Agriculture and Irrigation in Odisha | Odisha State PSC (OPSC): Preparation - OPSC OCS (Odisha) PDF Download

 Page 1


AGRICULTUREAND
CHAPTER8
Odisha is primarily an agrarian economy. Agriculture is the
state’s dominant sector with a contribution of about 20% to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). About 65% of total workforce is
engaged in agriculture sector. Nearly 82% of total population
live in rural areas.
The total cultivable land in the state for cropping is about 40% of the total
geographical area. The State experienced transient success in terms of crop area,
production, productivity, food security, irrigation during the year, leading to rise in
farmers’ income. Agriculture contributes 30% of the Net State Domestic Product.
Paddy crop has the largest area under cultivation followed by pulses, oilseeds and
fibre crops. Most important cash crop is jute followed by sugarcane, while cashew
nut, rubber and tea falls under new cash crops. Shifting cultivation is carried out in
various places and are known by different names e.g. Dedhi in Sambalpur, Toila
Chasa in Keonjhar, Baru in Ganjam, Haru in Rayagarh etc.
Cropping Seasons in Odisha
Predominantly, there are three cropping seasons across India, and so are in the
Odisha.These are as follows:
Kharif Season
This season starts with pre-monsoon rain in the months of June-July when farmers
prepare their fields for sowing and on the onset of monsoon, farmers sow Kharif
crops. The crops are harvested during September or October. Major Kharif crops of
Odisha are paddy, jowar, millets, maize, groundnut, jute, cotton, pulses, etc.
Rabi Season
This season begins in November and ends around April. As no rains take place
during these months in most of India, the Rabi crops depend upon the sub-soil
moisture and artificial irrigation. Rabi crops play a major role in the economy of
Page 2


AGRICULTUREAND
CHAPTER8
Odisha is primarily an agrarian economy. Agriculture is the
state’s dominant sector with a contribution of about 20% to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). About 65% of total workforce is
engaged in agriculture sector. Nearly 82% of total population
live in rural areas.
The total cultivable land in the state for cropping is about 40% of the total
geographical area. The State experienced transient success in terms of crop area,
production, productivity, food security, irrigation during the year, leading to rise in
farmers’ income. Agriculture contributes 30% of the Net State Domestic Product.
Paddy crop has the largest area under cultivation followed by pulses, oilseeds and
fibre crops. Most important cash crop is jute followed by sugarcane, while cashew
nut, rubber and tea falls under new cash crops. Shifting cultivation is carried out in
various places and are known by different names e.g. Dedhi in Sambalpur, Toila
Chasa in Keonjhar, Baru in Ganjam, Haru in Rayagarh etc.
Cropping Seasons in Odisha
Predominantly, there are three cropping seasons across India, and so are in the
Odisha.These are as follows:
Kharif Season
This season starts with pre-monsoon rain in the months of June-July when farmers
prepare their fields for sowing and on the onset of monsoon, farmers sow Kharif
crops. The crops are harvested during September or October. Major Kharif crops of
Odisha are paddy, jowar, millets, maize, groundnut, jute, cotton, pulses, etc.
Rabi Season
This season begins in November and ends around April. As no rains take place
during these months in most of India, the Rabi crops depend upon the sub-soil
moisture and artificial irrigation. Rabi crops play a major role in the economy of
86 Know Your State ODISHA
Odisha as compared to the Kharif crops.
Major Rabi crops of Odisha are wheat,
gram and oilseeds.
Zaid Season
Besides the two major cropping seasons
mentioned above, there are some short
duration crops like moong, urad,
watermelon, etc, which are grown in
intermediate summer season. This
season is called Zaid season.
Major Crops of Odisha
The weather of Odisha favours a lot of
crops for cultivation. Among these
crops rice, pulses, oilseeds, jute,
sugarcane, coconut and turmeric are
important crops.
Cash crops like jute, tea, cotton and
rubber are also produced. District-wise,
Cuttack andBalasore ranks second in
jute production,Puri ranks high for
gram andMayurbhanj for maize
production.
Some of the major crops are as follows:
Rice
It is confined to the coastal plains, the
river valleys and command areas of
Hirakud dam on Mahanadi river where
alluvial soil is found. It is concentrated
in the areas ofCuttack,Sambalpur,
Puri,Ganjam,Balasore,Koraput,
Keonjhar andKalahandi.
The state contributes one-tenth of the
rice production in India. During
2016-17, nine varieties of seeds have
been released by Central Rice Research
Institute. Srimati, Priya, Pradhan Dhan,
Prasant, Mukul are few common
varieties of rice.
Rice needs a hot and humid climate.
The average temperature required is
25°C and above.
Pulses
The most important pulses grown in
Odisha are gram, tur, arhar. According to
the classification, the pulses of Odisha
can be broadly divided into Kharif and
Rabi crops.
The Mahanadi delta, the Rushikulya
plains, the Hirakud and Badimula
regions are favourable for the cultivation
of pulses. Production of pulses is
basically concentrated in districts like
Cuttack,Puri,Kalahandi,Dhenkanal,
Balangir andSambalpur.
Food Grains
This includes cereals, millets and pulses.
Among cereals, the most important crop
is rice. It is followed by ragi, maize,
wheat, small millets and bajra. All these,
except wheat are coarse cereals and
belong to hardier crops which are mostly
cultivated in the middle mountainous,
rolling uplands and plateaus of Odisha.
Oilseeds
Sesame, groundnut, mustard, castor and
linseed are the principal oilseeds grown
in Odisha. Oilseeds are categorised as
Kharif and Rabi crops. Rabi oilseeds
grown as a second crop after the cereals
are harvested. Among the oilseeds,
groundnut and castor are the hardier
crops and are grown in marginal and
sub-marginal lands.
Balasore leads in mustard andCuttack
in groundnut production.Oilpalm is
also grown in Odisha in the districts of
Gajapati, Rayagada, Dhenkanal and
Sundergarh district.
Page 3


AGRICULTUREAND
CHAPTER8
Odisha is primarily an agrarian economy. Agriculture is the
state’s dominant sector with a contribution of about 20% to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). About 65% of total workforce is
engaged in agriculture sector. Nearly 82% of total population
live in rural areas.
The total cultivable land in the state for cropping is about 40% of the total
geographical area. The State experienced transient success in terms of crop area,
production, productivity, food security, irrigation during the year, leading to rise in
farmers’ income. Agriculture contributes 30% of the Net State Domestic Product.
Paddy crop has the largest area under cultivation followed by pulses, oilseeds and
fibre crops. Most important cash crop is jute followed by sugarcane, while cashew
nut, rubber and tea falls under new cash crops. Shifting cultivation is carried out in
various places and are known by different names e.g. Dedhi in Sambalpur, Toila
Chasa in Keonjhar, Baru in Ganjam, Haru in Rayagarh etc.
Cropping Seasons in Odisha
Predominantly, there are three cropping seasons across India, and so are in the
Odisha.These are as follows:
Kharif Season
This season starts with pre-monsoon rain in the months of June-July when farmers
prepare their fields for sowing and on the onset of monsoon, farmers sow Kharif
crops. The crops are harvested during September or October. Major Kharif crops of
Odisha are paddy, jowar, millets, maize, groundnut, jute, cotton, pulses, etc.
Rabi Season
This season begins in November and ends around April. As no rains take place
during these months in most of India, the Rabi crops depend upon the sub-soil
moisture and artificial irrigation. Rabi crops play a major role in the economy of
86 Know Your State ODISHA
Odisha as compared to the Kharif crops.
Major Rabi crops of Odisha are wheat,
gram and oilseeds.
Zaid Season
Besides the two major cropping seasons
mentioned above, there are some short
duration crops like moong, urad,
watermelon, etc, which are grown in
intermediate summer season. This
season is called Zaid season.
Major Crops of Odisha
The weather of Odisha favours a lot of
crops for cultivation. Among these
crops rice, pulses, oilseeds, jute,
sugarcane, coconut and turmeric are
important crops.
Cash crops like jute, tea, cotton and
rubber are also produced. District-wise,
Cuttack andBalasore ranks second in
jute production,Puri ranks high for
gram andMayurbhanj for maize
production.
Some of the major crops are as follows:
Rice
It is confined to the coastal plains, the
river valleys and command areas of
Hirakud dam on Mahanadi river where
alluvial soil is found. It is concentrated
in the areas ofCuttack,Sambalpur,
Puri,Ganjam,Balasore,Koraput,
Keonjhar andKalahandi.
The state contributes one-tenth of the
rice production in India. During
2016-17, nine varieties of seeds have
been released by Central Rice Research
Institute. Srimati, Priya, Pradhan Dhan,
Prasant, Mukul are few common
varieties of rice.
Rice needs a hot and humid climate.
The average temperature required is
25°C and above.
Pulses
The most important pulses grown in
Odisha are gram, tur, arhar. According to
the classification, the pulses of Odisha
can be broadly divided into Kharif and
Rabi crops.
The Mahanadi delta, the Rushikulya
plains, the Hirakud and Badimula
regions are favourable for the cultivation
of pulses. Production of pulses is
basically concentrated in districts like
Cuttack,Puri,Kalahandi,Dhenkanal,
Balangir andSambalpur.
Food Grains
This includes cereals, millets and pulses.
Among cereals, the most important crop
is rice. It is followed by ragi, maize,
wheat, small millets and bajra. All these,
except wheat are coarse cereals and
belong to hardier crops which are mostly
cultivated in the middle mountainous,
rolling uplands and plateaus of Odisha.
Oilseeds
Sesame, groundnut, mustard, castor and
linseed are the principal oilseeds grown
in Odisha. Oilseeds are categorised as
Kharif and Rabi crops. Rabi oilseeds
grown as a second crop after the cereals
are harvested. Among the oilseeds,
groundnut and castor are the hardier
crops and are grown in marginal and
sub-marginal lands.
Balasore leads in mustard andCuttack
in groundnut production.Oilpalm is
also grown in Odisha in the districts of
Gajapati, Rayagada, Dhenkanal and
Sundergarh district.
Agriculture and Irrigation in Odisha 87
Jute
Jute accounts for the maximum areas
for agriculture among all other crops.
Odisha is the fourth largest producer
of jute after West Bengal, Bihar and
Assam. Rice and jute compete with
each other as they require almost
similar soil and climatic conditions.
It is a Kharif crop and requires warm
temperature (30-40°C), 70-90%
humidity and 150-200 cm of
rainfall. It is grown in the coastal
plains of Cuttack, Balasore and Puri
districts.
Sugarcane
It is the second most important cash
crop in Odisha in terms of area as
well as production. It is grown in
well irrigated areas. Odisha is the
eighth largest producer of sugarcane
in India.
A considerable amount of sugarcane
is cultivated inCuttack,Sambalpur,
Balangir,KalahandiandPuri
districts. It is grown well in
temperature between 20°C to 28°C
and require 150 cm of rainfall.
Cashew
It has been planted extensively in the
low level latiritic plateaus at the
foothills of the Eastern Ghats.
Cashewnut is produced in Jeypore in
Koraput district, Berhampur and
Kandhamal district also. Odisha is
the third largest producer of
cashewnut in India. The Cashew
Plantation Board (CPB) is
responsible for the development of
cashew cultivation in the state.
Cotton
Cotton cultivation has been taken up
extensively inKoraput,Balangir and
Kalahandi districts where suitable soil and
climatic conditions are found.
Tea
It is concentrated in the areas of Eastern
Ghats and theKeonjhar mountainous
regions ofPhulbaniandKoraput. Tea
plants need well drained loamy soil, hot and
humid temperatures ranging between 25°C
to 32°C and rainfall of 150 to 350 cm.
Coffee
It is concentrated in the forest lands of
Eastern Ghats,Koraput,Kalahandi,
Malkangiri,Rayagada andUdayagiri and
Balliguda areas ofKandhamal district.
Rubber Plantation
Odisha is a non-traditional area for rubber
planations. Inland hill areas ofCuttack,
Puri,Ganjam andDhenkanal districts have
agro-climatic conditions suitable for rubber
cultivation.
To protect the degraded hill slopes of
Eastern Ghats, rubber planation have been
taken up by Rubber Board. Agro-Climate
of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Balasore also
have prospects for cultivation of rubber.
Spices
Turmeric and ginger are the two most
prevalent spice crops of Odisha. They are
majorly cultivated by tribals. Turmeric is a
cash crop grown by Kondha tribe of
Kandhamal district and Langi Kondha of
Gajapati districts. Odisha’s first
Agri-Export Zone was set up in
Kandhamal for producing export quality
turmeric and ginger.
Page 4


AGRICULTUREAND
CHAPTER8
Odisha is primarily an agrarian economy. Agriculture is the
state’s dominant sector with a contribution of about 20% to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). About 65% of total workforce is
engaged in agriculture sector. Nearly 82% of total population
live in rural areas.
The total cultivable land in the state for cropping is about 40% of the total
geographical area. The State experienced transient success in terms of crop area,
production, productivity, food security, irrigation during the year, leading to rise in
farmers’ income. Agriculture contributes 30% of the Net State Domestic Product.
Paddy crop has the largest area under cultivation followed by pulses, oilseeds and
fibre crops. Most important cash crop is jute followed by sugarcane, while cashew
nut, rubber and tea falls under new cash crops. Shifting cultivation is carried out in
various places and are known by different names e.g. Dedhi in Sambalpur, Toila
Chasa in Keonjhar, Baru in Ganjam, Haru in Rayagarh etc.
Cropping Seasons in Odisha
Predominantly, there are three cropping seasons across India, and so are in the
Odisha.These are as follows:
Kharif Season
This season starts with pre-monsoon rain in the months of June-July when farmers
prepare their fields for sowing and on the onset of monsoon, farmers sow Kharif
crops. The crops are harvested during September or October. Major Kharif crops of
Odisha are paddy, jowar, millets, maize, groundnut, jute, cotton, pulses, etc.
Rabi Season
This season begins in November and ends around April. As no rains take place
during these months in most of India, the Rabi crops depend upon the sub-soil
moisture and artificial irrigation. Rabi crops play a major role in the economy of
86 Know Your State ODISHA
Odisha as compared to the Kharif crops.
Major Rabi crops of Odisha are wheat,
gram and oilseeds.
Zaid Season
Besides the two major cropping seasons
mentioned above, there are some short
duration crops like moong, urad,
watermelon, etc, which are grown in
intermediate summer season. This
season is called Zaid season.
Major Crops of Odisha
The weather of Odisha favours a lot of
crops for cultivation. Among these
crops rice, pulses, oilseeds, jute,
sugarcane, coconut and turmeric are
important crops.
Cash crops like jute, tea, cotton and
rubber are also produced. District-wise,
Cuttack andBalasore ranks second in
jute production,Puri ranks high for
gram andMayurbhanj for maize
production.
Some of the major crops are as follows:
Rice
It is confined to the coastal plains, the
river valleys and command areas of
Hirakud dam on Mahanadi river where
alluvial soil is found. It is concentrated
in the areas ofCuttack,Sambalpur,
Puri,Ganjam,Balasore,Koraput,
Keonjhar andKalahandi.
The state contributes one-tenth of the
rice production in India. During
2016-17, nine varieties of seeds have
been released by Central Rice Research
Institute. Srimati, Priya, Pradhan Dhan,
Prasant, Mukul are few common
varieties of rice.
Rice needs a hot and humid climate.
The average temperature required is
25°C and above.
Pulses
The most important pulses grown in
Odisha are gram, tur, arhar. According to
the classification, the pulses of Odisha
can be broadly divided into Kharif and
Rabi crops.
The Mahanadi delta, the Rushikulya
plains, the Hirakud and Badimula
regions are favourable for the cultivation
of pulses. Production of pulses is
basically concentrated in districts like
Cuttack,Puri,Kalahandi,Dhenkanal,
Balangir andSambalpur.
Food Grains
This includes cereals, millets and pulses.
Among cereals, the most important crop
is rice. It is followed by ragi, maize,
wheat, small millets and bajra. All these,
except wheat are coarse cereals and
belong to hardier crops which are mostly
cultivated in the middle mountainous,
rolling uplands and plateaus of Odisha.
Oilseeds
Sesame, groundnut, mustard, castor and
linseed are the principal oilseeds grown
in Odisha. Oilseeds are categorised as
Kharif and Rabi crops. Rabi oilseeds
grown as a second crop after the cereals
are harvested. Among the oilseeds,
groundnut and castor are the hardier
crops and are grown in marginal and
sub-marginal lands.
Balasore leads in mustard andCuttack
in groundnut production.Oilpalm is
also grown in Odisha in the districts of
Gajapati, Rayagada, Dhenkanal and
Sundergarh district.
Agriculture and Irrigation in Odisha 87
Jute
Jute accounts for the maximum areas
for agriculture among all other crops.
Odisha is the fourth largest producer
of jute after West Bengal, Bihar and
Assam. Rice and jute compete with
each other as they require almost
similar soil and climatic conditions.
It is a Kharif crop and requires warm
temperature (30-40°C), 70-90%
humidity and 150-200 cm of
rainfall. It is grown in the coastal
plains of Cuttack, Balasore and Puri
districts.
Sugarcane
It is the second most important cash
crop in Odisha in terms of area as
well as production. It is grown in
well irrigated areas. Odisha is the
eighth largest producer of sugarcane
in India.
A considerable amount of sugarcane
is cultivated inCuttack,Sambalpur,
Balangir,KalahandiandPuri
districts. It is grown well in
temperature between 20°C to 28°C
and require 150 cm of rainfall.
Cashew
It has been planted extensively in the
low level latiritic plateaus at the
foothills of the Eastern Ghats.
Cashewnut is produced in Jeypore in
Koraput district, Berhampur and
Kandhamal district also. Odisha is
the third largest producer of
cashewnut in India. The Cashew
Plantation Board (CPB) is
responsible for the development of
cashew cultivation in the state.
Cotton
Cotton cultivation has been taken up
extensively inKoraput,Balangir and
Kalahandi districts where suitable soil and
climatic conditions are found.
Tea
It is concentrated in the areas of Eastern
Ghats and theKeonjhar mountainous
regions ofPhulbaniandKoraput. Tea
plants need well drained loamy soil, hot and
humid temperatures ranging between 25°C
to 32°C and rainfall of 150 to 350 cm.
Coffee
It is concentrated in the forest lands of
Eastern Ghats,Koraput,Kalahandi,
Malkangiri,Rayagada andUdayagiri and
Balliguda areas ofKandhamal district.
Rubber Plantation
Odisha is a non-traditional area for rubber
planations. Inland hill areas ofCuttack,
Puri,Ganjam andDhenkanal districts have
agro-climatic conditions suitable for rubber
cultivation.
To protect the degraded hill slopes of
Eastern Ghats, rubber planation have been
taken up by Rubber Board. Agro-Climate
of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Balasore also
have prospects for cultivation of rubber.
Spices
Turmeric and ginger are the two most
prevalent spice crops of Odisha. They are
majorly cultivated by tribals. Turmeric is a
cash crop grown by Kondha tribe of
Kandhamal district and Langi Kondha of
Gajapati districts. Odisha’s first
Agri-Export Zone was set up in
Kandhamal for producing export quality
turmeric and ginger.
88 Know Your State ODISHA
Turmeric is also exported from Odisha. Other spices produced in the state are black
pepper, cinnamon and chillies. Export quality turmeric and ginger are cultivated in
Koraput andPhulbani.
Coconut
It is highly cultivated in Odisha especially in the coastal districts. Cuttack, Puri,
Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam. Coconut is one of
the most important plantation crops of Odisha. In the coastal coconut growing belt
of Odisha, 17 full and dwarf varieties are identified based on size, shape and
colour of nuts. Even though Odisha is a coconut producing state, there are not
many coconut oil producing units operating in the state. However, there is a good
market for coconut oil for toiletry use with annual consumption of about 8
thousand tonnes per year. Puri and Ganjam districts have many small scale nut
fibre and coir manufacturing units in the state. The Coconut Development Board
of Odisha setup at Bhubaneswar in Khurda district provides various schemes to
farmers for coconut plantation.
Agro-Climatic Zones in Odisha
The climate play a vital role in Odisha’s agricultural economy. The tropical climate
of Odisha is characterised by high temperature, high humidity, medium to high
rainfall and mild winters.
As per the Forest and Environment Department, Government of Odisha, the state
has been divided into ten agro-climatic zones on the basis of climate, soil, rainfall
and topography. These are discussed below:
Agro-climatic
Zone
Agricultural Districts Climate Broad Soil Groups
North Western Plateau Sundargarh, parts of
Deogarh, Sambalpur and
Jharsuguda
Hot and moist
sub-humid
Red, Brown forest,
Red and Yellow,
Mixed Red and Black
North Central Plateau Mayurbhanj, major parts of
Keonjhar, (except
Anandapur and Ghasipura
block)
Hot and moist
sub-humid
Lateritic, Red and
Yellow Mixed Red and
Black
North Eastern Coastal
Plain
Balasore, Bhadrak, parts of
Jajpur and Hatadihi block of
Keonjhar
Moist sub-humid Red, Lateritic, Deltaic
alluvial, Coastal
alluvial and Saline
East and South
Eastern Coastal Plain
Kendrapara, Khurda,
Jagatsinghpur, part of
Cuttack, Puri, Nayagarh and
parts of Ganjam
Hot and humid Saline, Lateritic,
Alluvial, Red and
Mixed Red and Black
North Eastern Ghat Phulbani, Rayagada,
Gajapati, part of Ganjam
and small patches of
Koraput
Hot and moist,
sub-humid
Brown forest, Lateritic
Alluvial, Red, Mixed
Red and Black
Page 5


AGRICULTUREAND
CHAPTER8
Odisha is primarily an agrarian economy. Agriculture is the
state’s dominant sector with a contribution of about 20% to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). About 65% of total workforce is
engaged in agriculture sector. Nearly 82% of total population
live in rural areas.
The total cultivable land in the state for cropping is about 40% of the total
geographical area. The State experienced transient success in terms of crop area,
production, productivity, food security, irrigation during the year, leading to rise in
farmers’ income. Agriculture contributes 30% of the Net State Domestic Product.
Paddy crop has the largest area under cultivation followed by pulses, oilseeds and
fibre crops. Most important cash crop is jute followed by sugarcane, while cashew
nut, rubber and tea falls under new cash crops. Shifting cultivation is carried out in
various places and are known by different names e.g. Dedhi in Sambalpur, Toila
Chasa in Keonjhar, Baru in Ganjam, Haru in Rayagarh etc.
Cropping Seasons in Odisha
Predominantly, there are three cropping seasons across India, and so are in the
Odisha.These are as follows:
Kharif Season
This season starts with pre-monsoon rain in the months of June-July when farmers
prepare their fields for sowing and on the onset of monsoon, farmers sow Kharif
crops. The crops are harvested during September or October. Major Kharif crops of
Odisha are paddy, jowar, millets, maize, groundnut, jute, cotton, pulses, etc.
Rabi Season
This season begins in November and ends around April. As no rains take place
during these months in most of India, the Rabi crops depend upon the sub-soil
moisture and artificial irrigation. Rabi crops play a major role in the economy of
86 Know Your State ODISHA
Odisha as compared to the Kharif crops.
Major Rabi crops of Odisha are wheat,
gram and oilseeds.
Zaid Season
Besides the two major cropping seasons
mentioned above, there are some short
duration crops like moong, urad,
watermelon, etc, which are grown in
intermediate summer season. This
season is called Zaid season.
Major Crops of Odisha
The weather of Odisha favours a lot of
crops for cultivation. Among these
crops rice, pulses, oilseeds, jute,
sugarcane, coconut and turmeric are
important crops.
Cash crops like jute, tea, cotton and
rubber are also produced. District-wise,
Cuttack andBalasore ranks second in
jute production,Puri ranks high for
gram andMayurbhanj for maize
production.
Some of the major crops are as follows:
Rice
It is confined to the coastal plains, the
river valleys and command areas of
Hirakud dam on Mahanadi river where
alluvial soil is found. It is concentrated
in the areas ofCuttack,Sambalpur,
Puri,Ganjam,Balasore,Koraput,
Keonjhar andKalahandi.
The state contributes one-tenth of the
rice production in India. During
2016-17, nine varieties of seeds have
been released by Central Rice Research
Institute. Srimati, Priya, Pradhan Dhan,
Prasant, Mukul are few common
varieties of rice.
Rice needs a hot and humid climate.
The average temperature required is
25°C and above.
Pulses
The most important pulses grown in
Odisha are gram, tur, arhar. According to
the classification, the pulses of Odisha
can be broadly divided into Kharif and
Rabi crops.
The Mahanadi delta, the Rushikulya
plains, the Hirakud and Badimula
regions are favourable for the cultivation
of pulses. Production of pulses is
basically concentrated in districts like
Cuttack,Puri,Kalahandi,Dhenkanal,
Balangir andSambalpur.
Food Grains
This includes cereals, millets and pulses.
Among cereals, the most important crop
is rice. It is followed by ragi, maize,
wheat, small millets and bajra. All these,
except wheat are coarse cereals and
belong to hardier crops which are mostly
cultivated in the middle mountainous,
rolling uplands and plateaus of Odisha.
Oilseeds
Sesame, groundnut, mustard, castor and
linseed are the principal oilseeds grown
in Odisha. Oilseeds are categorised as
Kharif and Rabi crops. Rabi oilseeds
grown as a second crop after the cereals
are harvested. Among the oilseeds,
groundnut and castor are the hardier
crops and are grown in marginal and
sub-marginal lands.
Balasore leads in mustard andCuttack
in groundnut production.Oilpalm is
also grown in Odisha in the districts of
Gajapati, Rayagada, Dhenkanal and
Sundergarh district.
Agriculture and Irrigation in Odisha 87
Jute
Jute accounts for the maximum areas
for agriculture among all other crops.
Odisha is the fourth largest producer
of jute after West Bengal, Bihar and
Assam. Rice and jute compete with
each other as they require almost
similar soil and climatic conditions.
It is a Kharif crop and requires warm
temperature (30-40°C), 70-90%
humidity and 150-200 cm of
rainfall. It is grown in the coastal
plains of Cuttack, Balasore and Puri
districts.
Sugarcane
It is the second most important cash
crop in Odisha in terms of area as
well as production. It is grown in
well irrigated areas. Odisha is the
eighth largest producer of sugarcane
in India.
A considerable amount of sugarcane
is cultivated inCuttack,Sambalpur,
Balangir,KalahandiandPuri
districts. It is grown well in
temperature between 20°C to 28°C
and require 150 cm of rainfall.
Cashew
It has been planted extensively in the
low level latiritic plateaus at the
foothills of the Eastern Ghats.
Cashewnut is produced in Jeypore in
Koraput district, Berhampur and
Kandhamal district also. Odisha is
the third largest producer of
cashewnut in India. The Cashew
Plantation Board (CPB) is
responsible for the development of
cashew cultivation in the state.
Cotton
Cotton cultivation has been taken up
extensively inKoraput,Balangir and
Kalahandi districts where suitable soil and
climatic conditions are found.
Tea
It is concentrated in the areas of Eastern
Ghats and theKeonjhar mountainous
regions ofPhulbaniandKoraput. Tea
plants need well drained loamy soil, hot and
humid temperatures ranging between 25°C
to 32°C and rainfall of 150 to 350 cm.
Coffee
It is concentrated in the forest lands of
Eastern Ghats,Koraput,Kalahandi,
Malkangiri,Rayagada andUdayagiri and
Balliguda areas ofKandhamal district.
Rubber Plantation
Odisha is a non-traditional area for rubber
planations. Inland hill areas ofCuttack,
Puri,Ganjam andDhenkanal districts have
agro-climatic conditions suitable for rubber
cultivation.
To protect the degraded hill slopes of
Eastern Ghats, rubber planation have been
taken up by Rubber Board. Agro-Climate
of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Balasore also
have prospects for cultivation of rubber.
Spices
Turmeric and ginger are the two most
prevalent spice crops of Odisha. They are
majorly cultivated by tribals. Turmeric is a
cash crop grown by Kondha tribe of
Kandhamal district and Langi Kondha of
Gajapati districts. Odisha’s first
Agri-Export Zone was set up in
Kandhamal for producing export quality
turmeric and ginger.
88 Know Your State ODISHA
Turmeric is also exported from Odisha. Other spices produced in the state are black
pepper, cinnamon and chillies. Export quality turmeric and ginger are cultivated in
Koraput andPhulbani.
Coconut
It is highly cultivated in Odisha especially in the coastal districts. Cuttack, Puri,
Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam. Coconut is one of
the most important plantation crops of Odisha. In the coastal coconut growing belt
of Odisha, 17 full and dwarf varieties are identified based on size, shape and
colour of nuts. Even though Odisha is a coconut producing state, there are not
many coconut oil producing units operating in the state. However, there is a good
market for coconut oil for toiletry use with annual consumption of about 8
thousand tonnes per year. Puri and Ganjam districts have many small scale nut
fibre and coir manufacturing units in the state. The Coconut Development Board
of Odisha setup at Bhubaneswar in Khurda district provides various schemes to
farmers for coconut plantation.
Agro-Climatic Zones in Odisha
The climate play a vital role in Odisha’s agricultural economy. The tropical climate
of Odisha is characterised by high temperature, high humidity, medium to high
rainfall and mild winters.
As per the Forest and Environment Department, Government of Odisha, the state
has been divided into ten agro-climatic zones on the basis of climate, soil, rainfall
and topography. These are discussed below:
Agro-climatic
Zone
Agricultural Districts Climate Broad Soil Groups
North Western Plateau Sundargarh, parts of
Deogarh, Sambalpur and
Jharsuguda
Hot and moist
sub-humid
Red, Brown forest,
Red and Yellow,
Mixed Red and Black
North Central Plateau Mayurbhanj, major parts of
Keonjhar, (except
Anandapur and Ghasipura
block)
Hot and moist
sub-humid
Lateritic, Red and
Yellow Mixed Red and
Black
North Eastern Coastal
Plain
Balasore, Bhadrak, parts of
Jajpur and Hatadihi block of
Keonjhar
Moist sub-humid Red, Lateritic, Deltaic
alluvial, Coastal
alluvial and Saline
East and South
Eastern Coastal Plain
Kendrapara, Khurda,
Jagatsinghpur, part of
Cuttack, Puri, Nayagarh and
parts of Ganjam
Hot and humid Saline, Lateritic,
Alluvial, Red and
Mixed Red and Black
North Eastern Ghat Phulbani, Rayagada,
Gajapati, part of Ganjam
and small patches of
Koraput
Hot and moist,
sub-humid
Brown forest, Lateritic
Alluvial, Red, Mixed
Red and Black
Agro-climatic
Zone
Agricultural Districts Climate Broad Soil Groups
Eastern Ghat High
Land
Major parts of Koraput,
Nabarangpur
Warm and humid Red, Mixed Red and
Black, Mixed Red and
Yellow
South Eastern Ghat Malkangiri and part of
Keonjhar
Warm and humid Red, Lateritic and
Black
Western Undulating
Zone
Kalahandi and Nuapada Hot and moist
sub-humid
Red, Mixed Red and
Black
Western Central Table
Land
Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh,
Sonepur, parts of
Sambalpur and Jharsuguda
Hot and moist
sub-humid
Red and Yellow, Red
and Black, Black,
Brown forest, Lateritic
Mild Central Table
Land
Angul, Dhenkanal, parts of
Cuttack and Jajpur
Hot and moist
sub-humid
Alluvial, Red, Lateritic,
Mixed Red and Black
Horticulture in Odisha
The agro-climatic conditions of Odisha are favourable for the production of
different types of vegetables, fruits and spices. Districts likeGajapati,Kandhamal
andKeonjhar are engaged in horticultural activity. Among fruits that grow in long
duration are mango, coconut, litchi and jackfruit are most favourable in Odisha.
Among short duration fruits, banana, papaya and pineapple are grown in Odisha.
Banana is widely grown in Puri district.
The area under fruit cultivation was 325.85 thousand hectare. Odisha ranked fourth
in terms of production of vegetables. Brinjals, cabbage and tomato are the major
vegetables produced in the state. Vegetables are grown in Koraput, Keonjhar,
Gajapati and Kandhamal districts. Organic farming in Horticulture is becoming
increasingly important due to its manifold benefits to the society.
State Potato Mission
It has been implemented during 2015-16 with the aim of making the State
self-sufficient in production and availability of potato. Accordingly, increasing
area and production of table potato, production of seed potato and establishing
cold storages have been emphasised.
Medicinal Plants
Forests in Odisha produce large number of plants that are rich in medicinal value
such as Amla, Aswagandha, Bilva, Brahmi, Chiraita, Gudmar, Guggul, Kalmegh,
Makoi, Sarpagandha, Bhringraj etc. The Gandhamardan hill range in Baragarh and
Balangir are house of many medicinal plants. The state has a medicinal plant garden
at Bhubaneswar calledEkamravan which was inaugurated in 2006.
89 Agriculture and Irrigation in Odisha