- land reforms
- agricultural credit rural electrification Kama farm mechanization
- multiple cropping.
Impacts
- production increased
- employment generation
- food security
- poverty alleviation
- high-yield
3 strands of Green revolution
A. Biochemical
- hybrid seeds selection
- use of fertilizers
- herbicides and pesticides
- Increase the yields
- weeds and pests controlled
- increased costs for farmers
- environment degradation
B. Mechanical
- Diesel and electric pump power irrigation
- mechanisation
- transport improvement
- Water supply controlled
- less labour needed
- increase in edible area
- increased in access to markets
C. Social
- land reforms
- change in distributed system form consolidation
- better seeds and other inputs available to poor farmers
Positive impact
- increase agricultural production
- prosperity of the farmers
- reduction in import of food grains
- rural employment
- dispersal of rice and wheat cultivation two non-conventional areas
- industrial growth
Negative impact
- intercrop disparities
- regional disparities
- rise in interpersonal disparities
- unemployment (excessive mechanization, modernization)
- depletion of groundwater
- deforestation environmental pollution
- ecological problems like soil salinity, alkalinity, water logging, desertification, soil erosion
- Heavy dependency on fuse major crops lead to loss of biodiversity of farmers
TIMELINE
- 1961– intensive agriculture development programme
- 1966– hyv program was introduced in the kharif season of 1966
- 2002– second green revolution, with inclusion of genetically engineered crops (it sustainably developed agriculture)
- 2005– National horticulture mission i.e production of fruit with spices and flowers were introduced
- 2010– bringing green revolution to eastern India
2nd phase of green revolution
- Due to limitations when first phase, second phase was introduced
- Committed towards sustainable agriculture
Aim
- to enhance agri productivity
- to promote food security
- more focus on biotechnology
- encourage sustainable agriculture
- to increase the per capita income of farmers and raise their standard of living to become self-sufficient in staple food, pulses, oilseeds.
Strategies
- micro irrigation system
- organic farming
- precision farming
- green agriculture
- bringing green revolution to eastern India ( it is a sub scheme of rashtriya krishi Vikas Yojana in 2010 to improve rice and wheat based cropping system in eastern states of India)
Add-ons
- agriculture accounts for 18% of India’s GDP and provides employment to 50% of the country’s workforce
- India is the largest producer of pulse, rice, wheat, spice
Facts
- Total geographical area is 328 million hectares
- Net area sown is 142 million hectares
- Gross cropped area is 190.8 million hectares.
Major crops
- rice- 89.5M tonnes,
- wheat- 75.6,
- coarse cereals- 30.5,
- pulses- 13.4,
- oilseeds- 20.9,
- sugarcane- 29.9 (year 1999-2000)
The programme was started with the help of US based “Rockwell foundation” and was based on high yielding variety of wheat, rice, chicken etc and other grains that had been developed in Mexico and in the Philippines. It was necessary because of the famine of 1965, Indo China war (61-62), indo-pak war, food crisis (jai jawan jai kisan) by LBS.
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