White Revolution- Objectives, Phases, Achievement, Impact, Challenges

The White Revolution, also known as Operation Flood, was the world’s largest dairy development initiative that began in India with the objective of making the country self-sufficient in dairy production. The Operation Flood focused on creating a countrywide network of milk producers and consumers to meet increased demand for dairy products while retaining price fluctuations by eliminating middlemen between milk suppliers and customers.

White Revolution

• In India, the package program used to improve milk production is known as the White Revolution, also known as Operation Flood.
• The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was created in 1970 to organize dairy development through cooperative groups, ushering in the White Revolution in India. Prof. Verghese Kurien was the father of India’s white revolution.
• Gujarat was the first state to launch a dairy development program through cooperative groups. The cooperative societies were most effective in Gujarat’s Anand district. The milk producers own and control the cooperative groups.
• Apart from financial assistance, some cooperatives also provide consulting services. Operation Flood refers to the increase in milk output. Varghese Kurien (1921–2012), known as the “Father of the White Revolution in India,” was a great agricultural leader of the twentieth century.

Objectives Of White Revolution

• The cooperative society’s primary goals are to buy, transport, and store milk at chilling plants.
• To supply cattle feed.
• The processing of a wide range of milk products, as well as their marketing management.
• The organizations also supply exceptional cattle breeds (cows and buffaloes), health services, veterinary care, and artificial insemination.
• To offer an extended service.
• The White Revolution‘s technology is built on a vast network of cooperative groups.
• Milk is instantly delivered to the dairy factory at the milk chilling centre after being collected at a local collecting centre.
• The village community, truck operators, and speedy conveyance to the dairy operations all work together to keep the collection on time.
• The chilling centres are administered by producer cooperative organizations to enable milk collection from producers who live a distance away from the chilling centres. hence eliminating the need for intermediaries.

The White Revolution‘s Phases

The White Revolution is divided into three phases:

Phase I (From 1970 Until 1981)

During this time, ten states established the Dairy Development Program to supply milk to the cosmopolitan cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, and Chennai.

Phase II (1981 – 85)

The dairy development initiative was expanded in the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan during this period. During this phase, a cluster of milk producers’ unions was founded within 25 contiguous milk shed regions [in 155 districts]. The Hyderabad Research Institute created a vaccination called ‘Raksha’ to combat cow illnesses. The initiative also included improvements to milk marketing in 144 other cities across the country. Dairy cooperative organizations were established in 35000 villages, with over 36 lakh members.

Phase III (1985 – 2000)

Several cooperative societies were established in the majority of the country’s main states, bringing the total number of cooperatives to 1,35,439, with 14 million members.

Achievement

The White Revolution was the most successful measure done by the Indian government to enhance milk output. It has a lot of beneficial effects for India.

• The White Revolution is as essential to dairy growth as the Green Revolution was to grain production. Its success is based on improvements in cow breeding and the implementation of modern technologies.
• Today, India has surpassed the United States to take the world lead in milk production.

The following are some of the White Revolution‘s significant achievements:

• The White Revolution had a positive influence on the rural masses, encouraging them to pursue dairying as a secondary career.
• India has surpassed the United States as the world’s biggest producer of milk. Milk output increased from 17 million tonnes in 1950-51 to more than 112 million tonnes in 2009-10. When compared to the pre-independence state, milk output has increased by more than six times.
• Milk availability per capita per day is currently at 263 gm, up from 125 gm prior to the White Revolution.
• Milk imports and manufacturing have been significantly reduced.

The White Revolution is as significant to dairy growth as the Green Revolution was to gram production. Its success is based on improvements in cow breeding and the implementation of modern technologies.

• Today, India has surpassed the United States to take the world lead in milk production.
• The White Revolution has benefited small and marginal farmers, as well as landless labourer’s, in particular. A total of 14 million farmers are now covered by 1,35,439 village-level dairy cooperative associations.
• To guarantee the success of Operation Flood, research centres have been established at Anand, Mehsana, and Palanpur (Banaskantha). Furthermore, three regional centres are operational in Siliguri, Jalandhar, and Erode.
• The Livestock Insurance Scheme was authorized in February 2006 and implemented on a trial basis in 100 districts across the country in 2006-07. The scheme goal was to safeguard farmers from losses caused by the unexpected death of animals.
• Extensive cross-breeding has been undertaken to increase cattle quality.
• Major health programs have been launched to ensure the country’s disease-free status.
• In 2005-06, the government piloted livestock insurance.

The Negative Impact Of The White Revolution

As everything has two sides, negative and positive, so as the White Revolution. Although the white revolution was highly advantageous, there were a few disadvantages also

• As the import of the Indian product was halted because of the new intriguing dairy products, demand for the Indian product decreased.
• Because of the increased danger of sickness in animals, there was a significant possibility of numerous infectious diseases spreading.

Challenges Of The White Revolution

Some of the major challenges of the White Revolution are listed below.

• Milk collection from remote places is costly, time-consuming, and economically not viable.
• The livestock is maintained in unsanitary circumstances in the majority of the settlements.
• Cattle breeds are often inferior.
• The extended service programme is inefficient.

Conclusion

The White Revolution not only made India self-sufficient in dairy production, but also assisted India in overcoming poverty, unemployment, and malnutrition. Verghese Kurien will be recognized for his enormous contribution to the betterment of our country.

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