Forecasting area, production and yield of rice in the west central table land to mid central table land zones of Odishas

Agriculture is the largest employer in our country, besides being an important contributor to the country’s GDP. Rice is grown as a principal cereal crop in our state Odisha and here it is regarded as the staple food. To feed the exponentially growing population of our state the quantity of rice production is to be enhanced. But it has been seen that the rice area is retarding day by day due to industrialization, urbanization, construction of roads etc. The production and yield are also fluctuating over the years. In this endeavor, it has been tried to give a picture of rice on area, production and productivity of seven districts of west central table land and mid central table land of the state seasonwise. Besides, the similarity with respect to yield of rice has been studied among these seven districts along with their growth rates. Further, some univariate models have been fitted to rice area, production and yield of these districts seasonwise to forecast their near future values. This study will immensely help the policymakers for policy formulation and implementation to enhance the food security and sustainability of the people of Odisha.