PRODUCTIVITY, PRODUCTION AND EXPORT OF FOOD GRAINS:ODISHA?S CONTEXT TO INDIANSTRATEGIES

The country has achieved self-sufficiency in food grains especially in rice, wheat, maize. Indian origin rice (both aromatic and non-aromatic) are exported to African, Middle East, South East and Far East countries and one of the major foreign exchange earner for the nation. Indian maize is also exported to overseas markets for feed and food use as the country has exportable surplus. The country has achieved tremendous growth in the field of pulses production and India has emerged as net exporter in the last few years. In this backdrop this study analyses the contribution of Odisha state in the field of food grain production and export. The agri economy of Odisha is yet to achieve its full potential due to various factors related to socio-cultural, economic, commercial, technological and infrastructure. But the state can utilize abundant natural resources to undertake commercial farming and capable of meeting the demand of overseas buyers in terms of quality and quantity. The state machinery and procurement agencies should ensure fair and remunerative prices to the farmers. There is urgent need to promote scientific farming techniques and adoption of advanced pre and post harvesting technologies to increase production and productivity. During study it was observed that rice and maize exported from Odisha play secondary or filler role as get mixed with other origins by the exporters. Promotion and adoption of Organic farminghas tremendous scope in the state and can provide livelihood to majority of small and medium farmers living on sustenance farming.