The State Government on Monday claimed to have achieved a record rice production of 94.29 lakh tonnes during the current kharif as against 76.55 lakh tonnes in 2007-08.
Relying to the demand discussion of Agriculture department for 2013-14 in the Assembly, Agriculture Minister Debi Prasad Mishra said the State has made a significant stride in the farm mechanisation, seed replacement and consumption of fertiliser.
While the seed replacement rate has increased from 8.34 per cent in 2000-01 to 22 per cent in 2012-13, the fertiliser consumption has increased from 41 kg to 63 kg per hectare during the same period.
Mishra said the comprehensive agriculture policy announced by the Government will give a boost to agriculture production.
Participating in the discussion, Opposition Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan said only 34 per cent of arable land is irrigated while the Government had promised to provide irrigation to 35 per cent of the cultivable land in each block by the end of 11th Plan.
He further said the farm lending of the State has not crossed 41 per cent by the end of the current financial year as reported in the final report of the State Farmers’ Commission set up by the Government on January 2, 2010.
Though the Commission has submitted its report to the Government, it has not been tabled in the Assembly, Harichandan said and sought to know about the action taken as per the report.
BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain said senior officers of the Agriculture department were working at cross purposes. He criticised the action of the Agricultural directorate in handing over the job of seed replacement from Odisha State Seeds Corporation to the Odisha Agro-Industries Corporation.