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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Agriculture is the main livelihood option for the tribal of the district, which is characterised by small land-holdings, upland terrain, traditional cultivation practices, limited irrigation, poor water conservation measures, low productivity, limited crop diversification and low yields of food grains. Ninety three per cent of the population in the district is concentrated in rural areas and the economy is mostly based on agriculture and forest produce with very limited industrialisation. Farming practices play a vital role in food security but agriculture in Kandhamal district is constrained by various factors. SWOT analysis is a technique used to analyse the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of any business. The present paper analyses the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of agriculture in Kandhamal district of Orissa. As such, SWOT analysis is used to identify strategies for agricultural development, especially in farming systems, and they help the researchers or planners to manage and prioritize them for achieving food security. The research area was located in rural areas of Kandhamal district, the sample size (n=110) was selected by a combination of purposive and random sampling technique. The strength of the district lies with having a large forest cover and excellent climate for horticulture, conducive agro-climatic conditions for cultivation of medicinal plants and organic spices. The weakness of the district include underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of modern technology, limited irrigation facilities, large-scale use of traditional seeds, low level use of fertilizers and pesticides, lack of crop diversification and traditional methods of cultivation. The district offers opportunity in horticulture, forest products, agro-processing and tourism. The abject poverty and incoherent government policy is a serious threat of the district. Based on the results of SWOT, strategies for farming system management were prioritized.