The
Green
Revolution
The
world's worst recorded food disaster occurred in 1943 in British-ruled India.
Known as the Bengal Famine, an estimated 4 million people died of hunger that
year in eastern India (which included today's Bangladesh). Initially, this
catastrophe was attributed to an acute shortfall in food production in the area.
However, Indian economist Amartya Sen (recipient of the Nobel Prize for
Economics, 1998) has established that while food shortage was a contributor to
the problem, a more potent factor was the result of hysteria related to World
War II, which made food supply a low priority for the British rulers.
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When the British
left India in 1947, India continued to be haunted by memories of the Bengal
Famine. It was therefore natural that food security was one of the main items on
free India's agenda. This awareness led, on one hand, to the Green Revolution in
India and, on the other, legislative measures to ensure that businessmen would
never again be able to hoard food for reasons of profit.
The
Green Revolution, spreading over the period from1967/68 to 1977/78, changed
India�s status from a food-deficient country to one of the world's leading
agricultural nations. Until 1967 the government largely concentrated on
expanding the farming areas. But the population was growing at a much faster
rate than food production. This called for an immediate and drastic action to
increase yield. The action came in the form of the Green Revolution. The term
�Green Revolution� is a general one that is applied to successful agricultural
experiments in many developing countries. India is one of the countries where it
was most successful.
There
were three basic elements in the method of the Green Revolution
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Continuing expansion of farming areas |
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Double-cropping in the existing farmland |
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Using
seeds with improved genetics. |
The
area of land under cultivation was being increased from 1947 itself. But this
was not enough to meet the rising demand. Though other methods were required,
the expansion of cultivable land also had to continue. So, the Green Revolution
continued with this quantitative expansion of farmlands.
Double
cropping was a primary feature of the Green Revolution. Instead of one crop
season per year, the decision was made to have two crop seasons per year. The
one-season-per-year practice was based on the fact that there is only one rainy
season annually. Water for the second phase now came from huge irrigation
projects. Dams were built and other simple irrigation techniques were also
adopted.
Using
seeds with superior genetics was the scientific aspect of the Green Revolution.
The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (which was established by the
British in 1929) was reorganized in 1965 and then again in 1973. It developed
new strains of high yield variety seeds, mainly wheat and rice and also millet
and corn.
The
Green Revolution was a technology package comprising material components of
improved high yielding varieties of two staple cereals (rice and wheat),
irrigation or controlled water supply and improved moisture utilization,
fertilizers, and pesticides, and associated management skills.
Benefits
Thanks
to the new seeds, tens of millions of extra tonnes of grain a year are being
harvested.
The
Green Revolution resulted in a record grain output of 131 million tonnes in
1978/79. This established India as one of the world's biggest agricultural
producers. Yield per unit of farmland improved by more than 30% between1947
(when India gained political independence) and 1979. The crop area under high
yielding varieties of wheat and rice grew considerably during the Green
Revolution.
The
Green Revolution also created plenty of jobs not only for agricultural workers
but also industrial workers by the creation of related facilities such as
factories and hydroelectric power stations.
Shortcomings
In
spite of this, India's agricultural output sometimes falls short of demand even
today. India has failed to extend the concept of high yield value seeds to all
crops or all regions. In terms of crops, it remains largely confined to
foodgrains only, not to all kinds of agricultural produce.
In
regional terms, only the states of Punjab and Haryana showed the best results of
the Green Revolution. The eastern plains of the River Ganges in West Bengal also
showed reasonably good results. But results were less impressive in other parts
of India.
The
Green Revolution has created some problems mainly to adverse impacts on the
environment. The increasing use of agrochemical-based pest and weed control in
some crops has affected the surrounding environment as well as human health.
Increase in the area under irrigation has led to rise in the salinity of the
land. Although high yielding varieties had their plus points, it has led to
significant genetic erosion.
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