ABSTRACT
Orissa is primarily based on an agrarian economy with agriculture and animal husbandry contributing 21.11 per cent to the net state domestic product (NSDP) and providing employment to about 70 per cent of the total workforce as per the 2001 census (Government of Odisha 2010). Over the past two to three decades, agriculture in Orissa has stagnated, the triannual compound growth being well below the national average and showing wide disparities: districts like Kalahandi and Koraput rank much lower in agricultural growth than other districts.
