Pulses, Oilseeds, and Other Crops of Odisha

Pulses: The Protein Source

Pulses occupy approximately 18-20 lakh hectares in Odisha, making the state one of the significant pulse-growing regions of India. They are cultivated primarily in the rabi (winter) season on residual soil moisture after the kharif rice harvest, a practice known locally as utera or paira cropping, where pulse seeds are broadcast into the standing rice crop just before harvest. The major pulses grown in Odisha include green gram (moong), black gram (biri), pigeon pea (arhar or kandulo), chickpea (chana or buta), field pea, and cowpea. Green gram and black gram together account for about 70 per cent of the state’s pulse area and production.

The distribution of pulses shows a clear spatial pattern. The western and interior districts — Kalahandi, Bolangir, Nuapada, Koraput, Kandhamal — are the major pulse-producing regions, where millet-pulse mixed cropping is a traditional practice. The coastal districts also grow pulses, particularly green gram, as a post-rice crop, but the area is less. Pulses are crucial for nutritional security in a state where a significant proportion of the population, particularly among the poorer and tribal communities, relies on pulses as the primary source of protein. They also play a vital agronomic role: as leguminous crops, pulses fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, improving fertility and reducing the fertiliser requirement for the subsequent rice crop. Despite this importance, pulse productivity in Odisha — around 500-600 kilograms per hectare — remains modest, constrained by the reliance on residual moisture, limited use of improved varieties, and susceptibility to pests.

Oilseeds: Edible Oils and Economy

Oilseeds are the second most important group of crops after rice and pulses, grown on approximately 7-8 lakh hectares across Odisha. The principal oilseeds include groundnut (the most widely grown oilseed), sesame (til), mustard (sorisha), sunflower, niger (alasi), and castor. Groundnut is concentrated in the southern coastal districts, particularly Ganjam, and in the western districts of Bolangir and Nuapada, where the well-drained sandy and red soils are suited to the crop. Sesame is grown across the state as a rain-fed kharif crop and as a post-rice summer crop. Mustard is primarily a rabi crop, grown in the irrigated and semi-irrigated tracts. Niger, an oilseed unique to tribal agriculture, is grown in the highlands of Koraput, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, and Kandhamal, often mixed with millets.

Oilseed productivity in Odisha is low — groundnut yields around 1.2-1.5 tonnes per hectare, sesame around 400-500 kg per hectare, and mustard around 600-800 kg per hectare. The reasons are similar to those affecting pulses: rain-fed cultivation, marginal lands, low seed replacement rates, and pest and disease pressure. The edible oil deficit in Odisha is substantial, and the state imports a large proportion of its edible oil requirement from other states and abroad. The State Government has introduced schemes to promote oilseed cultivation, including the distribution of quality seeds and the establishment of oilseed processing clusters, but the impact has been limited so far.

Millets: The Nutritional Re-discovery

Millets — comprising ragi (finger millet), bajra (pearl millet), sorghum (jowar or juara), little millet (suang), foxtail millet, kodo millet, and barnyard millet — occupy about 1.8-2.0 lakh hectares in Odisha, cultivated primarily in the tribal-dominated highland districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, and Mayurbhanj. Ragi is the most important millet, used for making porridge and flatbreads, and is a staple in the tribal diet. Millets are inherently suited to the dry, nutrient-poor, rain-fed conditions of the Eastern Ghats, requiring minimal inputs and possessing exceptional drought tolerance. They are also nutritionally superior to rice — rich in protein, dietary fibre, calcium, iron, and micronutrients — and have a low glycaemic index.

Historically, the area under millets has declined as rice cultivation expanded, driven by government procurement policies and PDS (Public Distribution System) rice supplies that displaced millets from the plate. Recognising the nutritional importance of millets, the Odisha Government launched the Odisha Millet Mission in 2017, with the twin objectives of increasing millet production and promoting millet consumption through procurement for the PDS, the Mid-Day Meal scheme, and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). The Mission has received international recognition for its innovative approach and has contributed to a reversal of the declining trend in millet area. It integrates production support, value addition (processing and marketing of millet-based products), and consumer awareness campaigns.

Other Crops

Beyond the staple grains and oilseeds, Odisha grows a variety of other crops. Maize is increasingly popular, both as a food grain and a poultry feed ingredient, with about 1.2 lakh hectares under cultivation, concentrated in Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Mayurbhanj. Sugarcane is grown on about 50,000 hectares, primarily in Ganjam (Aska sugar mill area), Nayagarh, and the irrigated tracts of the Mahanadi delta. Jute cultivation, once extensive in the Balasore-Bhadrak region, has declined significantly due to competition from synthetic packaging materials. Cotton is grown on about 1.5 lakh hectares, mostly in the western black soil tracts of Bolangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, and Rayagada, and supports a ginning and textile industry in the region. Potato cultivation has expanded in the rabi season across the state, with Balasore and Mayurbhanj emerging as important centres. Vegetable cultivation, particularly in the peri-urban zones around Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, and Sambalpur, has grown rapidly, driven by urban demand and improved cold-chain logistics connecting producers to markets.