Agro growth in Odisha to fall by 6.54 percent during the current fiscal in view of Corona

Bhubaneswar, Mar 26: Contribution of agricultural growth to GDP in Corona-affected Odisha is expected to contract by 6.54 percent as against national average of 3.40 per cent during the current fiscal. Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ empowerment Department Arun Kumar Sahu said the agricultural growth in the country was expected to be 3.4 percent during the current financial year despite the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, Odisha's growth rate to contrition to the economic activities is estimated to contact by 6.54 percent. Answering to BJD MLA, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik’s question relating to the National Agricultural Growth Sahu said Odisha's agricultural growth rate was 7.67 percent and 11.92 percent respectively during 2018-19 and 2019-20 as against the national average of 2.6 percent and 4.3 percent respectively during the said two years. However, earlier at the beginning of the year cyclone Amphan, floods at a few places across the state, long dry weather and pest attack had affected the agricultural yield which remained static at 4.42 percent. Though , there was no restriction imposed on the farming activities in view of the Covid-19 pandemic situation, there were indirect adverse impact of lock down like availability of labour, restriction on vehicular movement, limited activities of the financial sector on the agricultural production. The same way, the growth from Animal Resources dropped below 33 percent that apparently impacted the overall agricultural achievement, said Sahu.