Section 34
Verghese Kurien
Built Amul and led Operation Flood, which helped make India the world's largest milk producer. (Amul / National Dairy Development Board)
- life
- 1921–2012
- era
- 1947 to 1991
- 86,000
- Farmer-owned co-operatives organised by Operation Flood · 1989
- 25 crore (250 million)
- People given better nutrition (nearly) · 1989
The story
Verghese Kurien was a dairy engineer who came to Anand in Gujarat in 1949 to serve a government bond period. He stayed to work with the farmers' co-operative that became Amul.
His model was simple: farmers own the dairy, sell milk every day, and get paid fairly. In 1965 the government set up the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to copy the Anand model across India, with Kurien as its head.
Operation Flood began in 1970. The World Food Prize Foundation records that it organised 86,000 farmer-owned co-operatives and brought better nutrition to nearly 250 million people. India became the world's largest milk producer.
He received the World Food Prize in 1989 and is called the father of the White Revolution. He died on 9 September 2012.
Timeline
- 1949Arrives in Anand and begins working with the milk co-operative.
- 1965NDDB is set up to spread the Anand model; Kurien leads it.
- 1970Operation Flood begins.
- 1989Receives the World Food Prize.
- 2012Dies on 9 September.