Cash crop cultivation set to get a boost in Odisha

The administration in Odisha's Ganjam district is encouraging farmers to allot more space for cash crop cultivation during the kharif season and reduce area for paddy.

The stipulated area for growing paddy will be decreased from 2.15 lakh hectares last year to 2.08 lakh hectares this year, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Manoj Kumar Behera said.

"As part of the agriculture strategy for Kharif-2018, the administration will boost the cultivation of pulses, like mung, biri and arahar, by increasing farming land from 43,323 hectares to 48,755 hectares," he said.

Similarly, the space for oilseeds such as groundnut, till and caster will be increased from 23,599 hectares last year to 24,915 hectares this year, the deputy director stated.

The farmers would get remunerative prices if they switch over from traditional paddy to cash crops, he added.

The district officials will also focus on increasing productivity this season.

The administration plans to improve paddy yield from 2,413 kg per hectares last year to 4,254 kg per hectares this year, another official said.

Paddy crop was largely damaged due to pest attack and unseasonal rain last year, resulting in slump in productivity.

"The Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) has decided to introduce two new varieties of paddy this year in the district. These will withstand waterlogging for around three weeks," Jyoti Ranjan Mishra, the managing director of the corporation, said.