Odisha aims at 1.05 million tonne rice output in Rabi season

Crop loan target pegged at Rs 3,800 cr

The state government has pegged the rice production target at 1.05 million tonne in the Rabi season for 2014-15.

In the Rabi campaign for the current fiscal, total food grains output is targeted at 2.02 million tonne. This includes 1.2 million tonne of cereals (rice, wheat, maize and ragi) and 0.82 million tonne of pulses (mung, biri, kulthi, gram, cowpea, field pea and lentil).

There is a programme to cover 310,000 hectares (ha) of land under rice cultivation in the Rabi season. Rice productivity is pegged at 3,400 kg per ha.

To achieve the desired rice productivity, it is planned to popularise suitable high yielding and hybrid varieties, raise nurseries near water sources, promote line sowing/transplanting, apply balanced dose of fertilisers supplemented with organic manures and micro-nutrients and promote technologies on integrated nutrient management and integrated pest management.

These strategies would be backed by technology demonstration and training of farmers, popularisation of the system of rice intensification and extension of subsidy on certified seeds and other agri inputs.

Besides, massive crop demonstrations, asset building and site specific activities are being taken up under ‘Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India’ programme with an objective to address the constraints limiting the productivity of rice based cropping systems. It has been targeted to extend crop loan of Rs 3,800 crore to the farmers in the Rabi season.

The state chief secretary G C Pati has instructed all district collectors to regularly review the credit flow to the agriculture sector and initiate corrective measures, if necessary, to ensure that adequate crop loan is being extended by the financial institutions.

Pati has stressed on all out efforts for successful implementation of flagship programmes like National Food Security Mission, National Horticulture Mission, National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm, National Mission on Agriculture Extension & Technology and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana in addition to state run programmes to accelerate the pace of growth in the agriculture sector.

The Rabi campaign envisages promotion of farm mechanisation in the state through subsidised sale of different farm machineries and equipment.

Thrust will be on popularisation of special farm driven implements, popularisation of post-harvest equipment, involvement of manufacturers/dealers in conducting demonstration on the PPP (public private partnership) mode, establishment of farm machinery banks for facilitating custom hiring and enhancing the present level of power consumption to 1.50 KW/ha.