Odisha Economic Survey 2021: Agrarian Distress Rules, Farmers quit farming in State!

Bhubaneswar: Here is a warning shot for the powers that be in Odisha, when farmers protest is hogging the headlines in the country. The Economic Survey 2021 shows the prevalence of a sort of agrarian distress in the State.

While on the one hand, the Survey pointed out that farmers are quitting the profession in a big way, simultaneously it also brings to the fore how the gross value added in the crop sector alone is very dismal.

FARMERS QUITTING FARMING?

As per the Economic Survey 2020-21, the net area sown in the State has shown a decline for the third consecutive year to touch 53.30 lakh hectares in 2019-20. In contrast, the fallow land (a land where crops are grown earlier but now no crops are being sown) has increased to 10.79 lakh hectares.

The current fallow land posted a rise of over 24 per cent during the period of 2015-20; whereas net sown area is down by 3 per cent.

The reason: The Economic Survey says,

“While the fluctuating trend in net sown area is linked with natural calamities, other factors like lack of irrigation, rainfall, the increased use of land in non-farming purposes and farmers’ inability to take up sowing and constraints in marketing or selling agri-produces are responsible for rising fallow lands.”

The Survey has also identified the districts where the farm stress is evident. Rise in fallow land has been mostly witnessed in Western Odisha, the region that witnessed maximum farm suicides over the years.

THE PRESCRIPTION:

The Economic survey has the prescription to prune the worrying trend of rising fallow land and declining net sown area. It says,

“This trend can be changed through policies like contract farming and higher incentives to farmers for optimum use of land.”

CROP SECTOR GROWTH

During the period of 2012- 2020, the average annual growth rate of the crop sector alone has been a mere around 8.34 per cent.

Sample Why Farmers In Odisha are Poor?

The real gross value added (GVA) by the crop sector alone in 2012-13 stood at overs 25.5 lakh crore. In the year 2021, the GVA stood at Rs 29.71 crore. An average growth rate of mere 1.6 per cent per year during the period 0f 2012-20, shows how little asset creation has taken place for the crop farmers in the State.  

MORE SHOCKERS

The shocker it delivered is the cropping intensity in Odisha has dropped below the 2005-06 level. In 2005-06, the cropping intensity in the State is 157 per cent, the same in 2019-20 stood at 156 per cent. The cropping intensity remained static for two consecutive years.

Note: Cropping intensity is defined as the raising of a number of crops from the same field during one agricultural year.

The decline in cropping intensity in the farm sector now looks acute. Because it was observed that the cropping intensity in 2013-14 had been 167 per cent. The significant mention here is in the year 2013-14, Odisha witnessed natural calamity in the shape of Phailin and followed by heavy floods due to severe depression.

WHAT IT SIGNIFIES?

The dip in cropping intensity shows farmers are not going for more than one crops in Odisha. This will have a grave impact on farm income. And per-capita income of farmers will remain poor.

OTHER BLIPS

• Rice production in Odisha declined by 2 per cent in the State during the period of 2015-20.
• Except for Tur dal, production of other pulses has posted a decline during the period.
• The total food grain production in the State has declined by 2.1 per cent.
• The total oilseed production in the State declined by a massive 16 per cent during the period of 2015-20
• The only bright side is the production of cotton in the State up by 83 per cent.
• Onion production down in Odisha during the period.
• But spices production posted a quantum rise.

The Bottom Line: Dip in food grain production, especially pulses and oilseeds, over the years don’t augur well for the State food security scenario. But the positive side of the story is, spices cultivation give an income booster option for the farmers in the State.