ARDHI UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF SPATIAL PLANNING AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING

COURSE: REGIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

SUBJECT: AGRICULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT

CODE; RP 332

NAME; SANYA BENIGNA S

REG NO; 21986/T.2018

ASSIGNMENT 1

QUESTION: ARE THERE ANY POSSIBILITIES FOR GREEN REVOLUTION IN AFRICA

YES, there are possibilities for green revolution in Africa

Green revolution was first used by William s.gaud, the administor of the U.S. agency for
international development (USAID).Mexico has been called the birthplace and burial ground of
the green revolution. it began with great promise and it has been argued that, during the twentieth
century two revolution transformed rural Mexico; the Mexico revolution (1910-1920) and the
green revolution (1950-1970).green revolution depend on the use of machinery for cultivation
and harvest, on large scale agricultural enterprises with access to credit (often from foreign
investors), government supported infrastructure projects, and access to low-wage agriculture
workers. But these programs have generally been less successful in Africa because of several
reasons include widespread corruption, insecurity, a lack of infrastructure, and general lack of
will on the part of the governments. Yet environment factors, such as the availability of water for
irrigation, the high diversity in slope and soil type in one given area are also reasons why the
green revolution is not so successful in Africa

Green revolution, or sometimes is called the third agricultural revolution,is the set of research
technology transfer initiatives occurring between 1950 and the late 1960’s that increased
agricultural production in parts of the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s .the
initiatives resulted in the adoption of new technologies ,,including high yielding varieties (HYV)
of cereals, especially dwarf wheat and rice. it was associated with chemical fertilizers
,agrochemicals ,and controlled water supply (usually involving irrigation)and newer methods of
cultivation ,including mechanization. All of these together were seen as a “package of practices”
to supersede ‘traditional’ technology and to be adopted as whole. The key element of these green
revolution include

 Use of latest technological and capital inputs

 Adoption of modern scientific methods of farming
 Use of high yielding varieties of seeds
 Proper use of chemical fertilizer
 Consolidation of land holdings

The following are the indicators for occurrence of green revolution in Africa

Sign of intensification of farming system in sub Saharan region, and this farming system can
potentially transform the agricultural system in some part of Africa into an intensified farming
system. this farming system in sub Saharan region will increase yield because intensification is
associated with increased use of resources that will bring about high yielding varieties of cereals
example wheat and the green revolution emphasize oh (HYVS)high yielding varieties of cereals
especial rice and wheat .
Adoption of new and advanced technology in some part of Africa example in South Africa they
success that emanated from the modern plant breeding, improved agronomy and the
development of inorganic fertilizer and modern pesticides. And according to the international
food policy research institute (IFPRI) 2002, the driving factor behind the green revolution was
the high yielding varieties (HYVS) that could mature quicker and grow at any time of the year
thereby allowing successful and continuous in and out of season production.

Adoption of irrigation farming system in some African countries example Tanzania, where by
using this water can be stored and sent to drier areas, putting more land into agricultural
production and thus increasing national wide crop yield. Compared before the green revolution
agriculture was severely limited to area with significant amount of rainfall. The green revolution
brought new irrigation techniques, hybrids seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and
mechanization. And this helped the farmers in raising their level of income. Wiser farmers
ploughed back their surplus income for improving agricultural productivity; this led to further
improvement in agriculture.

The Proper use of chemical fertilizer, the increase use of fertilizer in parts of African countries,
has been an indicator for green revolution .green revolution emphasize on proper use of
chemical fertilizer that will allow growers to maximize their crop yields on a specific pieces of
land ,as the more plants grows the increase yields and better the fertilizer works to ensure pieces
of land produced as efficiently as possible .as some of African countries use chemical fertilizers
in which they maximize crop yield and increase plant production, when used correctly chemical
fertilizer can dramatically and turn otherwise poor soil into productive land. And this fertilizer
could help farmers to save money, boost food production and reduce planet warming emission.

The rapid adoption of hybrids by smallholders in Zimbabwe, whereby was stimulated by the
agricultural extension services, that convinced smallholders of the benefit of planting hybrids.
Adoptions of hybrids it contribute to the dramatic rise in agricultural output, because they are
easier and faster to grow, produce higher yields, disease resistance. And framers adopt hybrids
importantly because they boost yields considerably and delivered the benefit of allowing farmers
to predict how much t plant for feeding livestock for milling.

Conclusively, when green revolution it provide an unprecedented level of food security, it pulled
a lot of poor people out of poverty and helped many non- poor people avoid the poverty and
hunger they would have experienced had it not taken place. and many of Africa nations fail
green revolution because they lack irrigation facilities, and that rainfall is very unreliable, while
the soil fertility is very low.
REFERENCES:

Dalrymple, D.D.1978. “Development and spread of high-yielding varieties of wheat

and rice in less developed nation” US Department of agriculture

Gabre –madhin, E.Z., and S .Haggblade. (2004. “successes in African agriculture;

result of an expert survey,” world development 32:745-766.

Tatters field, J.R., AND HAVAZVIDI, E.K., 1994 “the development of seed
industry”. In Zimbabwe’s agriculture revolution. (Eds) mandivamba rukumi and
Carl k. eicher. Harare: university of Zimbabwe publication office , pp. 114-126