Patna, February 26, 2007Agriculture in Bihar is set for a paradigm shift due to substantial increase in the land under sugarcane cultivation. This may impact its foodgrain sufficiency negatively.
Agriculture Produce Commissioner (APC) NS Madhavan conceded that to compensate for the loss in foodgrain crop acreage productivity would have to go up considerably.
But there seems to be lack of clarity on by what percentage the production will need to be increased so that the state's sufficiency is not seriously diluted.
The government is looking at the possibility of the acreage under sugar cane rising from the present 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh hectares to around 16 lakh hectares. In this scenario the loss in grain production would be over 2.5 lakh metric tonne.
According to the cabinet note, 15 lakh acres of land would be required just for cane-based 5.6 million tonne Indian Gasohol ethanol project. By same average, the additional land required for 31 cane-based projects approved by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) would be over 21 lakh acres or 8.5 lakh hectares. This is around 7 per cent of the total cultivable land in the state.
The requirement of land would be more for other projects like the mega project for ethanol production from maize which would have four units in four districts besides that of two other smaller 45 kilolitre per day units. There are also no indications so far that the government has set any cap on the number of such units that may come up in the state.
Given the average per hectare rice yield of 14.93 quintals and 21.05 quintals per hectare for wheat, the mean loss of grain production due to the surge in cane cultivation would be 1.52 lakh metric tonnes. Though this is just a shade over 1 per cent of the 119 lakh metric tonne foodgrain production in the state it would mean missing the targeted five per cent annual production growth of five per cent. The average two per cent annual population growth of the state will only have a magnifying effect on the inability to meet the target.
In the government's view the trend towards diversifying into cash crops in other states is worth emulating. However, considering the proportion of BPL families in the state's population the government is not ready to let the foodgrain production dip either.
Said APC Madhavan, "We are still working out the percentage by which productivity will have to be increased to neutralise the loss of acerage. Once the industries are in place, concrete figures would be available."
"Improved productivity will be reflected in this year's production figures itself," he asserted and added "that would still leave scope for huge improvement given the poor productivity levels".
Agriculture scientist of Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa AK Choudhary said that better productivity would call for much better irrigation infrastructure and delivery mechanism to address the question of shortage of fertilisers and seeds besides technology extension services.
Agriculture Produce Commissioner (APC) NS Madhavan conceded that to compensate for the loss in foodgrain crop acreage productivity would have to go up considerably.
But there seems to be lack of clarity on by what percentage the production will need to be increased so that the state's sufficiency is not seriously diluted.
The government is looking at the possibility of the acreage under sugar cane rising from the present 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh hectares to around 16 lakh hectares. In this scenario the loss in grain production would be over 2.5 lakh metric tonne.
According to the cabinet note, 15 lakh acres of land would be required just for cane-based 5.6 million tonne Indian Gasohol ethanol project. By same average, the additional land required for 31 cane-based projects approved by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) would be over 21 lakh acres or 8.5 lakh hectares. This is around 7 per cent of the total cultivable land in the state.
The requirement of land would be more for other projects like the mega project for ethanol production from maize which would have four units in four districts besides that of two other smaller 45 kilolitre per day units. There are also no indications so far that the government has set any cap on the number of such units that may come up in the state.
Given the average per hectare rice yield of 14.93 quintals and 21.05 quintals per hectare for wheat, the mean loss of grain production due to the surge in cane cultivation would be 1.52 lakh metric tonnes. Though this is just a shade over 1 per cent of the 119 lakh metric tonne foodgrain production in the state it would mean missing the targeted five per cent annual production growth of five per cent. The average two per cent annual population growth of the state will only have a magnifying effect on the inability to meet the target.
In the government's view the trend towards diversifying into cash crops in other states is worth emulating. However, considering the proportion of BPL families in the state's population the government is not ready to let the foodgrain production dip either.
Said APC Madhavan, "We are still working out the percentage by which productivity will have to be increased to neutralise the loss of acerage. Once the industries are in place, concrete figures would be available."
"Improved productivity will be reflected in this year's production figures itself," he asserted and added "that would still leave scope for huge improvement given the poor productivity levels".
Agriculture scientist of Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa AK Choudhary said that better productivity would call for much better irrigation infrastructure and delivery mechanism to address the question of shortage of fertilisers and seeds besides technology extension services.
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