Agriculture Policy

Objectives

Agriculture in Odisha continues to be characterized by low productivity due to traditional agricultural practices, inadequate capital formation and low investment, inadequate irrigation facilities, low water use efficiency, uneconomic size of holding, etc. The agricultural development plan in today’s context has to be holistic, well-defined and focused towards overall well-being of the farming community. The Government, therefore, have decided to go for a New Agriculture Policy which is futuristic, flexible enough to anticipate and address emerging trends, identify potential areas for development and chalk out a clear agenda for agricultural development for at least next 10 years. The main objectives of this Policy are as follows:

• To bring in a shift from the present level of subsistence agriculture to a profitable commercial agriculture so that people would accept agriculture as a vocation.
• To promote sustainable agricultural development .
• To enhance productivity of important crops at least to match with national average (enhancing seed replacement, availability of quality planting materials, INM, IPM, water management, farm mechanization and technology transfer) .
• To encourage crop diversification particularly in uplands and medium lands (e.g. paddy to non-paddy crops).
• To focus on horticultural crops including dry-land horticulture .
• To encourage modern farming system approach.
• To enhance water use efficiency through peoples’ participation.
• To facilitate increased long term investment in agricultural sectors (on farm as well as off farm) both by private sector, public sector and private & public partnership (PPP), particularly for post harvest management, marketing, agro processing and value addition, etc.
• To encourage contract as well as compact farming.
• To increase access to credit for small and marginal farmers.
• To facilitate appropriate market linkages for agricultural produce with respect to which the state has competitive advantages.
• To implement integrated watershed development programmes in watershed areas for Natural Resource Management (NRM), increased crop production as well as on-farm and non-farm income.
• To create appropriate institutions / facilities to undertake regulatory, enforcement and quality assurance activities matching to the emergent needs.
• To redefine the roles and responsibilities of the agricultural extension machinery by suitably restructuring the field extension set up.

Input Management

(i) Seeds:

Seed is one of the most important inputs that plays a key role in boosting agricultural productivity. Keeping the other inputs of production constant, the quality seeds alone can increase the production to the extent of above 20%.

According to many agricultural scientists, one of the main reasons for the low productivity of many food crops in Odisha is the poor Seed Replacement Rate (SRR). The SRR refers to the percentage of area of crop in which improved / certified seeds are used in a given crop season. The present Seed Replacement Rate in Odisha is about 10% in paddy, the most important crop in the State. The Seed Replacement Rate in paddy will be enhanced to 25% by the end of Eleventh Five Year Plan. To achieve SRR of 25%, 6.00 lakh quintals of certified seeds will be produced in the State by the end of the Eleventh Five Year Plan. In order to achieve the above, Seed Village Scheme will be intensified. The Seed Village Scheme is a viable model of participative production of quality seeds with the involvement of farmers. This makes it possible for production of seed at reasonable costs and ensures timely availability of quality seeds to farmers. Seed Village Programme will be implemented in all the blocks of the State. Special emphasis will be given for production of vegetable seeds, oil seeds and pulses seeds. Suitable production incentive and distribution subsidy will be provided for production and distribution of quality seeds.

In order to achieve required SRR, Seed Processing Plants along with godowns of adequate capacity will be established in each district. Five existing Processing Plants will be provided with dehumidified chamber for storage of seeds of groundnut, vegetable, etc. Adequate number of Mobile Seed Processing Plants will be procured to provide processing facility to seed villages. Odisha State Seed Corporation will be strengthened / restructured.

Presently, there are three Seed Testing Laboratories in the State. More number of Seed Testing Laboratories will be set up. Odisha State Seed Certification Agency (OSSCA) will be strengthened. Presently, OSSCA has 8 offices of Seed Certification Officers. Five more Offices of Seed Certification Officers will be established so that there is one Office of Seed Certification Officer in each undivided district of the State. The new Seed Certification Offices will also have Seed Testing Laboratories.

In order to facilitate easy availability of seeds to the farmers, seed sale centres will be opened in each Gram Panchayat through a network of private seed dealers.

• There are more than 200 indigenous varieties/races of paddy in the State. An attempt will be made to maintain germplasm of these indigenous varieties and to establish geographical indicators for improvement of these varieties supported by a branding exercise, especially for certain special indigenous aromatic rice varieties.
• A special campaign for seed treatment will be launched with the participation of multiple agencies. Mobile seed treating machines will be popularized. It will be ensured that Odisha State Seeds Corporation Ltd will supply only treated seeds.
• System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of paddy cultivation requiring less seed rate will be promoted in the state in partnership with NGOs and CBOs.
• The linkage between the Research Institutions producing the breeder seeds with the Department will be strengthened for introduction of better varieties.
• Scientifically bred, drought and pest resistant high yielding and environmentally safe varieties will be promoted.
• Hybrid rice in the state will be promoted at appropriate agro-ecological situations with quality safeguards.
• Only after assessing the risks and benefits associated with Genetically Modified (GM) crops as per existing rules and procedures, such crop varieties would be introduced.

(ii) Irrigation:

Irrigation plays a significant role in increasing the yield from the land. Non-availability of timely are adequate water for irrigation is now becoming a serious constraint in achieving higher productivity and stability of farming. Therefore, assured irrigation is the need of the hour. Though, the total rainfall in our State is satisfactory, its distribution over time and space is highly uneven. So, rain water harvesting and improving the efficiency of water use are important. It has been assessed that even 10% increase in the present level of water use efficiency in irrigation project may help to provide life saving irrigation to crops in
large areas. The concept of maximizing yield and income per unit of water would be used in all crop production programmes. Water Users’ Associations are being encouraged to maximize the benefit from the available water.

• There are a number of irrigation projects at various stages of completion in the State. Adequate resources would be provided for speedy completion of the ongoing projects.
• Participatory community irrigation management (PIM) will be encouraged through the pani panchayat system. Pani panchayats (Water Users’ Associations) will be strengthened. Steps will be taken for capacity building of pani panchayat which will bring about awareness of their rights, roles and responsibilities in effective utilization and monitoring of water allotted to them.
• Rotational Water Supply System will be adopted for effective use of water.
• The spread of the benefit of major and medium irrigation projects being confined only to a few districts of the State, it is necessary to take greater interest for developing rain water harvesting structure, ground water recharge, traditional water bodies, farm ponds, etc.
• Assured irrigation will be made to at least 35% of cultivable land in each block. This will be achieved by a suitable combination of flow irrigation and lift irrigation.
• Irrigation tanks will be dug in every village having such potential.
• Individual tube wells and bore wells will be promoted under the Jalanidhi programme with subsidy upto 50% of the project cost.
• Community Lift Irrigation projects with subsidy upto 80% of the project cost in the non-tribal and non-KBK districts and upto 90% of the project cost in the tribal and KBK districts will be continued under Biju Krushak Vikas Yojana (BKVY).
• Micro irrigation (drip and sprinkler irrigation) helps farmers in saving water, increasing yields, supporting new technological packages and increasing the employment. Micro irrigation will be promoted in a big way in the State by providing subsidies for drip and sprinkler irrigation upto 70% of the cost. Micro irrigation revolution will go a long way in creating efficient water use in the State.
• Drawal of electric line for energisation of dug well / private L.I. points will be subsidized under Biju Gram Jyoti Yojana (BGJY).
• Supply of irrigation water through underground conduits in place of over ground canals will be encouraged to minimize transmission loss.
• Farm ponds will be executed free of cost in the field of BPL farmers in the state under NREGS.
• About 3 lakh hectares of agriculture land in Odisha remains waterlogged due to poor drainage. Integrated development of these areas will be attempted through appropriate engineering and land / crop management interventions.

(iii) Fertilizers:

To increase agricultural production, it is necessary that chemical fertilizers as well as organic manure are used adequately and in a balanced manner. Presently, fertilizer consumption in the State is 53 kg/ha only as compared to the national average of more than 100 kg/ha. Hence, there is adequate scope for increasing fertilizer consumption in the State. While suitable measures will be taken to increase fertilizer consumption in the State, emphasis would be laid on ‘balanced fertilization’. Balanced fertilization is defined as an accurate fertilizer application equal to the plant need and soil nutrient content. To achieve balanced nutrition for sustainable crop production, Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) is very important. The goal of INM is to integrate the use of all natural and man-made sources of plant nutrients required for high agricultural productivity besides ensuring the health of the soil. State will endeavour to promote INM practices in a big way through suitable programmes and incentives.

The effect of prolonged and over usage of chemicals on soil results in soil health deterioration, human health hazards and pollution of the environment. Hence, it is necessary to switch to an alternate source of nutrient supply to the
crops which is ecologically protective of farming. The State will promote use of bio-fertilizers in a big way through suitable incentives and effective extension.

(iv) Farm Mechanization:

Farm Mechanization brings a significant improvement in agricultural productivity in a number of ways. The timeliness of various agricultural operations is crucial in obtaining optimal yield, which is possible only through mechanization. Secondly, the quality and precision of the operations are equally significant for realizing higher yield. The various operations such as land leveling, irrigation, sowing and planting, use of fertilizer, plant protection, harvesting and threshing need a high degree of precision to increase the efficiency of the inputs and reduces the losses. Farm Mechanization also goes a long way in reducing the drudgery of agricultural operations. With mechanization, there are good chances to reduce the cost of production.

In our State, level of mechanization is low. Farm Mechanization will be promoted in a big way by ensuring easy availability of appropriate farm machineries at substantially subsidized rates. Rate of subsidy on farm mechanization and equipments will be raised to 50% (Annexure-I).

• The farm machinery suitable for different types of soil and operation for important crops shall be developed.
• Technical know-how shall be provided to the farmers with respect of appropriateness of the farm machineries for the situation.
• Training relating to farm machineries and equipment shall be imparted to the farmers and artisans.
• Women friendly farm equipments will be promoted.
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and use of bio-control agents will be encouraged in order to minimize the indiscriminate and injudicious use of chemical pesticides. Subsidy will be provided for plant protection equipments.
• Agro Service Centers will be promoted to provide door-step services for farm mechanization.