Modules for doubling the farmer’s income through KVK’s Introduction rowth of the agricultural sector is important not only for ensuing food security and reduction of poverty in rural areas, but also sustaining growth of rest of the economy. G Growth of non-farm sectors can be sustained only when the agricultural sector continues to provide adequate produce for food and clothing. Agricultural development creates sources of food for the people, fodder for livestock, manpower and raw materials for industry and produce for the export sector. It also unfolds possibilities of additional employment facilities and income generation in the rural sector. Transfer of technology plays an important role in growth of agricultural sector. The wide network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) in the country plays an important role in transferring up-to-date technologies relating to agriculture and allied sector. There are 33 KVKs spread over all the districts of the state, out of which 31 KVKs operating in 28 districts are under the administrative control of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology. There are two Krishi Vigyan Kendras operating in each district of Mayurbhanj, Ganjam and Sundergarh. One Krishi Vigyan Kendra each in the districts of Khorda and Cuttack are working under ICAR institutes (CIFA & NRRI respectively). The Krishi Vigyan Kendras take up various extension programmes like on-farm testing, frontline demonstrations, training to farmers, farm women, rural youth & extension functionaries; farmers' fair, field day, exhibition, kissan mobile advisory service, diagnostic visit etc. for transfer of technologies relating to agriculture and allied areas. Efforts are initiated to formulate action plan for enhancing farmers' income over the years. Several consultations were made by involving farmers, scientists, policy makers and other stake holders to formulate the action plan. Vetting of those modules are done in each district in a meeting of the farmers, line department officials and scientists of the University. This novel approach will certainly pave a path towards doubling farmers' income by 2022 in the state. ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE & TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR Page 1 Modules for doubling the farmer’s income through KVK’s Agricultural Scenario of Odisha disha has a geographical area of 1,55,707 sq. Kms with a population of 4.19 crores. Agriculture is the main stay of State’s economy and providing livelihood support to a large O section of rural population. The total cultivated land of the State is 61.80 lakh ha out of which 29.14 lakh ha (47%) is high land 17.55 lakh ha (28%) medium land and 15.11 lakh ha (25%) low land. About 84 per cent of the farmers are small and marginal and have limited access to resources. Literacy too is a concern for this vulnerable group of farming community. As per Agricultural Census-2010-11, the number of operational holdings of the State is 46.67 lakh with operational area 48.52 lakh ha. The State witnessed a decline in operational area due to urbanization and more of land put to non- agricultural use. Agriculture in the state is characterized by low productivity due to traditional agriculture practices by poor people, inadequate irrigation infrastructure, skewed land distribution, small size holding, low investment and capital formation and natural calamities occurring in quick succession. The climate of the State is tropical, characterised by high temperature, high humidity, medium to high rainfall, short and mild winter. The normal rainfall in the State is 1451 mm, of which about 80% is confined to monsoon months (June-September). The State is divided into 10 agro-climatic zones, viz., North-western plateau, North-central Plateau, North-Eastern coastal plain, East and South-Eastern coastal plain, North-Eastern Ghat, Eastern Ghat high land, South-Eastern Ghat, Western undulating zone, West Central table land and Mid-Central table land. Soil types range from fertile alluvial deltaic soils in coastal plains, mixed red and black soils in Central tableland, red and yellow soils with low fertility in Northern Plateau to red, black & brown forest soils in Eastern Ghat region. They differ widely from highly acidic to slightly alkaline and from light sandy to stiff clays. Soils are mainly acidic with the degree of acidity varying widely. Further, about 4 lakh ha is exposed to saline inundation, 3.54 lakh ha to flooding and 0.75 lakh ha to water- logging in the deltaic areas. These are low in water holding capacity, fertility and having various production constraints. Agriculture sector in the State has an impeccable track record of meeting the challenges of food demand due to rapid growth of population. This can be construed to have been achieved through a favourable interplay of infrastructure, technology, extension and policy support. The net area sown and gross cropped area during the year 2013-14 were 54.24 lakh ha and 90.54 lakh ha respectively. The cropping intensity for the year was 167 per cent. Rice was the major crop in kharif season, so were pulses and oilseeds in Rabi season. The gross irrigation potential created till 2013-14 from all sources was 50.05 lakh ha (33.53 lakh ha during kharif and 16.52 lakh ha during rabi) and gross irrigated area during the year was 35.21 lakh ha (22.54 lakh ha during kharif and 12.67 lakh ha during rabi) which is 70.35% of the irrigation potential created. Rice is the most important food crop of Odisha. Nearly 70% of the state’s population directly or indirectly depends upon rice cultivation. It is grown in an area of 41.8 lakh ha with productivity of 1821 kg/ha (rice) during 2013-14. Pulses are the second most important group of crops next to cereals in Odisha. The state grows ten important pulse crops namely, greengram, blackgram, ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE & TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR Page 2 Modules for doubling the farmer’s income through KVK’s pigeonpea, horsegram, lentil, gram, cowpea, rajmash, Lathyrus and ricebean. During 2013-14, in Odisha, pulse crops were grown in about 20.88 lakh ha with production of 10.58 lakh tonnes and average productivity of 507 kg/ha. The yield of pulse crop both in India and Odisha maintains a plateau since last six decades. Breaking of this plateau is very much necessary to fulfil the protein requirement of vast population of the country. 900 India Odisha 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1976-77 2010-11 1950-51 1952-53 1954-55 1956-57 1958-59 1960-61 1962-63 1964-65 1966-67 1968-69 1970-71 1972-73 1974-75 1978-79 1980-81 1982-83 1984-85 1986-87 1988-89 1990-91 1992-93 1994-95 1996-97 1998-99 2000-01 2002-03 2004-05 2006-07 2008-09 2012-13 Groundnut, sesame, castor, mustard, niger, sunflower, safflower, soybean and linseed are the major oilseed crops grown in the State. Of these, groundnut, sesame, mustard and niger are the major ones. Now, sunflower is gaining popularity in the state. The oilseed situation demands to enhance the production to meet the domestic demand. Requirement & production of oilseed in Odisha is given in following diagram. ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE & TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR Page 3 Modules for doubling the farmer’s income through KVK’s Requirement (lakh tonnes) Prodn. (lakh tonnes) 21.6 20.8 21.1 21.4 20.0 20.3 20.5 19.2 19.5 19.7 18.5 18.7 19.0 6.8 7.0 6.6 6.9 7.0 6.0 6.2 6.4 5.4 5.0 5.3 5.5 3.2 Among the fiber crops jute & mesta are the most important. Jute is mainly cultivated in the coastal districts of undivided Balasore, Cuttack & Anandpur subdivision of Keonjhar and Mesta in the interior districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Koraput. The area under jute & mesta is shrinking fast, mainly due to invasion of polythene & synthetic fibers as a cheaper & convenient substitute in addition to the inadequate marketing support. The agro-climatic condition of the state is favourable for production of brinjal, chilli, tomato, okra, cucurbits, greens and bean, peas. Odisha is the second largest producer of vegetables in the country next to West Bengal. The major vegetables having commercial significance grown in the states are solanaceous vegetables (brinjal, tomato, chili), cole crops (cauliflower, cabbage, knolkhol), cucurbits, okra, legumes, greens and tropical tuber crops (sweet potato, dioscorea, amorphophalus, colocasia). The vegetable growers of the state are now taking much interest in cultivation of hybrid vegetables and high value exotics vegetables like broccoli, red cabbage, lettuce and chinese cabbage. Major fruits grown in the state are mango, guava, citrus, banana, litchi, papaya etc. Commercial floriculture has been identified as a profitable venture which can open up great opportunities to the farmers. Besides, there is vast scope for promotion of allied sectors such as dairy, poultry, pisciculture, mushroom cultivation, bee keeping, value addition of agricultural produce etc. Adoption of various vocations with entrepreneurship mode will enhance income in farm sector and make agriculture more attractive for the younger generations. There is strong need for motivation of rural youth to be involved in agriculture sector by adopting modern technology. It is now necessary to design suitable action plan for increasing profit in agriculture sector by utilizing the potential resources available in the state. In this context, the modules compiled in this booklet will certainly be an eye opener for enhancing farmers’ income over the years. ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE & TECHNOLOGY, BHUBANESWAR Page 4 Modules for doubling the farmer’s income through KVK’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Angul Angul is one of the economically prosperous districts of Odisha.