Berhampur: The administration in Ganjam district is encouraging farmers to allot more space for cash crop cultivation during the kharif season and reduce the area for paddy.
The stipulated area for growing paddy will be decreased from 2.15 lakh hectares last year to 2.08 lakh hectares this year, deputy director of agriculture, Manoj Kumar Behera, said.
“As part of the agriculture strategy for kharif-2018, the administration will boost the cultivation of pulses, like mung, biri and arahar, by increasing farming land from 43,323 hectares to 48,755 hectares,” he said.
Similarly, the space for oilseeds such as groundnut, till and caster will be increased from 23,599 hectares last year to 24,915 hectares this year, the deputy director stated.
The farmers would get remunerative prices if they switch over from traditional paddy to cash crops, he added. The district officials will also focus on increasing productivity this season.
The administration plans to improve paddy yield from 2,413 kg per hectare last year to 4,254 kg per hectare this year, another official said.
Paddy crop was largely damaged due to pest attacks and unseasonal rain last year, resulting in slump in productivity.
“The Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) has decided to introduce two new varieties of paddy this year in the district. These will withstand water-logging for around three weeks,” Jyoti Ranjan Mishra, managing director of OSSC, said.
