The Production and Consumption Pattern of Millets in Six Rainfed Districts of Odisha, India

Ashwini Chhatre Lalmani Pandey

Copyright Š 2016 Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN) All rights reserved.

Published By Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN) N-199, Greater Kailash Part-I, New Delhi-110048

Citation: Chhatre, Ashwini and L. Pandey (2016), The Production and Consumption Pattern of Millets in Six Rainfed Districts of Odisha, India Data Brief 3 : Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN), India.

Production and Consumption Patterns of Millets in Six Rainfed Districts of Odisha

RRAN Data Brief

Ashwini Chhatre and Lalmani Pandey

Abstract The production and consumption patterns of millets, primarily ragi and small millets, in six rainfed districts of Odisha, India are presented in this data brief. While the monthly per capita consumption of millets are above average of the state consumption in 5 of the 6 districts, there is a declining trend of area and production of millets in all the selected districts during 2001 to 2011. The data summarized in this brief recommends the need for regionally differentiated and specific local strategies and solution for the improvements of production and consumption of millets.

Keywords: Millets, Rainfed districts, Tribal Population, Odisha, India

1. Introduction Odisha state level data brief on millets indicated some interesting features and trends in their production and consumption. This data brief provides a status on the production and consumption of millets at more disaggregated levels in 6 districts including 5 tribal dominated districts of Odisha. These are most populous, and ragi and small millet are majorly grown millet crops in these districts. . The brief uses agricultural and demographic data from Agricultural statistics of Odisha (2011) and national population Census (2011) respectively. The analysis of data indicates that there is a general tendency of decline in area and production of millets in both tribal and non-tribal districts, though gains in yields during 2001 to 2011.

The best performing districts in millet production and consumption in the selected district are also losing their area and production very fast and is matter of concern. This data brief, therefore, suggests the need for regionally differentiated and specific local strategies and solution for their improvements

2. Demographic Characteristics:

Ganjam, have more than half of their population as tribal sharing more than 2/3rd of holdings in their respective district (Table 1). During 2011, these districts together constitute about 28% holdings, 44% tribal and 20% scheduled caste population of Odisha.

Table 1: Tribal population and their shares in holding in selected districts of Odisha, 2011 Districts

Population share in state, %

Tribal population in district, %

Gajapati 1.4 54.3 Ganjam 8.4 3.4 Koraput 3.3 50.6 Mayurbhanj 6.0 58.7 Rayagada 2.3 56.0 Sundergarh 5.0 50.7 Odisha, thousand, 41974 9591, 22.9 % Source: Population Census India 2011 and Agricultural Statistics of Odisha, 2011-12

Share of SC and ST holdings in district, %

78.5 18.5 76.6 68.7 84.4 79.1 3683, 78.9

Six districts selected for the study namely Gajapati, Ganjam, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada, Sundergarh. All districts, with the exception of

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3. Agricultural Characteristics 3.1

Rainfedness, Cropping Intensities, and Size of holding: Data analysis show several distinct agricultural characteristics in these districts. First, all the districts, except Ganjam, have more than half of their cropped area as rainfed (Table 2). Second, cropping intensities of all the districts are generally low. This indicates less than one crop in a year is grown on cultivated land in these districts.Finally, three tribal dominated districts (i.e. koraput, Rayagada, Sundergarh) have average size of holdings more than the state average. Overall, low cropping intensities along with relatively higher holding size indicate scope for better agricultural intensification in these districts (Table 2).

Table 2: Extent of rainfedness, cropping intensities, and average size of holdings in selected districts of Odisha, 2011-12 Rainfed Cropping Average Districts cropped intensity, holding area, % % size, ha Gajapati 57.0 93.4 0.81 Ganjam 41.0 89.0 0.93 Koraput 61.7 91.7 1.63 Mayurbhanj 79.6 96.2 0.92 Rayagada 67.0 97.3 1.22 Sundergarh 92.0 97.2 1.27 Odisha, 71.1 88.5 thousand, % 1.04 Data source: Agricultural Statistics of Odisha, 2011-12

The cultivation of rice is largely supported by irrigation in all districts with the exception of Mayurbhanj and Sundergarh which are tribal dominated and widely rainfed districts (Table 3).

Millets are cultivated under rainfed conditions in all the districts, though relatively better irrigated in Mayurbhanj and Sndergarh.

Table 3: Cropwise irrigated area in selected districts of Odisha, 2011-12, % Cerea ls

Puls es

Oilsee ds

0.6 0.2 0.0 5

46.7 65.9

0.1

37.3 35.4

Cropp ed area irrigat ed % 43.0 59.0

42.8

1.9

1.1

38.3

19.2

8.3

19.3

10.4

61.7

20.4

70.8

0.2

48.9

0.2

4.0

33.0

6.2

3.9

6.4

3.0

28.6

8.0

33.2

1.3

31.7

3.0

16.0

28.9

Districts

Rice

Gajapati Ganjam

64.7 67.0

Koraput

59.2

Mayurbh anj Rayagada Sunderga rh Odisha

Mill ets

Data source: Agricultural Statistics of Odisha, 2011-12

2.2 Cropped Area and Cropping Pattern: Rice and wheat occupy more than 90% of the total cropped area (TCA) in Mayurbhanj, Sundergarh and Ganjam while the same is more than 2/3rd in Gajapati, Koraput and Rayaguda (Table 4). The share of millets in total cropped area varied across districts and it is around 1/4rth of TCA in Rayaguda and Koraput.

Table 4: Cropping pattern of selected districts of Odisha, 2011-12, % Districts Gajapati Ganjam Koraput Mayurbh anj Rayagad a Sunderg arh Odisha

88.8 86.2 82.6

Rice and Wh eat 72.0 98.3 71.9

95.6

99.6

65.9

68.7

14.1

26.6

11.0

7.3

15.8

130.9

92.3 84.7

99.2 95.2

0.1 1.3

0.5 2.3

3.6 8.8

2.1 2.9

2.0 3.6

211.9 4964.5

Cer eals

Ragi

Mill ets

Pulses

Oilse eds

Other s

2.7 1.1 18.1

7.9 1.2 24.5 0.00 8

6.1 9.8 3.1

2.7 1.0 9.4

2.4 3.0 4.9

Croppe d area irrigate d% 57.5 308.6 198.8

1.5

1.6

1.2

314.3

Data source: Agricultural Statistics of Odisha, 2011-12 2.3 Growth in Area, Production and Yield of Millets: Area and production of millets declined in all the selected districts during 2001 to 2011 (Table 5, Figures 1, 2 and 3). Besides strong gains in yield, particularly Gajapati is losing its millet area as well as production very fast. Loss of around half of its millets area in tribal district of Koraput during the same period is also a matter of concern (Figure 1).

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Table 5: Growth in area, production and yield of millets in selected districts of Odisha, 2001 to 2011, %

Districts Area Production Ganjam -8.5 -7.3 Gajapati -15.1 -13.0 Rayagada -2.2 -4.1 Koraput -6.3 -5.8 Odisha -4.6 -4.5 Data source: GOI, 2014

Yield 1.3 2.5 -1.9 0.5 0.2

Data source: GOI, 2014

2.4 Consumption of Millets vis-a-vis Rice and Wheat: Except Rayaguda, monthly per capita consumption of millets are above average of the state (Table 6).

These consumption quantities of millets, however, are very low compared to the same for rice and wheat.

Table 6: Monthly per capita consumption of millets and rice and wheat in selected districts of Odisha, 2011, kg Districts Millets Rice and wheat Gajapati 0.85 3.9 Ganjam 0.28 3.0 Koraput 0.19 5.3 Mayurbhanj 4.0 Rayagada 0.03 3.7 Sundergarh 3.0 Odisha 0.05 3.61 Data source: GOI, 2014 Except Rayagada, districts share in state millet consumption as well as production are far better than the same for rice and wheat (Tables 7 and 8).

The consumption and production shares of Ganjam in the state are the highest among the sample districts with 47% and 38% respectively.

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Table 7: District shares in consumption of millets and rice and wheat in Odisha, 2011, % Districts Millets Rice and wheat Gajapati 23.38 1.50 Ganjam 46.96 7.02 Koraput 12.52 4.87 Mayurbhanj 6.67 Rayagada 1.23 2.35 Sundergarh 4.08 Odisha, Thousand ton 25.2 1818 Data source: GOI, 201 and Agricultural Statistics of Odisha, 2011-12

Table 8: District shares in production of millets and rice and wheat in Odisha, 2011, % Districts Millets Rice and wheat Gajapati 5.24 0.64 Ganjam 37.63 2.63 Koraput 13.49 2.96 Mayurbhanj 9.58 Rayagada 0.21 1.27 Sundergarh 5.89 Odisha, Thousand ton 47.2 5808 Data source: GOI, 2014 and Agricultural Statistics of Odisha, 2011-12

Consumption and production of millets as percent of rice and wheat varies across districts, and as expected, except Rayagada, are better than those for the state as a whole (Table 9). The production and consumption of millets as compared to those of rice and wheat are, however, low and indicate much scope for strengthening production of millet in all the districts.

4. Conclusion Rice and wheat occupy major shares in productive resources like cropped area and irrigation water as well as in consumption. The production and consumption of millets as percent of rice and wheat are low and there exist much scope for improvements in all the districts.

There is a general tendency of decline in area and production of millets in both tribal and non-tribal districts, though gains in yields during 2001 to 2011.

The best performing districts in millet production and consumption in the sample, viz; Ganjam and Gajapati, are losing their area and production very fast and is matter of concern.

Performance of millet production and consumption varied across districts indicating the needs for regionally differentiated and specific local strategies and solution for their improvements.

References 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Government of India (2011), Agricultural Census of India, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi2.

Government of India (2014), Indian Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2014, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation Directorate of Economics and Statistics New Delhi.

Government of Odisha (2011), Agricultural Statistics of Odisha, , Bhuvaneshwar Central Statistical Organization, New Delhi Government of India, Population Census India 2011, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi

Table 9: Production and consumption of millets as percent of rice and wheat consumption and production in selected districts of Odisha, 2011, % Districts Consumption Production Gajapati 21.56 6.68 Ganjam 9.27 11.61 Koraput 3.56 3.70 Rayagada 0.73 0.14 Odisha 1.39 0.81 Data source: GOI, 2014 and Agricultural Statistics of Odisha, 2011-12

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Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN) was established in 2010 as a pan India platform to engage government agencies, researchers, civil society and CSR teams. The purpose of bringing different stakeholders together was to establish a case for integrated interventions in rainfed areas that demonstrate the impact of focussed innovations and public investments Mission: “RRAN aims to influence reconfiguration of public systems, policy and investments for productive, prosperous and resilient rainfed agriculture by building synergies between diversity of ecosystems and the development aspirations of our people.�

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For more information, visit www.rainfedindia.org

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