High Yielding Varieties Programme:

           While both the IADP and IAAP were concerned with the promotion of intensive agriculture, they operated with in the limitations sit by the existing crop varieties which have low fertilizer response. In the year 1963 - 64 a few Mexican dwarf wheat varieties were tried out on selected basis and in 1964 - 65 an exotic variety of paddy, namely, Taichung native - 1 was tried and the results were quite encouraging. Hybrid maize, hybrid bajra and several varieties of improved millets were also in advance stage of development. Though traditional varieties has experienced a moderate increase in yields as a result of the package of practice s emphasized by IADP, the IADP at the same time highlighted the inadequacy of the traditional varieties for the new technology and the need for experimenting with exotic varieties. The droughts of 1965-66 and 1966-67 added greater urgency and importance to this the draft outline of the fourth plan, therefore, inter alia stressed the need for evolving a new approach for boosting up agricultural production over a short span of time, and in 1965 a new programme was instituted cultivation of high yielding varieties which was known as the high - yielding variety programme. The programme was to be taken up in a phased manner by the state government.

                     The central government's role was not only limited to evolving and processing the original scheme but also included the coordination at the central level, brining together the state governments, obtaining their consensus and ensuring their  participation in the programme operation wise, the state governments were to take the following steps:

1. Selection of areas in each state for the implementation of HYVP. A phased programme of coverage of HYVP was to be prepared.
2. Development of staff as per with the IADP pattern in the selected districts.   
3. Working out of training programme for all levels.
4. Proper arrangements of inputs like fertilizers suds, pesticides, plant protection equipment and credit on the basis of proper need assessment.

           The HYVP was the responsibility of the state government for its implementation from its existing resources under the guidance and supervision of the central government. No separate funds were allocated for this at any level. The area under high yielding varieties increased from six million hectares in 1967 - 68 to 34 million hectares in 1967 - 77. The crop wise coverage in million hectares was as follows:

Crop                                           Coverage (in million hectares)

Rice                                                         13.5

Wheat                                                      14.7

Maize                                                       1.2

Jowar                                                       2.4

Bajra                                                        2.2

 

              During the year 1977-78 the crop area under this programme was 37.00 million hectares. A target of 40 million hectares has been fixed for 1978-79 further; a target of 52 million hectares has been fixed for 1982 - 83.

            The mini - kit programme for rice was started in 1971 and extended for wheat maize and millets in 1974-75, in order to achieve the following objective:

1. Quick popularization of the latest released and pre - released varieties of rice, wheat and millets.
2. To get the farmer's reaction towards such varieties before they taken up for large scale cultivation.
3. Under this scheme, small quantity of seeds of new varieties are made available from research station to farmers, free of cost for trial purposes.