Even as rains induced by low pressure damaged crops in large parts of south and coastal Odisha earlier this week, the state aims to harvest record 10 million tonne (MT) of food grains in the Kharif, 2014. The production target prepared by the state agriculture and food production department includes 9.404 million tonnes of cereals and 0.582 tonne of pulses.
The target for cereals included 8.46 million tonnes of rice, 0.765 million tonnes of maize, 0.162 million tonnes of ragi. Similarly, pulses target comprises 0.19 million tonnes of arhar, 0.15 million tonnes of mung and 0.175 million tonnes of biri. As per the estimates, cereals will be cultivated on about 4.11 million hectare (ha) of land with a productivity ratio of 2288 kg per ha. This includes rice cultivation on 3.6 million ha with yield rate of 2,350 kg per ha, maize on 0.3 million ha with productivity quotient of 2,550 kg per ha and ragi on 0.18 million ha with yield rate of 900 kg per ha.
Similarly, it is targeted to cultivate pulses on 0.96 million ha with productivity ratio of 606 kg per ha.
This year, targeted Kharif sowing area included 0.31 million ha of oilseeds, 0.677 million ha of fibres per bales, 4.576 million ha of vegetables and 0.45 million ha of spices.
However, incessant rains for three days set off by a low pressure conditions earlier this week has heavily damaged rice and vegetable cultivation in large parts of Koraput, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Ganjam, Cuttack, Puri and Balasore districts in south and coastal Odisha. The state agriculture minister Pradip Maharathi is scheduled to visit the affected areas on June 2 to assess the extent of damage. Odisha has become a rice surplus state, and procurement in the state is more than its requirement for public distribution system and other welfare schemes.
It may be noted that the state had bagged the 'Krishi Karman' award for being the best performing state in overall foodgrains production among Category-II states. Odisha achieved a record foodgrains production of 11.4 million tonne during 2012-13. The state government has allocated a sum of Rs 1,734 crore to the agriculture sector in the budget for 2014-15. Last year, the state government had tabled a separate agriculture budget.
