Orissa is the tenth largest state in area and eleventh in population in the country, accounting for 5% of the geographical area and 4% of the population of the country. Cultivators and Agricultural labourers constitute 65% of the total workforce. Agriculture provides direct or indirect employment to 65% of the total work force and contributes 26% of the net state domestic product. Kharif is the main cropping season and rice is the principal crop during kharif season. Cropping during Rabi season is mainly confined to irrigated areas and areas with residual moisture. Other important crops produced in the state are pulses (Arhar, Mung, Biri, Kulthi), Oil seeds (Groundnut, Til, Mustard and Niger ), Fibres (Jute, Mesta, Cotton), Sugarcane, Vegetables and Spices, Mango, Banana, Coconut & Cashew Nut are the main Horticultural crops of the state.
The state has a cultivated area of 62 lakh hectares out of which 27 lakh hectares is high land, 19 lakh hectares medium and 16 lakh hectares low land. The paddy area during kharif is about 42 lakh & during Rabi 2.5 lakh hectares.
The state is broadly divided into 4 Physiographic Zones namely Coastal Plains, Central Table Land , Northern Plateau and Eastern Ghats . These are further sub-divided into 10 Agroclimatic Zones namely North Western Plateau, North Central Plateau, North Eastern Coastal Plain, East and South Eastern Coastal Plain, North Eastern Ghat, Eastern Ghat High Land , South Eastern Ghat, Western Undulating Zone, Western Central Table Land and Mid Central Table Land. The state has different soil types ranging from fertile alluvial deltaic soils in the coastal plains, mixed red and black soils in the Central Table Land, red and yellow soils with low fertility in the Northern Plateau and red, black & brown forest soil in Eastern ghat region. The soil types differ widely from highly acidic to slightly alkaline and from light sandy to stiff clays. The soils are mainly acidic with the degree of acidity varying widely. About 4 lakh hectares are exposed to saline inundation, 3.54 lakh hectares to flooding and 0.75 hectares to water logging.
The state has tropical climate characterized by high temperature, high humidity, medium to high rainfall and short and mid winters. The normal rainfall of the state is 1451.2 mm. About 75% to 80% rainfall is received from June to September. Floods, droughts, and cyclones occur almost every year with varying intensity. Due to frequent occurrence of these natural calamities there is always reduction in kharif rice. Similarly in drought years there is considerable loss in population of pulses and oilseed crops during Rabi season and kharif season. Another problem in the state is operational household along with poverty line. The average size of the holding is only 1-3 hectares out of cultivable area of 65-99 lakh hectares, about 41% is under irrigated conditions. The total irrigation potential created so far from all sources is about 39.31 lakh hectares (kharif 26.65 lakh and rabi 12.66 lakh hectares). The gross irrigated cropped area is 27 lakh hectares.
The consumption of fertilizer in the state is approximately to 43 kg per hectare. Due importance has been given for certified / quality seed in the new agricultural policy. There are 68 Agricultural farms in the state producing both foundation and certified seeds. Under the seed village scheme, registered seed growers are supplied foundation seeds, the seed produced in their fields are certified by the State Seed Certification Agency & the certified seeds are produced by the State Seeds Corporation.
Adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is being given due thrust for increasing the crop productivity. |
