ROURKELA: Sundargarh district, in its agriculture strategy meeting on Tuesday, reduced the area of cropland by 4,000 hectare while finalising Kharif crop programme 2022. The total farm land reduction in the district to 3.09 lakh hectares (ha) from 3.13 lakh ha is being attributed to expansion of mining activities in four blocks.
Incidentally, although the district has total of 2.26 lakh ha paddy land, this year the total paddy crop area has further been reduced to 2.04 lakh ha comprising high, medium and low land. The maximum diversion from paddy crop has been targeted on high land which is vulnerable to erratic monsoon.
Yet, the actual crop yield of Sundargarh stands at 32.55 quintal/ha against the normal yield of 27.73.
Sources said from the recent practice of crop diversion, the non-paddy crops are the gainers as this year too non-paddy crop cultivation has programmed for 1.05 lakh ha against the actual non-paddy crop area of 87,000 ha.
Moreover, among the non-paddy target for pulses cultivation in 2022 has been enhanced to 39,400 ha against the achievement of 36,047 ha in 2021. On the other hand, oilseeds cultivation programme has been reduced to 16,900 ha against the achievement of 21,609 ha in 2021. Similarly, vegetable production target too has been reduced to 25,070 ha against the achievement of 30,287 ha in 2021.
Sundargarh Chief District Agriculture Officer (CDAO) Birendra Behera said the Kharif crop strategy for 2022 has been worked out keeping in view the district’s topography, rainfall pattern, soil fertility status, irrigation potential and also the farmers’ economic status.
He said with meticulous crop planning and adoption of cluster approach, crop productivity can be enhanced. “Under diversification of cropping programme, thrust is given on diversion of non remunerative crop like upland paddy to more remunerative crops like pulses, oilseeds, maize, ragi etc and encourage mixed cropping under upland situation,” Behera said.
Stress is also being laid on promotion of paddy and arhar, paddy and moong/biri and groundnut and arhar as mixed cropping and inter-cropping to combat drought like situation, especially on high lands, the CDAO added.