Natural Calamities, Rice Production Loss and Risk Coping Strategies: Evidence from Odisha

Odisha is one of the states most vulnerable to natural calamities in India. Over the years, they have affected the economy of the state, especially its agriculture, very seriously. This paper attempts to estimate the production losses in rice due to three common types of natural calamities such as drought, flood and cyclone in Odisha over a period of 45 years (1965-66 to 2008-09) using secondary data, and also analyzes the coping strategies adopted by farmers on the basis of primary data collected from 100 affected sample farmers. The findings show heavy rice production losses in calamity years. Migration and shifting to wage work in the construction sector have been the major coping strategies to earn additional income and smoothen consumption spending in the calamity years. Given the impossibility of preventing the occurrence of natural calamities, it is possible to argue that a greater allocation of funds for rice research for developing rice varieties tolerant to various calamity situations and generation of more non-farm income opportunities in the rural areas will help in lessening the stress on the farmers.