Green Revolution and

White Revolution
• The Green Revolution (a term used for rapid increases in
wheat and rice yields in developing countries brought
about by improved varieties combined with the expanded
use of fertilizers and other chemical inputs) has had a
dramatic impact on incomes and food supplies in many
developing countries.
• Norman Borlaug is the Father of the Green Revolution.
• At a research station, he developed a short-stemmed
(“dwarf”) strain of wheat that dramatically increased crop
yields. Previously, taller wheat varieties would break
under the weight of the heads if production was
increased by chemical fertilizers.
• Borlaug’s short-stemmed wheat could withstand the
increased weight of fertilized heads and was a key
element in the Green Revolution in developing countries.
• Wheat production in Mexico multiplied threefold owing to
this and other varieties.
• In the year 1965, the government of India launched the
Green Revolution with the help of a geneticist, now known
as the father of the Green revolution (India) M.S.
Swaminathan.
• The movement of the green revolution was a great success
and changed the country’s status from a food-deficient
economy to one of the world’s leading agricultural nations.
It started in 1967 and lasted till 1978.
• In India, it led to an increase in agricultural production,
especially in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Major milestones in this undertaking were the development
of a high-yielding variety of seeds of wheat and rust-
resistant strains of wheat.
Aspects of Green Revolution in India
It is the period when agriculture of the country was converted into
an industrial system due to the adoption of modern methods and
techniques like the use of high yielding variety seeds, tractors,
irrigation facilities, pesticides, and fertilizers. Until 1967, the
government majorly concentrated on expanding the farming
areas. But the rapidly increasing population than the food
production called for a drastic and immediate action to increase
yield which came in the form of the Green Revolution.
• High Yielding Varieties (HYV)
• Mechanization of Agriculture
• Use of Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides
• Irrigation
• The method of green revolution focused on three
basic elements, that are:
1.Using seeds with improved genetics (High Yielding
Variety seeds).
2.Double cropping in the existing farmland and,
3.The continuing expansion of farming areas

• Mainly 5 crops were concentrated which include –

wheat, rice, jowar, maize, and bajra.
• Green Revolution (Features)
1.Introduced High Yielding Variety seeds in Indian agriculture.
2.The HYV seeds were highly effective in regions that had rich
irrigation facilities and were more successful with the wheat crop.
Therefore, the Green Revolution at first focused on states with
better infrastructure such as Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
3.During the second phase, the high yielding variety seeds were given
to other states, and crops other than wheat were also included in
the plan.
4.The most important requirement for the high yielding variety seeds
is proper irrigation. Crops grown from HYV seeds need good
amounts of water supply and farmers could not depend on
monsoon. Hence, the Green Revolution has improved the irrigation
systems around farms in India.
5.Commercial crops and cash crops such as cotton, jute, oilseeds, etc
were not a part of the plan. Green revolution in India mainly
emphasized food grains such as wheat and rice.
6.To enhance farm productivity green revolution increased the
availability and use of fertilizers, weedicides, and pesticides to
reduce any damage or loss to the crops.
7.It also helped in promoting commercial farming in the country with
the introduction of machinery and technology like harvesters, drills,
tractors, etc.
• Green Revolution (Features)
1.Introduced High Yielding Variety seeds in Indian agriculture.
2.The HYV seeds were highly effective in regions that had rich
irrigation facilities and were more successful with the wheat crop.
Therefore, the Green Revolution at first focused on states with
better infrastructure such as Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
3.During the second phase, the high yielding variety seeds were given
to other states, and crops other than wheat were also included in
the plan.
4.The most important requirement for the high yielding variety seeds
is proper irrigation. Crops grown from HYV seeds need good
amounts of water supply and farmers could not depend on
monsoon. Hence, the Green Revolution has improved the irrigation
systems around farms in India.
5.Commercial crops and cash crops such as cotton, jute, oilseeds, etc
were not a part of the plan. Green revolution in India mainly
emphasized food grains such as wheat and rice.
6.To enhance farm productivity green revolution increased the
availability and use of fertilizers, weedicides, and pesticides to
reduce any damage or loss to the crops.
7.It also helped in promoting commercial farming in the country with
the introduction of machinery and technology like harvesters, drills,
tractors, etc.
 Impact of Green Revolution in India
• Green Revolution has remarkably increased Agricultural Production.
Foodgrains in India saw a great rise in output. The biggest beneficiary of
the revolution was the Wheat Grain. The production increased to 55
million tonnes in the early stage of the plan itself.
• Not just limited to agricultural output the revolution also increased per
Acre yield. Green Revolution increased the per hectare yield in the case of
wheat from 850 kg per hectare to an incredible 2281 kg/hectare in its
early stage.
• With the introduction of the Green revolution, India reached its way to
self-sufficiency and was less dependent on imports.
• The introduction of the revolution inhibited a fear among the masses that
commercial farming would lead to unemployment and leave a lot of the
labour force jobless. But the result seen was totally different there was a
rise in rural employment.
• The Green Revolution in India majorly benefited the farmers of the
country. Farmers not only survived but also prospered during the
revolution their income saw a significant rise which enabled them to shift
from sustenance farming to commercial farming.
 Negative effects
• Retardation of agricultural growth due to inadequate irrigation cover,
shrinking farm size, failure to evolve new technologies, inadequate
use of technology, declining plan outlay, unbalanced use of inputs,
and weaknesses in credit delivery system.
• Regional dispersal of the evolution created regional inequalities.
The benefits of the green revolution remained concentrated in the
areas where the new technology was used. Moreover, since the
revolution for the number of years remained limited to wheat
production, its benefits were mostly accrued only to wheat-growing
areas.
• Interpersonal inequalities between large and small scale farmers.
The new technologies introduced during the revolution called for
substantial investments which were beyond the means of a majority
of small farmers. Farmers having large farmlands continued to
make greater absolute gains in income by reinvesting the earnings
in farm and non-farm assets, purchasing land from the smaller
cultivators, etc.
HYV of Wheat

Rice: Jaya and Padma

Maize: Ganga -101
• PM Modi approved the Umbrella Scheme Green
Revolution – ‘Krishonnati Yojana’ in the agriculture
sector for the period of three years from 2017 to
2020 with the Central Share of Rs. 33,269.976
crore.
• The Umbrella scheme Green revolution- Krishonnati
Yojana comprises 11 Schemes under it and all
these schemes look to develop the agriculture and
allied sector in a scientific and holistic manner.
• To increase the income of farmers by increasing
productivity, production, and better returns on
produce, strengthening production infrastructure,
reducing the cost of production and marketing of
agriculture and allied produce.
 White Revolution
The Government of India initiated Operation Flood known as the
White Revolution after witnessing the huge success of the Green
Revolution.

White revolution in India started with a motive of increasing milk

production to make the country one of the largest producers of
milk in the world.

Operation Flood is the program that led to “White Revolution.” It

created a national milk grid linking producers throughout India to
consumers in over 700 towns and cities and reducing seasonal
and regional price variations while ensuring that producers get a
major share of the profit by eliminating the middlemen.
White revolution period intended to make India a self-
dependent nation in milk production. Today, India is the
world’s largest producer of milk and Dr Verghese Kurien
is known as the father of the White Revolution in India.
• During the year 1964-1965, the Intensive Cattle
Development Programme was introduced in India in
which the cattle owners were provided with a package
of improved animal husbandry for promoting the white
revolution in the country. Later on, the National Dairy
Development Board introduced a new programme
named “operation flood” to increase the speed of the
white revolution in the country.
• Operation Flood started in the year 1970 and was aimed
to create a nationwide milk grid. It was a rural
development programme initiated by NDDB – National
Dairy Development Board of India.
Features Of White Revolution
•Adopting new methods for animal husbandry, and
•Altering the composition of feed ingredients in different
proportions.

Objectives Of White Revolution in India

•Creating a flood of Milk by Increase production

•Increase the incomes of the rural population
•Provide milk to consumers at fair prices

Several big corporations participated and empowered the

revolution that transformed this Operation Flood in India into the
White Revolution. AMUL – Anand Milk Union Limited a Gujarat
based cooperation was the engine that drove the success of
Operation Flood Programme.
Significance Of Operation Flood
•The White Revolution in India helped in reducing malpractice by
traders and merchants. It also helped in eradicating poverty and
made India the largest producer of milk and milk products.
•Operation Flood empowered the dairy farmers with control of
the resource created by them. It helped them in directing their
own development.
•To connect milk producers with the consumers of more than
700 cities and towns and throughout the country, a ‘National Milk
Grid’ was formed.
•The revolution also reduced regional and seasonal price
variations ensuring customer satisfaction and at the same time.
Also, it ensured that the producers get a major share of the price
that customers pay.
•Improved the living standards of the rural people and led to the
progress of the rural economy.
 Different Phases of White Revolution
Phase I started from 1970 and lasted for 10 years i.e. till 1980. This phase was
financed by the sale of butter oil and skimmed milk powder donated by the
European Union through the World Food Program.

For the successful implementation of the programme, certain aims were

defined in the initial stage of Phase I. One such aim was the improvement in
the marketing strategy of milk in the metropolitan cities to accomplish the
goals.

Phase II lasted for five years from 1981 to 1985. During this phase, the number
of milk sheds increased from 18 to 136, milk outlets were expanded to about
290 urban markets, a self-sustaining system was set up that included
4,250,000 milk producers spread across 43,000 village cooperatives. The
production of domestic milk powder increased from 22,000 tons in the year
1980 to 140,000 tons by 1989, and the sale of milk also increased by several
million litres a day due to direct marketing of milk by the cooperatives. All of
the enhancements in production were simply because of the dairies set up
under Operation Flood.
• Phase III also lasted for almost 10 years i.e. 1985-1996.
• This phase enabled the dairy cooperatives to expand and gave
a finishing touch to the programme. It also strengthens the
infrastructure required to procure and market increasing
volumes of milk.
• Towards the end of White Revolution or Operation Flood,
73,930 dairy cooperatives had set up that links more than 3.5
crore dairy farmer members.
• At present, due to the White Revolution, there are several
hundred Cooperations in India that are working very
efficiently. Hence, the revolution is the cause of the prosperity
of many Indian villages.
 What is the role of private organisations in food security?
• A great example of this is Concern’s partnership with Kerry Group, who
are helping to support our RAIN (Realigning Agriculture to Improve
Nutrition) programme.

• The RAIN programme is making lasting improvements to food security in

Tahoua Region of Niger, West Africa. Currently in the final year of the
four-year programme, the work being done in Niger builds on the success
that Concern and Kerry Group had achieved with the same programme in
Zambia.

• The programme can help diversify and improve the nutritional quality of
available diets, while also increasing food production. Crucially, the
programme also targets the inequalities of food security with a focus on
those who are most vulnerable, particularly women and girls.
• In addition, the programme is based on the use of sustainable agriculture,
which can help to reduce the climate impact of farming and ultimately, to
protect the means of food production for future generations.