State manages high foodgrain output

BHUBANESWAR: Consistently doing well in foodgrain production for the last five years, the State Government has set an ambitious target of 95 lakh tonnes for the current financial year.Orissa received Krishi Karman Award from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday for achieving a high foodgrain production of 87.96 lakh tonnes in 2010-11 crop year. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 2 crore, a trophy and a citation.The State managed to register the high foodgrain production last year despite untimely rains in December. Standing crops in many parts of the State were damaged.While the rice production of the State was pegged at 69.62 lakh tonnes, the coarse cereals production was 8.38 lakh tonnes. The State recorded  production of 9.69 lakh tonnes of pulses in the last crop year.Notwithstanding the vagaries of nature, the State has been producing more than 80 lakh tonnes of foodgrain since 2006-07. The foodgrain production in 2006-07 was 82.97 lakh tonnes despite the fact that standing crops on 4.65 lakh hectares in 245 blocks of 27 districts were affected by floods.The State recorded the highest-ever foodgrain production of 92.54 lakh tonnes in 2007-08. Crops on three lakh hectares in 200 blocks were damaged due to floods that year.The State witnessed unprecedented floods in 2008 in which 25 districts were severely affected. The total loss of crops and assets was estimated at Rs 2,687 crore. However, the foodgrain production of the State in 2008-09 touched 86.33 lakh tonnes.In 2009-10, crops in 15 coastal districts suffered maximum damage due to floods. Despite that the foodgrain production in that crop year reached 87.07 lakh tonne.The high production of foodgrain is possible because of the proactive measures taken by the Agriculture Department under National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Rastriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) and  National Pulse Production Mission.Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathy, who received the award from the Prime Minister at a special function in Delhi, met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and explained the measures taken by the Department to sustain high growth in production.