By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 22, 2015

Odisha, which got awarda s the leading state among the backward states in agricultural production, continues to import wheat, sugar, potato, onion, edible oil, pulses etc.

Barring paddy, the state is dependent on other states in other food commodities, according to the food and consumer welfare minister, Sanjaya Kumar Dasburma.

Replying to a question by BJP MLA, Dilip Ray, the minister told the state Assembly that the annual requirement of wheat is about 5.05 lakh metric ton [MT] while the production is only 22,000 MT leading to shortage of 4.23 lakh MT. Similarly, the state imports the entire annual requirement of sugar of 1.92 lakh MT. Even the state imports the entire demand for edible oil pegged at 1.55 lakh MT, though the state produces 6.58 lakh MT of oil seeds.

Even the state imports 2.67 lakh MT of pulses, according o the minister, who did not give any reply on the annual production and import quantity of onion. However, the annual requirement of onion is about 3.72 lakh MT.

Odisha imports huge quantity of potato from other states as against its annual requirement of 11.21 lakh MT, it produces only 2.5 lakh MT., the minister said adding that the market price of these agricultural commodities can not be determined as it keeps varying from time to time.