Green Revolution

In the second half of Second Five year plan, Ford Foundation sponsored a team of experts invited by the Government of India to propose ways to boost agricultural production & efficiency. As per recommendations of the expert team, government of India introduced a rigorous development programme in 7 districts selected from seven States in the year 1960. This programme was termed as IADP (Intensive Area Development Programme).

Mid-1960s was very noteworthy period from the standpoint of agriculture. New high - yielding varieties of wheat were developed by Prof. Norman Borlaug & were adopted by a number of countries. Southern countries & South- East Asia started adopting them on a wide scale. This new 'agricultural strategy' was termed as High - Yielding Varieties Programme.

Impact of Green Revolution

High - Yielding Varieties Programme was constrained to only 5 crops namely;

• Rice
• Wheat
• Jowar
• Maize
• Bajra

Consequently, non- food grains were expelled from the domain of the new strategy. That wheat has stayed the bastion of Green Revolution over the years.

What were the main reasons for deceleration in the growth of agriculture in post - reform period?

• Momentous deceleration in public & general investment in agriculture
• Dwindling farm size
• Failure to develop new technologies
• Scarce irrigation cover
• Insufficient use of technology
• Unhinged use of inputs
• Turning down in plan outlay
• Flaws in credit delivery system