Despite Odisha witnessing a normal rainfall this farm season, no significant breakthrough is likely in food grains production in the State in 2016-17 as the food grains production could still remain yards below the 2012-13 production level of over 8 million tonne (MT).
Such lacklustre production could have a direct bearing on the State’s appetite for bagging the Krishi Karman Award on trot.
According to the data with the State Agriculture Directorate, the total food grains production in Odisha in farm year 2016-17 would be around 7-7.2 MT only, which is lower than the average production worth over 8 MT during the period 2012-2015. This comes as somewhat shocking for Odisha as the year 2016-17 has not witnessed any big natural disaster like drought, flood or cyclone. In contrast, the years 2013-14 and 2014-15, despite bearing the brunt of Phailin and Hudhud, had posted over 8 MT of food grain production which helped the State bag the coveted Krishi Karman Award for two consecutive years.
Significantly, the not so enthusiastic food grain production is attributed to fall in the area sown under Rabi rice, which has been 0.06 lakh hectare less than even the drought year of 2015-16. In addition, when the area sown under coarse cereals has shown a fall in 2016-17 vis-a-vis the drought year 2015-16, rice sowing in Kharif was meagre as the sown area in 2016-17 could see an accretion of a mere 0.14 lakh hectare.
The outcome: Rice production in Odisha in 2016-17 is estimated to fall well below by around 3 MT from the target of 6.6 MT set by the Government for 2016-17. And coarse grains production too could fall below the targeted 2.9 MT. Interestingly, a decline in coarse grains production has a direct affect on food security of tribals, who harvest such produces for consumption only.
The reason: Kharif rice sowing has been over 2 lakh hectare less this year in comparison to normal sowing area because of the spillover of the drought effect on farmers thanks to undue delay in payment of input subsidy. The farmers have suffered crop loss (rice and coarse cereals) in the 2015-16 drought year. Since around three-fourths of land are tilled by marginal and small farmers, the Government’s flip-flop did the ultimate damage, affecting rice and coarse grains production as farmers fear to go for full sowing for the lack of money at hand.
However, good news for the State is that despite demonetisation, the area under sown pulses has shown a rise in the 2016-17 Rabi season. Sowing of pulses has been in over 7 lakh hectare, the highest since 2013. Experts attribute this to a higher MSP (Minimum Support Price) announced by Centre this year along with an assurance to procure if prices collapse below the MSP.
But there is no such encouraging sign in oilseeds sowing as the sowing, though higher than the 2015-16 level, is much below the record production years of 2013-14 and 2014-15.