Lessons from Indo-US Agriculture Cooperation

The role of the Soviet Union: The Soviet Union aided India’s development by providing capital equipment and technology.
Contribution of the United States: The US, together with the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, contributed to India’s agricultural development.

Collaborations with the Soviet bloc resulted in the creation of significant industrial enterprises and institutions in India.
Examples include the Bhilai and Bokaro steel plants, the Barauni and Koyali refineries, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Heavy Engineering Corporation, Mining & Allied Machinery Corporation, Neyveli Thermal Power Station, Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, and Ankleshwar oil prospecting and drilling.

Lesser-known involvement: During the 1950s and 1960s, the United States, along with the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, played a critical role in India’s agricultural development.
The United States provided assistance in areas such as agricultural education, research, extension services, and technology transfer.

Major H.S. Sandhu and Chief Secretary A.N. Jha visited land-grant universities in the United States for inspiration in 1950.
Proposal for integrated agricultural institutions: The visit sparked the idea for India to develop integrated agricultural universities.
Establishment of the UP Agricultural University: On November 17, 1960, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the UP Agricultural University in the Tarai area of Uttar Pradesh.

ICAR blueprint publication: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) issued a blueprint titled “Blueprint for a Rural University in India” in the late 1950s.
Financial assistance: Beginning in the late 1950s, the United States provided support for the creation of agricultural institutions in India through USAID.
Collaboration with US land-grant institutions: In the late 1950s and early 1960s, agricultural universities in India were linked with US land-grant institutions for expertise and curriculum design.

Traditional variants have the following characteristics: When the ear-heads were heavy with well-filled grains, traditional wheat and rice varieties were tall and prone to lodging.
Semi-dwarf types are being introduced: In the 1960s, semi-dwarf cultivars with sturdy stems that tolerated heavy fertiliser applications were produced.
Norin-10 gene evolution and distribution: In the 1960s, the Norin-10 dwarfing genes were important in the production of high-yielding wheat types.

Seeds are being introduced into India

Correspondence with Vogel and Borlaug: In the late 1950s, M.S. Swaminathan contacted Orville Vogel and Norman Borlaug.
Arrival of Mexican wheat varieties: Borlaug’s Mexican wheat varieties were first planted in trial fields in the early 1960s and were later adopted on a big basis in India.
Transition to self-sufficiency: In the mid-1960s, India moved from being a wheat importer to becoming self-sufficient in wheat production.

Cold War geopolitics and competition: Cold War geopolitics and superpower competition drove agricultural development assistance.
Advantages of India’s non-aligned status: India’s non-aligned status enabled it to receive help from both superpowers, which aided agricultural development.

Increased grain yields and productivity: Beginning in the mid-1960s, the Green Revolution dramatically increased grain yields, assuring a stable food supply.
Food security and self-sufficiency: In the 1960s and 1970s, adoption of high-yielding cultivars increased food security and reduced reliance on imports.
Economic growth and poverty reduction: During the 1960s and 1970s, the Green Revolution led to rural economic growth and poverty reduction.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-lessons-of-indo-us-cooperation-in-agriculture-8657682/