The wheat mountains of the punjab

摘要

The arrival of large quantities of wheat in the grain markets of the Punjab-Haryana region is a heart-warming sight, while poor storage is a matter of national shame. It was in April-May 1968, that the country witnessed the wonderful spectacle of large arrivals of wheat grain in the mandis of Punjab like Moga and Khanna. Wheat production in the country rose to nearly 17 million tonnes that year, from the previous best harvest of 12 million tonnes. Indira Gandhi released a special stamp titled "WheatRevolution" in July 1968, to mark this new phase in our agricultural evolution. The nation rejoiced at our coming out of a "ship to mouth" existence. Later in 1968, Dr. William Gaud of the U.S. referred to the quantum jumps in production brought about by semi-dwarf varieties of wheat and rice as a "green revolution." This term has since come to symbolise a steep rise in productivity and, thereby, of production of major crops.