Agriculture

Introduction
Odisha is an agrarian state with Agriculture and Animal Husbandry sector contributing 21.11% to Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) in 2007-08 (Q) at 1999-2000 prices and providing employment directly or indirectly to 70% of total work force as per 2001 Census. The share of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) from Agriculture and Animal Husbandry during 2007-08(Q) at constant price (1999-2000) is 19.51%. Evidently, Agriculture plays a critical role in the economy of the state and livelihood of majority of its populace. 

2. Land and Climate
Land use.
The State has cultivated area of 61.80 lakh ha  out of which 29.14 lakh ha. is high land, 17.55 lakh ha medium land and 15.11 lakh ha  low land. The coverage under Paddy during Kharif is about 41.24 lakh & during Rabi 3.31 lakh ha .The land use pattern of the State is indicated below. 
Year 2008-09
 (Area in lakh hectares)

(Area in lakh hectares)

Soil and Topography
The State is broadly divided in to 4 Physiographic zones namely, Coastal Plains, Central Tableland, Northern Plateau and Eastern Ghats. These are further subdivided into 10 agroclimatic zones, viz., North-western plateau, North-central Plateau, North-Eastern coastal plain, East and South-Eastern costal plain, North-Eastern Ghat, Eastern Ghat high land, South-Eastern Ghat, Western undulating zone, Western-Central table land and Mid-Central table land. Soil types range from fertile alluvial deltaic soils in coastal plains, mixed red and black soils in Central tableland, red and yellow soils with low fertility in Northern Plateau to red, black & brown forest soils in Eastern Ghat region. They differ widely from highly acidic to slightly alkaline and from light sandy to stiff clays. Soils are mainly acidic with the degree of acidity varying widely. Further, about 4 lakh ha is exposed to saline inundation, 3.54 lakh ha  to flooding and 0.75 lakh ha  to waterlogging, particularly in the deltaic areas.
Climate & Rainfall
States climate is tropical, characterised by high temperature, high humidity, medium to high rainfall and short and mild winters. The normal rainfall of the State is 1451.2 mm. The month wise normal rainfall is indicated below.

The actual rainfall received, vary from district to district. About 84% of rainfall is received during the period from June to September. Even though the quantum of rainfall is quite high, its distribution during the monsoon period is highly uneven and erratic. Flood, drought and cyclone visit regularly with varying intensity. Due to frequent occurrence of these natural calamities there is always reduction in the yield of Kharif rice, the major crop of the State. Similarly, in drought years, there is considerable loss in production of Pulses and Oilseeds both during Kharif and Rabi. The following table indicates the frequency of natural calamities over the years.

3. Population
The population of Orissa has started registering a declining growth rate, as can be seen from the figures given below. 
(Figures in crores)

Poverty Line
The figures relating to the people below the poverty line in Orissa is indicated
below.
% of people below poverty line

4. Land holding
The per capita availability of cultivated land was 0.39 hectares in 1950-51, which has declined to 0.13 hectares in 2007-08. During 2000-01 there were 40.67 lakh operational holdings in the state out of which marginal and small holdings account for
83.8 %, medium 15.9% and large, less than 1%. The average size of holding is only
1.25 ha. The size of operational holdings along with wide spread poverty pose a big problem in agricultural growth of the State. The details are given below. :-

In the present agricultural scenario, the marginal farmers, constituting more than 50 % of the farmers, either own or rent a piece of land for cultivation. Because of the endemic poverty, they generally cultivate their crops with little inputs and hence crop production is low. In this backdrop, besides enhancing their capacity, increase in productivity per unit land area and cropping intensity hold the key to agricultural development

5. Irrigation
Out of the cultivated area of 61.80 lakh ha., about 34% is under irrigated conditions and 66% is under un irrigated during Kharif. The source wise irrigation potential created so far up to 2008-09 (Provisional) is indicated below.
   (Area in lakh ha.)

The total irrigation potential created so far from all sources is about 42.74 lakh ha. (Kharif 28.67 lakh ha. & Rabi 14.07 lakh ha.). The gross irrigated cropped area is 31.77 lakh ha., which is about 74 % of the potential created. There is a constant endeavour being put in to enhance the water use efficiency through adoption of proper water management practices.
Year wise and season wise irrigation potential utilized (Lakh ha.)

Besides, private irrigation sources are being developed with funds available under the Agriculture Policy and Jalnidhi scheme. The number of shallow tube wells, bore wells, dug wells and surface lifts installed since 1996-97 till 2008-09  is indicated below.

6. Status of Agri-Input use
(i) Seeds
The use of certified / quality seed alone can raise productivity of the crops by about 15-20%. Hence, due importance has been given in the State Agriculture Policy to increase the Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) and production of certified seeds. Quality seed multiplication is organized through the Agricultural farms of the Department, Orissa State Seeds Corporation & Registered Seed Growers. Under the seed village scheme, registered seed growers are supplied foundation seeds and the seed produced in their fields are certified by the Orissa State Seed Certification Agency. Certified seeds are also produced by the State Seeds Corporation (OSSC). The year wise seed supply position is indicated below.
(Figures in qtls.)

Popularisation of High Yielding Varieties of Paddy
Rice is the predominant crop and in order to increase productivity, supply of quality seeds of suitable varieties specific to the agro-climatic situation is inevitable. The scientists of the OUAT and CRRI are constantly in the look out for evolving such promising high yielding and hybrid varieties through breeding programmes. Some popular High Yielding Varieties of Paddy have been developed by OUAT and CRRI for upland, medium land & low land which have been listed below.

The farmers are being motivated by the agriculture extension machinery to cultivate their land, with above suggested varieties and following recommended package of practices to harvest better yields.
(ii) Fertiliser
The fertilizer consumption in the state has taken great strides from a meager 0.76 kg/ ha during 1961-62 to 62 kg/ ha. during 2008-09. Still the consumption is much below the National average and thus can be raised to a higher level with availability of the materials in required quantities at affordable price. Fertiliser consumption of the state from 1961-62 up to 2008-09 is indicated below. 

(iii) Plant Protection
Adoption of integrated pest management (IPM), emphasizing conservation and augmentation of natural enemies of pest such as parasites, predators and pathogens for control of harmful insects and diseases of crops, is being given due thrust for increasing the crop productivity. IPM is organized by the use of pest resistant varieties, seed treatment, crop sanitation, use of bio-control agents and conservation of beneficial insects & pathogens. The nine Bio-control Laboratories in the State in addition to the one established by Govt. of India are the centers of rearing, multiplication and supply of locally adopted parasites and pathogens to the farmers. IPM demonstration-cum-training for crops like rice, maize, cotton etc are also taken up to popularize the practice of IPM under Central & Centrally Sponsored schemes. Annually around 4500 lakh bio control agents are produced covering 9500 hectares of different crops under biological control. The increased emphasis on IPM methodologies has lead to a stagnant scenario in case of pesticide consumption in the state. The consumption of technical grades of pesticides has almost slowed down a bit with 149 g a.i./ha. during 2008-09.
(Technical Grade in MT)

(iv) Power consumption
The power consumption for Irrigation in Agriculture is in declining trend. Minor irrigation programme cannot be successful without large-scale rural electrification. However, as per the incentives announced under Hon’ble Chief Ministers package and State Agriculture Policy, energy use in Agriculture Sector is expected to rise. The share of power consumption for Agriculture Purpose since 1992-93 is indicated below. 

(v) Farm Mechanization
Farm mechanization has become utterly essential for timely operation of agricultural activities leading to increase in production and productivity besides reducing drudgery of labour associated with farm activities. It also enables efficient utilisation of agricultural inputs and reduces the cost of production. The Government has been encouraging the farmers to adopt improved farm machinery & equipments by providing financial assistance in form of subsidies and credit facility. Besides, the Agriculture Directorate is equipped with a proto-type Development Center (Implement Factory, Bhubaneswar) which designs, and manufactures popular implements for supply to farmers. It also indulges in training, testing and modifying the equipments as per the farmers requirement.
Because, of the awareness generation programme taken up by the Department through demonstration and farmers awareness trainings, mechanization has picked up in the State and there is a great demand for tractor, power tiller, paddy reaper, and other power driven/ self propelled equipments. Similarly, small manually operated/ bullock drawn implements are also being increasingly used by the farmers of hilly and tribal areas. The farm power input touched 0.90 KWH/ hect. by the end of 2008-09 and it has been targeted to increase 1.03 KWH/ha by the end of 11th Plan period.
         Farm Power Input (Unit: KWH/hect.)

Number of tractors & power tiller popularised since 1992-93 to 2008-09 is indicated below.

(vi) Farm Credit
Since modern agriculture is capital intensive, farmer’s access to farm credit is crucial in enhancing crop productivity, especially in Orissa’s context. The field functionaries of Agriculture Directorate coordinate with the financial institutions in collecting loan applications from the farmers for providing credit to them. The crop loan disbursed to farmers is in increasing trend and needs to be greatly increased. The year wise position of crop loan disbursed is indicated below. 
(In crore Rupees)

7. Crop Insurance
Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yajana (RKBY) was introduced in the state from Rabi 1999-2000. Both Loanee & Non-loanee farmers have been covered under this scheme. It is compulsory for loanee farmers and optional for non-loanee farmers.
The crops covered under this scheme are Paddy, Maize, Groundnut, Jute, Niger, Arhar, Cotton during Kharif season & Paddy, Groundnut, Mustard, Potato, during Rabi season.
The year wise achievements made under crop insurance is given below.

During Kharif 2008, Pilot Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) was implemented in 8 blocks of 3 districts of the State namely Nuapada, Bolangir and Baragarh for Non-Loanee farmers on optional basis for paddy crop. Similarly during Kharif 2009 WBCIS is being implemented in 19 blocks of the above 3 districts.

8. The Developmental Approach
Agriculture is the main stay of State’s economy & providing livelihood support to a large section of population. Thus, development in agriculture holds the key to socioeconomic development of the state. With a view to attain self sufficiency in food grain production through various Government sponsored developmental programmes; fields of infrastructure, technology intervention and capacity building etc.  The Directorate of Agriculture in Orissa was established in 1945 and is constantly at its job since then. The major goals of the agriculture sector have been food safety, food security, food quality, increase in production & productivity, conservation of environment and economic stability.  
Orissa has been the pioneer state in formulating a historical Agriculture Policy in the year 1996 conferring the status of Industry to the Agriculture. In the realm of changing global scenario, especially in the post-WTO regime, it was increasingly felt for bringing in an quantum change in the agriculture policy. The State Government have brought into force the State New Agriculture Policy in 2008 for the development of Agriculture Sector. The main objectives of the policy are -
¾   To bring in a shift from the present level of subsistence agriculture to a profitable commercial agriculture so that people would accept agriculture as a vocation;
¾   To promote sustainable agricultural development; 
¾   To enhance productivity of important crops at least to match with national average (enhancing seed replacement, availability of quality planting materials, INM, IPM, water management, farm mechanization and technology transfer) ;
¾   To encourage crop diversification particularly in uplands and medium lands (e.g. paddy to non-paddy crops);
¾   To focus on horticultural crops including dry-land horticulture;
¾   To encourage modern farming system approach;
¾To enhance water use efficiency through peoples’ participation; ¾To facilitate increased long term investment in agricultural sectors (on farm as well as off farm) both by private sector, public sector and private & public partnership (PPP), particularly for post harvest management, marketing, agro processing and value addition, etc; ¾To encourage contract as well as compact farming;
¾   To increase access to credit for small and marginal farmers;
¾   To facilitate appropriate market linkages for agricultural produces with respect to which the state has competitive advantages;
¾   To implement integrated watershed development programmes in watershed areas for Natural Resource Management (NRM), increased crop production as well as on-farm and non-farm income;
¾   To create appropriate institutions / facilities to undertake regulatory, enforcement and quality assurance activities matching to the emergent needs.
¾   To redefine the roles and responsibilities of the agricultural extension machinery by suitably restructuring the field extension set up.
Implementation of different Schemes
The Department of Agriculture is always in search of new interventions/ innovations, such as; introduction of new varieties of HYV / Hybrid seeds, increase in seed replacement ratio, fertilizer consumption, Integrated Nurient Management, Integrated Pest Management, Farm Mechanisation, Water management, post harvest management of agri-produce etc for maximization of production and productivity of different crops there by enhance farm income through implementation of different schemes Under State Plan, Central Plan and Centrally Sponsored Plan. Some of them are listed below –
A. State Plan Schemes

1. (1)       RIDF-Jalanidhi
2. (2)       Strengthening / Infrastructure Development for Trg. Res.Centres, Labs, Impl. Factory etc. 
3. (3)       Management of Acid Soils
4. (4)       Input Subsidy
5. (5)       Popularisation of Agriculture Implements
6. (6)       Refresher Training for Extn. Functionaries
7. (7)       New Agriculture Policy
8. (8)       Promotion of System of Rice Intensification.
9. B. Centrally Sponsored Plan Schemes 
1. (1)       Work Plan (Macro management Mode)
2. -           Rice Development
3. -           Ragi Development
4. -           Sugarcane Development
5. -           Farm Mechanisation
10. (2)       Intensive Cotton Development Programme (ICDP).
11. (3)       Jute Technology Mission Mini Misson -II
12. (4)       ISOPOM (Integrated schemes of Oilseed, Pulse, Maize & Oil Palm)
13. (5)       Support to State Extension for Extension Reforms (ATMA).
14. (6)       National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility (NPMSHF).
1. (7)       National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
2. - NFSM (Rice)
3. -NFSM (Pulses)
15. (8)       Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
16. C. Central Plan Schemes
17. (1)       Promotion & Strengthening of Agriculture mechanization through training, testing and demonstration.
18. (2)       Support to State extension programme for extension reforms – AGRISNET.
19. (3)       National project on promotion of organic farming
20. (4)       Development & strengthening of Infrastructure for Production and Distribution of Quality Seeds.
21. (5)        Agril.-clinic/ Agril. business centres.
22. (6)       Strengthening & Modernisation  of Pest Management .

These schemes are implemented through the departmental field functionaries posted at grass root level and at the higher level in coordination with the Panchayati Raj Institutions.

9.Crop coverage & crop production
(a)        Food grains
Food grains consist of cereals and pulses. Rice, maize, ragi, wheat, jowar, bajra & small millets crops grown in the State come under cereals and arhar, mung, biri, kulthi, cowpea, fieldpea, gram, lentil crops under Pulses. The crops of wheat, bajra, jowar, small millets are grown to lesser extent. Mung, biri and kulthi crops are mostly grown during Rabi season in the rice fallows with residual moisture. If there is a good rainfall during last part of October, the coverage under pulse crops & production are higher. The area, production & yield rate of food grains since 1950-51 till date is indicated below.

In the year when there are no natural calamities the food grain production is increased. However the food grain production scenario in the backdrop of projected demand have been as under.
Year wise Surplus/Deficit of Foodgrain Production & Consumption:

Rice
Rice is the principal food crop in the state occupying about 44.55 lakh ha annually (41.24 lakh ha. during Kharif season 3.31 lakh ha. during Rabi season). The Kharif Paddy area consists of 10.43 lakh ha  of high land 15.99 lakh ha of medium land and 14.82 lakh ha of low land. The entire Rabi area is irrigated & covered by HY Paddy where as 36% of Kharif Paddy area is covered under irrigation. The rice production reached the record level of 76.55 lakh tones during 2007-08 and at present is 69.16 lakh tones (during 2008). The yield rate of rice is 1.6 tonnes/ ha as against national average of 2.2 tonnes / ha . The year wise position is indicated below. 

The scope for increasing Rabi rice area is very limited as it depends upon irrigation. The problems faced in increasing Kharif rice productivity and the steps taken to overcome them are as follows.
i)          More & more Kharif rice area is being brought under irrigation.
ii)Kharif rice is grown in all types of land, even on sub-marginal lands, with the hope of getting some yield if the rainfall is normal. Due to weak economic condition, Programme “Work Plan - Rice Development” is in operation in the State since 2001-02. Under this scheme Farmers Field School, exposure visit of farmers (out side and inside state), supply of certified seeds, farm implements, power tillers, tractors at a subsidized rates etc. are being taken up. Besides, from 2007-08 such developmental activities for enhancement of rice production and productivity is being taken up under the National Food Security Mission - Rice in 15 low productivity districts in a mission mode.

Other cereals
Maize & Ragi are the important coarse cereals. Jowar, Bajra & Small millets are also grown in the state to a lesser extent. These crops are mostly grown in tribal districts during Kharif in un-irrigated uplands with poor management practices and more as subsistence crop. The Area, Production & Yield rate of Ragi & Maize during last few years are given below.
A= Area in lakh hects    P= Production in lakh MTs  Y= Yield rate in Kgs/hect

The area under Ragi crop is showing a declining trend due to diversion of traditionally ragi growing areas to cotton, maize vegetables & pulses. So, improved & high yielding varieties of Ragi have been introduced in the state and Ragi development is being promoted though incorporating the scheme under work plan for enhancing the production & productivity.
Similarly in Maize crop, to increase the production and productivity a centrally sponsored scheme known as ISOPOM (Maize) is in operation in the state since 2004
05. Under the scheme interventions like minikit demonstration, IPM demonstration, block demonstration farmers training etc are being taken up besides supply of certified seeds, PP equipments, HDPE pipes and farm implements at subsidized rates.
Pulses
Arhar, mung, biri, kulthi, gram, fieldpea, cowpea, lentil are the pulse crops grown in the State. The major crops are arhar, mung, biri and kulthi. Pulses are grown mainly in uplands during Kharif season predominantly in inland districts & in rice fallows during Rabi season, mostly in coastal districts under available moisture condition. Mung & biri are also grown as third crop in summer under irrigated condition. Post monsoon rains, mostly govern the Rabi coverage of pulses in rice fallows. The area, production & productivity of pulses crops of last few years is indicated below.