Foodgrain output in Orissa has been pegged at 9.4 million tonnes (mt) in the current financial year, including both the kharif and rabi agriculture seasons, eight per cent higher than 8.79 mt produced in 2010-11.
Of the overall target, rice production is expected to be 7.3 mt, with the balance coming from foodgrain like wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, ragi and small millets and pulses such as tur, urad, moong, cowpea, kulthi, lentil, fieldpea, other pulses and gram.
Foodgrain production in 2009-10 and 2008-09 stood at 8.7 mt and 8.63 mt, respectively. About 25 per cent of the total targeted areas for kharif-2011 were covered by the end of July 15. The coverage of paddy area was 16.29 per cent by that period. The government has targeted to cover 5.88 million hectares during the current kharif season for various crops.
Production during the kharif season this financial year has been projected at 7.63 mt, marginally higher than 7.2 mt in the same season last year.
Rice would have the dominant share of production in the kharif at 6.3 mt, a little higher than 6.05 mt in the same period of previous financial year.
The area earmarked for foodgrain cultivation this season stands at 4.9 million hectares, slightly less than 5.08 million hectares in the same season in 2010-11.
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“We are confident of achieving the overall food grains target for the current fiscal despite deficient rains recorded in the districts of Boudh, Nuapada and Bolangir. The less than normal rain in these districts has not impacted sowing operations so far”, R S Gopalan, director (agriculture & food production), told Business Standard. The yield of rice during this kharif is set to go up to 1,750 kg per hectare from 1,539 kg per hectare in the last kharif.
Total cereal output is set to reach 7.19 mt this kharif, with area under production at 4.09 million hectares as against 6.83 million tonnes raised over 4.37 million hectares of land in last kharif. Of the overall cereals production target of 7.19 mt, rice production is pegged at 6.3 mt, maize at 614,000 tonnes, ragi at 172,000 tonnes, jowar at 7,000 tonnes, bajra at 2,000 tonnes and small millets at 10,000 tonnes.
In the last kharif season, paddy production stood at 9.03 mt, rice 6.05 mt, maize (600,000 tonnes), ragi (165,000 tonnes) and small millets (8850 tonnes).
The total pulses production is set to go up from 375,000 tonnes in the last kharif to 439,000 tonnes during the current kharif, growth of 17.06 per cent. Of the total projected pulses output of 439,000 tonnes, arhar production is pegged at 128,000 tonnes, moong at 105,000 tonnes, birir at 125,000 tonnes, cowpeas at 52,000 tonnes and other pulses at 29,000 tonnes. In the kharif season of last year, tur dal production stood at 123,000 tonnes, urad dal (110,000 tonnes), mung (96,000 tonnes), cowpea (17,000 tonnes) and other pulses (27,000 tonnes).
The area under pulses production during the current kharif is set to go up to 801,000 hectares from 715,000 hectares last year. Total productivity for pulses is also set to move up to 550 kg per hectare from 525 kg per hectare a year ago.
In the non-food grain bracket, oilseeds production during this kharif has been projected at 321,000 tonnes, meaning a growth of 43.3 per cent over last kharif season’s output of 224,000 tonnes. To the overall oilseeds output of 321,000 tonnes, groundnuts is set to contribute 153,000 tonnes, sesamum (107,000 tonnes), castor (7,000 tonnes), niger (52,000 tonnes) and sunflower (2,000 tonnes).
In the last kharif, groundnuts contributed 108,000 tonnes, castor (5,000 tonnes), sesasum (63,0000 tonnes), niger (37,000 tonnes) and sunflower (32,000 tonnes). While 370,000 hectares was devoted to oilseeds production in last kharif, this season, the acreage has been raised to 472,000 hectares.
Total fibre production this kharif including jute (14,000 tonnes), mesta (109,000 tonnes), sunhemp (47,000 tonnes) and cotton (335,000 tonnes) has been projected at 631,000 tonnes. Fibre production during last the kharif was 463,000 tonnes.